Who We Are
Spirituality Lab is a collaboration of mental health, spiritual care and lived experience practitioners, researchers, and theologians interested in supporting and promoting spirituality (religious and non-religious) in mental health care.
Spirituality Lab is a spirituality and mental health research laboratory focused on translational research, turning positive research into recovery-oriented practice in public and community mental health services, and more generally.
Spirituality Lab is an independent Australian collaborative, that partners with universities, health services, and faith organisations and communities.
Vision
To be an independent translational spirituality and mental health research laboratory investigating, translating, and supporting spirituality (religious and non-religious) in mental health care, recovery-oriented practice, and general wellbeing.
Spirituality and Mental Health
Spirituality (religious and non-religious) is important for many people living with mental illness (consumers) in recovery, with more than 3000 peer reviewed journal articles presenting a primarily positive relationship between spirituality and health, and clinical and therapeutic outcomes (Koenig, King, & Carson, 2011; Koenig, McCullough, & Larson, 2001). As stated by Moreira-Almeida, Koenig and Lucchetti (2014), “ Spirituality provides consumers with meaning, purpose, hope and connection, essential for personal recovery, and practical resources to manage and cope with the symptoms and consequences of mental illness (Milner, Crawford, Edgley, Hare-Duke, & Slade, 2019).
Spirituality Gap
However, while spirituality can promote mental health, wellbeing and recovery, it is generally not supported by mental health clinicians in mental health care. This represents a ‘spirituality or religiosity gap’ between the value placed on spirituality in recovery by mental health consumers compared to their clinicians (Dein., Cook, Powell, & Eagger, 2010).
Mental Health Gap
Furthermore, consumers may not gain the support of, and can sometimes be stigmatised by, faith leaders and communities, who may not understand or be supportive of people experiencing mental health difficulties– representing a ‘mental health gap’ (Drinnan & Lavender, 2006).