International Journal of
Reproductive Biomedicine
Fri, Jun 12, 2026
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Volume 24, Issue 3 (March 2026)
IJRM 2026, 24(3): 265-266 |
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Rahaei Z, Rastjoo S, Ghavami M. Psychological consequences of spiritual health in childbearing and population rejuvenation: A letter to the editor. IJRM 2026; 24 (3) :265-266
URL: http://ijrm.ir/article-1-3791-en.html
URL: http://ijrm.ir/article-1-3791-en.html
1- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
2- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. ,saeiderastjoo@yahoo.com; s.rastjoo@stu.ssu.ac.ir
2- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. ,
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Dear Editor
Spiritual well-being, as one of the dimensions of human health, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life and promoting human well-being across various domains. Specifically, it promotes physical health by encouraging healthy lifestyles, avoiding forbidden acts, and fostering patience during illness. It enhances mental health by creating calm and security, managing emotions, and improving the ability to cope with problems. Furthermore, individuals with religious and positive spiritual beliefs promote their social health by acting as social reformers, avoiding anti-social behaviors, strengthening a spirit of cooperation and benevolence, and basing relationships on justice (1).
Given the significance of spirituality and religiosity as crucial components of health and well-being, the role of spiritual health in promoting the tendency toward childbearing and marital satisfaction has been recognized and confirmed. Conversely, childbearing itself may provide an ideal context for enriching one's spirituality. The presence of a child in the family influences various aspects of life, such as tolerance for difficulties and hardships, strengthening family foundations, enhancing human personality, and deepening the spiritual status of the parents (2).
The positive relationship between spiritual health and childbearing can be attributed to the following:
Spiritual well-being, as one of the dimensions of human health, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life and promoting human well-being across various domains. Specifically, it promotes physical health by encouraging healthy lifestyles, avoiding forbidden acts, and fostering patience during illness. It enhances mental health by creating calm and security, managing emotions, and improving the ability to cope with problems. Furthermore, individuals with religious and positive spiritual beliefs promote their social health by acting as social reformers, avoiding anti-social behaviors, strengthening a spirit of cooperation and benevolence, and basing relationships on justice (1).
Given the significance of spirituality and religiosity as crucial components of health and well-being, the role of spiritual health in promoting the tendency toward childbearing and marital satisfaction has been recognized and confirmed. Conversely, childbearing itself may provide an ideal context for enriching one's spirituality. The presence of a child in the family influences various aspects of life, such as tolerance for difficulties and hardships, strengthening family foundations, enhancing human personality, and deepening the spiritual status of the parents (2).
The positive relationship between spiritual health and childbearing can be attributed to the following:
- Reduced anxiety and stress: spiritual health assists individuals in managing the anxiety and stress associated with childbearing. Spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, and participation in religious communities can help reduce stress hormone levels and increase a sense of calm. This is particularly crucial during pregnancy and postpartum periods, when parents face numerous challenges (3).
- Increased resilience: spiritual health is a predictor of resilience. Individuals who possess high spiritual well-being are generally more resistant to life's challenges and problems. Parents with high spiritual health find meaning in hardships, viewing the difficulties of childbearing as part of a greater journey. Moreover, spiritually healthy parents can serve as role models for their children, teaching them how to face and overcome problems (4).
- Strengthened family relationships: spiritual health is associated with fostering healthy and intimate relationships among family members, life satisfaction, and happiness. Individuals with high spiritual well-being have the ability to empathize and understand the feelings of others. This trait helps them treat their family members with greater kindness and patience, resulting in warmer and more intimate relationships (5).
Spiritual health plays a vital role in promoting childbearing and ensuring population rejuvenation. To achieve this goal, it is suggested that measures be implemented to promote spiritual health in society. These actions include providing educational and cultural programs at various societal levels and utilizing media platforms to propagate spiritual concepts. For instance, programs with positive and valuable content that teach spiritual principles and ethical values to parents can increase general knowledge and awareness regarding the importance of spirituality in childbearing.
Supporting families is another key strategy. Providing counseling and supportive services to families, alongside economic incentives and facilities, can play an effective role in encouraging childbearing. Furthermore, promoting a spiritual lifestyle through encouraging activities such as prayer, meditation, and good deeds, as well as establishing suitable role models of this lifestyle in society, will significantly contribute to enhancing spiritual health and, consequently, increasing childbearing rates.
To gain a deeper understanding of the connection between spiritual health and childbearing, researchers in future studies can investigate several key areas. First, the impact of spiritual health promotion programs on childbearing decision-making should be explored; this research could greatly assist in designing effective interventions to support couples who are hesitant about having children. Second, the effect of maternal spiritual health on infant mental health requires precise investigation, including studying this impact during pregnancy and postpartum during the initial months of the infant's life. Third, the relationship between couples' spiritual health and success in infertility treatment is another vital area; this research could help identify factors that contribute to the success of infertility treatment and lead to the provision of better supportive services for couples. Finally, the role of spiritually based social support groups on childbearing experience should also be examined; this research would assess the impact of participating in these groups on reducing stress and increasing satisfaction with the childbearing experience in postpartum mothers.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Supporting families is another key strategy. Providing counseling and supportive services to families, alongside economic incentives and facilities, can play an effective role in encouraging childbearing. Furthermore, promoting a spiritual lifestyle through encouraging activities such as prayer, meditation, and good deeds, as well as establishing suitable role models of this lifestyle in society, will significantly contribute to enhancing spiritual health and, consequently, increasing childbearing rates.
To gain a deeper understanding of the connection between spiritual health and childbearing, researchers in future studies can investigate several key areas. First, the impact of spiritual health promotion programs on childbearing decision-making should be explored; this research could greatly assist in designing effective interventions to support couples who are hesitant about having children. Second, the effect of maternal spiritual health on infant mental health requires precise investigation, including studying this impact during pregnancy and postpartum during the initial months of the infant's life. Third, the relationship between couples' spiritual health and success in infertility treatment is another vital area; this research could help identify factors that contribute to the success of infertility treatment and lead to the provision of better supportive services for couples. Finally, the role of spiritually based social support groups on childbearing experience should also be examined; this research would assess the impact of participating in these groups on reducing stress and increasing satisfaction with the childbearing experience in postpartum mothers.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Type of Study: Letter to Editor |
Subject:
Reproductive Psycology
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