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Nurturing spiritual well‐being among older people in A ustralia: Drawing on Indigenous and non‐Indigenous way of knowing
Author(s) -
Love Pettina,
Moore Melissa,
Warburton Jeni
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/ajag.12284
Subject(s) - indigenous , spirituality , coping (psychology) , perspective (graphical) , well being , holistic health , sociology , psychological resilience , environmental ethics , psychology , gender studies , social psychology , medicine , psychotherapist , alternative medicine , ecology , philosophy , pathology , artificial intelligence , computer science , biology
Aim The meaning of spiritual well‐being as a health dimension is often contested and neglected in policy and practice. This paper explores spiritual well‐being from both an Indigenous and a non‐Indigenous perspective. Method We drew on Indigenous and non‐Indigenous methodologies to explore the existing knowledge around spiritual well‐being and its relationship with health. Results The Indigenous perspective proposed that spiritual well‐being is founded in The Dreaming, informs everyday relationships and can impact on health. The non‐Indigenous perspective suggested that spiritual well‐being is shaped by culture and religion, is of increased importance as one ages, and can improve coping and resilience stressors. Conclusions Situating these perspectives side by side allows us to learn from both, and understand the importance of spirituality in people's lives. Further research is required to better address the spiritual well‐being/health connection in policy and practice.