The Church and Academia Model
New Paradigm for Spirituality and Mental Health Research
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3378889 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marta Illueca (0000-0002-2804-6364, Wilmington University, corresponding author), Samantha M Meint (0000-0002-6020-6671, Brigham and Women's Hospital), Megan M Miller (0000-0002-6222-2659, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center), Dikachi Osaji (Boston University), Benjamin R Doolittle (0000-0002-6922-6556, Yale University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 998 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel16080998 |
| OpenAlex | W4413040676 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
Ongoing interest in the intersection of spirituality and health has prompted a need for integrated research. This report proposes a distinct approach in a model that allows for successful and harmonious cross-fertilization within these latter two areas of interest. Our work is especially pertinent to inquiries around the role of spirituality in mental health, with special attention to chronic pain conditions. The latter have become an open channel for novel avenues to explore the field of spirituality-based interventions within the arena of psychological inquiry. To address this, the authors developed and implemented the Church and Academia Model, a prototype for an innovative collaborative research project, with the aim of exploring the role of devotional practices, and their potential to be used as therapeutic co-adjuvants or tools to enhance the coping skills of patients with chronic pain. Keeping in mind that the church presents a rich landscape for clinical inquiry with broad relevance for clinicians and society at large, we created a unique hybrid research model. This is a new paradigm that focuses on distinct and well-defined studies where the funding, protocol writing, study design, and implementation are shared by experts from both the pastoral and clinical spaces. A team of theologians, researchers, and healthcare providers, including clinical pain psychologists, built a coalition leveraging their respective skill sets. Each expert is housed in their own environs, creating a functional network that has proven academically productive and pastorally effective. Key outputs include the creation and validation of a new psychometric measure, the Pain-related PRAYER Scale (PPRAYERS), an associated bedside prayer tool and a full-scale dissemination strategy through journal publications and specialty society conferences. This collaborative prototype is also an ideal fit for integrated knowledge translation platforms, and it is a promising paradigm for future collaborative projects focused on spirituality and mental health
Alternative medicine · Engineering ethics · Health care · Medical education · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Psychotherapist · Spirituality · Applied Psychology · Engineering · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Medicine · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health
Handbook of Religion and Health
Oxford Textbook of Spirituality in Healthcare
Spirituality and Health
Lost in knowledge translation
The use of coping strategies in chronic low back pain patients
The role of religion and spirituality in mental health
Association of Religious Service Attendance With Mortality Among Women
Should Physicians Prescribe Religious Activities?
The Use of Prayer in the Management of Pain
Influences of Religion and Spirituality in Medicine
Integrated knowledge translation
The Challenges of a Partnership between Medicine and Religion
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |