Factors Influencing Nursing Students' Attitudes and Career Interests in Mental Health Nursing - An Integrative Review.

Religion is a central aspect of identity for many individuals worldwide, influencing values, coping strategies and meaning‐making processes (Koenig, ). In clinical settings, clients' religious beliefs can play a pivotal role in shaping their experiences of psychological distress and engagement with therapy (Dubey et al., ). However, despite growing recognition of the importance of culturally and spiritually competent care, research indicates that religion is often minimised, overlooked or excluded in therapeutic contexts (Istratii & Ali, ; Trusty et al., ). For clients for whom faith is integral, this omission may result in feelings of invisibility, disempowerment and dissatisfaction with psychological services, ultimately affecting therapeutic engagement and outcomes (Shafan‐Azhar et al., ). Within mental health research, much attention has been given to therapists' perspectives on integrating religion into therapy (Pargament & Mahoney, ). Studies have highlighted barriers such as lack of training, fear of imposing personal beliefs or uncertainty about ethical boundaries (Islam & Chadwick ; Currier et al., ). However, comparatively little research has explored the clients' perspectives on how religion could be better integrated into therapy or why they perceive it is frequently excluded. This gap is particularly evident for minority religious populations, such as Muslims, whose experiences are shaped not only by general challenges in therapy but also by the broader socio‐cultural context, including experiences of discrimination, stereotyping and religious misunderstanding (Mahmud, ). Emerging evidence suggests that clients are not passive recipients of therapy; they actively evaluate and interpret therapeutic processes and often have clear ideas about what might facilitate or hinder the inclusion of their religious identity (Knox et al., ). Understanding these perspectives is critical, both ethically and clinically, to support culturally responsive practice. Moreover, including clients' voices directly in research addresses a long‐standing critique of psychotherapy literature, which has historically privileged the therapist's perspective (Levitt et al., ). By focusing on clients' lived experiences, research can illuminate practical strategies for improving therapy, foster therapeutic alliance and reduce the risk of inadvertent marginalisation.