{"title":"The Effects of Spirituality on Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Nesrullah Okan, Yahya Şahin","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02671-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02671-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to systematically evaluate the findings of quantitative research examining the relationship between spirituality and depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and the study protocol was pre-registered in the PROSPERO database. A comprehensive literature search conducted in PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases resulted in a total of 17 studies meeting the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria being included in the review. The findings were evaluated using a narrative synthesis approach. The vast majority of the studies reviewed showed that spirituality and spiritual well-being are inversely related to symptoms of depression and anxiety. In clinical and community-based samples, lower depressive and anxious symptoms were reported in individuals with higher levels of spiritual well-being. Findings in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) revealed that spirituality is not a unidirectional protective factor. Positive spiritual coping and spiritual functioning were associated with lower PTSD symptoms, whereas spiritual conflict and unmet spiritual needs were associated with higher levels of psychological distress. In conclusion, this systematic review demonstrates that spirituality exhibits meaningful relationships with mental health, but that its effects must be considered in a manner sensitive to contextual and individual differences.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yusra Jadallah Abed Khasawneh, Mahmoud Gharaibeh, Mohammad Nayef Ayasrah, Ayoub Hamdan Al-Rousan, Mohamad Ahmad Saleem Khasawneh
{"title":"Cognitive, Spiritual, and Algorithmic Responsiveness in Teaching Scale (C-SARTS): Exploring Teachers' Cognitive, Ethical, and Spiritual Responsiveness in AI-Supported Secondary Education in Jordan.","authors":"Yusra Jadallah Abed Khasawneh, Mahmoud Gharaibeh, Mohammad Nayef Ayasrah, Ayoub Hamdan Al-Rousan, Mohamad Ahmad Saleem Khasawneh","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02643-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02643-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study developed and psychometrically validated the Cognitive-Spiritual Algorithmic Responsiveness in Teaching Scale (C-SARTS) for AI-supported secondary education in Jordan. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, we generated and refined items through qualitative interviews and literature review, then administered the scale to 552 teachers. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a coherent four-factor solution-integrative multidimensional responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness in live pedagogy, spiritual responsiveness in teaching encounters, and algorithmic responsiveness in instructional design-which was subsequently confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis with acceptable fit indices. Reliability was strong across dimensions (α/ω/CR at or above conventional thresholds). Convergent and discriminant validity were largely satisfactory; one construct showed AVE slightly below 50 but met composite reliability criteria, indicating conservative yet acceptable convergence. Measurement invariance held across gender. Network-based exploratory graph analysis with bootstrap replications supported a stable four-dimensional structure, and a random-forest check highlighted the integrative dimension and items that combine AI-readable design with attention to students' psychosocial context as most influential. C-SARTS offers a concise, multidimensional measure of how teachers align cognitive, ethical-spiritual, and algorithmic considerations in AI-rich classrooms, supporting applications in educational research, teacher professional development, and ethically grounded technology integration in Jordanian secondary schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing and Validating an Islamic Spiritual Health Questionnaire Among Iranian Adults: A PLS‑SEM Approach.","authors":"Nasir Javidi, Saeed Sabouei Jahromi, Hassan Abolghasemi, Siamak Mokhtari, Seyed Morteza Hosseini","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02602-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02602-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite the significance of spiritual health in health psychology literature, existing instruments are mostly grounded in Western frameworks and cannot assess dimensions of Islamic spirituality. The present study sought to develop and validate an Islamic Spiritual Health Questionnaire, grounded in authoritative Quranic and narrative sources, to provide an indigenous, valid instrument for evaluating spiritual aspects rooted in a monotheistic worldview. The study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, 27 components of spiritual health were extracted from Islamic texts (the Holy Quran, Nahj al-Balāghah, al-Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah, al-Kāfī, and several other hadith collections) through inductive content analysis, yielding 54 items. The content validity of 27 items was then confirmed via CVR and CVI indices based on the opinions of 10 experts in theology and psychology. In the quantitative phase, the 27-item questionnaire was first piloted with 63 participants, yielding an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.946; two items were removed based on participant feedback and expert judgment. In the final stage, the 25-item version was administered to 438 individuals selected via stratified random sampling from the general population, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 3 software. Exploratory factor analysis identified four main factors: theocentrism, public relations, control of carnal desires, and social responsibility. