Home Medicine An 81-year-old woman with chronic illnesses and a strong faith
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

An 81-year-old woman with chronic illnesses and a strong faith

  • Susie T. Harris EMAIL logo and Harold G. Koenig
Published/Copyright: October 13, 2015
Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine
From the journal Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 13 Issue 1

Abstract

Mrs. Smith is an 81-year-old woman who has several medical problems. Despite these problems, however, her faith and spirituality strength give her the strength and determination to move forward in life. She stresses that, “My faith helps me cope with my illnesses.” This article describes Mrs. Smith’s roller coaster life and how faith, prayer, and hope have allowed her to continue to press forward. She interprets pain and illnesses as challenges, not obstacles. Her physician who has been treating her for about 20 years indicates that she has continued to have multiple chronic health issues and has maintained an incredibly positive spirit, particularly when traditional medicine has failed to make a difference. Spiritual care is being increasingly documented as an important component of whole person medicine. For some, religiosity and spirituality are important aspects of patient–provider relationship. God, faith, and hope are essential factors to Mrs. Smith who uses spirituality and religion daily to cope with her chronic illnesses.

Keywords: diabetes; faith; quality of life; religion; spiritual history; spirituality

Article note

The case presented here is based on one reported in 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, [1] which has been modified and updated, and combined with other cases to illustrate the points made in the present article.

Author contributions:

All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

Research funding:

None declared.

Employment or leadership:

None declared.

Honorarium:

None declared.

Competing interests:

The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.

References

1. Koenig HG. An 83-year-old woman with chronic illness and strong religious beliefs. J Am Med Assoc 2002;288:487–93.10.1001/jama.288.4.487Search in Google Scholar

2. Faith | definition of faith by Merriam-Webster. Available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith. Accessed: 24 Jun 2015.Search in Google Scholar

3. Religion | definition of religion by Merriam-Webster. Available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion. Accessed: 24 Jun 2015.Search in Google Scholar

4. Spirituality | definition of spirituality by Merriam-Webster. Available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirituality. Accessed: 24 Jun 2015.Search in Google Scholar

5. Emblen JD. Religion and spirituality defined according to current use in nursing literature. J Prof Nurs 1992;8:41–7.10.1016/8755-7223(92)90116-GSearch in Google Scholar

6. Dombeck M, Karl J. Spiritual issues in mental health care. J Relig Health 1987;26:183–97.10.1007/BF01533119Search in Google Scholar PubMed

7. Ernst E. Prevalence of use of complementary/alternative medicine: a systematic review. Bull World Health Organ 2000;78:258–66.Search in Google Scholar

8. Harris ST. The impact of spirituality on health conditions of persons with diabetes in eastern North Carolina. Koln, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing, 2009:104.Search in Google Scholar

9. Cassibba R, Papagna S, Calabrese MT, Costantino E, Paterno A, Granqvist P. The role of attachment to god in secular and religious/spiritual ways of coping with a serious disease. Ment Health Relig Cult 2014;17:252–61.10.1080/13674676.2013.795138Search in Google Scholar

10. Gaston-Johansson F, Haisfield-Wolfe ME, Reddick B, Goldstein N, Lawal TA. The relationships among coping strategies, religious coping, and spirituality in African American women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum 2013;40:120–31.10.1188/13.ONF.120-131Search in Google Scholar PubMed

11. Ai AL, Hopp F, Tice TN, Koenig H. Existential relatedness in light of eudemonic well-being and religious coping among middle-aged and older cardiac patients. J Health Psychol 2013;18:368–82.10.1177/1359105311434754Search in Google Scholar PubMed

12. Pedersen HF, Pargament KI, Pedersen CG, Zachariae R. Religious coping and quality of life among severely ill lung patients in a secular society. Int J Psychol Relig 2013;23:188–203.10.1080/10508619.2012.728068Search in Google Scholar

13. Lee M, Nezu A, Nezu C. Positive and negative religious coping, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in people with HIV. J Behav Med 2014;37:921–30.10.1007/s10865-014-9552-ySearch in Google Scholar PubMed

14. Reynolds N, Mrug S, Britton L, Guion K, Wolfe K, Gutierrez H. Spiritual coping predicts 5-year health outcomes in adolescents with cystic fibrosis. J Cyst Fibros 2014;13:593–600.10.1016/j.jcf.2014.01.013Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

15. Taylor LE, Stotts NA, Humphreys J, Treadwell MJ, Miaskowski C. A biopsychosocial-spiritual model of chronic pain in adults with sickle cell disease. Pain Manag Nurs 2013;14:287–301.10.1016/j.pmn.2011.06.003Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

