# How are the Spiritual Resources and Needs of Mental Health Consumers Identified and Documented by Staff upon Admission to an Australian Mental Health Service? A Mixed Methods Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how mental health staff in Australia identify and document patients' spiritual needs during hospital admission.

## Contribution

The study introduces a mixed-methods approach to understanding the role of spirituality in mental health care documentation.

## Key findings

- Admission records mostly focus on medical and social history, not spiritual resources.
- Staff acknowledged benefits of addressing spirituality but faced barriers in doing so.
- Training and improved care planning were suggested to better address spiritual needs.

## Abstract

This study investigated how the spiritual resources and needs of Australian mental health consumers are identified by staff during admission at an inner-city acute care hospital. A mixed-methods study was conducted incorporating an audit of medical records (n = 205), and a staff focus group (n = 6). The results revealed that information collected during admission is often limited to factors such as medical and social history. Although participants could identify benefits of asking about spirituality, reasons for not asking were also articulated. Staff training and better care planning were identified as two ways to improve awareness of patients’ spiritual needs.