Concerns about measuring spirituality in research
Abstract
Spirituality is increasingly being examined as a construct related to mental and physical health. The definition of spirituality, however, has been changing. Traditionally, spirituality was used to describe the deeply religious person, but it has now expanded to include the superficially religious person, the religious seeker, the seeker of well-being and happiness, and the completely secular person. Instruments used to measure spirituality reflect this trend. These measures are heavily contaminated with questions assessing positive character traits or mental health: optimism, forgiveness, gratitude, meaning and purpose in life, peacefulness, harmony, and general well-being. Spirituality, measured by indicators of good mental health, is found to be correlated with good mental health. This research has been reported in some of the world's top medical journals. Such associations are meaningless and tautological. Either spirituality should be defined and measured in traditional terms as a unique, uncontaminated construct, or it should be eliminated from use in academic research.
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Historically, the term spirituality was used to describe the practices of people who dedicated their lives into religious services or exemplify the teachings of their faith traditions.
“Historically, the term spirituality was used to describe the practices of people who dedicated their lives into religious services or exemplify the teachings of their faith traditions (Koenig, 2008).”
From Defining spirituality in healthcare: a systematic review and conceptual framework. (2021) · cites this paper as Koenig, 2008
Spirituality is a broad and complex concept which varies its understanding according to different cultural, religious and academic backgrounds.
“Spirituality is a broad and complex concept which varies its understanding according to different cultural, religious and academic backgrounds (i.e., religious persons, scientists, or lay persons; Koenig, 2008; la Cour and Götke, 2012).”
From Defining spirituality in healthcare: a systematic review and conceptual framework. (2021) · cites this paper as Koenig, 2008
The review found that definitions based on concepts like peace, well-being, and quality of life tend to have a tautological problem because these positive emotions cannot be distinguished from some measures of mental health.
“Definitions based on concepts like peace, well-being, and quality of life tend to have a tautological problem, because these positive emotions cannot be distinguished from some measures of mental health (Koenig, 2008).”
From Defining spirituality in healthcare: a systematic review and conceptual framework. (2021) · cites this paper as Koenig, 2008
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- Authors
- Koenig, H. G.
- Affiliations
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Koenig, Harold G.
- ORCID
- Koenig, Harold G.
- Venue
- Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease
- Published
- 2008-05
- Volume
- 196
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 349-355
- ISSN
- 0022-3018 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2033291741
- Semantic Scholar
- 70cf4b5ad843ceec73ee53de91072a118a40ca6e
- Cited by
- 730
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 73 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 44
- FWCI
- 5.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Demography › Workplace Spirituality and Leadership
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Study and Philosophy of Religion
- Keywords
- spirituality, spirituality measurement, construct validity, religiosity, secular spirituality, positive character traits, optimism, forgiveness, gratitude, meaning in life, well-being, mental health, tautology
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Mental Health, Personality Tests, Quality of Life, Religion and Psychology, Research, Spirituality
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