Can Spirituality Help a Child’s Health?

Mental health professionals have long debated the relationship between spirituality and health. An article published in Medical News Today, March 12, 2009, “Spiritual Kids Are Healthier,” examines this issue. The article reports on a study recently presented at the American Psychological Association's Division of Rehabilitation Psychology national conference on February 27, 2009. The researchers studied, “…..16 children (ages six to 20) who were undergoing hemodialysis due to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The patients were questioned on a scale of spirituality behaviors and attitudes, and responses were correlated to dialysis-related blood levels, including: blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lymphocytes, albumin, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and urea reduction ratio.” The results of the study were very interesting. “…There was a significant negative correlation between spiritual attitudes and BUN levels…..As children reported more agreement with statements like, 'I am sure that God cares about me,' and 'God has a plan for me," their average BUN levels over the past year were lower.” The researchers also studied, “….HIV positive pediatric patients (ages seven to 17), comparing religious development, church attendance and prayer to health measures such as symptoms, T-cell counts and number of hospitalizations….One significant finding was that children who attended church were more likely to have higher T-cell counts than non churchgoing children..”

The Bottom Line:  The results of this study suggest that spiritual beliefs in children can have a positive effect on their health status.       

Reference: The original article

Additional Sources of Information:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System
• The Facts About Major Depressive Disorder
• The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General

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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com