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Joan M. Carlson, MSW, Center for Research on Substance Abuse, University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road, South, Building 39, Room 3042, Jacksonville, FL 32224-2645, (904) 620-2847, jcarlson@unf.edu and Pamela S. Chally, PhD, RN, Dean, College of Health, University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road, South, Jacksonville, FL 32224-2645.
The objective of this review was to analyze current research combining spirituality, rehabilitation, and aging within the domains of ten diagnoses: amputation, arthritis, brain injury, burns, congenital deformity, fracture of the femur (hip), neurological impairment, spinal cord injury and stroke. The expectation of this study was to provide critical information regarding spiritual issues for healthcare professionals working in the aging and rehabilitation arena. Four comprehensive, health bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, CINHAL, ProQuest Medical and ProQuest Nursing Library were utilized to review published articles from January 1997 through December 2002. Articles initially identified for full text evaluation numbered 123. Articles identified for comprehensive analysis were required to meet the following criteria: 1) sampled patients with at least one of the 10 rehabilitation diagnoses, 2) addressed spirituality directly, 3) included populations 55 and older, and 4) researched based. Only 13 articles met the prescribed criteria. Three of these studies were conducted with inpatient populations and ten were conducted with outpatients. Four of the studies were qualitative, involving in depth interviews and nine were quantitative. Ten articles reported associations between spirituality and health with eight reporting a positive association. Outcome analyses were mixed given that research studies had developed varied questions/hypotheses and employed a number of methodologies. The acknowledgment of the significance of spiritual factors by aging patients and health care professionals does not appear to be reflected in current published literature. Rationale for the nominal sum of published articles and the implications to public health will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
Keywords: Elderly, Special Issues
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.