The Spiritual and Religious Dimensions of Holistic Perinatal Care

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose is to integrate existing knowledge about spiritual needs and interventions during the perinatal period, including cultural and contextual variation, to inform how spirituality may be further integrated. Study Design: Critical narrative literature review evaluated against the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) criteria. Analysis: The thematic synthesis was conducted to identify analytical themes and evidence levels across diverse cultural contexts. Findings: The review was based on 34 diverse sources (ranging from randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and systematic reviews to phenomenological and ethnographic studies). Synthesis revealed a dual nature of spirituality, in which it can act as a protective factor (contributing to meaning-making and coping) or, conversely, increase stress when interpreted as divine punishment or when spiritual needs go unmet. Conclusions: Recognizing and integrating spirituality into perinatal care contributes to holistic, person-centered midwifery and nursing. Practice should prioritize the use of spiritual assessment tools, interprofessional collaboration with spiritual caregivers, and the inclusion of spiritual care competencies in formal nursing education.

Keywords

holistic care spirituality religiosity midwifery pregnancy biopsychosocial model

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