"Spirituality and Health" research presented at conferences

Aug. 13, 2007 - Spirituality and health research conducted by faculty affiliated with the Center on Religion & the Professions is being presented around the country this year.

Anderson

The team of Dr. Brick Johnstone, Dr. James Campbell and Dr. Dong Pil Yoon will present a paper and poster on "Exploring the Relationships Between Religion/Spirituality and Physical Health in Primary Care, Cancer, Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury, and Stroke Patients" Oct. 20-23, 2007, at the North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Dr. Clay Anderson will present on "Spirituality and Narrative in Healthcare," on Oct. 12, 2007, and Johnstone will present on "Spirituality and Chronic Disability" on Oct. 13, 2007, at the 2007 MU Health Ethics Conference on "Spirituality in Health and Healing" in Columbia, Mo.

Johnstone

Johnstone will present a lecture on "Update on the MU Spirituality and Health Research Project" Sept. 28, 2007, at the Capitol Plaza in Jefferson City, Mo., as part of the medical conference "Update on the MultiCenter Faith and Healing Center Project."

Johnstone will also participate in a joint presentation with spirituality and health researchers from three major universities at the 2007 American Psychological Association annual convention in San Francisco, Calif., Aug. 17-20, 2007. The title of the presentation is "Spirituality & Health: Current Upgrades in Research, Teaching & Clinical Services." The other researchers are Barry Nierenberg from the University of Miami, Florida, and Robert Glueckauf, of Florida State University. Nierenberg is working with primary care physicians to incorporate a spirituality dimension to care and to ask patients about their spirituality if patients are interested. Glueckauf is working on a parish nurse partner project, evaluating an integrative spirituality and counseling program.

Campbell

Johnstone will talk about the Center's neuropsychology of spirituality study, which has shown that different parts of the brain are related to spiritual functions. He will also talk about his team's findings that positive congregational support (related to "religion" as behavior) predicts positive mental health for people with health conditions; and that positive spiritual beliefs (related to a personal belief in God as a support or with a plan) are related to better physical health for people with health conditions.

Campbell and Johnstone were notified in August that their proposal for the research initiative, "Religion and Health: Effects, Mechanisms, and Intrepretations" conducted by Duke University's Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health was selected for submission of a full proposal. They propose to study the Long-Term Health Effects of Spiritual Experience, Religious Activity and Congregational Support on Patients in Rehabilitation and Palliative Care. The proposal was among 40 finalists selected from a field of 232 proposals from more than 20 countries.

Hinkebein

Johnstone presented on "Role of Spirituality and Religion in Recovery from Trauma" June 12, 2007, at the International Center for Psychosocial Trauma 13th Annual Conference in Columbia, Mo. He also presented on "The Neuropsychology of Spirituality" at the MU Department of Health Psychology didactic series on May 25, 2007.

Johnstone gave a national presentation earlier this year on "Spirituality, Religion and Disability" at the American Psychological Association Rehabilitation Psychology Mid-Winter Meeting March 16-18, 2007, in Charlotte, N.C. The theme of the conference was "Spirituality and Health: Current Updates in Research, Teaching, and Clinical Services." He co-presented with Dr. Joseph Hinkebein.

Yoon

Johnstone is a neuropsychologist, professor and chair of the MU Department of Health Psychology. He leads the Center on Religion & the Professions' spirituality and health research project. The project utilizes an interdisciplinary team that studies the relationship between religion, spirituality, and a variety of health-related fields - including adolescent health behaviors, neuroscience, physical health, mental health, chronic cognitive and physical disability, and medical disorders.

Campbell is a professor and director of research at MU's Family and Community Medicine. Anderson is associate professor of Clinical Medicine, Medicine-Hematology & Oncology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Hinkebein is a clinical associate professor with the MU Department of Health Psychology. Yoon is an assistant professor in the MU School of Social Work.

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