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Meta-Analysis
. 2025 Aug 19;13(1):938.
doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03275-x.

Effectiveness of spiritual health-based interventions in improving health indicators of patients in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Saber Azami-Aghdash  1   2 , Mohsen Nouri  3   4 , Fatemeh Rahimi  5 , Sahar Amuzadeh-Araei  6 , Kasim Sakran Abass  7 , Hamidreza Aghababaeian  8   9 , Saeid Yaghoubi Koupaei  10 , Shahin Karami  11 , Mehdi Rostampour  12
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effectiveness of spiritual health-based interventions in improving health indicators of patients in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Saber Azami-Aghdash et al. BMC Psychol. .

Abstract

Spiritual health interventions have increasingly been recognized for their potential to improve general health outcomes. This study undertakes a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate their effectiveness on patient health in Iran. Data were gathered from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and other relevant sources without time restriction. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using Stata version 16. Analysis of 53 studies, comprising both quasi-experimental and clinical trial designs, revealed 94 reported outcomes. Significant enhancements were observed in anxiety (SMD: -1.32), hope (SMD: 2.56), quality of life (SMD: 3.48), stress (SMD: -1.57), depression (SMD: -1.57), spiritual health (SMD: 3.27), and sleep quality (SMD: -1.71), while pain control showed no significant effect (SMD: -0.64). The findings of the current study demonstrate that, despite certain limitations, interventions grounded in spiritual health can effectively enhance both physical and psychological health indicators in patients; however, due to inherent study limitations, cautious interpretation is advised. Future research should leverage advanced tools, particularly artificial intelligence, to assess outcomes objectively, reducing reliance on self-reported data. Studies should also adhere to internationally recognized guidelines to minimize bias and employ larger sample sizes to improve the robustness and generalizability of findings.

Keywords: Effectiveness; Health indicators; Patients; Spiritual health interventions.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committees of Iran University of Medical Sciences (Approval ID: IR.IUMS.REC.1403.205). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Screening process of studies related to the effectiveness of spiritual health interventions in improving general health indicators of Iranian patients
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on anxiety scores of iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on hope levels in iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on the quality of life of iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on improving depression in iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on improving spiritual health in iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on reducing stress in iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on pain control among iranian patients using a random effects model
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Meta-analysis of the effects of spiritual health interventions on sleep quality of iranian patients using a random effects model
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