Religion and mental health : investigating the perceptions of people with chronic illness and the influence of their religious beliefs and spiritual activities on their emotional condition /

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Investigating the perceptions of people with chronic illness and the influence of their religious beliefs and spiritual activities on their emotional condition

Student Theses

2020

Chan, Chun Hung

Hong Kong : The Education University of Hong Kong

Thesis

In my daily work, I see many people who are suffering from chronic illnesses, such as strokes, heart disease, and cancer. Their health problems make it impossible for them to do everything they might want to do in their lives and often increase their depressive symptoms, including feelings of unhappiness and worry. Religious chronic disease sufferers often believe that their religion helps them think positively and gives them the strength to overcome their adverse situation. In this study, I investigate the perceptions of people with chronic illnesses and the influence of their religious beliefs and spiritual activities on their emotional condition. A qualitative research method was used for this investigation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 religious chronic illness sufferers to understand their experiences through narrative inquiry, a worksheet of their autobiographical timeline, and a written letter. The main finding of this study is that after attending church, many of the participants noticed a reduction in the feelings of unhappiness and worry arising from their chronic illnesses and developed a positive attitude to face their health problems. The support and concern expressed by the church congregation was very important for them because it made them feel that they were not facing their adversity alone. Many of the participants also expressed that prayer is the most helpful in relieving their unhappiness or stress. They also reported that Bible teachings are helpful for them to alleviate complaints and feelings of stress because of the many positive messages and guidelines for a good life that the Bible provides. Another important aspect of the participants' religious activities was that they compared themselves with other church members through witness and with the experiences of characters from the Bible, especially Job. Doing so made them feel that their own suffering was minor, thus alleviating their worries and increasing their confidence in facing their illness. The participants' also indicated that their religious beliefs helped them build meaning in their lives because of the hope promoted by their religion, such as through the promise of eternal life and following God's words to love and serve others. Listening to hymns, watching videos about other church members' witness in church, and writing a letter to God were other helpful spiritual activities that improved the participants' emotional state. Although all of the participants expressed that they began to suffer from chronic illness while believing in God, this did not affect their religious beliefs and religion still helped them reduce their feelings of unhappiness and worry. When their health condition becomes worse or does not improve, they might become disappointed with God and even think that He has forgotten them. Nevertheless, with the continuous support of their brothers and sisters in the Church, they sense God's love and help again when their health conditions improve or stabilize. Therefore, although many of the participants reported that their journeys through chronic illness with religious beliefs have not always been smooth, their religious beliefs generally helped them improve their emotions related to the experience of chronic illness

LG51.H43 Dr 2020eb Chanch

https://educoll.lib.eduhk.hk/records/Pcjavcjr