Leung Judy, Li Kin-Kit
School of Nursing & Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jul 26;11(15):2134. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11152134.
Depression is a common, depleting, and potentially life-threatening disorder. This pilot study examined the feasibility and applicability, reported preliminary evidence for effectiveness, and explored the potential healing mechanisms of a faith-based spiritual intervention for people with depression. The intervention consisted of six weekly sessions focused on restoring a connection with the divine, forgiveness and freedom, suffering and transcendence, hope, gratitude, and relapse prevention. Seven adults with mild or moderate depressive symptoms were recruited. A qualitative evaluation was conducted via focus group discussions, and rating scales were administered at baseline, after the intervention, and at the 3-month follow-up. The mean difference scores of the treatment's effect over time were analyzed using Friedman's ANOVA. The themes identified by the focus group included the meaning of the spiritual intervention, the effect of involvement in a spiritual group, and the therapeutic components. The results indicated a significant decrease in the mean scores for depression (PHQ-9) after intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. Participants expressed their improvement in terms of increased knowledge about depression, enhanced coping mechanisms, and improved self-esteem. The preliminary evidence suggested that the faith-based spiritual intervention was effective in reducing depressive symptoms and also helped participants develop a greater sense of connection with themselves, others, and their environment.
抑郁症是一种常见、消耗性且可能危及生命的疾病。这项试点研究考察了一种基于信仰的精神干预对抑郁症患者的可行性和适用性，报告了其有效性的初步证据，并探索了潜在的治愈机制。该干预包括为期六周的课程，重点是恢复与神圣的联系、宽恕与自由、苦难与超越、希望、感恩以及预防复发。招募了七名有轻度或中度抑郁症状的成年人。通过焦点小组讨论进行定性评估，并在基线、干预后和3个月随访时使用评定量表。使用弗里德曼方差分析来分析治疗效果随时间的平均差异分数。焦点小组确定的主题包括精神干预的意义、参与精神团体的影响以及治疗成分。结果表明，干预后及3个月随访时，抑郁（PHQ-9）平均得分显著降低。参与者表示，他们在对抑郁症的认识增加、应对机制增强和自尊提高方面有所改善。初步证据表明，基于信仰的精神干预在减轻抑郁症状方面有效，还帮助参与者与自己、他人以及他们的环境建立了更强的联系感。
