The Role of Language in Healing: Exploring the Impact of Spiritual Health Consultations on Patient Well-being and Recovery Open Access
Tercyak, Samuel (Spring 2024)
Published
Abstract
Objective: Spiritual health consultations offer patients a unique context in which to express themselves. The language patients use during these consults may provide insights into their emotions and recovery trajectory. The project aims to evaluate the interplay between patient language during a spiritual health consultation and patient-reported clinical outcomes after the consultation. We hypothesize a higher frequency of positive affect language will be associated with superior patient outcomes. We also hypothesize a higher frequency of patient language in alignment recovery will be associated with superior patient outcomes.
Methods: Qualitative shadowing sessions and quantitative sociodemographic and psychological assessments were used to evaluate the variables of interest. Data collection involved pre- and post-consult measures including indicators of distress, anxiety, and depression. Patient language during chaplain consults was analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) tool. Linguistic variables indicative of emotion and those in alignment with the Ecological Model of Recovery for Mental Health were selected for analysis. Statistical analyses were conducted using Spearman’s rank-order correlation and Mann-Whitney U tests to explore the relationship between patient outcomes and linguistic expression.
Results: For the first hypothesis, analyses indicated a negative correlation between positive emotion and pre-consult distress, and a positive correlation between anxious emotion and pre-consult distress. Patients with clinically significant distress used fewer positive emotion words, while those with clinically significant anxiety used more anxious emotion words. Hypothesis 2 findings indicated correlations between post-consult anxiety and linguistic variables reflecting recovery themes of a positive sense of self, social determinants of health, and social connection. Similar associations were found for post-consult depression levels with positive self of self, empowerment, and social connection themes.
Conclusion: This study underscores the significant relationship between patient language during spiritual health consultations and subsequent mental health outcomes, emphasizing the therapeutic value of expressive communication. Findings highlight the role of verbal expression in facilitating emotional recovery and reveal how linguistic patterns in healthcare settings can reflect and influence psychological well-being. Prospective research is needed to evaluate the nature and full extent of these effects on patient well-being.Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction - 1
Research Question - 5
Methods - 6
Results - 13
Discussion - 19
Limitations and Future Directions - 24
Works Cited - 27
Appendix - 31
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