Religion, spirituality and neurorehabilitation

The Association Between Spirituality, Self-Esteem, Anxiety and Depression: A Comparative Exploratory Study Between People with a Spinal Cord Injury and Healthy Subjects in Greece

The purpose of this study was to evaluate spirituality, religiosity, self-esteem, depression, and stress in people with spinal cord injuries. The Royal Free Questionnaire for Spiritual and Religious Beliefs, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale were all designed for the current study to collect demographic and injury-related information. In the study, 88 patients with traumatic SCI and 88 healthy subjects were included. Half of the participants and healthy subjects were women, while the mean age of the healthy subjects was 42.8 years and that of the subjects was 42.4 years. The majority of participants were Greek (97.2%), while 44.1% were married or with a partner and 43.2% were single. The mean depression and stress score was higher in patients than in healthy subjects, and the mean score of self-esteem was lower in patients than healthy subjects. Multivariable linear regression model showed that patients who believed more that a spiritual force or power outside of ourselves can influence what happens in everyday life had less depression and stress. People with spinal cord injuries experience extreme stress, anxiety, and depression. Spirituality and religiosity can play a significant role in their recuperation, rehabilitation, and adaptation.

Brief multidimensional measure of spirituality/religiousness, self-esteem, quality of life, and epilepsy

INTRODUCTION

The relationships between religiousness/spirituality (RS), self-esteem, and quality of life (QoL) in adult people with epilepsy (PWEs) have not been studied in detail.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study assessed RS using the brief multidimensional measure of religiousness/spirituality (BMMRS) scores of 86 PWEs. These scores were compared to 58 individuals in the control group (CG). Among the PWEs, the BMMRS data were related with the QOLIE-31 and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) scores and clinical variables.

RESULTS

Among the PWEs, 48 individuals had temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) and other epilepsies in 38 cases. Higher "daily spiritual experiences," "overall self-ranking as a religious/spiritual person," and lower perception of "religious/spiritual coping" were observed in the TLE-HS group when compared to the CG. Among the PWEs, there was lower "religious/spiritual coping" and higher "overall self-ranking as a religious/spiritual person" in the TLE-HS group. There was a significant difference in the BMMRS dimensions according to the type and frequency of seizures and the number of antiseizure drugs taken. There was a low correlation between the BMMRS, the QOLIE-31, and the RSES. In the network analysis with the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm, there was no correlation between self-esteem and RS. In the TLE-HS group, there was a correlation between the "forgiveness" dimension of the BMMRS and some dimensions of the QOLIE-31.

CONCLUSION

There was a greater RS in the TLE-HS group when compared to the CG. Regarding the two epilepsy groups, there was a higher "overall self-ranking as a religious/spiritual person" and lower "religious/spiritual coping" in the TLE-HS. The clinical variables and demographic data are related to different BMMRS dimensions according to the type of epilepsy. In the TLE-HS group, a higher RS is related to a better QoL. RS is not related to self-esteem.