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that all item loadings exceeded 0.4, and all paths were significant at the 0.05 level (t > 1.96). The indices of convergent validity (AVE > 0.5), discriminant validity, and composite reliability (CR > 0.7) were acceptable for all dimensions. R<sup>2</sup> values were moderate-to-strong for all dependent variables in the model, and Q<sup>2</sup> values were strong for all endogenous constructs. The overall goodness-of-fit index (GOF = 0.818) reflected a strong model fit. This instrument's total reliability was supported by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.973, split-half coefficients ranging from 0.823 to 0.963, and a test-retest correlation of 0.67 over a 2-week interval. The criterion validity of the questionnaire was also confirmed through significant positive correlations with the \"Spiritual Health Scale Based on Islamic Sources (r = 0.719, p < 0.001) and the \"Paloutzian and Ellison Spiritual Well-Being\" scale (r = 0.553, p < 0.001). The Islamic Spiritual Health Questionnaire demonstrates established content, construct, and criterion validity, along with high reliability, and can be employed as a robust and precise instrument for assessing spiritual health based on Islamic teachings in research, educational interventions, and clinical settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kirsten Ming, Ashok Chaurasia, Steven Mock, Mark Oremus
{"title":"The Association Between Religious Participation and Social Isolation in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.","authors":"Kirsten Ming, Ashok Chaurasia, Steven Mock, Mark Oremus","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02665-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02665-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Religious participation may be protective against social isolation, which itself is a risk factor for poor health outcomes in aging adults. Research extending back to Durkheim's work on religion and suicide, and frameworks such as Stryker and Statham's Interactional Role Theory, link religion to social integration, which is the opposite of social isolation. However, little empirical research has examined the association between religious participation and social isolation in middle-aged and older adults. We investigated this association using two waves of data (n = 22,139) from the Comprehensive Cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. We regressed follow-up social isolation onto baseline religious participation and controlled for a series of socio-demographic, health, and social connection variables at baseline. Social isolation was measured using an index aggregating social network size, frequency of contact with network members, social activity participation, marital status, and retirement status. Religious participation was measured using a three-level variable asking about the frequency of participation in religious activities over the past year. Religious participation was not statistically significantly associated with social isolation over three years of follow-up. Among populations that experience healthier aging, our results did not show an association between religious participation and social isolation. Future research warrants longer follow-ups in less healthy populations to further investigate the association.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jack D Giddens, Tiffany S Arnold, Tonya S King, Rebecca A Lazensky
{"title":"The Spiritual Comfort Index (SCI): A Pilot Study Toward Establishing a Spiritual Vital Sign in the United States.","authors":"Jack D Giddens, Tiffany S Arnold, Tonya S King, Rebecca A Lazensky","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02662-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02662-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The provision of spiritual care in USA-based healthcare has historically relied on narrative and anecdotal feedback to characterize treatment outcomes. This approach has demonstrated a relative inability to accurately determine whether spiritual care interventions have a measurable impact on treating patient spiritual lack or distress, despite the recent increase in the use of spiritual care measurement scales. The Spiritual Comfort Index (SCI) is a quantitative, results-oriented screening system, intervention methodology, and healthcare statistical tool that assesses patient spiritual distress to inform the administration of spiritual care. The purpose of this prospective pilot study was to measure the impact of healthcare chaplain visitation for patients scoring positive for spiritual distress on clinical outcomes and to assess nurse perceptions of the SCI's ease of use and confidence in implementation. The SCI was administered to 34 patients at a public regional healthcare system to measure the impact of spiritual care on reducing patient spiritual distress and improving health outcomes. Additionally, 25 nurses completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) to evaluate the ease of use and confidence in administering the SCI. Patient spiritual distress decreased significantly from admission to discharge when a spiritual care intervention was provided by a chaplain (median change in SCI = 0.31 (IQR 0.09, 0.75), p < .001). Additionally, nurses reported high ease of use of the SCI as part of their clinical workflow and felt confident about administering the index to screen patients for spiritual distress at intake and discharge (median SUS ease score = 5.0, (IQR 4.0, 5.0)).