Investigacaõ dos conceitos de religiosidade e espiritualidade em amostra clínica e naõ clínica em contexto brasileiro: Uma análise qualitative

Abstract

Introduction: The role of religiousness and spirituality (R/S) on the physical and mental health of individuals is already known (usually positive), but even with robust evidence among these associations, there is no scientific consensus regarding the concepts of R/S, a fact that leads to implications as: Non-accurate measures, the extension, or "reduction" of the concepts to other constructs that are not necessarily R/S, besides clinical aspects that can confuse R/S with psychopathological aspects. Objective: To evaluate in a qualitative way, the main attributes that the concepts of religiousness and spirituality have in a clinical, and in a non-clinical sample of the Brazilian context. Methods: 14 subjects, patients and caregivers from 2 general hospitals of Juiz de Fora-MG were sorted out from a previous sample (quantitative study) and responded to a semi-structured questionnaire about the concepts of religiosity and spirituality. Content analysis was used for interpretations. Results: The definition of the concepts (especially of spirituality) was confuse, the word 'faith' was present in many discourses, the importance of private religious aspects in respondents' lives, the association of spirituality with spiritism, and to believe there is something beyond the material world was very frequent. Conclusion: Faith, aspects of private religiousness (non-organizational religiousness), intrinsic religiosity and spiritual religious coping, were the main dimensions of R/S associated with the concepts of religiosity and spirituality.