Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Studies on psychosocial interventions for perinatal mental health and wellbeing are mostly limited to the postpartum period. However, the physiological changes associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy predisposes women to severe psychological distress and adverse birth outcomes. This review investigated the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Methods: Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, MEDLINE, MIDIRS, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, and Web of Science were searched up to 22nd August 2021. Effect sizes on relevant health outcomes were pooled in a meta‐analysis using STATA software. Results: Eight randomised trials involving 460 participants met the inclusion criteria. Included studies adopted several interventions ranging from music, exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), spiritual care education and psychoeducation. The pooled effect showed a significant reduction in anxiety (d= −0.35 [−0.58, −0.11], p=0.004) and depression (d= −0.37 [−0.57, −0.17], p=0.0003). Spiritual care education significantly reduced postpartum stress disorder (d= −62.00 [−93.10, −30.90], p= 0.0001). However, CBT showed no effect on gestational stress (d= −2.20 [-4.89, 0.48], p= 0.11). Conclusion: This study provides satisfactory evidence that psychosocial interventions may likely reduce anxiety and depression associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. However, the evidence is very uncertain about its effect on neonatal outcomes.

Kann denn Trösten Lüge sein?

Zusammenfassung Der Marburger Praktische Theologe Henning Luther hat kurz vor seinem Tod eine Reihe von kritischen Beiträgen zu Seelsorgelehre und Seelsorgepraxis verfasst. Der Beitrag stellt den gezielt provokanten Text „Die Lügen der Tröster“ vor, ordnet ihn in Luthers Gesamtwerk ein und fragt nach seiner Relevanz für heutige Seelsorge als Spiritual Care.

Verlust und Trauer unter den Bedingungen der Corona-Pandemie – Was empfinden trauernde Angehörige/Zugehörige in Bezug auf ihren Bedarf an seelsorglicher bzw. psychologischer Unterstützung?

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Aufgrund der COVID-19 Pandemie wurden Kontaktbeschränkungen verhängt, die auch das Abschiednehmen von sterbenden Familienangehörigen betraf. Wie gehen Angehörige unter diesen Bedingungen mit ihrer Trauer um, wie fühlten sie sich durch das Behandlungs-/Betreuungsteam im Krankenhaus, Pflegeheimen oder Hospizen unterstützt, und wie stand es um einen Bedarf an eigener seelsorglicher bzw. psychologischer Unterstützung? Methoden: Um diesen Fragen nachzugehen, wurde eine Studie im mixed-methods-Design gestartet, aus der im Folgenden Querschnitts-Daten von 85 Teilnehmenden berichtet werden. Ergebnisse: Eine gute emotionale Betreuung/Begleitung durch das Behandlungs-/Betreuungsteam wurde von 37 % derjenigen beschrieben, deren Angehörige nicht im häuslichen Umfeld verstarben; 38 % empfanden dies nicht und 26 % waren diesbezüglich indifferent. In den Gesprächen wurden seelsorgliche oder religiöse Fragen nur bei wenigen thematisiert; nur bei wenigen wurden Hinweise auf seelsorgliche Angebote/Trauerbegleitung gegeben (16 %). Jedoch hatten 68 % einen Wunsch nach seelsorglicher und 55 % nach psychologischer Begleitung. Diejenigen mit hoher Trauerbelastung (SAVE-Scores) hatten fast alle den Wunsch nach seelsorglicher Begleitung. Schlussfolgerungen: Diese ersten Ergebnisse zeigen ausgeprägte Bedürfnisse nach Seelsorge und Begleitung im Trauerprozess, zumal unter den zusätzlich belastenden Bedingungen der Corona-Pandemie. Sie weisen auch auf das Fehlen von verfügbaren Seelsorgepersonen, von psychologischer Begleitung und von niederschwelligen Hinweisen seitens des betreuenden Personals der Einrichtungen im Sinne von Spiritual Care hin.

“We are also here”—Spiritual Care Practitioners’ Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study from Poland

Although healthcare professionals have become the symbol of risk and sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic, spiritual care practitioners (SCP) have also put themselves at great risk while offering their service in hospitals, hospices and other healthcare facilities. This study was designed to explore the lived experiences of SCP during the current health crisis in Poland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-four SCP. Nine major themes emerged from the interviews: personal reactions to the pandemic, SCP’s perception of the pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of spiritual care, spiritual needs during the pandemic, work-related emotions, the impact of the COVID-19 on religion, the role of spiritual care during the outbreak, the healthcare professionals’ perceptions of SCP and barriers to the provision of spiritual care during the pandemic. The SCP indicated that although the COVID-19 crisis has affected the availability of pastoral, religious and spiritual care, it has amplified the importance of such care and has positively influenced the visibility of SCP in modern healthcare practice. Nonetheless, in such desperate times, SCP are still neglected and should be further recognised and integrated into the healthcare system.

