Gods and gurdwaras: the Spiritual Care Programme at the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation NHS Trust

Abstract

With Great Britain being seen as a largely secular society, it would be easy to discount the influence of religious belief and faith communities in society in general, and mental health in particular. But most rural communities still have a parish church, which provides a focal point for a range of activities, not necessarily religious; and in the big cities, especially where there are a range of ethnic groups and cultures, places of worship provide prominent landmarks. In the field of mental health, many service-users say that their spiritual beliefs (religious or otherwise) form an important part of their essential life-force and is a key to their recovery. Where there are prominent faith communities, it is vital that mental health services pay due attention to working productively with them towards a mutual understanding and partnership.

Keywords:

• faith
• consumerism
• Birmingham
• society
• empathy
• community

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank Dr Neil Deuchar, Sandra Thomas, Dr Paul McDonald, Dr Joanna Barber, Dr Peter Lewis and Carol Wilson, for all their support with this research into practice programme.