The Role of Spiritual Resilience in Recovery from Critical Illness: Lived Experiences of Survivors

Critical Illness is an overwhelming and life-altering event. Survivors often experience profound physical, psychological, spiritual, and existential challenges. Spiritual resilience represents a key dimension of recovery and holistic well-being following critical illness. This study explores the role of spiritual resilience in supporting recovery from critical illness by examining survivors’ lived experiences. The objective is to identify how spiritual beliefs and practices facilitate coping, resilience, and meaning, thereby contributing to overall recovery. This qualitative Reflexive Thematic Analysis employs semi-structured interviews with 7 purposively selected adult survivors of critical illness to obtain rich, in-depth narratives. The study identifies four major themes: The first theme is Critical Illness as a Multidimensional Crisis, which reflects critical illness as a physical, psychological, social, and spiritual crisis. The second is Enduring Spiritual Coping and Resilience, which describes how survivors maintain coping and resilience by relying on faith-based beliefs and practices. The third theme is Holistic Recovery Through Spiritual Resilience and Practices, representing overall recovery through spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and connection with a higher power. The fourth is Spiritual Transformation and Meaning-Making, in which survivors experience spiritual growth and a renewed sense of purpose through their illness and recovery experiences. These findings indicate that spiritual resilience plays a significant role in holistic recovery, transformation, and meaning-making after critical illness. Their clinical implications emphasize the importance of integrating spiritual resilience into healthcare to support patients’ holistic recovery. Future research should explore the long-term impact of spiritual resilience on recovery and overall well-being across multiple cultures.