Breakfast With God: A Multidisciplinary Collaboration for Children’s Psycho-Spiritual Needs During COVID-19

Abstract

Objective: This paper presents a collaborative effort among professionals from various fields, including clinical child psychology, early childhood and higher education, and marketing and communication, to address the psycho-spiritual needs of children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines a model for collaboration aimed at addressing psychosocial and spiritual aspects of childcare and serves as a framework for studying spiritual development. Methods: We provide empirical and theoretical grounding for our study and detail the development of the “Breakfast with God” (BWG) intervention at the onset of the pandemic. Qualitative analysis involved iterative rounds of open and axial coding, analyzing feedback from parents via surveys, private communication, and prayers voiced during BWG episodes. Results: The BWG program serves as a compelling case study, demonstrating how a diverse team addressed psycho-spiritual needs during the pandemic. Analysis revealed high parental satisfaction and positive outcomes in spiritual coping, community building, and psycho-spiritual education. Conclusions: This paper illustrates the resilience of communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing the power of collaborative efforts such as the BWG initiative. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing the holistic well-being of individuals, particularly children, during crises.

Implications for Impact Statement

The study highlights the transformative potential of collaborative efforts between psychologists and faith communities in addressing psycho-spiritual needs during crises like COVID-19. The BWG initiative offers promising implications for clinical practice and underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and resilience in fostering holistic support systems for vulnerable populations.

Keywords

religion spirituality psychospiritual Catholic Spiritual coping children spirituality

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