Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
The Use of Prayer During Life-Threatening Illness: A Connectedness to God, Inner-Self, and Others
Jill B Hamilton1, Leslie Kweon2, La-Urshalar B Brock3
1Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA. jbhamil@emory.edu.
Abstract:
To explore how prayers were used as expressions of spirituality among community-dwelling African Americans in response to life-threatening illness. Fifty-eight older African American adults residing in the Southeastern US participated in a qualitative descriptive study. Through prayers, participants requested the strength to endure, protection, healing and expressed gratitude. Prayers were expressions of spirituality through dimensions of connectedness: transpersonally to God or the unseen; intrapersonally to one's inner-self; and, interpersonally to others. Prayers are an important aspect of spirituality and the mental health of older African Americans particularly during serious, life-threatening illness. An understanding of the ways in which prayers are used might enhance the cultural relevance of mental health interventions in this population.
Related Concept Videos
Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...
Half-life of a Reaction
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
Characteristics of Life
Concepts of Health and Illness
Dimensions of Health and Illness

