Approaching in the right spirit: Spirituality and hope in recovery from mental health problems

Aims: Research indicates that having an active spiritual or religious life and sense of hope is highly protective against a wide range of problems throughout the life cycle. However, the two important domains of spirituality and hope have received limited coverage in mental health rehabilitation literature. Therefore the authors sought to discuss the role of spirituality and hope for people with mental health problems, and propose a process for practice which uses these concepts. Methods: A discussion on the role of spirituality and hope in mental health rehabilitation is presented. The authors explore how spirituality has been defined in the literature, and its role in recovery from illness. The concept of hope in relation to spirituality and mental illness is discussed. Finally the authors propose how rehabilitation practitioners can apply these concepts in practice, in both assessment and interventions. Findings and conclusions: This article highlights the importance of including spirituality and hope in assessment and treatment in order to move towards a recovery-orientated health-care service. The role of hope in assisting practitioners to be sensitive to the spiritual needs of clients is demonstrated.