</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trends and Thematic Clusters in Moral Injury Research: A Bibliometric Analysis.","authors":"Waseem Hassan, Lindsay B Carey, Timothy J Hodgson","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02635-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02635-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Moral injury (MI) spans biological, psychological, social, and spiritual domains, yet systematic bibliometric evaluation remains scarce. A bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications containing \"moral injury\" (1992-2025) was conducted using three search strategies (i) Title-Abstract-Keywords (TAK), (ii) Abstract-only (AO), and (iii) Title-only (TO). Publication types, annual trends, and the performance of authors, institutions, countries, sponsors, and journals were examined. A total of 2,081 documents were identified, including articles (1,491), reviews (164), book chapters (193), and editorials (75). TAK yielded 1,655 records, AO 1,400 records, and TO 879 records, demonstrating notable variation in dataset size. Output remained limited until 2017, followed by rapid growth from 2018, peaking in 2025. The USA led global production, followed by the UK, Canada, and Australia. TAK analysis identified the most prolific authors in this review by country: in the USA, Maguen, S. (36) and Koenig, H.G. (34); in the UK, Greenberg, N. (37) and Murphy, D. (36); in Canada, McKinnon, M.C. (23) and Nazarov, A. (21); and in Australia, Carey, L.B. (13) and Nickerson, A. (10). Other top contributors by country are also identified. Within this study, prolific institutions included VA Medical Center, King's College London, Western University, McMaster University, Duke University Medical Center, and the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Prominent journals were 'Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy', the 'European Journal of Psychotraumatology', 'Traumatology', 'Frontiers in Psychiatry', and the 'Journal of Religion and Health'. Title-based co-word analysis (AO and TO datasets) identified ten thematic clusters covering psychological outcomes, military and healthcare contexts, ethics, assessment, and interventions. Analysis of the top 100 most cited papers highlighted five foundational themes in conceptualization, measurement, mental health outcomes, and treatment approaches. MI research expanded rapidly after 2018, emphasizing the need for methodological transparency through a bibliometric study across multidisciplinary fields. While not all authors/coauthors or their respective institutions and nations have been acknowledged within this analysis of MI research, nevertheless the significant leaders have been identified, as have a number of key research and clinical themes. Search strategy selection however, substantially determines dataset size, contributor visibility, and thematic representation, hence a number of limitations regarding this analysis are noted.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francheska Lhiane D Igama, Francis Raphael G Lavapie, Rafael Sebastian G Ng, Raileigh Sheen A Ocado, Samantha Grace P Olorvida, Joseph Renus F Galang
{"title":"Created, Not Engineered: Analyzing Human Gene Editing from a Catholic Anthropological and Moral Perspective.","authors":"Francheska Lhiane D Igama, Francis Raphael G Lavapie, Rafael Sebastian G Ng, Raileigh Sheen A Ocado, Samantha Grace P Olorvida, Joseph Renus F Galang","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02667-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02667-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Advances in human gene editing raise significant ethical questions concerning their compatibility with the Catholic Church's understanding of human dignity. This paper examines the Church's moral evaluation of human gene editing, particularly germline modifications, through its foundational principles of the dignity of the human person, the integrity of human nature as created in the imago Dei, the principle of solidarity, and the moral responsibility to exercise care rather than technological domination over human life. Employing the See-Judge-Act model, the study applies the Catholic moral framework to contemporary developments in gene editing, which are currently directed primarily toward the treatment of genetic diseases. The paper undertakes a doctrinal and hermeneutical analysis to assess whether such interventions respect or compromise inherent human dignity and then makes recommendations for concrete responses to the issue. Given the Catholic Church's global moral influence, clarifying its position helps delineate ethical boundaries between legitimate therapeutic intervention and unacceptable alteration of human nature. The study concludes that a Christian ethical response must take a future-oriented view in medicine, one that anticipates not only present therapeutic uses of gene editing but also emerging biotechnologies aimed at enhancement, redesign, and inheritable modification of the human genome, while firmly rejecting any form of genetic manipulation that transforms medicine from healing the person to engineering human nature itself.