Exploring the Role of Spirituality in Healing:A Case Study of Patients at Bekwai Municipal Hospital, Bekwai, Ghana

Prince Osei-Yeboah ORCID iD, Emmanuel Obimpeh-Quayson ORCID iD  & Ernest Owusu ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.10 No. 9 September 2024 Issue Article 1  pp.310-324
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241091 |   Published online 20th September, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Spirituality and its relationship to health and healing has been a topic of interest across cultures and religious traditions. While spirituality is a broad concept, for many it involves a connection to a higher power or search for meaning and purpose. This study explored the role of spirituality in the healing process from the perspective of patients receiving care at Bekwai Municipal Hospital, Bekwai, Ghana. A mixed method approach was used, incorporating the administering of questionnaires and interviews with 58 patients from various religious and spiritual backgrounds, including Christianity, Islam, African Traditional Religion, and non-religious beliefs. The results showed high levels of spirituality among patients, with most engaging in spiritual or religious practices like prayer, meditation, and music to cope with illness. The study furthermore showed that the majority believed these practices positively contributed to their healing process. From the study, it was also established that while definitions of spirituality varied, common themes of inner peace, transcendence, and connection to a higher power emerged. Furthermore, it was noted that both religious and non-religious patients described drawing strength and meaning from their spiritual worldviews. Healthcare staff also acknowledged the importance of addressing patients’ spiritual needs. This study provides insights into how spirituality is a significant part of the healing experience for many patients in Ghana. By exploring diverse spiritual and religious perspectives, this study highlights opportunities for more holistic and culturally sensitive care that meets patients’ spiritual as well as medical needs. Further research could continue investigating the mechanisms through which spirituality may support health and well-being.

Keywords: Religion, Spirituality, Patients, Healing

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Rev. Canon Fr. Prince Osei Yeboah is an ordained Anglican priest and a Canon at the St Cyprian Cathedral, Kumasi, and is currently a priest assisting at St. Michael and All Angles at Asante Mampong Anglican Cathedral. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Religious Studies from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana. He is now undertaking his PhD in Religious Studies at the same university. Currently, he is a lecturer at St. Monica’s Training College-Mampong, Ghana.

Emmanuel Obimpeh-Quayson holds an MA and MPhil in Religious Studies, and is presently a PhD Candidate at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. His research interests involve African Religio-cultural Traditions, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Ethics, Pentecostalism, Public Theology, and Sustainable Development. Emmanuel is an Ordained Minister with the International Central Gospel Church, where he serves as Lead Pastor of LifeSpring Assembly, Kumasi, Ghana.

Ernest Owusu holds an MA in Ministry and MPhil in Religious Studies and is currently a PhD candidate at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research focuses on Philosophy of Religion, African Traditional Religion, Ethics, Eco-theology and Religion and Ecology. His current PhD work seeks to examine the role of religion in climate change and poverty discourse.

Osei-Yeboah, Prince, Emmanuel Obimpeh-Quayson and Ernest Owusu. “Exploring the Role of Spirituality in Healing: A Case Study of Patients at Bekwai Municipal Hospital, Bekwai, Ghana,” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 10 no.9 (2024): 310-324. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241091

© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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