title: Do religious or spiritual beliefs influence bereavement? A systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Responses to bereavement may be influenced by characteristics such as age or gender, but also by factors like culture and religion.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A systematic review was undertaken to assess whether spiritual or religious beliefs alter the process of grief and/or bereavement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen computerized databases were searched. Thirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was graded according to the standard grading system of the Clinical Outcomes Group and by the SIGNAL score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 5715 persons were examined: 69% women, 87% white, 83% protestant. Ninety-four percent of studies show some positive effects of religious/spiritual beliefs on bereavement, but there was a great heterogeneity regarding included populations and outcome measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Available data do not allow for a definite answer on whether religious/spiritual beliefs effectively influence bereavement as most studies suffer from weaknesses in design and methodological flaws. Further research is needed. Recommendations for further research are given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. becker@med1.ukl.uni
authors.forename: Gerhild
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Carola J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Xander
authors.forename: Hubert E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lutterbach
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Momm
authors.forename: Marjolein
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gysels
authors.forename: Irene J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Higginson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001601:Bereavement; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality