Page - 214 - in Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change

214 Highlights • Spiritual well-being includes relations to self, community, environment and a transcendent other(s). • Spiritual beliefs and practices can foster respect and action for biodiversity. • Few studies empirically examine the effect of biodiversity on spiritual well-being. • Research can benefit from appropriate measures of spiritual well-being and biodiversity. • Research could use existing conceptual frameworks for how nature affects human health. 10.1 Introduction Governments and practice-focused organisations are interested in natural environ- ments as a resource for improving human health and well-being (e.g. World Health Organization [WHO] & Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity [CBD] 2015). Conserving biodiversity is increasingly considered critical for this effort (e.g. Hough 2014; Sandifer  et  al. 2015; CBD 2017a, b). In tandem, scholars and practitioners recognise spiritual well-being as an important dimension of human health (e.g. Chuengsatiansup 2003; McKee and Chappel 1992). This chapter focuses specifically on the beneficial relationships between biodiversity and the spiritual domain of human health and well-being. Our aims are to: (i) examine definitions of spiritual well-being; (ii) provide an overview of relationships between biodiversity and spiritual aspects of well-being; and (iii) develop a conceptual model to inform future research into the effects of biodiversity on spiritual well-being. 10.1.1 Our Approach We conducted a literature review, identifying articles through structured searches and authors’ knowledge of their respective fields. Searches were conducted primar- ily through Scopus and Web of Science and were supplemented by targeted topical sources (ATLA, PsychInfo, SSCI) and commercially available compilations (SpringerLink, JSTOR) alongside Google Scholar. As a starting point, we used defi- nitions of biodiversity, health and spiritual well-being as indicated in Box 10.1. Search terms included combinations of biodiversity, ecology or environment with spirit*, relig*, sacred, faith, well-being, health, meaning, connection, indige- nous or beliefs. Searches were limited by language (English) and publication year (1945–2017). We sought to identify empirical studies whenever possible. Titles and abstracts were reviewed to assess relevance and focus; because of our focus on spiritual well-being (rather than physical health) and relative expertise, we excluded from consideration literature focused on medicinal plants, microbial diversity, economic valuation and environmental justice. When available, we noted research K. N. Irvine et al.