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Open research questions in Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

832 gap statements mined from Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 8,543 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between spirituality and postoperative outcomes in larger and more diverse patient populations. Research should investigate the potential mechanisms by which spirituality may influence recovery in patients undergoing surgery. Studies should examine the effects of spirituality on long-term recovery trajectories in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

    Correlation of spirituality with short-term outcomes after lumbar spine surgery: a prospective observational study · 2026 · DOI

  • It notes that the antecedents and consequences of loneliness among Catholic priests remain poorly understood.

    Lonely Shepherds? A Longitudinal Study of the Social, Psychological, and Spiritual Predictors of Loneliness among Catholic Priests in the United States · 2026 · DOI

  • We also outline options to investigate the inner disposition of trust and commitment, which has not yet been studied in the context of Christian faith.

    Exploring neural underpinning of Christian faith: How far can we go? · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the mechanisms behind this link remain unclear, and no work to date has examined this relationship among members of a service academy population.

    Spirituality and resilience among West Point cadets: The mediating role of emotional integration · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies exploring the effectiveness, broader application, and sustainability of the FCN model of care are warranted (198/200).

    Experiences of Older Adults Receiving the Faith Community Nursing Model of Care in Australia · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite female religious leaders’ substantial historic and ongoing contributions worldwide, their experiences remain poorly understood in male-normative contexts, especially from an empirical perspective.

    Contrasting Experiences: Gender Disparities in Spirituality, Character Strengths, Mental Health, and Social Justice among Next-Generation Religious Leaders · 2025 · DOI

  • Little is known about the prevalence and impact of sacred moments among health care workers in a radiation oncology setting.

    A Qualitative Exploration of Sacred Moments in Radiation Oncology · 2024 · DOI

  • Depression is one of the most common psychological problems faced by dialysis patients, and there is limited research on the influences of religion and spirituality on dialysis patients.

    Religion and Spiritual Health in Patients With and Without Depression Receiving Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study · 2024 · DOI

  • Further studies and rigorous research shall be conducted to examine ethical dimensions addressing the spiritual life of palliative care patients using the ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. Hence, empirical studies may be undertaken to evaluate such integration in clinical practice settings given the limitations of the AI – driven machine learning model as applied in the context of palliative care.

    Role of Artificial Intelligence in Spirituality Among Palliative Care Patients: An Integrative Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Spiritual pain remains underexplored within supportive oncology care. There is a need to examine the relationships between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential well-being in cancer patients.

    Relationship between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential wellbeing among cancer patients: a correlational study · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited distinction between religious commitment and belief strength. Insufficient integration of cognitive reflection with religious variables. Lack of mixed-methods studies focusing on clergy populations in Nigeria.

    Cognitive and Social Influences on Faith and Belief Formation Among Baptist Pastors in the Lagos East Baptist Conference, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • The methodological rigor of the included studies varied from medium to high, with a small sample size and presence of bias being a major concern. The study acknowledges the limitations of the included studies, including cultural bias in spirituality assessments. The review highlights the need for inclusive assessments that take into account other points of view.

    Exploring the Role of Spirituality in Neuropalliative Care: An Integrative Review · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for systematic, standardized means of assessing spiritual needs in neuropalliative care. The study identifies gaps in the literature, including the lack of inclusive assessments that take into account other points of view. The review highlights the importance of considering cultural bias in spirituality assessments.

    Exploring the Role of Spirituality in Neuropalliative Care: An Integrative Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The link between Christian spirituality and philosophical models of emotion regulation remains underdeveloped. An approach that combines religious meaning-making and Stoic self-regulation within a common process model is missing.

    Christian Faith as a Psychological Resource in Modern Stress Research: An Integrative Analysis Drawing on Stoic Models · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore the experiences of clients from other religious backgrounds in secular psychotherapy. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of collaboration between faith leaders and secular professionals.

    Negotiating Faith in Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Christian Clients in Secular Psychotherapy · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in the literature on the experiences of Christian clients in secular psychotherapy. The integration of religious and spiritual considerations in counseling and psychotherapy is essential for culturally sensitive practice.

    Negotiating Faith in Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Christian Clients in Secular Psychotherapy · 2026 · DOI

  • Researchers might wish to include the Santa Clara Sacredness Scale in research that examines spirituality, religion, civility, ethics, virtues, divisiveness, and similar constructs. Future studies can use the scale to understand the role of sacredness in these issues.

    The Santa Clara Sacredness Scale · 2026 · DOI

  • There are few high-quality assessment instruments available to measure sacredness. The study aims to fill this gap by introducing the Santa Clara Sacredness Scale.

    The Santa Clara Sacredness Scale · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore cross-cultural dynamics and longitudinal outcomes of Islamic coping mechanisms, particularly in diverse workplace environments. A key limitation in the current body of research is its geographic focus on Muslim-majority contexts, particularly Malaysia,69 which may limit the applicability of findings to Muslims living in diasporic or multicultural settings.

    Stress Management in The Context of Heritage and Islamic Civilization: An Overview of Prayer as a Coping Strategy · 2026 · DOI

  • The intersection of religiosity, aging, and living arrangements is a critical yet underexplored dimension of contemporary gerontology. There is a need to reassess social support systems and care models that can accommodate the spiritual and religious dimensions of older adults.

    Religiosity and Well-Being Among Hindu Elderly: A Comparative Study of Institutional and Home-Based Living in Lucknow · 2026 · DOI

  • While this study provides valuable insights, it is not without limitations. The cross-sectional design limits the ability to infer causality, and the relatively small sample size may not fully capture the diversity of experiences among Hindu elderly in Lucknow. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs to explore the long-term impact of living arrangements on religiosity and well-being.

    Religiosity and Well-Being Among Hindu Elderly: A Comparative Study of Institutional and Home-Based Living in Lucknow · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should continue to explore the relationship between religion and medicine. It should analyze the impact of healthcare policies on different social groups.

    Czynniki wewnętrzne i zewnętrzne wpływające na kształtowanie się stosunku do medycyny w pentekostalizmie amerykańskim · 2026 · DOI

  • Research has rarely explored yoga's link to spirituality, and none have examined spiritual well-being via Fisher's four-domain model.

    The role of yoga in enhancing spiritual and psychological health: Evidence from a large cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • The original publication of Daniel Patterson's work was not reviewed by JAF, folklore's flagship journal.

    Review of The Shaker Spiritual · 2026 · DOI

  • A review of the literature highlighted a gap in research on how psychotherapists negotiate FBPs in the Indian context.

    Navigating Faith-based Practices in Therapy: Psychotherapists’ Experiences in India · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between spirituality and postoperative outcomes in larger and more diverse patient populations (“Correlation of spirituality with short-term outcomes after lumbar spine…”, 2026); (2) It notes that the antecedents and consequences of loneliness among Catholic priests remain poorly understood (“Lonely Shepherds? A Longitudinal Study of the Social, Psychological, and…”, 2026); (3) The mechanisms behind this link remain unclear, and no work to date has examined this relationship among members of a service academy population (“Spirituality and resilience among West Point cadets: The mediating role of…”, 2026); (4) Spiritual pain remains underexplored within supportive oncology care (“Relationship between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential wellbeing…”, 2026); (5) Lack of mixed-methods studies focusing on clergy populations in Nigeria (“Cognitive and Social Influences on Faith and Belief Formation Among Baptist…”, 2026). 832 gap statements have been mined from Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 8,543 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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