Date
4-17-2024
Department
School of Nursing
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Chair
Tonia Renee Kennedy
Keywords
Integration, Religious Beliefs, Psychotherapy, Mental Health Outcomes
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Anighoro-Okezie, Justina, "The Effectiveness of Integrating Religious/Spirituality Beliefs into Psychotherapy: An Integrative Review" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5344.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5344
Abstract
This comprehensive review explores how integrating religious beliefs into psychotherapy impacts mental health outcomes. Following a structured approach guided by Whittemore and Knafl's (Nov 2005) methodology, the review involves a systematic literature search across academic databases, identifying 25 studies with diverse methods. Results indicate significant enhancements in both psychological and spiritual outcomes when religious beliefs are integrated into psychotherapy, compared to no-treatment control conditions. Compared to alternate treatments, adapted psychotherapy demonstrates a small to medium effect. Particularly in an additive design, while there's no significant superiority in psychological outcomes, there is in spiritual outcomes, emphasizing the potential benefits of incorporating R/S elements. The study highlights empirical support for integrating R/S elements into psychotherapy, underscoring its potential to enhance psychological and spiritual well-being across diverse populations. Future research should diversify cultural and religious contexts, expand follow-up studies, and delineate the extent of R/S integration in treatments. Dissemination of these findings to mental health professionals is vital to encourage the integration of religious beliefs into psychotherapy for improved mental health outcomes.
