Spirituality and Palliative Care: The Attitudes of Occupational Therapists

The attitudes of 44 occupational therapists on the place of spirituality within palliative care were investigated. Their responses to a postal questionnaire indicated that spirituality was an important part of life for 35 (80%) respondents, helped 33 (75%) respondents with daily job responsibilities and was viewed as an important dimension of health and rehabilitation by 39 (89%) respondents. Spiritual issues were considered to be within the scope of occupational therapy by 33 (75%) respondents. However, only 8 (18%) respondents stated that they consistently addressed spirituality within assessment. The respondents described several activities that addressed clients' spirituality, including open-ended discussion, facilitation of activities of daily living that contribute to maximising quality of life and creative activities. Thirty-two (73%) respondents considered that their education had not prepared them to deal with clients' spiritual needs and 28 (64%) wanted further training in spiritual care. It is proposed that there is a need for further research and refinement of the conceptual understanding of spirituality in order to provide a firm framework for its inclusion in occupational therapy.