Body, Mind & Spirit Articles and Latest News

Ethical quandaries in spiritual healing and herbal medicine: A critical analysis of the morality of traditional medicine advertising in southern African urban societies.

Pan Afr Med J. 2011;10:6

Authors: Munyaradzi M

Abstract
This paper critically examines the morality of advertising by practitioners in spiritual healing and herbal medicine heretofore referred to as traditional medicine, in southern African urban societies. While the subject of traditional medicine has been heavily contested in medical studies in the last few decades, the monumental studies on the subject have emphasised the place of traditional medicine in basic health services. Insignificant attention has been devoted to examine the ethical problems associated with traditional medicine advertising. Critical look at the worthiness of some advertising strategies used by practitioners in traditional medicine in launching their products and services on market thus has been largely ignored. Yet, though advertising is key to helping traditional medicine practitioners’ products and services known by prospective customers, this research registers a number of morally negative effects that seem to outweigh the merits that the activity brings to prospective customers. The paper adopts southern African urban societies, and in particular Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe as particular references. The choice of the trio is not accidental, but based on the fact that these countries have in the last few decades been flooded with traditional medicine practitioners/traditional healers from within the continent and from abroad. Most of these practitioners use immoral advertising strategies in communicating to the public the products and services they offer. It is against this background that this paper examines the morality of advertising strategies deployed by practitioners in launching their products and services. To examine the moral worthiness of the advertising strategies used by traditional medical practitioners, I used qualitative analysis of street adverts as well as electronic and print media. From the results obtained through thematic content analysis, the paper concludes that most of the practitioners in traditional medicine lack both business and medical ethics. That said, the paper urges practitioners to seriously consider the morality of their adverts as in most cases they (adverts) do more harm than good. Further to that, the piece recommends the governments of the affected countries to put in place stringent measures to address this mounting problem.

PMID: 22187588 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

Integrating Job, Jesus’ Passion, and Buddhist Metta to Bring Meaning to the Suffering and Recovery from Breast Cancer.

J Relig Health. 2011 Nov 23;

Authors: Sealy PA

Abstract
Coming face-to-face with death was a spiritual crisis. My family and I suffered individually and collectively during my treatment and recovery for locally advanced breast cancer. Like Job, I learned that it takes tremendous energy to ruminate about the causes of suffering and to protest innocence with little gains in wisdom. Wisdom came as I deeply experienced a passion narrative based on the life of Jesus with reference to the psychological benefits as extolled by Wilkes. The grueling experience of treatment for locally advanced breast cancer broke my body and forced me to experience Easter Saturday as I retreated to heal in the tomb. My physical and emotional healing of Easter Saturday included the Buddhist meditation of Metta and guided imagery that involved spiritual healing focussed on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. My reflection on the story of Job, passion journaling and Buddhist meditation enabled me to physically, emotionally, and spiritually heal, even in the midst of chaos.

PMID: 22109747 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Sacred Healing Stories Told at the End of Life.

J Holist Nurs. 2011 Oct 24;

Authors: Tuck I, Johnson SC, Kuznetsova M, McCrocklin C, Baxter M, Bennington LK

Abstract
Introduction: Cancer is a challenging disease to diagnose and treat, and oftentimes even with the best medical intervention, it spreads and is deemed incurable, requiring a shift from cure to end-of-life care. This study used a spirituality measure and the PATS© storytelling intervention developed by the principal investigator to better understand the experience of being diagnosed with cancer and being told no further curative treatments are warranted. Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study was to implement a storytelling approach to explore the experience of living with terminal cancer. Second, the study documented the presence of spirituality and healing in the narratives. Method: The qualitative data were analyzed by narrative analysis developed by Riessman. Findings: Seven synoptic stories were written and later sorted into healing categories. The narrative analysis yielded three themes. There were instances of religion and spirituality found in the transcribed stories. The participants’ scores on the Spiritual Health Inventory indicated the presence of spirituality. Conclusion: Storytelling allowed the seven study participants to share personal experiences and achieve a sense of connectedness and intimacy. The use of the PATS© intervention is a way to facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual healing and provide holistic end-of-life care.

PMID: 22024955 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among hospitalised patients: Reported use of CAM and reasons for use, CAM preferred during hospitalisation, and the socio-demographic determinants of CAM users.

