Leanne Watkins offers a reflective case study in which the intervention of a chaplain helped a woman with mental health problems deal with self-harm

Research suggests there is a positive correlation between addressing some patients’ spiritual needs and the outcomes of their care. This article describes a case study in which a patient with mental health problems who frequently re-attended an emergency department (ED) sought spiritual support from a hospital chaplain. The patient was referred to a charitable organisation that offers spiritual care and her re-attendance at the ED has become less frequent.