Spirituality, religion and health beliefs

Key messages for primary care practitioners

• Spirituality means different things to different people and is expressed in varied ways. Migrants to the UK have a diverse range of beliefs and health providers should be aware of the role and impact of spiritual and religious beliefs in the person's life and on their health.
• Be aware that religious belief may affect the acceptability of aspects of medical care (e.g. diagnostic procedures, certain types of treatment) and also of the potential impact of religious observances on health and/or treatment plans e.g. during periods of fasting.
• It is good practice to explore with all patients for whom you are prescribing medication whether anything (religious requirements or indeed any other factor) might interfere with their ability to comply with your recommendation.
• Beliefs, rites and rituals around pregnancy and birth, 'coming of age', menstruation, marriage, and death are highly variable between religions and cultures, and may all impact on health/health seeking behaviour. Explore your patient's beliefs and understanding of these issues where appropriate to the context of the consultation.