This Boston-based pilot research was an exploratory study that integrated outpatient chaplaincy into a refugee and immigrant health primary care clinic. Patients were screened for spiritual distress and offered a meeting with chaplaincy interns. Forty-eight patients were seen in clinic, 28 were screened, and 9 met with a chaplain. Most frequent domains of spiritual distress were grief (n = 8), feelings of abandonment (n = 5), guilt (n = 4), betrayal (n = 4), fear of death (n = 3), shame (n = 3), and trust (n = 3). Faith was relevant to treatment decision-making for 6 patients. It was found that outpatient chaplaincy services are a feasible intervention to address spiritual distress in immigrant and refugee patients.
Keywords: Chaplaincy; Immigrant; Refugee; Religion; Spiritual care.
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