Topics such as religious humor and humor in general have seen a resurgence in philosophical and clinical discourses, yet their latent therapeutic potential warrants a more systematic reconsideration. This philosophical paper advances a proposal to integrate religious humor into therapeutic practices, drawing primarily from the humanistic psychoanalytic framework of Erich Fromm and the philosophical representations in Seinto Oniisan (Saint Young Men). Consequently, the proposal preliminarily formulates a Frommian-inspired religious humor therapy that utilizes Saint Young Men as one of its textual materials, demonstrating the intersections of religion, philosophy, and psychology. With these in mind, the paper proceeds as follows: the first part provides the preliminaries: an introduction to the paper's focus, its methodology, and an overview of the discussions. The second part presents the relevant philosophical concepts of Erich Fromm, which deepen the understanding of humor and his particular view of humanistic religions. The third part begins with a summary of Saint Young Men, then elaborates on its philosophical representation. Afterward, the discussion examines the potential effects of watching the anime when it is effectively integrated into humor therapy, with a specific focus on meaning-making, religious knowledge, and the viewer's mental health. Lastly, the limitations of this study are highlighted, pointing to directions for future research.
This study aimed to determine the factors associated with religious perceptions about COVID-19 among predominantly young online respondents from selected Latin American countries. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study using data from a multicountry survey conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. Participants were adults aged 18 years or older recruited through an online, non-probability convenience sampling strategy. Religious perceptions about COVID-19 were assessed with a six-item Likert-type scale exploring beliefs about divine influence on the pandemic, illness, and healing. High religious perception scores were defined as scores in the upper tertile of the summed scale, indicating stronger endorsement of religious interpretations of COVID-19, illness, and healing. This outcome did not directly measure negative attitudes toward medical treatment, treatment refusal, treatment adherence, adherence to preventive measures, or healthcare-seeking behavior. A total of 2317 respondents were analyzed. A conventional response rate could not be calculated because the survey was disseminated through open online academic and student networks, and the numbers of individuals reached and those who declined participation were unavailable. The statement with the highest agreement was “When I have a health problem, I pray for God’s will to be done” (13
This study presents the development and psychometric validation of a Professional Anxiety Scale for Religious Service Providers (PAS-RSP) designed to measure the anxiety levels of this professional group. The need for a rigorously constructed, field-specific measurement instrument arises from the documented inadequacy of existing general professional anxiety scales in capturing the unique cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of anxiety experienced in religious service contexts. The study addresses this gap by developing and validating a 31-item, seven-factor Likert-type instrument with strong psychometric properties. In Türkiye, a total of 231 religious service providers, comprising imams, muezzins, preachers, and Qur’an course instructors, completed the scale. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 22). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha (α = .948), and construct validity was examined through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), supported by a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) value of .906 and a statistically significant Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (p < .001). The EFA yielded seven interpretable factors, namely professional social anxiety, professional management anxiety, personal life anxiety, professional success anxiety, religious fictional anxiety, profession’s effect on family, and family’s impact on profession. Together, these factors accounted for 70.7
Spiritual well-being may play a protective role in the relationship between frailty and hopelessness in older adults. This study aims to examine the relationship between frailty and hopelessness among older adults and to assess the role of spiritual well-being in this relationship. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 328 older adults. The study data were collected using an Introductory Characteristics Questionnaire and the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being, Beck Hopelessness, and Edmonton Frail scales. Based on the Edmonton Frail Scale classification, 39.3
Cancer is a life-threatening condition often accompanied by psychological distress. Prayer is a longstanding religious and spiritual practice offering psychosocial and meaning-oriented support, yet its role as a resource in perioperative recovery remains underexplored. This non-randomized, preference-based study examined the association between preoperative prayer and postoperative recovery in patients with thyroid cancer undergoing thyroidectomy. The prayer group (n = 36) received physician-led preoperative prayer, while the non-prayer group (n = 36) served as controls. Baseline characteristics, intraoperative data, Quality of Recovery-40 (QoR-40) scores, pain scores, and analgesic use through postoperative day (POD) 2 were collected. Bonferroni-adjusted analysis showed a significant reduction in numeric rating scale pain scores from recovery room admission to POD2 in the prayer group (mean difference = –1.19, standard error [SE] = 0.32, p = 0.001). On POD1, only the non-prayer group showed declines in physical comfort (–2.94, SE = 1.28, p = 0.049) and global QoR-40 scores (–7.53, SE = 3.02, p = 0.030). By POD2, significant improvements in physical comfort (+ 2.94, SE = 1.18, p = 0.031) and global scores (+ 8.94, SE = 2.85, p = 0.005) occurred only in the prayer group, whereas physical independence decreased in the non-prayer group (–1.78, SE = 0.48, p = 0.001). Although no significant between-group differences were observed, exploratory within-group analyses suggested favorable changes in pain and QoR-40 scores on POD2 among patients who received prayer. These findings may reflect the psychosocial and cultural context of physician-led prayer and highlight the need for further research.
