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Table 1 Key definitions: Chaplaincy, spirituality, religion, pastoral, and resilience

From: Service user views of spiritual and pastoral care (chaplaincy) in NHS mental health services: a co-produced constructivist grounded theory investigation

Term

Definition

Chaplaincy

Modern healthcare chaplaincy is a service and profession working within the NHS that is focused on ensuring that all people, be they religious or not, have the opportunity to access pastoral, spiritual or religious support when they need it [4]

Spirituality

A phenomenon unique to the individual and has been defined as the “breath” that animates life or a sense of connection to oneself, others, and that which is beyond self and others, spirituality is an individual construct, denoting a personal relationship with the transcendent [42]

Religion

Religion is an organised system of beliefs, practices, rituals and symbols designed a) to facilitate closeness to the sacred or transcendent (God, higher power, or ultimate truth/reality) and b) to foster an understanding of one’s relationship and responsibility to others in living together in a community. [43]

Pastoral care

Pastoral care is rooted in non-judgemental listening and attentiveness to service-users, carers and staff. It pays supportive and enabling attention to a range of human needs and aspirations, in the context of healthcare, being especially alert to questions of identity and belief (whether presented as religious, spiritual or neither of those).

Resilience

Resilience is the ability of an individual to respond to stress in a way that is healthy and adaptive and allows personal goals to be achieved with the minimum psychological and physical cost [44]