Since the beginning of time, spirituality has been used as a coping mechanism for the seemingly countless and often inevitable stressors of everyday life. Spirituality provides an outlet, a source of hope, and even structural/community support depending on the practice. There has been research conducted on the role of spiritual practice in coping, and it has been found that spirituality can actually play a crucial role in successful coping. Along with spirituality, philosophy has also been proven to help facilitate the overcoming of stressful events. Research conducted on the holistic benefits of spirituality and philosophy has led to both of these being recognized by practicing clinicians as pertinent methods of coping with both trauma and distress.

COVID-19 has been a stressor for people of all walks of life: those affected by the illness itself and those affected by its psychological, economic, and social repercussions. According to a study conducted to examine the relationship between spirituality and coping with COVID-19, positive spiritual coping strongly correlated with less stress and more beneficial impact, while negative spiritual coping (for example, mistrusting or blaming a higher power) correlated with the inverse. Another study identified 3 psychological benefits of spirituality in coping as:

encouraging people to reframe events through a hopeful lens, fostering a sense of connectedness, and cultivating connection through rituals (Goodman, 2020). As previously mentioned, philosophy is also beneficial to the coping process, because it helps the individual to understand the purpose of life and what it means to be a human being. Existential therapy in particular equips individuals with mechanisms of coping with anxiety and uncertainty, living in the present, and increasing self awareness, which can all be beneficial to those suffering from the physical and psychological complications of COVID-19.

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In Conclusion:

• Research has proven the benefits of spirituality and philosophy in response to stressful situations

• Research has proven the benefits of spirituality in response to COVID-19, specifically

• Some of the proven psychological benefits of spirituality include:

  • Encouraging people to reframe events through a hopeful lens

  • Fostering a sense of connectedness and community

  • Cultivating connection through rituals 

• Some of the proven benefits of philosophy include:

  • Coping with anxiety

  • Living in the present (mindfulness)

  • ​Increasing self awareness

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