A presença ignorada da espiritualidade nas práticas organizacionais de cuidadores de pessoas idosas

Abstract

This study aim to understand the possible repercussions of the relationship between spirituality in the workplace and the quality of life of formal caregivers of older adults. The study is theoretically grounded in the contributions of Workplace Spirituality and Logotherapy, especially regarding the search for meaning, values, and subjective support in the face of suffering at work. It is an integrative literature review conducted through searches in the SciELO, PubMed, and CAPES Periodicals databases, using the descriptors"spirituality" "work" and "caregivers of older people," combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR. Studies published between 2015 and 2024, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, were considered, resulting in the inclusion of 18 articles for analysis. The findings indicate that spirituality has been approached as a dimension related to meaning-making, personal values, and subjective support in healthcare work. In dialogue with the Logotherapy perspective, spirituality may favor processes of resignifying suffering and strengthening the meaning of work. It was also associated with aspects such as well-being, coping with stress, and resilience. However, most evidence is concentrated on healthcare professionals in general, with limited focus on formal caregivers of older adults. In addition, the literature tends to emphasize positive aspects of spirituality, with less attention given to its ambivalent dimensions and to the organizational conditions that shape its expression in the workplace. It is concluded that spirituality may constitute a relevant psychosocial resource in the work context, contributing to workers' quality of life, provided that it is considered in conjunction with institutional and organizational conditions. Further studies focusing specifically on formal caregivers of older adults are needed, as well as the development of institutional strategies aimed at promoting workers' well-being. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]