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Religion, Spirituality, and Health Values Among Young Adults in Slovenia: A Qualitative Study.","authors":"Mirko Prosen, Mojca Baša, Ines Batista Križaj, Andrejka Presl, Sabina Ličen","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02664-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02664-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores how young adults in Slovenia perceive religion and spirituality and how they relate these dimensions to health, values, and health-related habits. In modern secular societies, religion and spirituality are increasingly seen as influencing health indirectly, mainly through personal values, identity, and coping strategies. However, little is known about how young adults themselves experience this relationship. A qualitative descriptive approach was used, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 participants aged 18-34. Interviews were conducted in late 2025, recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis supported by Atlas.ti software. The trustworthiness of the study was ensured through established qualitative research criteria. Five key themes emerged: personal perspectives on religion and spirituality, the influence of family and socio-cultural environment, religion as a source of moral values, perceptions of the relationship between religion and health, and the role of religion in coping with stress and supporting mental well-being. Participants generally viewed religion as a personal and selective aspect of life with limited influence on physical health behaviors. Instead, its importance was mainly related to mental well-being and stress management. The findings indicate that religion and spirituality functioned primarily as psychosocial resources rather than direct determinants of health behaviors among young adults in Slovenia.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147718292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qiuju Li, Zhupei Li, Guangyuan Li, Jun Liu, Harold G Koenig, Zhizhong Wang
{"title":"Mediating Effect of Thriving from Work in the Relationship Between Moral Injury and Post-Traumatic Growth Among Healthcare Workers in China.","authors":"Qiuju Li, Zhupei Li, Guangyuan Li, Jun Liu, Harold G Koenig, Zhizhong Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02651-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02651-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Moral injury (MI) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) are critical psychological outcomes for healthcare workers who are frequently exposed to ethically challenging and traumatic situations. Thriving from work (TFW), characterized by vitality and learning at work, is proposed as a key contextual resource linking these constructs. The current cross-sectional study examined the mediating role of TFW in the relationship between MI and PTG among 4685 Chinese healthcare workers with an overall response rate of 36%. Measures included the Moral Injury Symptoms Scale-Health Professional (MISS-HP), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGI-SF), and Thriving from Work Questionnaire (TFWQ). Correlation and mediation analyses revealed that TFW fully mediated the MI-PTG relationship, accounting for 91.67% of the total effect. MI negatively affected PTG by impairing TFW, while greater TFW reduced MI's adverse effects on PTG. These findings help to explain how healthcare professionals adapt to trauma in healthcare settings and suggest practical pathways to help safeguard healthcare workers' mental health through organizational and individual interventions targeting TFW.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147700456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agna Soares da Silva Menezes, Cristina Paixão Durães, Larissa Lopes Fonseca, Tatiana Almeida de Magalhães, Jairo Evangelista Nascimento, Gracielle Soares da Silva Ruas, Antonio Alvimar de Souza, Arlen de Paulo Santiago Filho, Adriana Aparecida Almeida de Aguiar Ribeiro, Alfredo Maurício Batista de Paula, Sérgio Henrique Sousa Santos, Lucyana Conceição Farias, André Luiz Sena Guimarães
{"title":"The Impact of Spirituality, Religiosity, and Quality of Life on the Survival of Patients with Head-and-Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Brazil: A Cohort Study.","authors":"Agna Soares da Silva Menezes, Cristina Paixão Durães, Larissa Lopes Fonseca, Tatiana Almeida de Magalhães, Jairo Evangelista Nascimento, Gracielle Soares da Silva Ruas, Antonio Alvimar de Souza, Arlen de Paulo Santiago Filho, Adriana Aparecida Almeida de Aguiar Ribeiro, Alfredo Maurício Batista de Paula, Sérgio Henrique Sousa Santos, Lucyana Conceição Farias, André Luiz Sena Guimarães","doi":"10.1007/s10943-026-02655-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-026-02655-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This prospective cohort study investigated whether spirituality, religiosity, emotional symptoms, and quality of life were associated with survival in patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated at a tertiary referral center in Brazil. A total of 245 adults were enrolled at baseline, including 118 patients with HNSCC and 127 companions without a history of cancer. Only the 118 HNSCC patients were included in the survival analyses. Participants were evaluated using validated instruments for religiosity/spirituality, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Survival time was calculated in days from baseline assessment to death or censoring, and associations with psychosocial variables were examined using bivariate comparisons, complementary correlation analyses, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. During follow-up, patients who died had significantly higher depressive symptom scores and lower organizational religiosity than survivors. Longer survival was positively associated with organizational religiosity and self-rated quality of life, whereas depressive symptoms were inversely associated with survival duration. These findings suggest that greater organizational religiosity and better self-perceived quality of life may be associated with longer survival in patients with HNSCC. In contrast, depressive symptoms may be associated with poorer survival outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48054,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion & Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147700365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}