Continued nurturing of dead child by mother consequent upon spirituality and family dysfunction: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Spirituality has many important positive influences on human health, and a good family functioning contributes to the healthy development and well-being of individual family members. However, there are instances in which spirituality exerts a negative influence on health. Similarly, poor family functioning can adversely impact the ability of members to cope with stressful life events. Case Report: We present a case of a 37-year-old female whose family was dysfunctional. For five days after the death of her five-year-old son she continued to nurture and care for the corpse until it started to stink on the claim that God had told her the child was alive. Conclusion: Medical professionals need to be cognizant of these adverse consequences of spirituality and family dysfunction in order to adopt a holistic approach that mitigates them.