Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Health Promot Int. 2022 Apr 29;37(2). doi: 10.1093/heapro/daab112.
Considering the global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, it is not strange that COVID-19 disease is a reminiscent of concepts such as death and affliction with a serious disease. Furthermore, it might remind people of issues such as the reason(s) for occurrence of deplorable events in the universe, the meaning of life, individuals' duties toward themselves and others, the relationship between the nature and human beings, and individuals' relationship with a higher being (in case there is a belief in a higher being), i.e. the subjects spirituality deals with. The constructive or destructive role of each of religious and non-religious spiritual systems at the time of crises are observed more clearly than ever. The present paper addresses roles which spiritual systems might play in facing the COVID-19 disease crisis, considering different areas of spiritual well-being and the possibility that spiritual systems might be affected by perceived challenges during a pandemic. Because of the problems interfering with overcoming COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of next waves of its epidemics and pandemics, it is necessary for health policy-makers to use all available capacities and capabilities to counteract the disease, including using both internal motivations (such as spiritual beliefs which prohibit hurting oneself and others and which emphasize performing social responsibilities) and external ones (e.g. regulations) to cope with it. It makes sense for public health officials in different countries to use more actively the potential of those spiritual systems that support COVID-19 public health recommendations, as a culturally based intervention and policy.
考虑到全球确诊的 COVID-19 病例和死亡人数，COVID-19 疾病让人想起死亡和重病等概念也就不足为奇了。此外，它可能会让人想起宇宙中悲惨事件发生的原因、生命的意义、个人对自己和他人的责任、人与自然的关系以及个人与更高存在（如果存在更高存在的信仰）的关系等问题，即精神学科涉及的主题。在危机时期，宗教和非宗教精神体系的建设性或破坏性作用比以往任何时候都更加明显。本文考虑到精神健康的不同领域以及精神体系在大流行期间可能因感知到的挑战而受到影响的可能性，探讨了精神体系在应对 COVID-19 疾病危机方面可能发挥的作用。由于克服 COVID-19 大流行的问题以及其疫情和大流行的下一波浪潮的风险，卫生政策制定者有必要利用所有可用的能力和资源来对抗这种疾病，包括利用内在动机（如禁止伤害自己和他人并强调履行社会责任的精神信仰）和外在动机（例如法规）来应对疾病。不同国家的公共卫生官员积极利用那些支持 COVID-19 公共卫生建议的精神体系的潜力，作为一种基于文化的干预和政策，是有意义的。
