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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Mark J. DeHaven, PhD, Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 6263 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9067, 214-648-1399, mark.dehaven@UTSouthwestern.edu and Jenny J. Lee, PhD, MPH, Department of Health, Physical Education, and Human Services, Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301.
Health programs in churches, and faith-based or interfaith service organizations, are an important community-based public health resource. They offer, for example: health education, screening and management of high blood pressure and diabetes, weight loss and smoking cessation, cancer prevention and awareness, geriatric care, nutritional guidance, and mental health care. Although much is known about the health effects of faith-based programs, an important outcome often overlooked is the healing effects of program participation on those both providing and receiving care. Regardless of the type of care offered in faith-based settings, the context in which the exchange occurs between the provider/receiver of the care is one based on love. A study was conducted describing the effects of healing encounters in faith-based settings on the providers/receivers of care and services, and to determine the degree to which the encounter is based on an exchange of love. A comprehensive systematic review of the public health, biomedical, nursing, psychology and ministerial literatures' was performed to identify, define, measure and evaluate, the existence and reciprocal effects of healing love. The study answers how we know it exists, how it is measured, how it affects providers/receivers of care, and how it can be employed more effectively in faith-based settings. Guidelines are presented for educating those involved in faith-based programs about how the healing effects of love can be incorporated into and contribute to the health and vitality of faith-based programs. Examples are offered from the authors's experience implementing faith-based programs in Dallas, Texas and Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to
Keywords: Faith Community, Outcome Measures
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.