From a multi-religious point of view, mental and physical health is not solely the core task of doctors, but is also an important aspect that is supported by religion. In this context, our project intends to provide a training that will support caregivers and other professionals in various domains to use religion as a lever towards the mental and physical health of their patients/clients (people that are often in need of mental and physical health support).
The stories that we find back in the holy books of Islam (Quran) and Christianity (Bible) teach us that people consist of two distinctive parts: the spiritual and the physical ones.
The care about these both parts is very important and is as such also stated in all main religions: Islam and Christianity (Catholic Church, Orthodox and Protestant church). At the heart of these religions lies the understanding that care about the person is the main purpose.
Aims and objectives
Religion and medicine have a long, intertwined, tumultuous history, going back thousands of years. However, nowadays, many service providing people are not sufficiently trained to go much beyond taking a religious history, directing resources, and perhaps supporting patients’ religious beliefs and practices.
When spiritual needs are evident, often patients are referred to a person who is competently trained to meet those needs.
Our project aims to ensure that e.g. care staff is available that is adequately trained to meet these religious needs.
Exactly the recovery of the link between medicine and religion is the innovative aspect of the project. One of the main objectives of the current project is to overcome the lack of connection and to improve the support to the people in need by well-trained professions who are aware and embrace the positive impact of religion on the mental and physical health.
Via the training provided and training materials developed the consortium will try to help the trainers and trainees to find the wellbeing (train the trainer concept). Additionally, we will help our target group of end-users to understand the different religions and to maintain a tolerance between the people with different religions.
Target groups:
- medical staff (doctors, nurses, hygienists, and students/practitioners in social medicine, etc.),
- psychologists,
- pedagogical staff,
- students from medical schools (bachelor),
- students in pedagogy,
- students in ethnology,
- theology departments,
- practitioners who work with people with dependencies (drugs, alcohol),
- practitioners who work with people who have been subjected to home aggression or were victim of illegal human trafficking.
Beneficiaries:
- patients in hospitals,
- inmates/prisoners,
- addicts,
- people with disabilities,
- people in need.
Start: 16 December 2019
End: 15 December 2021
Project Web Site : https://www.religion-health.eu/
Project Facebook Site : https://www.facebook.com/ToralProj/
Doç. Dr. Alper Güzel (Gazi University Coordinator)