16. Jakobsson Larsson B, Nordin K, Askmark H, Nygren I. Coping strategies among patients with newly diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Clin Nurs 2014;23:3148–55.10.1111/jocn.12557Search in Google Scholar

17. Naewbood S, Sorajjakool S, Triamchaisri SK. The role of religion in relation to blood pressure control among a Southern California Thai population with hypertension. J Relig Health 2012;51:187–97.10.1007/s10943-010-9341-zSearch in Google Scholar

18. Naghi JJ, Philip KJ, Phan A, Cleenewerck L, Schwarz ER. The effects of spirituality and religion on outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure. J Relig Health 2012;51:1124–36.10.1007/s10943-010-9419-7Search in Google Scholar

19. Ginting H, Näring G, Kwakkenbos L, Becker ES. Spirituality and negative emotions in individuals with coronary heart disease. J Cardiovasc Nurs 2014:1.10.1097/JCN.0000000000000201Search in Google Scholar

20. Büssing A, Janko A, Baumann K, Hvidt NC, Kopf A. Spiritual needs among patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer living in a secular society. Pain Med 2013;14:1362–73.10.1111/pme.12198Search in Google Scholar

21. Drutchas A, Anandarajah G. Spirituality and coping with chronic disease in pediatrics. R I Med J 2014;97:26–30.Search in Google Scholar

22. Mouch CA, Sonnega AJ. Spirituality and recovery from cardiac surgery: a review. J Relig Health 2012;51:1042–60.10.1007/s10943-012-9612-ySearch in Google Scholar

23. Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry 2012;2012:1–33. Available at: http://jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/login?url=http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=fulltext&D=prem&AN=23762764; http://jw3mh2cm6n.search.serialssolutions.com/?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rfr_id=info:sid/Ovid:prem&rft.genre=article&rft_id=info:doi/10.5402%2F2012%2F278730&rft_id=info:pmid/23762764&rft.issn=2090-7966&rft.volume=2012&rft.issue=&rft.spage=278730&rft.pages=278730&rft.date=2012&rft.jtitle=ISRN+Psychiatry&rft.atitle=Religion%2C+spirituality%2C+and+health%3A+the+research+and+clinical+implications.&rft.aulast=Koenig&pid%3CAN%3E23762764%3C%2FAN%3E. Accessed: 13 Jun 2013. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5402/2012/278730.Search in Google Scholar

24. Lucchetti ALG, Lucchetti G, Koenig HG. Impact of spirituality/religiosity on mortality: comparison with other health interventions. Explore (NY) 2011;7:234–8.10.1016/j.explore.2011.04.005Search in Google Scholar

25. Koenig HG, Berk LS, Daher NS, Pearce MJ, Bellinger DL, Robins CJ, et al. Religious involvement is associated with greater purpose, optimism, generosity and gratitude in persons with major depression and chronic medical illness. J Psychosom Res 2014;77:135–43.10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.05.002Search in Google Scholar PubMed

26. McCauley J, Tarpley MJ, Haaz S, Bartlett SJ. Daily spiritual experiences of older adults with and without arthritis and the relationship to health outcomes. Arthritis Rheum 2008;59:122–8.10.1002/art.23246Search in Google Scholar PubMed

27. Caplan L, Sawyer P, Holt C, Brown CJ. Religiosity after a diagnosis of cancer among older adults. J Relig Spiritual Aging 2014;26:357–69.10.1080/15528030.2014.928922Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

28. Watkins YJ, Quinn LT, Ruggiero L, Quinn MT, Choi YK. Spiritual and religious beliefs and practices and social support’s relationship to diabetes self-care activities in African Americans. Diabetes Educ 2013;39:231–9.10.1177/0145721713475843Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

29. Koenig HG. Religion and depression in older medical inpatients. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2007;15:282–91.10.1097/01.JGP.0000246875.93674.0cSearch in Google Scholar PubMed

30. Huang CY, Hsu MC, Chen TJ. An exploratory study of religious involvement as a moderator between anxiety, depressive symptoms and quality of life outcomes of older adults. J Clin Nurs 2012;21:609–19.10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03412.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed

31. Krause N, Hayward RD. Religious involvement, practical wisdom, and self-rated health. J Aging Health 2014;26:540–58.10.1177/0898264314524437Search in Google Scholar PubMed

32. Ellison CG, Burdette AM. Religion and the sense of control among US adults. Sociol Relig 2012;73:1–22.10.1093/socrel/srr035Search in Google Scholar

