Religion and coping with serious medical illness

OBJECTIVE: To review and discuss some of the research published in the last several decades that has addressed the role that religion plays in helping patients cope with serious medical illness. DATA SOURCES: Although this is not a systematic review of the literature, i t provides a sampling of the studies that have examined the relationship be tween religious involvement, coping with illness, and health outcomes.;This sampling of studies reflects the findings of a much larger systematic revi ew of research (MEDLINE, Current Contents, Psychlit, Soclit, HealthStar, Ca ncerlit, CINAHL, and others) during the past century that was recently comp leted by the authors. DATA EXTRACTION: Epidemiologic studies published in the English-language li terature were reviewed and discussed.; DATA SYNTHESIS: A number of well-designed cross-sectional and prospective s tudies have examined the relationship between religious beliefs and activit ies and adaptation to physical illness in patients with-general medical con ditions, neurologic disorders, heart disease, renal failure, AIDS, and a ho st of other physical disorders. This-review demonstrates the widespread use of religion in coping with medical illness and provides circumstantial evi dence for the possible benefits of this lifestyle factor. CONCLUSIONS: When people become physically ill, many rely heavily on religi ous beliefs and practices to relieve stress, retain a sense of control, and maintain hope and their sense of meaning and purpose in life;: Religious i nvolvement appears to enable the sick, particularly those with serious and disabling medical illness, to cope better and: experience psychological gro wth from:their negative health experiences, rather than be defeated or over come by them.