Over the last 20 years, several published studies have confirmed that patients who are diagnosed with serious illnesses such as mesothelioma<\/a> have a better prognosis<\/a> when they regularly participate in spiritual practices.<\/p>\n In a study spearheaded by Harvard University, researchers determined that healthy people who actively participate in community-based spiritual events generally tend to live longer, are less likely to experience depression and attempt suicide, and are less likely to engage in substance abuse.<\/p>\n The study also found that a spiritual lifestyle helps patients deal with serious illnesses<\/strong> because it encourages them to explore, nurture, and value their whole-body health rather than just their physical condition.<\/p>\n For the purposes of these studies, being spiritual is defined differently than merely being religious. As a result, anyone can identify as a spiritual person without identifying as a member of a specific religious group or organization.<\/p>\n Although a robust spiritual life can certainly include religious beliefs, it doesn\u2019t have to be rooted in any specific practice.<\/p>\n Depending on the person, spirituality might look like:<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. There are many other components of spirituality that can impact someone\u2019s overall health, general mood, and relationships with others.<\/p>\n Since studies show spirituality can have a positive impact on health outcomes, some researchers recommend that doctors discuss it with their patients.<\/p>\n The results of a national newspaper poll showed that while 65% of readers liked the idea of speaking with their doctors about spirituality, only 10% said that their doctors had talked to them about it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n By talking to patients about spiritual health, doctors may help them take better care of themselves through a holistic, all-encompassing approach.<\/p>\n Spirituality may be helpful in reducing:<\/strong><\/p>\n These discussions may even allow doctors to build deeper trust with their patients, as it can add a new layer of compassion, empathy, and sensitivity to their relationship.<\/p>\n Noticing this sense of compassion from their doctors can also help patients make the best medical decisions for their unique circumstances. This is particularly important because certain faith-based beliefs<\/a> can cause some patients to delay specific medical decisions or treatments.<\/p>\n For example, some people choose to pursue spiritual practices, such as prayer and fasting, as a way of seeking healing. They may believe that their connection to spirituality will help cure their illness, and so they may reject medications and medical procedures.<\/p>\n However, as doctors and patients begin to address issues of faith more openly and frequently, patients may feel more at ease with pursuing treatments.<\/p>\n Additionally, if a doctor is familiar with a patient\u2019s spiritual lifestyle, they\u2019ll be able to communicate more effectively with them and present treatment options<\/a> that align with their beliefs.<\/p>\n If you have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, our Patient Advocates can help you navigate your health journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n We understand the emotional distress that you may be experiencing after learning about your diagnosis, and we are available 24\/7 to help you find mesothelioma specialists<\/a> and medical treatments that are right for you.<\/p>\n Contact us<\/a> or call (866) 608-8933<\/a> today to explore your options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Can Spirituality Make a Difference in Patients With a Serious Illness? Over the last 20 years, several published studies have confirmed that patients who are diagnosed with serious illnesses such as mesothelioma have a better prognosis when they regularly participate in spiritual practices. In a study spearheaded by Harvard University, researchers determined that healthy people…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":20608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[271,268],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Is Spirituality?<\/h2>\n
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Should Doctors Initiate Conversations About Spirituality?<\/h2>\n
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We Are Here to Help<\/h2>\n