Presentation Group C NURS 440 Ferris State University Fall, 2014 Ashley Cruz Lindsey Durga Christie Kleinert Valrey Llewlaka DOES THE USE OF PRAYER OR MEDITATION IMPROVE A CLIENT’S PHYSICAL HEALTH AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH?

Religious traditions and rituals across the world display belief that prayer plays a major role in healing (Andrade & Radhakrishnan, 2009). Meditation has been shown to result in psychological and biological changes that are actually associated with improved health. Meditation has been found to: Produce a significant reduction in resting as well as ambulatory blood pressure Reduce heart rate, to result in cardiorespiratory synchronization Alter levels of melatonin and serotonin Suppress corticostriatal glutamatergic neurotransmission Boost the immune response Reduce stress and promote positive mood states Reduce anxiety and pain and enhance self-esteem Have a favorable influence on overall and spiritual quality of life in late-stage disease. DOES THE USE OF PRAYER OR MEDITATION IMPROVE A CLIENT’S PHYSICAL HEALTH AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH?

“Spiritual meditation has been found to be superior to secular meditation and relaxation in terms of decrease in anxiety and improvement in positive mood, spiritual health, spiritual experiences and tolerance to pain” (Andrade & Radhakrishnan, 2009, para. 4). “A large volume of research shows that people who are more R/S [religious or spiritual] have better mental health and adapt more quickly to health problems compared to those who are less R/S. These possible benefits to mental health and wellbeing have physiological consequences that impact physical health, affect the risk of disease, and influence response to treatment” (University of Minnesota, 2014, para. 7). DOES THE USE OF PRAYER OR MEDITATION IMPROVE A CLIENT’S PHYSICAL HEALTH AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH?

Prayer and meditation can significantly impact a patient’s spiritual and health outcomes near the end of life. “…helping another person to die with a peaceful, positive state of mind is one of the greatest acts of kindness we can offer” (Hayagriva Buddhist Center, n.d., para.1). With that being said we must help with their: Physical needs Emotional needs Spiritual needs When the mind and body become synchronized perceptions begins to change a sense of appreciation and beauty arise, you start to see beauty in places where you never saw it before. DOES THE USE OF PRAYER OR MEDITATION IMPROVE A CLIENT’S PHYSICAL HEALTH AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH?

Most of us prior to this class have had no previous in depth education in regards to spirituality and the benefits to the nursing practice itself. Throughout this course we have learned that prayer provides a much more powerful avenue that we originally believed. “With the draw of a new century, spirituality has received increased coverage in the media and more discussion in the workplace, politics, and education” (Young & Koopsen, 2011, p. 3). “Spirituality has also become more apparent in health care, with increasing evidence that spiritual factors are important components of health and well-being” (Young and Koopsen, 2011, pp. 3-4). With that being said we chose to dive further into the scientific evidence and research on the actual and/or potential benefits both prayer and meditation provide in regards to a patient’s physical and/or mental health. With a greater knowledge on spirituality we can improve our own clinical practice and be able to provide greater overall care to each and every patient we encounter during our nursing careers. “…Nursing has always been concerned with the health care of the whole person, including the physical, psychological, social, cultural, environmental, and spiritual dimensions” (Young & Koopsen, 2011, p. 7). OUR INTERESTS AND REASONS FOR CHOOSING SUCH A TOPIC

“Prayer is as simple or as complicated as we make it. Prayers are not the prerogative or province of Christianity. Most religions offer up prayers of some sort to their deities or divine beings. In essence, prayers are a means of communicating with a spiritual being – even if this is the divine within” (Spiritual Healing For You, 2013). “There are reasons why religion can Influence coping. These are logical, rational: It provides a positive, optimistic world view; provides meaning and purpose to life; helps people to psychologically integrate negative things; gives people hope; enhances their motivation; personally empowers them and gives them a sense of control” (Butler, 2003). WHAT IS PRAYER?

