Spirituality in Health and Whole Person Patient Care

Author: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Published: 12 Jul 2022 - Updated: 11 Sep 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Research, Study, Analysis

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This article explores the link between spirituality and improved health outcomes, especially in the context of patient care for individuals facing chronic illness, aging, or disability. It highlights findings from various studies showing that patients who engage in spiritual practices often report better mental health, increased resilience, and improved coping strategies during medical treatment. The article underscores how incorporating spiritual care into medical settings - regardless of religious affiliation - can enhance the overall healing process by addressing emotional and existential concerns. This information is particularly relevant to healthcare providers, caregivers, seniors, and people with disabilities who may benefit from holistic approaches that integrate body, mind, and spirit in treatment plans.*

At a Glance

• 1 - The review drew on evidence published between January 2000 and April 2022. It ranks as one of the most comprehensive systematic analyses of health and spirituality to date.
• 2 - From 8,946 articles on serious illness, only 371 met the strict inclusion criteria. A further 215 of 6,485 health outcome studies also qualified for analysis.
• 3 - A 27-member Delphi panel of experts reviewed the strongest collective evidence. Its members included spiritual-not-religious, atheist, Muslim, Catholic, Christian, and Hindu viewpoints.
• 4 - For healthy people, regular spiritual community participation such as religious service attendance was linked to greater longevity. It was also tied to lower rates of depression, suicide, and substance use.

Topic Definition

Spirituality in Health Care

Spirituality in health care refers to the practice of recognizing and attending to a patient's search for meaning, purpose, connection, and transcendence as a genuine part of medical treatment. It reaches beyond organized religion to include the many ways people find ultimate meaning, whether through faith, family, community, or nature, and it treats that inner dimension as relevant to how a person copes with illness, aging, or disability. In clinical terms it means caring for the whole person rather than the disease alone, often beginning with something as simple as asking a patient about their spiritual life and, where appropriate, involving a trained spiritual care specialist such as a chaplain. The approach is value-sensitive and inclusive, serving religious, spiritual-not-religious, and secular patients alike, and it positions spiritual well-being alongside physical and emotional health as part of a person's highest attainable standard of health.

Overview

Spirituality should be incorporated into care for severe illness and overall health, according to a study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"This study represents the most rigorous and comprehensive systematic analysis of the modern-day literature regarding health and spirituality to date," said Tracy Balboni, lead author and senior physician at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and professor of radiation oncology at Harvard Medical School. "Our findings indicate that attention to spirituality in serious illness and health should be a vital part of future whole person-centered care, and the results should stimulate more national discussion and progress on how spirituality can be incorporated into this type of value-sensitive care."

"Spirituality is important to many patients as they think about their health," said Tyler VanderWeele, the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Harvard Chan School. "Focusing on spirituality in health care means caring for the whole person, not just their disease."

The study, which was co-authored by Balboni, VanderWeele, and senior author Howard Koh, the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at Harvard Chan School, will be published online in JAMA on July 12, 2022. Balboni, VanderWeele, and Koh are also co-chairs of the Interfaculty Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at Harvard University.

According to the International Consensus Conference on Spiritual Care in Health Care, spirituality is "the way individuals seek ultimate meaning, purpose, connection, value, or transcendence." This could include organized religion but extends well beyond to include ways of finding ultimate meaning by connecting, for example, to family, community, or nature.

In the study, Balboni, VanderWeele, Koh, and colleagues systematically identified and analyzed the highest-quality evidence on spirituality in serious illness and health published between January 2000 and April 2022. Of the 8,946 articles concerned with serious illness, 371 articles met the study's strict inclusion criteria, as did 215 of the 6,485 articles focused on health outcomes.

A structured, multidisciplinary group of experts, called a Delphi panel, reviewed the strongest collective evidence and offered consensus implications for health and health care.

They noted that for healthy people, spiritual community participation - as exemplified by religious service attendance - is associated with healthier lives, including greater longevity, less depression and suicide, and less substance use. For many patients, spirituality is important and influences key outcomes in illness, such as quality of life and medical care decisions. Consensus implications included incorporating considerations of spirituality as part of patient-centered health care and increasing awareness among clinicians and health professionals about the protective benefits of spiritual community participation.

The 27-member panel was composed of experts in spirituality and health care, public health, or medicine and represented a diversity of spiritual/religious views, including spiritual-not-religious, atheist, Muslim, Catholic, various Christian denominations, and Hindu.

According to the researchers, the simple act of asking about a patient's spirituality can and should be part of patient-centered, value-sensitive care. The information gleaned from the conversation can guide other medical decision-making, including but not limited to notifying a spiritual care specialist. Spiritual care specialists, such as chaplains, are trained to provide clinical pastoral care to diverse patients - whether spiritual-not-religious or from various religious traditions. Chaplains themselves represent a variety of spiritual backgrounds, including secular and religious.

"Overlooking spirituality leaves patients feeling disconnected from the health care system and the clinicians trying to care for them," said Koh. "Integrating spirituality into care can help each person have a better chance of reaching complete well-being and their highest attainable standard of health."

Authors:

Other Harvard Chan co-authors include Stephanie Doan-Soares and Katelyn Long.

Research References:

This research was supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

"Spirituality in Serious Illness and Health," Tracy Balboni, Tyler VanderWeele, Stephanie Doan-Soares, Katelyn Long, Betty Ferrell, George Fitchett, Harold Koenig, Paul Bain, Christina Puchalski, Karen Steinhauser, Daniel Sulmasy, and Howard K. Koh, JAMA, online July 12, 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What is a Delphi panel and why was one used in this study

A Delphi panel is a structured group of experts who review evidence and reach consensus through guided rounds of discussion, and it was used here to turn the strongest collective research into agreed implications for care

How is spirituality different from religion in a medical setting

Religion refers to organized beliefs and institutions, while spirituality is broader and covers any search for meaning, purpose, or connection, so a patient can be spiritual without following a particular faith

What does a hospital chaplain actually do for patients

A chaplain provides clinical pastoral care to people of any background, offering emotional and spiritual support, listening to existential concerns, and helping patients who are religious, spiritual-not-religious, or secular

Can attention to spirituality benefit patients who are not religious

Yes, because spiritual care focuses on meaning, connection, and values rather than doctrine, so atheist and spiritual-not-religious patients can still gain support that fits their own outlook

How can a clinician begin a conversation about spirituality

A clinician can simply ask whether spirituality is important to the patient and how it affects their view of health, then use the answers to guide decisions and referrals to a spiritual care specialist

Who funded the Harvard research on spirituality and health

The research was supported by the John Templeton Foundation, and it was carried out by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Womens Hospital

Where was the spirituality in serious illness study published

The study was published online in the journal JAMA on July 12, 2022, and it was authored by Tracy Balboni, Tyler VanderWeele, Howard Koh, and their colleagues

How does spiritual care support caregivers and family members

By addressing meaning, connection, and emotional strain, spiritual care can help family caregivers cope with stress and grief, and it can strengthen their sense of purpose while supporting a loved one

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: In an era where medicine is increasingly driven by technology and data, this article serves as a timely reminder that true healing often requires attention to the human spirit. Acknowledging the spiritual dimension of patient care not only enriches the provider-patient relationship but also fosters a deeper, more compassionate model of health that honors the whole person - particularly vital for those navigating the physical and emotional complexities of disability or aging.*

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and published on 12 Jul 2022, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.