Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spirituality in Medical Education: Global Reality?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We aim to evaluate studies dealing with the incorporation of spirituality in medical education and to list the most scientific productive countries in this field. A bibliographical review was carried out. The final sample comprised 38 articles, which were divided into sub-topics for a clearer description. From these articles, 31 (81.5%) were provided by US medical schools, 3 (7.8%) by Canadian medical schools and 4 (10.5%) from other countries. The studies in this review indicate a predominance of studies related to health/medicine and spirituality in US and Canadian medical schools. New studies outside North America are needed in order to address what is being taught, whether courses are evaluated and what is the student and faculty opinions regarding this educational topic in multiple cultures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anandarajah, G., & Mitchell, M. (2007). A spirituality and medicine elective for senior medical students: 4 years’ experience, evaluation, and expansion to the family medicine residency. Family Medicine, 39(5), 313–315.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, K. G., & Fortin, A. H. (2006). Spirituality and medicine. A workshop for medical students and residents. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 21(5), 481–485.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Booth, B., & Puchalski, C. (2008). More schools teaching spirituality in medicine. American Medical News, from http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/03/10/prsc0310.htm.

  • Brokaw, J., Tunnicliff, G., Raess, B., & Saxon, D. (2002). The teaching of complementary and alternative medicine in US medical schools: A survey of course directors. Academic Medicine, 77(9), 876.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calman, K. (2008). Spirituality and medical education. Medical Education, 42(2), 123–125.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chibnall, J. T., Jeral, J. M., Cerullo, M., Knorp, J. F., & Duckro, P. N. (2002). Medical school exposure to spirituality and response to a hypothetical cancer patient. Journal of Cancer Education, 17(4), 188–190.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ecklund, E. H., Cadge, W., Gage, E. A., & Catlin, E. A. (2007). The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of academic pediatric oncologists in the United States. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/oncology, 29(11), 736–742.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feldstein, C., Grudzen, M., Johnson, A., & LeBaron, S. (2008). Integrating spirituality and culture with end-of-life care in medical education. Clinical Gerontologist, 31(4), 71–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fortin, A. H., & Barnett, K. G. (2004). Medical school curricula in spirituality and medicine. JAMA, 291(23), 2883.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghadirian, A. M. (2008). Is spirituality relevant to the practice of medicine? Medicine and Law, 27(2), 229–239.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh, A. K. (2003). The role of religion/spirituality in the medical curriculum. Minnesota Medicine, 86(2), 5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldfarb, L. M., Galanter, M., McDowell, D., Lifshutz, H., & Dermatis, H. (1996). Medical student and patient attitudes toward religion and spirituality in the recovery process. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 22(4), 549–561.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grabovac, A., Clark, N., & McKenna, M. (2008). Pilot study and evaluation of postgraduate course on “the interface between spirituality, religion and psychiatry”. Academic Psychiatry, 32(4), 332–337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grabovac, A. D., & Ganesan, S. (2003). Spirituality and religion in Canadian psychiatric residency training. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(3), 171–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graves, D. L., Shue, C. K., & Arnold, L. (2002). The role of spirituality in patient care: Incorporating spirituality training into medical school curriculum. Academic Medicine, 77(11), 1167.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guck, T. P., & Kavan, M. G. (2006). Medical student beliefs: Spirituality’s relationship to health and place in the medical school curriculum. Medical Teacher, 28(8), 702–707.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hinohara, S. (2001). Medicine and religion: Spiritual dimension of health care. Hum Health Care, 1(2), E2.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • King, D. E., Blue, A., Mallin, R., & Thiedke, C. (2004). Implementation and assessment of a spiritual history taking curriculum in the first year of medical school. Teaching and Learning in Medical, 16(1), 64–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, D. E., & Crisp, J. (2005). Spirituality and health care education in family medicine residency programs. Family Medicine, 37(6), 399–403.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G. (2000a). MSJAMA: Religion, spirituality, and medicine: Application to clinical practice. JAMA, 284(13), 1708.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G. (2000b). Religion and medicine I: Historical background and reasons for separation. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 30(4), 385–398.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. G. (2004). Religion, spirituality, and medicine: Research findings and implications for clinical practice. Southern Medical Journal, 97(12), 1194–1200.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H., McCullough, M., & Larson, D. (2001). Handbook of religion and health. USA: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lo, B., Quill, T., & Tulsky, J. (1999). Discussing palliative care with patients. ACP-ASIM end-of-life care consensus panel. American College of Physicians-American society of internal medicine. Annals of Internal Medicine, 130(9), 744–749.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lo, B., Ruston, D., Kates, L. W., Arnold, R. M., Cohen, C. B., Faber-Langendoen, K., et al. (2002). Discussing religious and spiritual issues at the end of life: A practical guide for physicians. JAMA, 287(6), 749–754.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lucchetti, G., & Granero, A. (2010). Integration of spirituality courses in Brazilian medical schools. Medical Education, 44(5), 527.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luckhaupt, S. E., Yi, M. S., Mueller, C. V., Mrus, J. M., Peterman, A. H., Puchalski, C. M., et al. (2005). Beliefs of primary care residents regarding spirituality and religion in clinical encounters with patients: A study at a midwestern U.S. teaching institution. Academic Medicine, 80(6), 560–570.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Makoul, G. (1999). Contemporary issues in medicine: Communication in medicine. Association of American Medical Colleges. Medical school objectives project, Report III: Contemporary issues in medicine: Communication in medicine. Washington, DC: AAMC.

