Measuring the Impact of Pastoral Services on Patients in a Private Psychiatric Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.31831Keywords:
Chaplaincy, hope, mental health, multidisciplinary team, pastoral care, positive outcomes, psychiatric hospital, reduced anxietyAbstract
This study explores the impact of pastoral care interventions on the mental and emotional health of inpatients at a private psychiatric hospital in Sydney. A total of 99 patients completed study questionnaires over a 3-month period. Feedback for the service was overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority of patients reporting benefits during and after their meetings, regardless of their religious beliefs. Almost 88% of patients reported a lessening of anxiety after their meetings with pastoral care practitioners, with 85% suggesting that their interactions with the pastoral team had a significant and positive impact on their mental health. These findings were contextualized further with free text responses from respondents. The study results clearly demonstrate the importance of the pastoral services interventions in mental health settings.
References
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Christl, B., N. Reilly, C. Yin and M. P. Austin (2015) “Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Women Admitted to a Psychiatric Mother-baby Unit”. Archives of Women’s Mental Health 18: 805–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-014-0492-x
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Corrigan, P., B. McCorkle., B. Schell and K. Kidder (2003) “Religion and Spirituality in the Lives of People with Serious Mental Illness”. Community Mental Health Journal 39: 487–99. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:COMH.0000003010.44413.37
D’Souza, R. (2002) “Do Patients Expect Psychiatrists to be Interested in Spiritual Issues?” Australasian Psychiatry 10: 44–47. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1665.2002.00391.x
Derrickson, P., and A. Van Hise (2010) “Curriculum for a Spiritual Pathway Project: Integrating Research Methodology into Pastoral Care Training”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 16: 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720903451030
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Hefti, R. (2011) “Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Mental Health Care, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy”. Religions 2: 611–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel2040611
Hook, J. N., E. L. Worthington, D. E. Davis, D. J. Jennings, A. L. Gartner and J. P. Hook (2010) “Empirically Supported Religious and Spiritual Therapies”. Journal of Clinical Psychology 66: 46–72.
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—(2008) Medicine, Religion, and Health: Where Science and Spirituality Meet. West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Foundation Press.
—(2009) “Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review”. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 54: 283–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370905400502
—(2014) “Depression in Chronic Illness: Does Religion Help?” Journal of Christian Nursing 31: 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0b013e3182893752
McClimans, L. M., and J. Browne (2011) “Choosing a Patient-reported Outcome Measure”. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 32: 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-010-9163-8
Montonye, M., and S. Calderone (2010) “Pastoral Interventions and the Influence of Self-Reporting: A Preliminary Analysis”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 16: 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720903519976
Orton, M. J. (2008) “Transforming Chaplaincy: The Emergence of a Healthcare Pastoral Care for a Post-Modern World”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 15: 114–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720903152513
Pargament, K. (2007) Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred. New York and London: Guilford Press.
Propst, L. R., R. Ostrom, P. Watkins, T. Dean and D. Mashburn (1992) “Comparative Efficacy of Religious and Nonreligious Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Clinical Depression in Religious Individuals”. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 60: 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.60.1.94
Richards, P. S., M. E. Berrett, R. K. Hardman and D. L. Eggett (2006) “Comparative Efficacy of Spirituality, Cognitive, and Emotional Support Groups for Treating Eating Disorder Inpatients”. Eating Disorders 14: 401–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640260600952548
Rose, E. M., J. S. Westefeld and T. N. Ansely (2001) “Spiritual Issues in Counseling: Clients’ Beliefs and Preferences”. Journal of Counseling Psychology 48: 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.48.1.61
Saguil, A., A. L. Fitzpatrick and G. Clark (2011) “Is Evidence Able to Persuade Physicians to Discuss Spirituality with Patients?” Journal of Religion and Health 50: 289–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9452-6
Seeman, T. E., L. F. Dubin and M. Seeman (2003) “Religiosity/Spirituality and Health: A Critical Review of the Evidence for Biological Pathways”. American Psychologist 58: 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.58.1.53
Snowden, A., I. Telfer., E. Kelly., S. Bunniss and H. Mowat (2013a) “I was able to talk about what was on my mind”. The Operationalisation of Person-centred Care”. The Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 16: 13–32.
—(2013b) “The Construction of the Lothian PROM”. The Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 16: 3–12.
