Transcript Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health

Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
What do you think spirituality is?
b
m
s
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
1
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
►
The World Health Organisation has made many statements describing
the need for holistic care and the integral nature of this spiritual
dimension:
►
“Until recently the health professions have largely followed a medical
model, which seeks to treat patients by focussing on medicines and
surgery, and gives less importance to beliefs and to faith. This
reductionism or mechanistic view of patients as being only a material
body is no longer satisfactory. Patients and physicians have begun to
realise the value of elements such as faith, hope and compassion in
the healing process. The value of such ‘spiritual’ elements in health
and quality of life has led to research in this field in an attempt to
move towards a more holistic view of health that includes a nonmaterial dimension, emphasising the seamless connections between
mind and body.”
(World Health Organisation (WHO) 1998)
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
2
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
►
Mental Health is the emotional and spiritual resilience that
enables us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment
and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an
underlying belief in our own and other's self
worth. (Health Education Authority – UK, 1997)
►
Spirituality is not necessarily religion, and religion can be
seen as an aspect of spirituality
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
3
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
It is:
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
All to do with your SPIRIT, your life force [as essential as your BREATH]
What makes me, me and you, you – your uniqueness as a person
What keeps us going when times are tough
Often to do with a belief in something or some being(s) other than ourselves
and the material world
What gives your life meaning
Our connectedness to other people, nature, animals, sport and exercise, art,
music and drama, the transcendent.
Our life pilgrimage and quest.
How we channel our desires.
Your creativity
A search for hope, harmony and wholeness
What makes us tick
A vocation, a purpose, what keeps us going – keeps us breathing
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
4
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
Why are we looking at spirituality?
►
Ethical – because it is the right thing to do, to treat people well and
appropriately whatever their faith, belief, gender, age, ability / disability,
sexual orientation or life stance happens to be
►
Legal – because there is now a regulatory framework which forbids
discrimination and therefore encourages the equal and fair treatment of all
from any culture or background.
►
Financial – because there will be greater satisfaction and better outcomes
among patients and less stress and absenteeism among staff.
►
Clinical – because there is a level of evidence that when people are well cared
for they have a greater chance of health and, for example, their immune
system appears to work more efficiently.
From Fair For All Religion and Belief, 2008 in Spiritual Care Matters, NHS
Education for Scotland www.nes.scot.nhs.uk
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
5
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
►
‘In every human being there seems to be a spiritual
dimension, a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation,
that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and
purpose, even in those who do not believe in God. The
spiritual dimension tries to be in harmony with the
universe, strives for answers about the infinite, and comes
into focus when the person faces emotional stress, physical
[and mental] illness, loss, or death’ (p.259).
Murray & Zentner [1989: p.259]: Murray, R.B. & Zenter, J.P. [1989]
Nursing Concepts for Health Promotion. London: Prentice Hall
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
6
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
Define spiritual practices:
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
Ritual, religious and/or symbolic practices
Pilgrimage and retreats
Meditation and Prayer
Caring for someone
Loving someone
Deep Reflection
Yoga, Tai Chi etc
Cooking and gardening
Engaging with nature
Contemplative reading, poetry, and philosophy.
Appreciation of the arts
Group activities and sports
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
7
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
► Recovery is a process, a way of life, an attitude, and a
way of approaching the day’s challenges.
► Spirituality is a process, a way of life, an attitude, and a
way of approaching the day’s challenges.
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
8
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
►Recovery
and mental health is…
building spiritual resilience
Developing the capacity to survive and thrive
Perhaps through. . .
Finding and living “MY STORY”
For some, finding and living my story within a bigger story
Finding and enjoying BALANCE
Being enabled to live with life’s challenges with an open and honest mind and heart
Perhaps using the language - the vocabulary, little stories, and imagery, from a bigger
story – those that help give life meaning, significance and purpose
► Building trusting relationships and spiritual capital to spend on recovery (living with
myself)
►
►
►
►
►
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
9
Spirituality Recovery and Mental Health
►
If you want more, why not take a look at –
►
►
www.workingtogetherforrecovery.co.uk [click on the Spirituality petal]
www.spiritualcompetency.com
►
Documents on Spirituality and Mental Health
►
The impact of spirituality on mental health - Mental Health Foundation 2007
Making Space for Spirituality: How to support service users - The Mental
Health Foundation 2008
Guidelines on spirituality for staff in acute care services - Staffordshire
University 2008
Keeping the Faith: spirituality and recovery from mental health problems –
Mental Health Foundation 2008
Spiritual Care Matters: an introductory resource for all NHS Scotland Staff NHS Scotland 2009
►
►
►
►
WT Huntingdon Nov 26 09 John Nicholson MH
Chaplain 01223 218598
[email protected]
10