  • Marr, L., Billings, J. A., & Weissman, D. E. (2007). Spirituality training for palliative care fellows. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 10(1), 169–177.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClain, E. K., McClain, R. L., Desai, G. J., & Pyle, S. A. (2008). Spirituality and medicine: Prevalence of spirituality-in-medicine instruction at osteopathic medical schools. Journal of American Osteopathic Association, 108(4), 197–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menéndez, R. (2004). Lo cultural y lo espiritual en la formación médica: Apreciaciones de estudiantes de 5to. Año de Medicina. Revista Cubana de Medicina General Integral, 20(3), 3.

  • Musick, D. W., Cheever, T. R., Quinlivan, S., & Nora, L. M. (2003). Spirituality in medicine: A comparison of medical students’ attitudes and clinical performance. Academic Psychiatry, 27(2), 67–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neely, D., & Minford, E. J. (2008). Current status of teaching on spirituality in UK medical schools. Medical Education, 42(2), 176–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peach, H. G. (2003). Religion, spirituality and health: How should Australia’s medical professionals respond? Medical Journal of Australia, 178(2), 86–88.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pettus, M. C. (2002). Implementing a medicine-spirituality curriculum in a community-based internal medicine residency program. Academic Medicine, 77(7), 745.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prozesky, D. (2009). Spirituality as an element of health science education and practice. African Journal of Psychiatry (Johannesbg), 12(2), 103, 105, 107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puchalski, C. M. (2006). Spirituality and medicine: Curricula in medical education. Journal of Cancer Education, 21(1), 14–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Puchalski, C., Ferrell, B., Virani, R., Otis-Green, S., Baird, P., Bull, J., et al. (2009). Improving the quality of spiritual care as a dimension of palliative care: The report of the consensus conference. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 12(10), 885–904.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Puchalski, C. M., & Larson, D. B. (1998). Developing curricula in spirituality and medicine. Academic Medicine, 73(9), 970–974.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Puchalski, C., Larson, D., & Lu, F. (2001). Spirituality in psychiatry residency training programs. International Review of Psychiatry, 13(2), 131–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saad, M., Masiero, D., & Battistella, L. (2001). Evidence based spirituality. Acta Fisiátrica, 8(1), 18–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandor, M. K., Sierpina, V. S., Vanderpool, H. V., & Owen, S. V. (2006). Spirituality and clinical care: Exploring developmental changes in nursing and medical students. Explore (NY), 2(1), 37–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheurich, N. (2003). Reconsidering spirituality and medicine. Academic Medicine, 78(4), 356–360.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, S. L., Schwartz, G. E., & Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21(6), 581–599.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, S. L., Shapiro, D. E., & Schwartz, G. E. (2000). Stress management in medical education: A review of the literature. Academic Medicine, 75(7), 748–759.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, B., Tenenbaum, A. J., Jamanka, A., Barnes, L., Hubbard, C., & Zuckerman, B. (2002). Faculty and resident attitudes about spirituality and religion in the provision of pediatric health care. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 2(1), 5–10.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, H. D. (1997). Creating a spirituality curriculum for family practice residents. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 3(6), 54–61.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sulmasy, D. P. (1999). Is medicine a spiritual practice? Academic Medicine, 74(9), 1002–1005.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Surbone, A., & Baider, L. (2010). The spiritual dimension of cancer care. Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology, 73(3), 228–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todres, I. D., Catlin, E. A., & Thiel, M. M. (2005). The intensivist in a spiritual care training program adapted for clinicians. Critical Care Medicine, 33(12), 2733–2736.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vasegh, S., & Mohammadi, M. R. (2007). Religiosity, anxiety, and depression among a sample of Iranian medical students. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 37(2), 213–227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wasner, M., Longaker, C., Fegg, M. J., & Borasio, G. D. (2005). Effects of spiritual care training for palliative care professionals. Palliative Medicine, 19(2), 99–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yi, M. S., Luckhaupt, S. E., Mrus, J. M., Mueller, C. V., Peterman, A. H., Puchalski, C. M., et al. (2006). Religion, spirituality, and depressive symptoms in primary care house officers. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 6(2), 84–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. São Paulo Medical Spiritist Association, Av. Juriti, 367 apto. 131, Moema, São Paulo, SP, CEP: 04520-000, Brazil

    Giancarlo Lucchetti & Alessandra Lamas Granero Lucchetti

  2. Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Giancarlo Lucchetti

  3. George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Christina M. Puchalski

Authors
  1. Giancarlo Lucchetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alessandra Lamas Granero Lucchetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christina M. Puchalski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giancarlo Lucchetti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lucchetti, G., Lucchetti, A.L.G. & Puchalski, C.M. Spirituality in Medical Education: Global Reality?. J Relig Health 51, 3–19 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9557-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9557-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation