Palliative Medicine

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Becker, G.
Right arrow Articles by Higginson, I. J
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Becker, G.
Right arrow Articles by Higginson, I. J
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Palliative Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 3, 207-217 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0269216307077327

Reviews

Do religious or spiritual beliefs influence bereavement? A systematic review

Gerhild Becker

Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, becker{at}med1.ukl.uni-freiburg.de

Carola J. Xander

Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Hubert E. Blum

Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Johannes Lutterbach

Department of Radiotherapy, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Felix Momm

Department of Radiotherapy, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Marjolein Gysels

Department of Palliative Care and Policy, King's College London, London, UK

Irene J Higginson

Department of Palliative Care and Policy, King's College London, London, UK

Background: Responses to bereavement may be influenced by characteristics such as age or gender, but also by factors like culture and religion. Aim: A systematic review was undertaken to assess whether spiritual or religious beliefs alter the process of grief and/or bereavement. Methods: Fifteen computerized databases were searched. Thirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was graded according to the standard grading system of the Clinical Outcomes Group and by the SIGNAL score. Results: In total, 5715 persons were examined: 69% women, 87% white, 83% protestant. Ninety-four percent of studies show some positive effects of religious/spiritual beliefs on bereavement, but there was a great heterogeneity regarding included populations and outcome measurements. Conclusion: Available data do not allow for a definite answer on whether religious/spiritual beliefs effectively influence bereavement as most studies suffer from weaknesses in design and methodological flaws. Further research is needed. Recommendations for further research are given. Palliative Medicine 2007; 21: 207—217

Key Words: bereavement • coping • religion • spirituality • systematic review


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?