Spirituality/Medicine Interface Project

Spiritual Needs of Physicians During and Following a Catastrophe

Authors: Walter L. Larimore, MD, Mitchell W. Duininck, MD Col. Gary B. Morsch, MD, MPH

Abstract

Providing healthcare to victims of a disaster is a demanding, and at times overwhelming, task. Physicians, as caregivers in these situations, may find themselves facing significant spiritual uncertainty and personal spiritual distress. There has been very little written about the spiritual needs of physicians in general, and nothing dealing with the needs that arise when a physician has to deal with a catastrophic situation. Identifying spiritual needs and providing spiritual care for physicians in these situations is vital to the overall health and well-being of the physician and is a significant need in the acute, short-term setting and in the long-term spiritual health and well-being of the physician. This is an important area that is relatively unstudied, and further research is needed.

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