 Koenig praying with patient.
| Time
| 1980's-1997 |
| Title
| Dr. Harold G. Koenig establishes Duke Center for the Study of Religion, Spirituality & Health |
| Event
| In the 1980's, David B. Larson, Jeff Levin, and Harold G. Koenig begin studying the impact of spirituality on mental and physical health.
This work culminates in 1997 with the establishment of Duke's Center for the Study of Religion, Spirituality and Health. In 2005, the Center joins forces with Duke's Divinity School to form the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health.
The focus of the new Center is to conduct research, train researchers, create a dialogue between researchers and theologians, and integrate religion/spirituality into the clinical care of patients. Healthcare Providers are taught to take a spiritual history of patients and communicate with them using a patient-centered approach.
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The mind and spirit are linked in Koenig's work. Studies show that spirituality positively impacts mental and physical health.
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Koenig and colleagues specifically measure religion or faith practices. They demonstrate that spirituality can affect physical outcomes like blood pressure, immune functioning, longevity, chronic illness, and use of health services.
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These researchers theorize that rich spiritual beliefs impact all elements of health, including mind and body.
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