Spiritual Interventions in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Review of Psychological and Vascular Outcomes

Background and Aim: Stroke, as a common neurovascular disorder, often leads to serious physical and psychological challenges.Spirituality-through meaning, purpose, and connection-plays a key role in enhancing recovery.This review explored the impact of spiritual interventions on psychological and vascular outcomes in stroke rehabilitation. Materials and Methods:A structured literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for articles published between January 2010 and March 2025 using relevant keywords.Two reviewers independently screened and assessed the studies, extracting data on intervention type, design, and outcomes.A narrative synthesis was applied due to methodological heterogeneity.Results: Spiritual interventions-including prayer, transcultural spiritual support, religious counseling, and structured spirituality groups-consistently exhibited positive psychological outcomes, such as reduced anxiety and depression, increased self-efficacy, improved emotional regulation, and enhanced quality of life.Physiologically, these practices correlate with lower blood pressure, improved heart rate variability, and beneficial neurochemical responses.Specific approaches, such as prayer, Qur'anic recitation, and other religious activities, demonstrated promising effects in culturally diverse populations.Furthermore, spirituality was found to bolster motivation for rehabilitation and facilitate the attainment of goals. Conclusion:Spiritual interventions provide significant psychological and vascular advantages in the context of neurovascular rehabilitation, thereby reinforcing their essential role within comprehensive, patient-centered care frameworks.To enhance and harmonize spiritual care practices across varied clinical environments, further empirical research employing rigorous methodological approaches is imperative.