Spirituality: A Coping Mechanism in the Lives of Adults With Congenital Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the perspective of individuals with congenital disabilities about spirituality as a coping mechanism during crucial times in their lives. Qualitative analysis of interviews assessing turning points in the lives of 15 adults (6 women and 9 men; M = 37 years) with spina bifida, cerebral palsy, or attention deficit disorder was performed to determine how spirituality assisted them at these crucial times. Four recurring themes were identified: God as a guiding force, inner strength, meaning in life, and appropriateness of the use of spirituality in counseling. The authors discuss their findings and the use of spirituality in counseling adults with congenital disabilities. S pirituality refers to the basic human need to experience meaning, purpose, and connectedness. It is a critical component of life that is central to all beliefs and faiths both within organized religion and outside it (McColl et al., 2000;Townsend, DeLaat, Egan, Thibeault, & Wright, 1999).Mental health practitioners see the need to treat the whole person in the therapy session; however, few of them actually address spiritual beliefs in their daily practice (Shafranske, 1996). A recent meta-analysis (Walker, Gorsuch, & Siang-Yang, 2004) indicated that although most therapists viewed spirituality as important, few participated in spiritual or religious practices. Furthermore, the meta-analysis indicated that there was a positive relationship between participation in spiritual or religious practices and the use of spirituality in counseling. One may interpret these findings as recent support for earlier conclusions that few counselors address spiritual beliefs in their daily practice (Shafranske, 1996). This lack of Jacqueline A. Specht, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario; Gillian A. King, Elizabeth G. Brown, and Linda Smith, Thames Valley Children's Centre, London, Ontario, Canada; Colleen Willoughby, Rehability, London, Ontario, Canada discussion may be because of the minimal coverage that spirituality received in the training of mental health practitioners (Miller & Thoresen, 2003) or in the selfperceived inadequacy of faculty members to include such training (Young, Cashwell, Wiggins-Frame, & Belaire, 2003). It is an issue, however, that needs to be addressed given that 90% of people in North America have never doubted the existence of God and that 80% believe that prayer or meditation can lead to a cure (McCarthy, 1995). Gallup and Lindsay (1999) reported that 90% of people in the United States prayed and most of them (67%-75%) did so on a daily basis. Given the high number of people who hold spiritual beliefs, counselors may be remiss if they ignore this aspect during therapy, because it has the ability to shape and influence the lives of their clients.The discussion of the role of spirituality and religion in counseling seems to have moved from questioning whether or not they can be beneficial in the therapy process to trying to determine how best to address their role. A rec...

Psychosocial Adjustment in Emerging Adults With and Without Spina Bifida: A 14-Year Follow-up Study

“…For engagement in religious practices, the SB group rated the importance of religion and the frequency with which they attended religious services higher than did their peers. In light of qualitative work suggesting that spirituality can be a protective mechanism in the lives of adults with disabilities, 30 future research might examine the role of religion in these individuals' lives and ways in which religion might potentially bolster psychosocial adjustment for individuals living with a chronic health condition.…”

A Critical Review of Spiritual Well-Being Scales: Implications for Research, Practice, and Education in Rehabilitation Counseling

“…Although highlighted as a key service domain, there is little evidence of the integration of spirituality into rehabilitation counseling practice and training (Stebnicki, 2006). In comparison, it is evident in the literature that spirituality is crucial to the QOL of PWDs (Revheim & Greenberg, 2007;Specht, King, Willoughby, Brown, & Smith, 2005;Starnino, 2016). It encourages them to find purpose in life, to develop a sense of connection, and to positively perceive or reperceive the meaning of their physical or mental impairments (Schulz, 2005;Stebnicki, 2006).…”