The concept of moral injury (MI) continues to gain research traction in the helping professional fields. Researchers continue to debate different components of MI. Defining, assessing, and treating MI captures much of the psychological literature. Despite this, standardized holistic conceptualization and treatment have yet to be realized. Worldview has been proposed as an important factor influencing how individuals interpret experiences, construct meaning, and respond to the world around them. As such, this qualitative exploratory multiple case study examined whether behavioral health providers’ worldview may shape how they describe MI, its associated sequelae, and potential intervention approaches within US Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs settings. This project was guided by case study principles, based on worldview theory, and used the conceptual understanding of MI presented by Jinkerson. A total of eight (N = 8) participants completed all data collection (100
Forgiveness is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic resource in addiction recovery, yet its dynamics within family contexts remain complex. This cross-sectional study examined forgiveness among 79 men in recovery in a therapeutic community in Israel, comparing those who identified a family member versus a non-family member as the offender, and exploring associations with social desirability and psychological well-being. The response rate was 97.5
Loneliness constitutes a recognized public health crisis, associated with a 26
Despite the evidence of clergy encounters with both those at risk and survivors of suicide, research examining suicide exposure and the clergy's use of suicide prevention competencies remains limited. We examined the associations between lifetime exposure to suicide (exposure to suicidal communication, direct exposure to suicide attempts/deaths, and indirect exposure to suicide attempts/deaths) and current use of suicide prevention competencies (ministerial approaches to postvention, nonjudgmental attitude toward people affected by suicide, confidence and knowledge in talking with a suicidal person, and pastoral care with a suicidal person). We also investigated whether suicide prevention training moderates these relationships. Participants were 336 Roman Catholic priests in Nigeria who completed the Suicidal Behaviour Exposure Scale and the Measure of Suicide Prevention Clergy Competencies, including an indicator assessing whether participants had received any formal training. Results showed that lifetime exposure to suicide was associated with the use of suicide prevention competencies among priests without formal suicide prevention training, but not among those with training. The observed moderation effect was more nuanced when we examined the dimensions of exposure in relation to the domains of competency use. Network analyses showed that, among the three exposure domains, exposure to suicidal communication was most prominent. On the clergy competency use side, pastoral care for a suicidal person demonstrated the strongest centrality. Integrating structured suicide prevention training with pastoral experience is therefore important for ensuring consistent and effective responses to individuals at risk.
This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Ethical Sensitivity Scale (ESS), utilizing secondary data collected from 327 Korean Catholic seminarians. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the retention of the seven-factor structure inherent in the original ESS, indicating an acceptable model fit. Items with insufficient standardized factor loadings were eliminated to optimize the model fit, resulting in a revised version of the scale. The revised ESS demonstrated strong overall reliability (Cronbach's alpha, α ≥ .80), with each subscale achieving the established threshold for internal consistency (α ≥ .70). These results provide strong evidence for the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the ESS, supporting its usefulness in research on ethical sensitivity. The Korean version of the ESS may be useful for educators in designing moral education programs that address students' ethical sensitivity across diverse academic disciplines. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution because this study relied on secondary data, limiting the assessment of some psychometric properties, and further validation in independent and more diverse samples is warranted.
