Spirituality, Caregiving and Enhanced Health Outcomes

ALBANY, N.Y. (December 2, 2020) - A recent study conducted by Associate Professor Julia F. Hastings and colleagues determined that supporting African American family caregivers’ spirituality boosts health outcomes.

Many caregivers endure years of providing life sustaining, informal support (e.g., food preparation, altering the home access points for mobility, picking up prescriptions, etc.) without thinking about the associated stress. Without support, African American caregivers can experience profuse distress similar to physical exertion. In this study, data from the National Survey of American Life was collected for 4461 African American and white caregivers. The participants’ physical health ratings and level of religious endorsement were analyzed.

Results showed that both African American and white participants who were religiously and spiritually committed experienced enhanced health outcomes. Moreover, family closeness was associated with significantly higher ratings of physical health in African American participants. These findings indicate that spiritual and religious endorsements enhance health outcomes of caregivers in need of emotional support. This discovery may help reduce poor health outcomes associated with lack of caregiver support by encouraging spiritually and family unity.

Full results of the study are published in Race and Social Problems.