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Commentary: why do research on spirituality and health, and what do the results mean?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Koenig, HG
Published in: J Relig Health
June 2012

I address two related questions in this article. First, why conduct research on religion/spirituality (R/S) and health? Second, what are the dangers of misinterpreting or misapplying the results from such research? If relationships are found, so what? What is the practical value or clinical relevance of such information? Why should investigators spend time and scarce financial resources to explore such connections? What might health care professionals do differently as a result? How would people live their lives differently in light of such information? Questions like these need solid answers for the field to continue to move forward. Related to the "So what?" question is the issue of how results from research in this area are translated into popular understanding and application. After discussing why conducting research on religion and health is important, I identify a recently published research report that focuses on the relationship between R/S and self-control, an article that received considerable media press coverage. I present the results reported by the authors of this study and then examine a column written about the study that appeared in the New York Times. Finally, I explore what the findings mean, how the media portrayed the findings, and problems that might result depending on how people applied those findings.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Relig Health

DOI

EISSN

1573-6571

Publication Date

June 2012

Volume

51

Issue

2

Start / End Page

460 / 467

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Spirituality
  • Social Psychology
  • Social Identification
  • Self Efficacy
  • Self Concept
  • Religion and Psychology
  • Religion and Medicine
  • Quality of Life
  • Observer Variation
 

Citation

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Koenig, H. G. (2012). Commentary: why do research on spirituality and health, and what do the results mean? J Relig Health, 51(2), 460–467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9568-y
Koenig, Harold G. “Commentary: why do research on spirituality and health, and what do the results mean?J Relig Health 51, no. 2 (June 2012): 460–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9568-y.
Koenig, Harold G. “Commentary: why do research on spirituality and health, and what do the results mean?J Relig Health, vol. 51, no. 2, June 2012, pp. 460–67. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s10943-012-9568-y.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Relig Health

DOI

EISSN

1573-6571

Publication Date

June 2012

Volume

51

Issue

2

Start / End Page

460 / 467

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Spirituality
  • Social Psychology
  • Social Identification
  • Self Efficacy
  • Self Concept
  • Religion and Psychology
  • Religion and Medicine
  • Quality of Life
  • Observer Variation