Spirituality and religion are essential components of holistic care, which encompasses psychopathology, treatment adherence, recovery, and social integration. In this study, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on spirituality and religion in patients with schizophrenia and psychosis published between 1997 and 2026 was conducted using the Web of Science database. This study aimed to examine publication trends, citation metrics, document profiles, country productivity, and frequently used keywords within this research domain. The data were analyzed using VOSviewer, Web of Science analytical tools, and Microsoft Excel. A total of 924 documents were initially identified over the 30-year period; however, only 491 documents met the criteria to be included in the final analysis. The findings indicate that as of March 13, 2026, these publications had generated 9,751 citations with an h-index of 49. Most publications were research articles (84.73
This qualitative study explored how Filipino adults from Roman Catholic, other Christian, Muslim, and Indigenous Filipino spiritual practice communities described faith-based health engagement in relation to perceived physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Informed by the Salutogenic Model and the Capability Approach, the study examined how participants understood religious and spiritual practices in everyday life, negotiated these practices alongside biomedical and traditional forms of care, and experienced family and faith-community support during health-related challenges. Forty Filipino adults participated in semi-structured interviews conducted in Filipino. Data were analyzed using a codebook-informed thematic approach guided by Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. Faith-based engagement was associated not only with emotional regulation and resilience but also with bodily endurance, morally valued conduct, relational support, and cultural or ecological grounding. Participants described faith-based and biomedical resources as related but non-interchangeable. Spiritual, communal, and traditional practices were valued for emotional stability, meaning, moral orientation, cultural continuity, and everyday coping, whereas biomedical services were regarded as necessary for persistent symptoms, injury, serious illness, and bodily risk. This context-dependent differentiation reflected a severity-sensitive logic of care. Coping, coherence, and valued functioning were also described as relationally supported through family assistance, faith-community involvement, practical care, shared interpretations of adversity, and access to medical services. The study contributes a culturally situated account of religion and health by showing how participants negotiated spiritual, communal, traditional, and biomedical resources within everyday Philippine life.
Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a growing public health concern, yet research on these conditions within religious and culturally insular populations remains limited. The Orthodox Jewish community offers a distinctive context for examining how religious norms, stigma, and communal structures influence substance use and recovery. This scoping review synthesizes existing empirical literature on SUDs in Orthodox Jewish populations to identify key findings, methodological patterns, and research gaps. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, PubMed was searched using the MeSH terms (“Jews*” OR “Judaism*”) AND (“Alcoholism*” OR “Substance-Related Disorders*”). A total of 130 studies were screened, and 11 met inclusion criteria, from across USA, Israel, and the UK. This study found that most studies (N = 6) were qualitative, with small samples and limited generalizability. Quantitative research was scarce and rarely distinguished among Orthodox subgroups. Early research focused more on alcohol use; more recent work examined illicit drugs and treatment barriers. Thus, this study concludes that empirical research on SUDs within Orthodox Jewish populations remains sparse. Findings underscore the need for quantitative, culturally sensitive studies and interventions that account for the complex interplay between faith, stigma, and help-seeking.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping healthcare through advances in prediction and personalization, yet these developments also raise questions that are not merely technical but also are moral and religious. This article offers a normative framework for Catholic engagement with medical AI in light of Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas (2026). Drawing on the encyclical's critique of the "Babel Syndrome," we argue that medical AI is dehumanizing in two principal ways: first, through an idolatry of optimization that reduces the person to a data source; and second, through an illusion of algorithmic perfection that treats vulnerability and finitude as technical defects to be overcome. In response, we propose a roadmap grounded in Catholic social teaching and structured around three principles: non-substitution, algorithmic transparency and accountability, and solidarity with the preferential option for the poor. We further show how these principles deepen and reinterpret the bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence, and justice in AI-mediated care. Finally, we draw out concrete implications for healthcare institutions and relevant stakeholders. Rather than rejecting AI, we argue that Catholic healthcare ethics should further uphold the alignment of technological innovation to the dignity of the human person, the common good, and the healing vocation of medicine.
Spiritual Care is a recognised dimension of Palliative Care, yet its provision is often inadequate. This study aimed to improve the identification of patients’ spiritual needs using a standardised screening, address these more effectively in everyday Palliative Care, and evaluate potential benefits of this intervention. We conducted a monocentric, mixed-methods, quasi-experimental, pre-post study. For a six-month period (12/2023–05/2024), patients attended by an inpatient Palliative Care consultation service in a tertiary hospital were screened for spiritual needs using the Spiritual Needs Screener. Hospital chaplaincy documentation was also considered. Results were compared with data on spirituality of a retrospective comparison cohort. We conducted three focus groups with Palliative Care team representatives. Data from 100 patients in the prospective interventional cohort were compared with data of the retrospective comparison cohort (n = 651). Improvements were observed in all aspects compared: The number of visits documented by hospital chaplaincy increased, patients’ requests for Spiritual Care were recorded more thoroughly, and spiritual support was recommended to patients more frequently. The focus groups highlighted multi-professionalism as a prerequisite to implement Spiritual Care, the increased awareness of the spiritual dimension, and a differentiated assessment of the feasibility of standardised electronic screening. Implementing the screening improved recognising spiritual needs and emphasised hospital chaplains’ role in healthcare. Our results show the importance of multi-professionalism to provide Spiritual Care, the increasing awareness of Spiritual Care as consequence of this study at the study location, and the possibility to overcome barriers in Spiritual Care implementation through sustainable, resource-efficient solutions. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06206551; first posted: January 16, 2024.