33. Vonarx N, Hyppolite SR. Religion, spirituality, and cancer: the question of individual empowerment. Integr Cancer Ther 2013;12:69–80.10.1177/1534735411433835Search in Google Scholar PubMed

34. Bussing A, Michalsen A, Balzat HJ, Grunther RA, Ostermann T, Neugebauer EA, et al. Are spirituality and religiosity resources for patients with chronic pain conditions? Pain Med 2009;10:327–39.10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00572.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed

35. Stewart WC, Adams MP, Stewart JA, Nelson LA. Review of clinical medicine and religious practice. J Relig Health 2013;52:91–106.10.1007/s10943-012-9578-9Search in Google Scholar PubMed

36. Manning LK. Navigating hardships in old age: exploring the relationship between spirituality and resilience in later life. Qual Health Res 2013;23:568–75.10.1177/1049732312471730Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

37. Savel RH, Munro CL. The importance of spirituality in patient-centered care. Am J Crit Care 2014;23:276.10.4037/ajcc2014328Search in Google Scholar

38. Koenig HG. Spirituality in patient care: why, how, when and what, 3rd ed. Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Press, 2013.Search in Google Scholar

39. Koenig HG, George LK, Titus P. Religion, spirituality, and health in medically ill hospitalized older patients. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:554–62.10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52161.xSearch in Google Scholar

40. Hayward RD, Krause N. Trajectories of disability in older adulthood and social support from a religious congregation: a growth curve analysis. J Behav Med 2013;36:354–60.10.1007/s10865-012-9430-4Search in Google Scholar

41. Holt-Lunstad J, Steffen PR, Sandberg J, Jensen B. Understanding the connection between spiritual well-being and physical health: an examination of ambulatory blood pressure, inflammation, blood lipids and fasting glucose. J Behav Med 2011;34:477–88.10.1007/s10865-011-9343-7Search in Google Scholar

42. Banerjee AT, Strachan PH, Boyle MH, Anand SS, Oremus M. Attending religious services and its relationship with coronary heart disease and related risk factors in older adults: a qualitative study of church pastors’ and parishioners’ perspectives. J Relig Health 2013;53:1–16.10.1007/s10943-013-9783-1Search in Google Scholar

43. Koenig HG, Zaben FA, Khalifa DA. Religion, spirituality and mental health in the West and the Middle East. Asian J Psychiatr 2012;5(2):180–2. Available at: http://jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/login?url=http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=fulltext&D=medl&AN=22813665; http://jw3mh2cm6n.search.serialssolutions.com/?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rfr_id=info:sid/Ovid:medl&rft.genre=article&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.ajp.2012.04.004&rft_id=info:pmid/22813665&rft.issn=1876-2026&rft.volume=5&rft.issue=2&rft.spage=180&rft.pages=180-2&rft.date=2012&rft.jtitle=Asian++of+Psychiatry&rft.atitle=Religion%2C+spirituality+and+mental+health+in+the+West+and+the+Middle+East.&rft.aulast=Koenig&pid%3CAN%3E22813665%3C%2FAN%3E. Accessed: 20 Jul 2012. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2012.04.004.Search in Google Scholar

44. Kim J, Smith TW, Kang J. Religious affiliation, religious service attendance, and mortality. J Relig Health 2014;54:1–21.10.1007/s10943-014-9902-7Search in Google Scholar

45. Benson H. The relaxation response. New York, NY: William Morrow, 1975.Search in Google Scholar

46. Williams JA, Meltzer D, Arora V, Chung G, Curlin FA. Attention to inpatients’ religious and spiritual concerns: predictors and association with patient satisfaction. J Gen Intern Med 2011;26:1265–71.10.1007/s11606-011-1781-ySearch in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

47. Polzer Casarez RL, Engebretson JC. Ethical issues of incorporating spiritual care into clinical practice. J Clin Nurs 2012;21:2099–107.10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04168.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed

48. Ramondetta L, Brown A, Richardson G, Urbauer D, Thaker PH, Koenig HG, et al. Religious and spiritual beliefs of gynecologic oncologists may influence medical decision making. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2011;21:573–81.10.1097/IGC.0b013e31820ba507Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

49. Saguil A, Phelps K. The spiritual assessment. Am Fam Physician 2012;86:546–50.Search in Google Scholar

50. Taylor D, Mulekar MS, Luterman A, Meyer FN, Richards WO, Rodning CB. Spirituality within the patient-surgeon relationship. J Surg Educ 2011;68:36–43.10.1016/j.jsurg.2010.08.007Search in Google Scholar PubMed

51. Hybels CF, Blazer DG, George LK, Koenig HG. The complex association between religious activities and functional limitations in older adults. Gerontologist 2012;52:676–85.10.1093/geront/gnr156Search in Google Scholar PubMed

52. Sullivan AR. Mortality differentials and religion in the United States: religious affiliation and attendance. J Sci Study Relig 2010;49:740–53.10.1111/j.1468-5906.2010.01543.xSearch in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

53. Koenig HG, George LK, Hays JC, Larson DB, Cohen HJ, Blazer DG. The relationship between religious activities and blood pressure in older adults. Int J Psychiatry Med 1998;28:189–213.10.2190/75JM-J234-5JKN-4DQDSearch in Google Scholar PubMed

54. Balboni TA, Vanderwerker LC, Block SD, Paulk ME, Lathan CS, Peteet JR, et al. Religiousness and spiritual support among advanced cancer patients and associations with end-of-life treatment preferences and quality of life. J Clin Oncol 2007;25:555–60.10.1200/JCO.2006.07.9046Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

55. Trevino KM, Pargament KI, Cotton S, Leonard AC, Hahn J, Caprini-Faigin CA, et al. Religious coping and physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual outcomes in patients with HIV/AIDS: cross-sectional and longitudinal findings. AIDS Behav 2010;14:379–89.10.1007/s10461-007-9332-6Search in Google Scholar PubMed

56. El Nawawi NM, Balboni MJ, Balboni TA. Palliative care and spiritual care: the crucial role of spiritual care in the care of patients with advanced illness. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care 2012;6:269–74.10.1097/SPC.0b013e3283530d13Search in Google Scholar PubMed

57. Verhagen PJ. The case for more effective relationships between psychiatry, religion and spirituality. Curr Opin Psychiatr 2010;23:550–5.10.1097/YCO.0b013e32833d8b04Search in Google Scholar PubMed

58. Anandarajah G, Craigie Jr F, Hatch R, Kliewer S, Marchand L, King D, et al. Toward competency-based curricula in patient-centered spiritual care: recommended competencies for family medicine resident education. Acad Med 2010;85:1897–904.10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181fa2dd1Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Received: 2015-1-28
Accepted: 2015-9-1
Published Online: 2015-10-13
Published in Print: 2016-3-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Preclinical Studies
  3. TNF-α modulation by natural bioactive molecules in mouse RAW 264.7 macrophage cells
  4. Antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extract of Garcinia cambogia on high fat diet-fed rats
  5. Attenuation of genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation by rutin in benzo(a)pyrene exposed lungs of mice: plausible role of NF-κB, TNF-α and Bcl-2
  6. Clinical Studies
  7. Report on short course in educational methodology for university teachers in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) disciplines – a pilot study conducted at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, India
  8. Exploring the awareness of research among registered massage therapists in Ontario
  9. From the conventional to the alternative: exploring patients’ pathways of cancer treatment and care
  10. A comparison of the effects of reflexology and relaxation on pain in women with multiple sclerosis
  11. Cumulative effect of short-term and long-term meditation practice in men and women on psychophysiological parameters of electrophotonic imaging: a cross-sectional study
  12. Case Report
  13. An 81-year-old woman with chronic illnesses and a strong faith
  14. Improvement of restless legs syndrome by nabat: a case series and new hypotheses for research
https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2015-0004
Keywords for this article
diabetes; faith; quality of life; religion; spiritual history; spirituality

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Preclinical Studies
  3. TNF-α modulation by natural bioactive molecules in mouse RAW 264.7 macrophage cells
  4. Antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extract of Garcinia cambogia on high fat diet-fed rats
  5. Attenuation of genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation by rutin in benzo(a)pyrene exposed lungs of mice: plausible role of NF-κB, TNF-α and Bcl-2
  6. Clinical Studies
  7. Report on short course in educational methodology for university teachers in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) disciplines – a pilot study conducted at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, India
  8. Exploring the awareness of research among registered massage therapists in Ontario
  9. From the conventional to the alternative: exploring patients’ pathways of cancer treatment and care
  10. A comparison of the effects of reflexology and relaxation on pain in women with multiple sclerosis
  11. Cumulative effect of short-term and long-term meditation practice in men and women on psychophysiological parameters of electrophotonic imaging: a cross-sectional study
  12. Case Report
  13. An 81-year-old woman with chronic illnesses and a strong faith
  14. Improvement of restless legs syndrome by nabat: a case series and new hypotheses for research
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2026 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 11.1.2026 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/jcim-2015-0004/html
Scroll to top button