The Use, Application and Integration of Religion/Spirituality in Clinical Social Service: The Case of Clinical Social Service Providers in Addis Ababa
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Date
2015-05
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the contribution religion/spirituality makes in the process of helping
patients in clinical social service. Utilizing a mix of online and paper survey research, this
random sample study of clinical service providers explored participants’ attitude/perception as a
measure of their consent or disagreement towards including these two concepts in practice and
their practical use of religious/spiritually integrated interventions. The responses obtained from
67 practitioners to RRSP Likert-type scale Index of 14 interventions mostly showed indifference
on the utilization of religious/spiritually integrated interventions. However, practitioners that
were involved in religious establishments agreed more to the integration of religion/spirituality in
practice, utilizing it in 75% of their cases as opposed to those working in secular institutions.
Data collected through surveys generated results from practitioners of governmental and nongovernmental
institutions that are mainly engaged in three clinical fields; mental health,
HIV/AIDS and child care. Results indicate that professionals in the field of child care agreed to
use these concepts more than those in the field of mental health and HIV/AIDS. Practitioners'
professional attitude toward the role of religion and spirituality in clinical social service was
found to be the most important predictor of intervention in this sample. The study includes a
review of existing literature related to religious/spirituality in health care.
Future researches should explore the actual need for religious/spiritual integrated practice in
Addis Ababa and the effective use of evidence-based spiritually integrated interventions as
alternative ways of coping with health problems, especially in palliative care.
Key words:
Religious/Spiritually integrated interventions, mental health, HIV/AIDS, child care, clinical
social work
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Keywords
Religious Spiritually Integrated Interventions: Mental Health; HIV/AIDS; Child Care; Clinical Social Work