Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry

Although medicine is practised in a secular setting, religious and spiritual issues have an impact on patient perspectives regarding their health and the management of any disorders that may afflict them. This is especially true in psychiatry, as feelings of spirituality and religiousness are very prevalent among the mentally ill. Clinicians are rarely aware of the importance of religion and understand little of its value as a mediating force for coping with mental illness. This book addresses various issues concerning mental illness in psychiatry: the relation of religious issues to mental health; the tension between a theoretical approach to problems and psychiatric approaches; the importance of addressing these varying approaches in patient care and how to do so; and differing ways to approach Christian, Muslim and Buddhist patients.

1. Introduction, key concepts Philippe Huguelet and Harold G. Koenig; 2. Historical considerations Samuel B. Thielman; 3. Theological perspective on the care for patients with psychiatric disorders Joel James Shuman; 4. The Bible: relevant issues for clinicians Armando R. Favazza; 5. Religion and spirituality and neuropsychiatry Nader Perroud; 6. Religion and spirituality and psychosis Philippe Huguelet and Sylvia Mohr; 7. Hallucinations and delusions with religious content Sylvia Mohr and Samuel Pfeifer; 8. Religion and spirituality and mood disorders Arjan W. Braam; 9. Religion and spirituality and substance abuse Alyssa A. Forcehimes and J. Scott Tonigan; 10. Religion and spirituality and anxiety disorders Harold G. Koenig; 11. Religion and spirituality and dissociative disorders Pierre-Yves Brandt and Laurence Borras; 12. Self-identity and religion and spirituality Pierre-Yves Brandt and Sylvia Mohr; 13. Personality disorders Ralph L. Piedmont; 14. Liaison psychiatry Harold G. Koenig; 15. Community psychiatry and religion Marcus M. McKinney; 16. Religious and spiritual assessment in clinical practice Sylvia Mohr and Philippe Huguelet; 17. Therapeutic issues René Hefti; 18. Religion and spirituality and mental illness treatments Laurence Borras and Philippe Huguelet; 19. Psychiatric treatments involving religion: Christian psychotherapy William P. Wilson; 20. Psychiatric treatments involving religion: psychotherapy in an Islamic perspective Sasan Vasegh; 21. Psychiatric treatments involving religion: psychiatric care with Buddhist principles Charles Knapp; 22. Teaching religious and spiritual issues to residents in psychiatry and psychology Elisabeth S. Bowman; 23. Conclusion - summary of what clinicians need to know Philippe Huguelet and Harold G. Koenig.