O impacto da espiritualidade no enfrentamento da dor crônica: uma revisão de escopo

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To map the scientific literature in order to analyze the impacts of spirituality on chronic pain. METHOD: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A three-step search strategy was applied across the databases LILACS (via BVS), Medline (via PubMed), SciELO, Embase, and Cochrane, and gray literature was retrieved from Google Scholar. The PCC (Population–Concept–Context) framework guided the inclusion criteria: adult patients of both sexes with chronic pain (Population), spirituality/religiosity in pain management (Concept), and public or private institutions providing chronic pain treatment (Context). Included sources comprised scientific articles, conference proceedings, journals, academic papers, theses, and dissertations published between 2014 and 2024, in English or Portuguese. Data were extracted using a tailored form and results were presented in charts and tables, accompanied by a narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Analysis of the 34 included studies indicated that spirituality contributes positively to coping with chronic pain, being associated with reduced emotional symptoms, improved quality of life, and better treatment adherence. Positive spiritual coping was predominant, whereas negative coping was less frequent and associated with poorer outcomes. Despite patients recognizing its importance, spirituality remains underutilized in clinical care. CONCLUSION: Spirituality plays a relevant role in the management of chronic pain, particularly as an emotional coping strategy. Valuing this dimension may contribute to more humanized and holistic care. Future research should expand the focus on neurophysiological aspects, and healthcare professionals should be trained to address spirituality in an ethical and sensitive manner.