Spirituality matters: creating a time and place for hope.

Individuals with serious psychiatric disabilities may become demoralized or hopeless consequent to longstanding disability and stigma. Potential antidotes are social support from the religious community and use of personal spiritual resources as coping mechanisms. The "Spirituality Matters Group" offers comfort and hope through structured and innovative exercises focusing on spiritual beliefs and coping. Activities facilitate verbal expression and appropriate social interaction, and build a sense of community. Activities and themes from selected group sessions are discussed within a recovery-oriented "emotion-focused coping" framework.