The provision of spiritual care in Swedish hospitals

• Spiritual care provision in hospitals has been sparsely studied in Sweden. This paper describes and discusses new basic measurements of the provision of spiritual care in Swedish hospitals (includingthe number of hospitals offering spiritual care and the number of people working with spiritual care ateach hospital). Spiritual care, in contrast to “sjukhuskyrka” (e.g., “the hospital church”), is a term used in Sweden to denote that representatives for other traditions than Christianity provide care in Swedish hospitals. The conducted mapping showed that nearly nine out of ten hospitals provide care given by religious representatives. Care offered by “sjukhuskyrkan” is most wide-spread. Because of these results, new research questions are justified concerning the relatively current implementation of the interreligious term “spiritual care” and its function as a new context for the practice previously lead bythe organization called “sjukhuskyrka”. In order to further the understanding of spiritual care, analysesare needed on the practice of spiritual care, including, for example, what forms of care exists and how,when and to what extent care is provided by Churches respectively other religious traditions. 

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Sociologi

Sociology

Sociology of Religion

Religionssociologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)