title: Assessing spirituality in mentally ill African Americans.
abstract: The case scenario illustrates the advantage of using spirituality as a tool for recovery when working with mentally ill African American clients. Often spiritual and clinical perspectives are seen as contradictory. But for African Americans, these perspectives can be mutually reinforcing. Spirituality can serve as a resource of strength. It can provide emotional consolation, inspiration, guidance, and security. It can foster personal responsibility, identity, respect for ethical codes and community building. Mental Health professionals who use spirituality as a tool for recovery can expect to have better client outcomes when working with African Americans than those who do not.
authors.affiliation: Fayetteville State University Department of Nursing, North Carolina, USA. bperdue@uncfsu.edu
authors.forename: Bobbie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Perdue
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Doretha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singley
authors.forename: Cheylon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D002835:Christianity / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D029181:Spirituality; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology