Introduction to Integrative Wellness

The Impact of Prayer, Religion or Spirituality in Medicine and Healing

Health is very valuable in human life. As described by the World Health Organisation, health

cuts across all aspects of life from physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors.

Health is also based on the harmony between many factors like; values, social background,

age, physiological and religious beliefs of individuals. Prayer is a supplication or acts that an

individual uses to find a link with an object of worship through thoughtful communication

(Simão et al., 2016). Religion is a system of symbolic fundamentals and rites or rituals that

individuals in different groups use to connect with divine power. Spirituality is a method of

finding the meaning of life and answers to essential aspects of life through sacred and

transcendent experiences that are known to give health benefits. Spirituality and religion have

a positive impact on both physical and mental health. Other benefits associated with prayers

and religion or spirituality are boosting immunity, welfare, satisfaction in life, giving hope,

optimism, lower chances of anxiety and depression.

Individuals use cognitive and behavioral strategies according to their religious beliefs and

their view on the meaning of life to overwhelm bad experiences in life, like health issues.

Prayer is very common in most religions and serves the purpose of fighting bad life

experiences. Prayer is a very important intervention in spiritual care for individuals passing

through different types of suffering (Simão et al., 2016). There are many types of prayers, but

intercessory and petition prayer is applicable in health matters. Intercessory prayer is done by

family and friends of the patient, while the petition prayer is from the patient. Praying is a

spiritual activity used by many individuals to promote wellbeing during health/disease

transition.
All the therapies and interventions are practiced to help patients cope with health issues.

Prayer, religion or spirituality can be categorized among these interventions as they are

widely used and studied as a therapeutic and adequate intervention in healthcare. However,

there has been a lack of adequate evidence on positive health outcomes for it to be

implemented as an effective therapeutic intervention (Steinhorn et al., 2017). From so many

studies about these aspects, it has been found that prayer and religion help individuals in

coping with illness and other crises. Due to their impacts in healthcare, healthcare

professionals have to consider patients'patients' spirituality and religious needs.

Role of Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health include; socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and

physical environment, employment, social support networks, and access to healthcare. These

factors are conditions that individuals are born, grow, live, work and age and play a crucial

role in shaping health. To improve health and reduce the challenges that individuals face in

looking for healthcare, there is a need to address social determinants of health (Osmick &

Wilson, 2020). Social determinants of health provide rapport for evaluating the quality of

healthcare services. Through the development of different initiatives within and outside the

healthcare system, the social determinants of health can now be addressed. The outside

initiatives shape policies and practices in non-health sectors to promote health and health

equity. Within the system, there are federal and state initiatives that help in addressing social

needs. The social determinants of health help the country in coming up with solutions that

affect healthcare systems (Osmick & Wilson, 2020). Medicare and Medicaid Innovation have

been used to make healthcare services through reforms that seek to address the social

determinants of health. Through the social determinants of health, managed care plans and

providers are now engaged in identifying and addressing social needs (Marmot, 2018).
How does modern medicine incorporate these concepts when treating patients?

Spirituality has been recognized to play a role in the lives of most palliative patients, both

religious and non-religious. Recently the palliative care team has been advised to support

patients and families that try to involve prayer, spirituality or religion during a healthcare

crisis. Since conventional religious practices are a source of comfort and guidance to those

who practice them and patients, modern medicine has allowed the combination of these

interventions to achieve the wellbeing of the people. Medicine and religion are intertwined

from times of recorded history, with therapies provided by healers from the background of

their spiritual tradition. Despite the fact that there exists this mentioned link, modern or

western medicine practices are far away from this model (Browne et al., 2021). Doctors have

specialized in dealing with the body, and clergy work on the spirit. Doctors give drugs and

perform other procedures, and clergymen offer prayers and rituals. As these aspects deal with

different entities in human life to bring about wellbeing, there is important for modern

medicine to accept that also the spirit needs some healing which cannot be achieved in pills

(Marmot, 2018). The healthcare management needs to come up with strategies to initiate

prayers and religion or spirituality in the hospital as another form of treatment.

On the social determinants of health, doctors of modern medicine can intervene with patients

and families by using clinical tools like; social prescribing and brief interventions. Doctors

can also work within communities by commissioning measures for health promotion and

preventing illnesses that will alter the social determinants of healthcare (Browne et al., 2021).

Doctors get first-hand evidence and positively influence and impact health inequalities.

Doctors can advocate for change in traditional medical areas.

What resources have modern medicine utilized to reinforce spirituality versus alternative and

complementary medicine
There are so many interventions that modern medicine has appreciated and has helped in

reinforcing spirituality, alternative and complementary medicine. Using an ethical approach

whereby the doctors are expected to respect the patient's belief has helped promote

spirituality (Isidoro et al., 2016). The use of some alternative therapies likes; acupuncture for

weight loss, humor therapy in reducing depression, and a hybrid approach in treating lower

back pain. Osteopathy, chiropractic care, reflexology, and yoga have been used by most

patients immobilized in beds and helped in ensuring that they get stable again easily (Isidoro

et al., 2016). Therefore, involving the approaches during the treatment period will ensure that

the body organs and systems are well-coordinated, which will promote the healing process.

References

Browne, J., Mccurley, J., Fung, V., Levy, D., Clark, C., & Thorndike, A. (2021). Addressing

Social Determinants of Health Identified by Systematic Screening in a Medicaid Accountable

Care Organization: A Qualitative Study. Journal Of Primary Care & Community Health, 12,

215013272199365. https://doi.org/10.1177/2150132721993651

Isidoro, C., Huang, C., & Sheen, L. (2016). Report from the Second International Conference

of Traditional and Complementary Medicine on Health 2015. Journal Of Traditional And

Complementary Medicine, 6(1), 5-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2016.01.001

Marmot, M. (2018). Medical Care, Social Determinants of Health, and Health Equity. World

Medical & Health Policy, 10(2), 195-197. https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.261

Osmick, M., & Wilson, M. (2020). Social Determinants of Health—Relevant History, A Call

to Action, An Organization’s Transformational Story, and What Can Employers Do?.

American Journal Of Health Promotion, 34(2), 219-224.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117119896122d
Simão, T., Caldeira, S., & de Carvalho, E. (2016). The Effect of Prayer on Patients’ Health:

Systematic Literature Review. Religions, 7(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel7010011

Steinhorn, D., Din, J., & Johnson, A. (2017). Healing, spirituality and integrative medicine.

Annals Of Palliative Medicine, 6(3), 237-247. https://doi.org/10.21037/apm.2017.05.01