Spirituality applied to medicine

Abstract

Spirituality is a uniting force between different constituents of the human being and, when exercised, provides a harmonious experience and promotes balance between physical, social, and mental well-being. As such, this narrative review proposes a secular approach to how spirituality is understood by medicine, its influence on health, and how it is perceived by professionals and patients. Bibliographic search was conducted on the PubMed database, using the following descriptors: “medicine and spirituality and secularism” and “placebo effect and spirituality and medicine.” After reading the primary articles, the referenced sources were analyzed. Results show a confusion on how the term spirituality is used and a weak capacity and effectiveness with respect to the spiritual care provided by health personnel, thus ignoring the several benefits offered by such care, which is a tool for a more ethical and humane work.

Medicine; Spirituality; Secularism; Placebo effect