What is Spirituality? “ Spirituality is described as neither tangible nor material, with the spirit representing the essential nature of a person. Spirituality is thought to pertain to the ultimate meaning and purpose of life. There may be a heightened awareness of and concern for such matters when a person is ill or facing death” (Hart, 2007). What is Meditation? Meditation “uses relaxation techniques and other means to help us go beyond our current conscious and unrealistic state of being. By accessing the mind, we can determine the true reality. We can train the mind to understand the significance of life and living” (Spiritual Healing For You, 2013). SPIRITUALITY V.S. MEDITATION

Spirituality can mean different things to different populations. People generally turn to spirituality to guide them in times of uncertainty. Spirituality can be:  Something that gives meaning or purpose to your life.  A set of values or principles to live by.  Belief in a higher power.  Recognition of powers beyond the natural and logical.  Accepting that some things have no easy answer and so must be left to a higher power.  Caring about or loving other people (GetHealthyHarlem, 2011). SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

 Meditation has been proved to lower walking and resting blood pressure  Decrease heart rate  Alter levels of melatonin and serotonin  Boost the immune system  Reduce stress and promote a positive mood  Reduce anxiety and pain  Increase self esteem  Corliss discusses recent studies that show how one can use mediation to calm themselves and decrease stress levels by focusing on their breathing and using relaxation techniques.  People who meditate tend to have more balance in their lives and cope with stressful situations in a healthy manner (Corliss, 2014 ) PRAYER IS A FORM OF MEDITATION

 Stress causes health issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease. If we can decrease levels of stress, we can improve patient overall health.  “For many, chronic stress is the number one factor contributing to high medical expenses. Stress reduction may help reduce these costs”. (Nauert, 2011).  “Other studies, including randomized clinical trials, indicate the TM technique can improve physical and mental health, decrease tobacco use, reduce substance abuse, and decrease other unhealthy habits and risk factors that lead to chronic disease and costly treatments” (Nauert, 2011). SO HOW CAN MEDITATION HELP IN HEALTHCARE?

Prayer  In a study of 219 infertile woman between the ages of who underwent in vitro found that woman who were prayed for had nearly twice the pregnancy rate opposed to those who were not prayed for.  In another study involving primate species – animals that were prayed for had decreased wound sizes and greater improvement than the other animals. Absence of Prayer  A study conducted of people with cardiovascular disease or patients that were considered “high risk” found that there wasn’t a significant difference of those who prayed (25%) vs not prayed (29%) after discharge in re-admittance  In a group of patients who were having open heart surgery, complications occurred in 52% of patients who received prayer and 51% of those who did not. OUTCOMES OF PRAYER VERSE NON-PRAYER

 Hospitalized people who never attended church have an average stay of three times longer than people who attended regularly.  Heart patients were 14 times more likely to die following surgery if they did not participate in a religion.  Elderly people who never or rarely attended church had a stroke rate double that of people who attended regularly.  In Israel, religious people had a 40% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer.  People who are more religious tend to become depressed less often. And when they do become depressed, they recover more quickly from depression  A prayer group is a support group where people pray for you and you pray for others. DO PEOPLE WHO PRAY LIVE LONGER LIVES THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT?

 This article examines the reasons why we need to address spiritual healing in patients. There are thoughts that when a persons energy is no longer balanced they will also begin to experience medical issues.  Pritz claims, “as meditation and prayer exist in all faiths, inviting such disciplines into a healing regimen is not unfeasible. Given the interrelationship of body, mind, and spirit, modern healthcare would benefit by judiciously incorporating spiritual practices alongside traditional procedures” (2014).  Pritz also discusses how people need to have something to believe in, but prayer alone will not heal a patient. Some patients simply need hope and belief in something bigger to help keep them at peace. (Pritz, 2014 ) SPIRITUAL HEALING: THE VALUE OF MEDITATION & PRAYER IN HEALTHCARE

