Spirituality and Health: An Exploratory Study of Hospital Patients' Perspectives

The relationship between spirituality/religion and health is receiving increasing academic interest, but few studies have explored the experience of Australians. This paper presents data from an exploratory survey of patients and families in a public teaching hospital in Sydney. The findings show that the majority of hospital service users:* believe there are links between spirituality/religion and health;* believe that rituals and customs can help people when they are sick/suffering;* have valued practices associated with their beliefs;* feel it is helpful for health staff to know their patients' beliefs;* are willing to be asked about their beliefs; or* want hospital staff to respect and support the beliefs and practices of all patients.Spirituality and religion, and the beliefs and practices associated with them, were found to be eclectic, individualised and evolving in response to life events such as loss and health crises. This paper concludes that a person-centred framework of health practice includes attention to the religious/spiritual dimension of patients and their families.