Existential Dimension and Spiritual Assistance in the “A. Gemelli” University Hospital in Rome: A Cross-Disciplinary and Sacramental Enhanced Dynamical Approach in Palliative Care

In the A. Gemelli university hospital in Rome, the presence of highly specialized inter-professional palliative care teams and spiritual assistants who are dedicated to their role in the service of inpatients is valuable to person-centered healthcare. Spiritual needs are commonly experienced by patients with sudden illness, chronic conditions, and life-limiting conditions, and, consequently, spiritual care is an intrinsic and essential component of palliative care. This paper focuses on the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to demonstrate the importance of spiritual care as an integral part of palliative care and highlights the need for all interdisciplinary team members to address spiritual issues in order to improve the holistic assistance to the patient. Over a 3-year period (October 2018–September 2021), data about the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick administered by the hospitaller chaplaincy were collected. A total of 1541 anointings were administered, with an average of 514 anointings per year, excluding reductions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 98% of cases, the sacrament was requested by health personnel, and in 96% of cases, the same health personnel participated in the sacrament. These results demonstrate that, at the A. Gemelli polyclinic in Rome, the level of training that the care team has received in collaboration with the chaplains has generated a good generalized awareness of the importance of integrating the spiritual needs of patients and their families into their care, considering salvation as well as health, in a model of dynamic interprofessional integration.

Verbalizing spiritual needs in palliative care: a qualitative interview study on verbal and non-verbal communication in two Danish hospices

Denmark is considered one of the World’s most secular societies, and spiritual matters are rarely verbalized in public. Patients report that their spiritual needs are not cared for sufficiently. For studying spiritual care and communication, twelve patients admitted to two Danish hospices were interviewed. Verbal and non-verbal communication between patients and healthcare professionals were identified and analysed. Methodically, the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used, and the findings were discussed through the lenses of existential psychology as well as philosophy and theory of caring sciences. Three themes were identified: 1. When death becomes present, 2. Direction of the initiative, and 3. Bodily presence and non-verbal communication. The encounter between patient and healthcare professional is greatly influenced by sensing, decoding, and interpretation. A perceived connection between the patient and the healthcare professional is of great importance as to how the patient experiences the relationship with the healthcare professional.The patient’s perception and the patient’s bodily experience of the healthcare professional are crucial to whether the patient opens up to the healthcare professional about thoughts and needs of a spiritual nature and initiates a conversation hereabout. In this way we found three dynamically connected movements toward spiritual care: 1. From secular to spiritual aspects of care 2. From bodily, sensory to verbal aspects of spiritual care and 3. From biomedical to spiritual communication and care. Thus, the non-verbal dimension becomes a prerequisite for the verbal dimension of spiritual communication to develop and unfold. The behaviour of the healthcare professionals, characterised by the way they move physically and the way they touch the patient, was found to be just as important as verbal conversation when it comes to spiritual care. The healthcare professional can create a connection to the patient through bodily and relational presence. Furthermore, the healthcare professionals should let their sensing and impressions guide them when meeting the patient in dialog about matters of a spiritual nature. Their perception of the patient and non-verbal communication are a prerequisite for being able to meet patient’s spiritual needs with care and verbal communication.

To Capture Personnel Spiritual Belief of the Nursing Students

Background: Science gets impact on physical health. “Science gets us physical comforts, spirituality brings us mental calm”. Dalai lama 2006. The meaning of spirituality and spiritual care among nurses is culturally constituted and influenced by many factors such as the nurse’s ethnic background, religious affiliation, level of education and clinical experience. Spiritual care is a recognized field in nursing (Bald acchino 2006) and an element of quality nursing care (Mc Even 2005). Many scientific studies have shown that when meditation and chanting is done in groups it has more benefits than when done individually. (Dr. K.K Aggarwal, 2017).

Nurses’ performance in palliative care: spiritual care in the light of Theory of Human Caring

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze nurses’ role in assisting patients in palliative care, with emphasis on the spiritual dimension, in the light of Theory of Human Caring. Methods: this is an exploratory, qualitative study, carried out in a hospital in João Pessoa, Paraíba, between August and December 2019, with 10 nurses. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were used. For analysis, we opted for content analysis. Results: the spiritual dimension of care is contemplated by several religious and spiritual practices. These are respected and encouraged by nurses, although there is difficulty in providing care for the spiritual dimension. Final Considerations: nurses have attitudes consistent with Jean Watson’s Theory and apply the Caritas Process elements during assistance to patients’ spiritual dimension in palliative care.