Snowden, A., I. Telfer, E. Kelly, H. Mowat, S. Bunniss, N. Howard and M. A. Snowden (2012) “Healthcare Chaplaincy: the Lothian Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM). The Construction of a Measure of the Impact of Specialist Spiritual Care Provision”. Retrieved from http://mendeley.com/profiles/austyn-snowden/
Tepper, L., S. A. Rogers, E. M. Coleman and H. N. Malomy (2001) “The Prevalence of Religious Coping Among Persons With Persistent Mental Illness”. Psychiatric Services 52: 660–65. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.52.5.660
Bowland, S., T. Edmond and R. D. Fallot (2012) “Evaluation of a Spriritually Focused Intervention with Older Trauma Survivors”. Social Work 57: 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swr001
Byrne, M. (2007) “Spirituality in Palliative Care: What Language Do We Need? Learning from Pastoral Care”. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 13: 118–24. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2007.13.3.23273
Christl, B., N. Reilly, C. Yin and M. P. Austin (2015) “Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Women Admitted to a Psychiatric Mother-baby Unit”. Archives of Women’s Mental Health 18: 805–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-014-0492-x
Cocksedge, S., and C. May (2005) “Pastoral Relationships and Holding Work in Primary Care: Affect, Subjectivity and Chronicity”. Chronic Illness 1: 157–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/17423953050010020101
Corrigan, P., B. McCorkle., B. Schell and K. Kidder (2003) “Religion and Spirituality in the Lives of People with Serious Mental Illness”. Community Mental Health Journal 39: 487–99. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:COMH.0000003010.44413.37
D’Souza, R. (2002) “Do Patients Expect Psychiatrists to be Interested in Spiritual Issues?” Australasian Psychiatry 10: 44–47. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1665.2002.00391.x
Derrickson, P., and A. Van Hise (2010) “Curriculum for a Spiritual Pathway Project: Integrating Research Methodology into Pastoral Care Training”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 16: 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720903451030
Dunn, L. L., and M. M. Shelton (2007) “Spiritual Well-Being, Anxiety and Depression in Antepartal Women on Bedrest”. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 28: 1235–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840701651504
Harding, S. R., K. J. Flannelly., K. Galek and H. P. Tannenbaum (2008) “Spiritual Care, Pastoral Care, and Chaplains: Trends in the Health Care Literature”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 14: 99–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720802129067
Hefti, R. (2011) “Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Mental Health Care, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy”. Religions 2: 611–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel2040611
Hook, J. N., E. L. Worthington, D. E. Davis, D. J. Jennings, A. L. Gartner and J. P. Hook (2010) “Empirically Supported Religious and Spiritual Therapies”. Journal of Clinical Psychology 66: 46–72.
Koenig, H. G. (2000) “Religion, Spirituality, and Medicine: Application to Clinical Practice”. JAMA 284: 1708. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.284.13.1708-JMS1004-5-1
—(2008) Medicine, Religion, and Health: Where Science and Spirituality Meet. West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Foundation Press.
—(2009) “Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review”. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 54: 283–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370905400502
—(2014) “Depression in Chronic Illness: Does Religion Help?” Journal of Christian Nursing 31: 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1097/CNJ.0b013e3182893752
McClimans, L. M., and J. Browne (2011) “Choosing a Patient-reported Outcome Measure”. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 32: 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-010-9163-8
Montonye, M., and S. Calderone (2010) “Pastoral Interventions and the Influence of Self-Reporting: A Preliminary Analysis”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 16: 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720903519976
Orton, M. J. (2008) “Transforming Chaplaincy: The Emergence of a Healthcare Pastoral Care for a Post-Modern World”. Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy 15: 114–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720903152513
Pargament, K. (2007) Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred. New York and London: Guilford Press.
Propst, L. R., R. Ostrom, P. Watkins, T. Dean and D. Mashburn (1992) “Comparative Efficacy of Religious and Nonreligious Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Clinical Depression in Religious Individuals”. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 60: 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.60.1.94
Richards, P. S., M. E. Berrett, R. K. Hardman and D. L. Eggett (2006) “Comparative Efficacy of Spirituality, Cognitive, and Emotional Support Groups for Treating Eating Disorder Inpatients”. Eating Disorders 14: 401–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640260600952548
Rose, E. M., J. S. Westefeld and T. N. Ansely (2001) “Spiritual Issues in Counseling: Clients’ Beliefs and Preferences”. Journal of Counseling Psychology 48: 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.48.1.61
Saguil, A., A. L. Fitzpatrick and G. Clark (2011) “Is Evidence Able to Persuade Physicians to Discuss Spirituality with Patients?” Journal of Religion and Health 50: 289–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9452-6
Seeman, T. E., L. F. Dubin and M. Seeman (2003) “Religiosity/Spirituality and Health: A Critical Review of the Evidence for Biological Pathways”. American Psychologist 58: 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.58.1.53
Snowden, A., I. Telfer., E. Kelly., S. Bunniss and H. Mowat (2013a) “I was able to talk about what was on my mind”. The Operationalisation of Person-centred Care”. The Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 16: 13–32.
—(2013b) “The Construction of the Lothian PROM”. The Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy 16: 3–12.
Snowden, A., I. Telfer, E. Kelly, H. Mowat, S. Bunniss, N. Howard and M. A. Snowden (2012) “Healthcare Chaplaincy: the Lothian Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM). The Construction of a Measure of the Impact of Specialist Spiritual Care Provision”. Retrieved from http://mendeley.com/profiles/austyn-snowden/
Tepper, L., S. A. Rogers, E. M. Coleman and H. N. Malomy (2001) “The Prevalence of Religious Coping Among Persons With Persistent Mental Illness”. Psychiatric Services 52: 660–65. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.52.5.660
Published
2018-12-24
Issue
Section
Research
How to Cite
Farrell, J., Nee, A., Francis, K., & Reilly, N. (2018). Measuring the Impact of Pastoral Services on Patients in a Private Psychiatric Hospital. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 6(1), 95-113. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.31831
