ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2013
Faith as a resource in patients with multiple sclerosis is associated with a positive interpretation of illness and experience of gratitude/awe.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Religiosity/Spirituality and Mental Health: A Meta-analysis of Studies from the German-Speaking Area.Journal of religion and health · 2019Pooled it
- Dispositional Awe Predicts Mental Health Through Interpretation Bias During COVID-19 Transmission: A Longitudinal Study.PsyCh journal · 2025Article
- Religious meaning system and life satisfaction: the mediating role of meaning in life among Polish people with multiple sclerosis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Pain, quality of life, and religiosity in people with multiple sclerosis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2022Article
- Factors associated with perceived social support of patients with multiple sclerosis.Current journal of neurology · 2021Article
- Wondering Awe as a Perceptive Aspect of Spirituality and Its Relation to Indicators of Wellbeing: Frequency of Perception and Underlying Triggers.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- 'Maybe we are losing sight of the human dimension' - physicians' approaches to existential, spiritual, and religious needs among patients with chronic pain or multiple sclerosis. A qualitative interview-study.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2020Article
- Utilized Resources of Hope, Orientation, and Inspiration in Life of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Association with Life Satisfaction, Adaptive Coping Strategies, and Spirituality.Journal of religion and health · 2016Article
- Healthy Aging from the Perspectives of 683 Older People with Multiple Sclerosis.Multiple sclerosis international · 2016Article
- Personal prayer in patients dealing with chronic illness: a review of the research literature.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2015Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this cross-sectional anonymous survey with standardized questionnaires was to investigate which resources to cope were used by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We focussed on patients' conviction that their faith might be a strong hold in difficult times and on their engagement in different forms of spirituality. Consecutively 213 German patients (75% women; mean age 43 ± 11 years) were enrolled. Fifty-five percent regarded themselves as neither religious nor spiritual (R-S-), while 31% describe themselves as religious. For 29%, faith was a strong hold in difficult times. This resource was neither related to patients' EDSS scores, and life affections, fatigue, negative mood states, life satisfaction nor to Positive attitudes. Instead it was moderately associated with a Reappraisal strategy (i.e., and positive interpretation of illness) and experience of gratitude/awe. Compared to spiritual/religious patients, R-S- individuals had significantly (P < .0001) lower Reappraisal scores and lower engagement in specific forms of spiritual practices. The ability to reflect on what is essential in life, to appreciate and value life, and also the conviction that illness may have meaning and could be regarded as a chance for development was low in R-S- individuals which either may have no specific interest or are less willing to reflect these issues.
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Registered trials
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