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The Impact of Spirituality in the Lives of Homeless Populations Spirituality plays a significant role in the lives of many people and has a great deal of health benefits for members of the general populace. It is also an important factor for men, women, and youth who are homeless. For homeless individuals who are spiritual, it is generally considered a source of support, central to their ability to survive, and motivation to maintain good health.

Definition
Spirituality does not have a clear definition, however it is generally regarded as the search for and experience of the sacred, meaning God, a higher power, or something of divine nature. Spirituality is characterized as something experienced personally, an individualized process that involves personal or private beliefs. This is in contrast to religion or reiligiosity which is often defined as something more communal. Religion is considered something that is practiced collectively and has structural reinforcement.

While religion and spirituality do have nuanced differences in their definitions, they are overlapping constructs that are often used interchangeably. Both terms are considered multi-faceted and are measured along the same dimensions. Common dimensions of spirituality/religion in research are as follows  :


 * Preference or affiliation: membership in a specific religious or spiritual group
 * Public practices: involvement in formal activities such as attendances at services
 * Private practices: private behaviors such as prayer, mediation, or reading sacred texts
 * Spiritual experiences: interaction or experience with the divine manifested in feelings and sensations
 * Spiritual coping: how an individual uses beliefs to cope with stressful events; can be positive or negative
 * Beliefs and values: specific beliefs and values
 * Forgiveness: experience of reconciliation with others and with the divine
 * Social support: intangible and tangible support offered by other members of the spiritual/religious community
 * Intensity/commitment: importance of spirituality relative to other areas of life and its impact on behavior
 * Spiritual meaning: sense of purpose and meaning of one's life as a result of spirituality

Impact on Physical Health
Spirituality and religion are generally considered beneficial for one's physical health. Spirituality reduces the likelihood of illness and is strongly related to increased longevity. For example, it lowers the rate of heart disease, cirrhosis, emphysema, stroke, kidney failure, cancer mortality, overall mortality. Spirituality also decreases blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If someone does become ill or must endure surgery, they are likely to endure a better recovery. These effects may vary depending on the strictness of behavioral codes associated with a religion, the intensity of the person's practice of spirituality, and whether or not their spiritual experience is a positive one. If someone has a negative experience of spirituality, the positive health benefits will not happen and the individual's health may be influence negatively.

Impact on Mental Health
There is a positive impact of spirituality on mental health is greater than that on physical health. Spirituality is associated with lower rates of suicide, anxiety disorders, and depression. In regards to depression, individuals who are more spiritually involved are more likely to recover. Spirituality also reduces the likelihood of drug/alcohol dependency or abuse and is associated with a more effective recovery from abuse/dependence. While generally the impact of spirituality is a positive one on mental health, for certain subgroups or individuals with a negative experience, it may have negative effects. For homeless populations, spirituality has a positive impact on depressive symptomatology as social capital that can be leveraged.

Youth
Youth, typically defined as between the ages of twelve and twenty-four, make up a large portion of the homeless population. As they are a transient population, it is difficult to get an accurate count of homeless youth; the number is commonly thought to be somewhere between 1.3 and 2 million. These youth have higher rates of mental health disorders, suicide, and drug/alcohol dependency due to the high amount of stressors in their lives.

While there are various coping strategies employed by homeless youth, spirituality is often cited by youth as a positive force in their life. For those with beliefs, it is a valuable resource and considered a significant factor in turning their lives around. Their beliefs are a source of strength and comfort and many attribute their survival to their spirituality or the direct intervention of a higher power. Spirituality gave meaning to suffering, enabling some to get past “feeling down”.

These positive effects of spirituality appear largely in qualitative work, meaning that the youth themselves associate spirituality with improved coping and better mental health. However, one quantitative study found that spirituality is not associated with a lower risk of suicide.

Men
Spirituality is incredibly important to homeless men who are recovering from a substance abuse problem. Many attribute their ability to get sober to their spirituality. While this may be a product of the spiritual influence of AA type programs, spirituality also impacts these men’s lives beyond recovery. For the homeless men surveyed by Brush and McGee, spirituality gave meaning to life and was tied to a deep sense of peace and tranquility.

Women
Women are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Many of these women are single mothers. Homeless women also tend to have more health problems than the general public including higher rates of substance abuse and mental health issues.

Spirituality is used as a coping mechanism by many women to deal with the stress of being homeless and/or to recover from substance abuse. It serves as a source of emotional support as well as a motivating force for women to take care of themselves and their families in a healthy way. Many accredit God with their survival and ability to be clean, looking to their spirituality to guide them in parenting. Increased spirituality is associated with less substance abuse and lowered risk of depression and suicide within this population as well as increased health-promoting behaviors.