Spirituality as sustenance for mental health and meaningful doing: a case illustration.

In the past 10-20 years there has been increasing interest in the relationship between spirituality and health. I interviewed six patients from community mental health centres, using a phenomenological approach to explore how concepts of spirituality, occupation and mental illness/mental health are related. One person's story is presented to illustrate the issues. Four main themes were identified: Spirituality is a phenomenon that provides meaning to life. Spirituality can help a person cope with mental illness. Spiritual beliefs can make everyday occupations more meaningful and health-enhancing. Some people find it valuable to engage in shared occupations that focus on spirituality. Spirituality is an important and relevant issue to be discussed between patients and health practitioners, provided that practitioners can exercise sensitivity, caution, tolerance and acceptance of values that may differ from their own.