Pain, Spirituality, and Meaning Making What Can We Learn from the Literature 英文参考文献.docVIP

Religions 2011, 2, 1-16; doi:10.3390/rel2010001 OPEN ACCESS religions ISSN 2077-1444 /journal/religions Review Pain, Spirituality, and Meaning Making: What Can We Learn from the Literature? Carol J. Lysne 1 and Amy B. Wachholtz 2,* 1 Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, 1069 East Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA; E-Mail: lysnecarol@ 2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: amy.wachholtz@; Tel.: +1-508-334-2164; Fax: +1-508-856-5990. Received: 9 October 2010; in revised form: 24 December 2010 / Accepted: 30 December 2010 / Published: 31 December 2010 Abstract: Religion and spirituality are two methods of meaning making that impact a person’s ability to cope, tolerate, and accept disease and pain. The biopsychosocial- spiritual model includes the human spirit’s drive toward meaning-making along with personality, mental health, age, sex, social relationships, and reactions to stress. In this review, studies focusing on religion’s and spirituality’s effect upon pain in relationship to physical and mental health, spiritual practices, and the placebo response are examined. The findings suggest that people who are self efficacious and more religiously and spiritually open to seeking a connection to a meaningful spiritual practice and/or the transcendent are more able to tolerate pain. Keywords: chronic pain; religion; spirituality; meaning-making 1. Pain, Spirituality, and Meaning Making: What Can We Learn from the Literature? Pain is a signal. Acute pain demands immediate attention, and serves to alert the individual that something has gone wrong. Individuals with acute pain generally seek a diagnosis from a medical expert for treatment and relief. Caudill, Holman, and Turk [1] wrote that pain that does not respond to treatment or subside sufficiently wi