This issue of JORH considers numerous research projects from countries steeped in Catholicism–particularly from the Philippines and Latin American countries, namely Brazil and Argentina. Additional research is also included with regard to various spirituality scales, and finally research is presented regarding the after-effects of COVID-19.
Tawbah (repentance) holds a central place in Islamic theology, serving as both a spiritual imperative and a path to psychological renewal. Despite its theological richness, tawbah remains underexplored in empirical psychological research, particularly within Muslim populations. The present study aimed to develop and validate a multidimensional Tawbah Scale (TS) grounded in Islamic teachings and contextualized within Pakistani Muslim culture. Drawing on Qur’anic exegesis, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews with religious scholars and laypersons, an initial item pool was generated. Two studies were conducted: Study 1 (N = 535) employed exploratory factor analysis to determine the scale’s factorial structure, resulting in a 36-item instrument encompassing six dimensions—repentance, seeking istighfar and resolution to abstain, expiation to God, spiritual enrichment, conviction in divine mercy, and interpersonal atonement. Study 2 (N = 1161) confirmed this structure through second-order confirmatory factor analysis, demonstrating strong model fit, reliability, and validity. The scale showed significant positive associations with divine forgiveness, afterlife beliefs, and spiritual well-being, while remaining distinct from religious scrupulosity, supporting both its convergent and discriminant validity. Measurement invariance across Sunni and non-Sunni Muslims further established the scale’s cross-sectarian applicability. This indigenous measure contributes to Islamic psychology by offering a robust empirical framework to examine tawbah as a transformative spiritual and psychological process.
Parental religion and spirituality (R/S) are integral components of family life, yet their role in shaping early childhood development (ECD) outcomes has received limited empirical attention. This narrative review synthesizes longitudinal and review evidence on how parental R/S influences child outcomes, drawing on the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) to structure the analysis. We examine three interrelated domains: (1) the role of parental R/S in shaping family and relational dynamics, (2) its influence on parenting practices, and (3) its direct effects on early childhood development outcomes. Evidence suggests that parental R/S can promote family cohesion, stress-buffering support, and responsive parenting, while also reinforcing practices. Associations between parental R/S and child development outcomes are heterogeneous. The most consistent signal is reduced externalizing behavior. Internalizing and academic outcomes showed more mixed, or sometimes even adverse, associations. Methodological limitations include reliance on narrow measures of parental R/S, insufficient attention to confounding and temporal dynamics, and a limited representation of non-Western and non-Christian contexts. Included studies are predominantly general population, non-clinical samples drawn primarily from high-income countries, with reliance on data collected in the 1990s–early 2000s. We conclude by proposing future directions, including greater integration of parental R/S within early childhood development frameworks such as the NCF.
Marital infidelity is widely regarded as an important concern across cultures with multidimensional effects—physical, emotional, psychological, and social. It challenges societal norms, undermines trust within families, and can have far-reaching consequences on the well-being of the betrayed spouse. This study explores how the different religious coping strategies influenced the coping and healing process caused by marital infidelity. It explores the in-depth experience of selected Catholic Filipino women whose husbands cheated. It draws inspiration from their narratives of how they faced, struggled with, and recovered from the painful consequences of their respective spouses’ betrayals. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the transcripts of their interview elicit three major themes: the ever-faithful God to the rescue, social support as a stress-buffering antidote, and meditation and retreats as powerful tools to enhance mental and spiritual health. These findings suggest that the person’s religiosity can serve as an effective coping strategy in facing marital infidelity. The study contributes to the growing literature on religiosity and marital coping, offering insights that may benefit those navigating similar experiences and encouraging a renewed engagement with their spiritual life as a means to overcome life’s challenges.