Potential Benefits of Prayer and Meditation include:  Creating an emotionally safe environment  Reduced substance use and abuse  Reduction in blood pressure  Reduced heart rate  Improved immune response  Reduced anxiety, stress, and pain  Increased social support IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

SPIRIT Model:  Spiritual belief system  Personal spirituality  Integration/Involvement in a spiritual community  Ritualized practices and restrictions  Implications for care  Terminal events planning (advanced directives) FICA Model:  Faith or beliefs  Importance and influence  Community  Address IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

HOPE Model:  Hope, meaning, comfort, strength, peace, love, connection  Organized religion  Personal spirituality and practice  Effects on care/end-of-life-issues 7x7 Model for Spiritual Assessment: Holistic Dimension:Spiritual Dimension: 1. Medicala) Beliefs and meaning 2. Psychologicalb) Vocation and consequences 3. Psychosocialc) Experience and emotion 4. Family Systemd) Courage and growth 5. Ethnic and Culturale) Ritual and practice 6. Societal issuesf) Community 7. Spiritual g) Authority and guidance IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Interventions include:  Awareness of personal beliefs and values  Know beliefs and practices of various spiritual groups  Provide spiritual care as a priority  Be available and listen without judgment  Provide accurate information to patient  Allow patient to discuss spiritual and other concerns  Offer to contact patient’s spiritual leader or support person  Offer to pray / meditate / read with the patient  Help patient create sacred space / environment  Help patient meet needs of religious / spiritual practices IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

CONCLUSION  Health and religion have always gone hand in hand.  People who were prayed for, either by family, friends or a religious group had better health outcomes than those who were not prayed for.  Science cannot validate spiritual beliefs, and spiritual beliefs cannot validate science  The notion that prayer, divine intervention or the ministrations of an individual healer can cure illness has been popular throughout history

Andrade, C., & Radhakrishnan, R. (2009). Prayer and healing: A medical and scientific perspective on randomized controlled trials. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(4), doi: / Butler, S., Koenig, H., Puchalski, C., Cohen, C., & Sloan, R. (2003). Is Prayer Good for Your Health? A Critique of the Scientific Research. Retrieved from the-scientific-research Carpenito, L. J. (2002). Nursing diagnosis: Application to clinical practice. Lippincott, Williams, & Williams: Philadelphia, PA. Corliss, J. (2014). Mindfulness meditation may ease anxiety, mental stress. Retrieved from Daameron, C. M. (2005). Spiritual assessment made easy: With acronyms! JCN, 22(1) Davis, J. (2014, November 11). Can Prayer Heal? Retrieved from heal?page=3 Get Healthy Harlem. (2011). Did you know...spirituality, prayer and meditation can reduce stress? Retrieved from Hart, J. (2007). Spirituality and Healing. Retrieved from Hayagriva Buddhist Centre. (n.d.). How to help the very sick and dying. Retrieved from REFERENCES

REFERENCES, CONTINUED Nauert, R. (2011). Meditation Can Reduce Health Care Costs. Retrieved from Priester, P. E., Scherer, J., Steinfeldt, J. A., Jana-Masri, A., Jashinsky, T., Jones, J. E., & Vang, C. (2009). The frequency of prayer, meditation and holistic interventions in addictions treatment: A national survey. Pastoral Psychol, 58, DOI: /s Pritz, A. (2014). Spiritual Healing: The Value of Meditation & Prayer in Healthcare. Retrieved from life.com/spiritual-healing-the-value-of-meditation-prayer-in-healthcare/ Spiritual Healing For You. (2013). What is Meditation Prayer? Retrieved from you.com/meditation-prayer.html University of Minnesota. (2014). Prayer: What is prayer? Retrieved from healing-practices/prayer Weinstein, F., Bemstein, A., Kapenstein, T., & Penn, E. (2014). Spirituality assessments and interventions in pain medicine. Practical Pain Management, 14(5), 1-3. Retrieved from medicine Young, C. & Koopsen, C. (2011). Spirituality, health, and healing: An integrative approach. (2nd ed). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers