Exploring Spirituality and Mental Health

Navigating the Benefits and Challenges of Spirituality in Mental Health

Belief in a higher power can help someone increase acceptance, decrease negative emotions, find meaning, and deepen their relationships with others. As it relates to direct patient care, the field of psychology has only recently begun exploring ways to incorporate patients’ spiritual and religious beliefs into therapy.

Zollfrank explains how spirituality and religion can be helpful for coping with mental health struggles, and describes how clinicians working to do so often need to navigate potential complications.

Watch now to learn more about:

• The mental health benefits of spirituality and religion
• The potential harms of spirituality and religion to mental health
• How to broach the topic of spirituality with patients

Zollfrank describes how many patients wish to have spirituality and religion considered as part of their mental health treatment. However, mental health providers are not always equipped to engage patients on the topic.

“In psychiatry, providers are not necessarily trained to inquire about spirituality and religion,” Zollfrank says. “That creates a gap between what’s important for our patients and what’s important for our providers.”

According to Zollfrank, a patient’s spiritual beliefs can provide a variety of benefits, including a sense of purpose and meaning, a feeling of comfort, or a state of inner peace. She points out that spirituality and religion can help with depression and anxiety.

Attendance in religious worship and groups provides structure and communal support, which can help reduce the risk of suicidality and substance misuse.

It is important to note that spirituality can encompass a wider definition than many people consider. Spirituality can simply refer to experiences that bring you a sense of peace or quietude. For instance, Zollfrank uses the example of being part of a book club to illustrate this point.

While acknowledging the many benefits of spirituality and religion for mental health, Zollfrank takes care to mention the potential harms. For example, religious trauma often results in a significant amount of shame, guilt, and fear.

“[Religious trauma] is real,” she says. “It’s very important to address it and to assess what kind of trauma it was.” According to Zollfrank, religious trauma can include cult involvement, where the dynamics and feelings of betrayal in these groups can resemble family trauma.

“We know from the literature that a lot of religious communities exclude victims and don’t give them a lot of support, but for victims, spirituality is often an open question and can even be very important in coping.”

She points out that it is important in such cases for the person to connect with a pastoral counselor or other provider who can address this particular type of struggle and pain.

For mental health professionals who are wondering how they can broach the topic of spirituality with patients, Zollfrank suggests they ask the following questions:

• Is religion/spirituality important to you?
• Do you have a religious/spiritual group you belong to?
• How would you like us to address your spirituality/religion in our work together, and what approach would make the most sense for you?

Incorporating spirituality and religion into mental health treatment fosters a more inclusive environment that respects and honors individual beliefs and experiences.

Ultimately, this approach can strengthen the connection between patients and providers and enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Audience Questions

• Why have psychology and spirituality had such a complicated relationship over the years?
• What should we know about the term “religion gap”?
• What are some of the repercussions of therapists not being familiar with the roles of spirituality and religion in their work?
• What are some of the key distinctions between religion and spirituality?
• Do you find that many patients want spirituality and religion to be a part of their mental health care?
• Have you found that there is a common thread or common value when it comes to faith?
• When issues around faith are part of one’s mental health challenges, how can clinicians both acknowledge the role of faith and help the patient navigate those challenges?
• How can clinicians incorporate faith into treatment without it getting in the way of the treatment?
• What are patients looking for in terms of spiritual support from their therapist?
• Do clinicians need to be spiritual themselves to work with a patient who wants to incorporate faith in the work that they’re doing?
• How can we support someone who is returning to spirituality after a diagnosis or at end of life?
• How can clinicians work effectively with a patient who uses their religion defensively and lacks insight?
• How can a spiritual framework be beneficial in treating depression?
• How can a spiritual framework be beneficial in treating anxiety?
• How can a spiritual framework be beneficial in treating addiction?
• How can a patient make sure that they feel seen and understood in terms of their spiritual or religious identity?
• Do you have any suggestions for how a patient might bring up the topic of spirituality with their therapist?
• Can you speak to the opportunity that faith leaders have to counsel community members to seek care when necessary? How might they foster that role in their congregations?
• What sorts of mental health trainings are available for faith leaders?
• How can a clinician learn more about their patient’s spiritual beliefs?
• Do you have any ideas on how to help manage the particular challenges brought on by religious trauma?
• What sort of hope can spiritual tools bring to mental health care?

The information discussed is intended to be educational and should not be used as a substitute for guidance provided by your health care provider. Please consult with your treatment team before making any changes to your care plan.

Resources

You may also find this information useful:

• The Varieties of Religious Experience – book by William James
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Mental Health First Aid
• Understanding Spirituality and Mental Health
• Video: Building Trust With Patients
• Video: Introducing Mindfulness to Kids & Teens
• Video: Cultural Competency and the Importance of Curiosity
• Let’s Face It, No One Wants To Talk About Mental Health
• Video: Tap Into the Power of Self-Compassion

About Chaplain Zollfrank

Angelika A. Zollfrank, MDiv, BCC, ACPE, is an ordained clergy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. In her role at McLean, she provides spiritual support appropriate to the spiritual orienting systems of patients, families, and staff. Chaplain Zollfrank also leads the Mental Health Clinical Pastoral Education Program at McLean Hospital. She specializes in how spirituality and religion may be useful for coping with mental health struggles.