Look Beyond and Rejoice : A Spiritual Intervention for Patients with Life-Threatening Illness or Chronic Pain
Recently, the study of religious coping has increased dramatically. Researchers have recognized that cognitive-behavioral interventions imbued with spiritual dimensions may have greater impact when they incorporate a persons’ belief system. Based on scientific literature and Christian coping methods in the Bible, the Look Beyond & Rejoice [LB&R] Healing Model was developed to provide a theoretical framework for an intervention aimed at improving spiritual, mental, and physical health. The model includes: (a) positive reframing of illness that may change a patient’s perception from a threat to challenge and hope, and (b) daily transcendent visualization and verbalization, through looking beyond adversity and looking to God and God’s promises. This study investigated the impact of an LB&R intervention in 40 Korean- Americans with life-threatening illness or chronic pain. Participants were randomly assigned to an immediate or delayed intervention group. The program consisted of nine sessions—three times a week, for three weeks. Participants were assessed—at baseline, 3 weeks from baseline, and 6 weeks from baseline. Measurements included daily spiritual experiences, meaning of illness, positive affect, negative affect, pain, use of medications, mental and physical health. Eleven of the immediate group and six of the delayed group completed all three questionnaires. Six individuals in a pretest had gone through the identical program and were added to the immediate group for analysis. Levels of love, physical health, and mental health improved during the program but not before or after. Both groups showed improvements across the three measurement points in meaning of illness and joy, as well as, decreases in negative affect and both types of pain. Positive change in daily spiritual experience is significantly correlated with a reduction in negative affect from pretest to posttest. An increase in negative affect from pretest to posttest is significantly correlated with an increase in bodily pain, unpleasant pain, and a decrease in mental health across those two time points. The results of the current study suggest that the LB&R intervention, can increase positive mind-body outcomes. It is hoped that the present study will stimulate researchers and practitioners to further investigate the practice of Biblical coping methods.
Public Health Education and Promotion, Mental Healing; Chronic Disease.
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