title: How does spirituality affect physical health? A conceptual review.
abstract: Spirituality is thought to have a beneficial impact on physical health and mortality, yet experimental findings are mixed in their support of this assumption. This article examines the most persuasive experimental evidence that spiritual beliefs influence physical health and explores the mediating factors that may explain how this connection operates.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Jade.Dyer@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Jade
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dyer
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D015982:Bias; D002835:Christianity / Q000523:psychology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008019:Life Style; D009026:Mortality; D012067:Religion; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D029181:Spirituality; D016019:Survival Analysis