Spiritual Coping Mechanisms and Their Role in Mental Health Recovery and Resilience
Keywords:
spiritual coping, mental health, recovery, resilience, spirituality, psychological wellbeing, religious coping, holistic careAbstract
Spiritual coping mechanisms can influence how individuals understand stress, manage emotional difficulties, and recover from psychological challenges. Practices such as prayer, meditation, religious reflection, spiritual support, meaning-making, and connection with faith communities may provide hope, emotional comfort, and a stronger sense of purpose. This article examines the role of spiritual coping in mental health recovery and resilience, with attention to both its protective and potentially harmful dimensions. Existing evidence indicates that positive spiritual coping is frequently associated with resilience, psychological adjustment, hope, and improved wellbeing. However, negative spiritual coping, including feelings of punishment, abandonment, guilt, or spiritual conflict, may increase distress and interfere with recovery. The article therefore presents spiritual coping as an individualized resource that should be understood within cultural, personal, and clinical contexts. Integrating spirituality into mental health practice may strengthen holistic and person-centered care when it reflects the individual's values and preferences. Such integration should complement rather than replace established psychological and psychiatric interventions.
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