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Nov;17(4):199-205

Authors: Shorofi SA

Abstract
PURPOSE: This paper reports a study to examine hospitalised patients’ frequency and patterns of CAM use, their reasons for CAM use, their preferences of CAMs during hospitalisation, and the association between patients’ socio-demographic variables and use of each individual CAM/CAM domain.
METHODS: A convenience sample of 353 patients hospitalised in 19 surgical wards at four metropolitan hospitals completed a questionnaire on CAM use and socio-demographic variables.
RESULTS: The response rate was 73.5%, and over 90% of the sample acknowledged using CAMs. Non-herbal supplements (60.3%) and massage therapy (45%) were the most frequently used CAMs, with biologically based therapies (68.8%) as well as mind-body interventions (65.4%) being the most often used CAM domains. About 1 in 10 patients (9.6%) used CAMs from all five domains. With the exception of herbal-botanical therapies, self-prayer for health reasons/spiritual healing and music therapy, all CAMs were mainly used on an ‘only when needed’ basis. The most common reason nominated for using CAMs was that ‘[it] fits into my way of life/philosophy’ (26%). The majority of patients declared interest in and support for the hospital providing CAMs. Patients were most inclined to choose therapies categorised as manipulative and body-based methods (65.4%) for use in hospital. Massage therapy (53.5%) and non-herbal supplements (43.1%) were the top two CAMs favoured for use in hospital. CAM use was also dependent of socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, place of residence, education level, religion, and income in hospitalised patients).
CONCLUSION: The use of CAMs is pervasive amongst surgical in-patients, making it feasible to initially assess these patients for CAM use and provide them with clinically approved CAMs where possible. Notwithstanding that CAM use is fairly predictable by socio-demographic variables, further studies should be directed to know the variables useful for predicting the use of each CAM approach.

PMID: 21982133 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

A comparative study of health related quality of life, psychological well-being, impact of illness and stigma in epilepsy and migraine.

Seizure. 2011 Nov;20(9):679-85

Authors: Aydemir N, Ozkara C, Unsal P, Canbeyli R

Abstract
This study aimed to show the difference of epilepsy from another chronic neurological disorder with episodic manifestations (CDEM): migraine. Seventy persons with epilepsy (PWE), 56 persons with migraine (PWM) and 45 healthy control participants (HCs) were included. The groups were compared in terms of demographics, quality of life, depression and self-esteem. The PWE and PWM were also compared with regard to stigma, impact of the illness, disclosure, application of spiritual/traditional healing methods, limitations, most affected life areas, and restrictions. Results showed that the PWM had lower quality of life values than the PWE and the HCs, while there was no difference among the groups in depression and self-esteem. Results also show higher unemployment levels and lower marriage rates for the PWE, where education levels were equal. Although the PWM had higher impact of illness values, the PWE were shown to have higher stigma, more concealment behavior, and higher traditional/spiritual healing application ratios. Also, the PWM emphasized the importance of being “able to fulfil daily living, social and work activities”, while the PWE emphasized the need for “independence” constantly. These results indicate that, although both migraine and epilepsy are CDEMs, they have different levels of impact on patients’ lives. The impacts are socially greater in epilepsy and extend beyond the neurological condition itself.

PMID: 21764337 [PubMed - in process]

[Read more →]

Spiritual and religious identities predict the use of complementary and alternative medicine among US adults.

Prev Med. 2011 Aug 26;

Authors: Ellison CG, Bradshaw M, Roberts CA

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether spiritual and religious identities predict complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use above and beyond other known influences such as gender, region of residence, social status, personality, health, and access to conventional medicine. METHODS: Analyzing data from the 1995-1996 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (n=3032), this study examines the correlations between four aspects of spirituality/religiousness-i.e., spiritual only, religious only, both spiritual and religious, and neither spiritual nor religious-and six measures of CAM. RESULTS: Compared with spiritual only persons, the odds of using energy therapies are 86% lower for spiritual and religious persons, 65% lower for religious only persons, and 52% lower for neither spiritual nor religious persons. Compared to spiritual only persons, spiritual and religious individuals are 43% more likely to use body-mind therapies in general; however, when this category does not contain prayer, meditation, or spiritual healing, they are 44% less likely. Religious only individuals are disinclined toward CAM use. CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for established predictors including educational attainment, personality, social support, and access to conventional medicine, the present study demonstrates that spirituality and religiousness are associated, in unique ways, with CAM use. Additional research on this topic is clearly warranted.

PMID: 21893085 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

The Nigerian home video boom: Should Nigerian psychiatrists be worried? Lessons from content review and views of community dwellers.

Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2011 Aug 3;

Authors: Atilola O, Olayiwola F

BACKGROUND: Media depiction of sufferers of mental illness is a widely viewed source of stigmatization and studies have found stigmatizing depictions of mental illness in Nigerian films. With the recent boom in the Nigerian home video industry, there is a need to know how often Nigerians are exposed to films that contain scenes depicting mental illness and how much premium they place on such portrayals as reflecting reality. AIM: To assess the popularity of Nigerian home videos among Nigerian community dwellers and the frequency of their exposure to scenes depicting mental illness. METHODS: A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to obtain socio-demographic data and to find out how often respondents see scenes depicting ‘madness’ in home videos, as well as their views about the accuracy of such depictions from the orthodox psychiatry point of view. Current home videos available in video rental shops were selected for viewing and content review. RESULTS: All 676 respondents had seen a Nigerian home video in the preceding 30 days: 528 (78%) reported scenes depicting ‘mad persons’; 472 (70%) reported that the scenes they saw agreed with their own initial understanding of the cause and treatment of ‘madness’. About 20% of the films depicted mental illness. The most commonly depicted cause was sorcery and enchantment by witches and wizards, while the most commonly depicted treatment was magical and spiritual healing by diviners and religious priests. CONCLUSIONS: Nigerian home video is a popular electronic media in Nigeria and scenes depicting mental illness are not uncommon. The industry could be harnessed for promoting mental health literacy.

PMID: 21813485 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Traditional Healing Practices Among American Muslims: Perceptions of Community Leaders in Southeast Michigan.

J Immigr Minor Health. 2011 Jul 8;

Authors: Alrawi S, Fetters MD, Killawi A, Hammad A, Padela A

Despite growing numbers of American Muslims, little empirical work exists on their use of traditional healing practices. We explored the types of traditional healing practices used by American Muslims in southeast Michigan. Twelve semi-structured interviews with American Muslim community leaders identified through a community-academic steering committee were conducted. Using a framework coding structure, a multidisciplinary investigative team identified themes describing traditional healing practices. Traditional healing practices can be categorized into three domains: Islamic religious text based practices, Islamic worship practices, and folk healing practices. Each domain may further contain therapies such as spiritual healing, medicinal herbs, mind body therapy, and dietary prescriptions. Traditional healing practices are utilized in three capacities of care: primary, secondary, and integrative. Our findings demonstrate that American Muslims actively utilize traditional healing practices. Healthcare practitioners caring for this population should be aware of the potential influence of these practices on health behaviors.

PMID: 21739160 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Medicine and Spiritual Healing Within a Region of Canada: Preliminary Findings Concerning Christian Scientists’ Healthcare Practices.

J Relig Health. 2011 Jun 17;

Authors: Terra Manca MA

Christian Science is the largest and most recognized of various spiritual healing groups that encourage members to forgo or overcome the need for medicine. Even so, it appears that some Scientists occasionally use medicine. In this study, I argue that Scientists in one region of Canada respond to influences on their healthcare practices differently and follow a variety of healthcare practices. These practices range from refusing medically necessary treatment (which could potentially harm individuals’ health) to making full use of the medical system. I base my findings primarily on interviews with eleven current members and one former Christian Scientist.

PMID: 21681598 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]

Classification of CAM Use and Its Correlates in Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer.

Integr Cancer Ther. 2011 Mar 7;

Authors: Saquib J, Madlensky L, Kealey S, Saquib N, Natarajan L, Newman VA, Patterson RE, Pierce JP

Hypothesis: Self-reported use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been shown to increase following a cancer diagnosis, and breast cancer survivors are the heaviest users among cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to determine whether the prevalence estimate of CAM use varied according to classification of CAM. The authors used a comprehensive system to classify CAM users and test differences in demographic, lifestyle, quality of life, and cancer characteristics among them. STUDY DESIGN: Participants were 2562 breast cancer survivors participating in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study, aged 28 to 74 years. A structured telephone interview assessed CAM use, questioning about specific CAM practices, and whether use was related to cancer. This study examined CAM use in relation to demographics, health behaviors, and quality of life. RESULTS: Approximately 80% of the women used CAM for general purposes but only 50% reported CAM use for cancer purposes. Visual imagery, spiritual healing, and meditation were the most frequently used practices for cancer purposes. CAM use, defined as consulting a CAM practitioner and regular use, was significantly related to younger age, higher education, increased fruit and vegetable intake, and lower body mass index (P < .05). CAM users who had seen a practitioner were also more likely to report poor physical and mental health than non-CAM users (P < .05). CAM use was not associated with changes in physical and mental health between study baseline and 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study addressed important differences in the classification of CAM use among breast cancer survivors. Future studies need to further test the potential benefits and risks associated with CAM use.

PMID: 21382963 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Read more →]