THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE’S Literature search is intended as an advocacy, research, and teaching resource for colleagues who have a special interest in palliative and end-of-life care. Its goal is to keep its readers abreast of “current thinking” and also of emerging or related issues. Each issue of Literature Search focuses on a specific topic published during the past 12 months. Literature Search is NOT systematic research and it is not intended to be used as such. Access the latest and past postings at: bit.ly/4q8IsAJ
The current posting focusses on the spiritual aspects of palliative and end-of-life care, for example:
European Association for Palliative Care White Paper on Spiritual Care for People with Neuro-oncological and Neurodegenerative Conditions: Integrative framework for practice, education, and research
PALLIATIVE & SUPPORTIVE CARE | Online – 26 April 2026 – The authors highlight the importance of early integration of dynamic and multidimensional spiritual care (SC) for people with neuro-oncological or neurodegenerative diseases. The implementation of SC in this context should address the unique challenges that arise with these diseases, such as changes in spiritual needs and in the ability to communicate spiritual needs across disease progression. SC should be carried out by the whole care team, offering regular spiritual screenings and referring care to specialists when needed. SC should be culturally safe, offering multilingual access, and multi-faith chaplaincy services. SC is not a luxury or an optional extra; it is a fundamental aspect of palliative care. There is a need to implement SC across all stages of care, taking into consideration the patient’s evolving needs. Sufficient time should be allocated to SC education for social and healthcare professionals By embedding SC into clinical systems and educational models… Full text: https://l.iahpc.org/eob
Trends in spirituality and spiritual care in nursing: A discursive paper
JOURNAL OF ADVANCE NURSING | Online – 18 September 2025 – Imbedding spiritual care (SC) education into both undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curricula is essential to prepare nurses to address the spiritual needs of patients in healthcare settings. Structured curricula that provide clear instructions on how to recognise, assess, and respond to spiritual concerns in clinical practice can enhance nurses’ competence and confidence. Embedding SC into education and training helps normalise SC as a component of holistic nursing, supporting its inclusion in everyday care rather than treating it as an optional or marginal practice. Such educational integration has the potential to improve the consistency and quality of SC across healthcare settings. Internationally there are evident gaps in the consistent provision of SC to patients and their families. These are being addressed through conceptual clarity, the agreed-upon competencies, and enhanced educational initiatives. It is essential to continue to increase awareness among the nursing profession on the necessity of addressing SC needs, within the context of cultural perspectives to ensure that value is placed on the significance of these issues on a global scale. Full text:https://l.iahpc.org/z7j
Spirituality and palliative care: International models and new perspectives
FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY | Online – 20 July 2025 – This conceptual analysis presents various models and suggestions for implementing spiritual care (SC) in palliative and end-of-life (EoL) scenarios, raising essential questions about how to review and enhance care for this vital aspect of the human experience of illness and dying. The models from international experiences places spirituality at the center as a guiding element in the clinical path, supporting, however, the rigorous and evidence-based background of traditional medicine, which is neither denied nor marginalized, but on the contrary, it becomes “embedded” within a holistic and patient-centered approach. Thus, spirituality should be considered alongside other dimensions included in the care plan, such as pain management, nutrition, symptom relief, and overall comfort. Enhancing SC at the EoL requires providing training and support for staff, which not only benefits patients but also empowers staff to offer improved support. Full text:https://l.iahpc.org/dua
Exploring spirituality in palliative care services: An All-Ireland survey
BMC PALLIATIVE CARE | Online – 5 January 2026 – Spirituality and spiritual care (SC) are recognised as integral components of palliative care (PC) practice. Because of the diverse nature of this unique part of humanity, it may be challenging to describe what spirituality is or to ensure that SC is delivered consistently in PC settings. However, failure to address the spiritual needs of a person and those who are important to them, who are in receipt of PC, can contribute to unnecessary distress. The findings from this mixed methods study show that many members of the PC team are actively engaged in supporting people with life-limiting illness and their families with their spiritual needs and concerns. Respondents were able to offer a rich insight into what they believed spirituality is and the vital role it plays in delivering PC. Despite a lack of training in this aspect of care, many respondents felt confident in engaging with this aspect of care, although there was also a clear recognition of the need for further support and training. Full text: https://l.iahpc.org/v40
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This article is a selection from the full search produced for the IAHPC kindly produced by Barry R Ashpole for ehospice.
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Hello; for spirituality as a central part of palliative care you may be interested in knowing what Dr. Enric Benito has done and written in SECPAL (Spain).