Psychiatrists Correlate Spirituality and Religion With Health

December 15, 2007 - In a recent study conducted through Chicago University's School of Medicine, survey data shows the divide between psychiatry and religion to be narrowing. Published in the December issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, the report shows that despite the fact that psychiatrists tend to be less religious than other physicians, they are more open and comfortable with addressing religious and spiritual issues with their patients than non-psychiatric physicians.

In the survey, 100 psychiatrists and 1,044 non-psychiatric physicians were asked whether they believe religion and spirituality has a positive or negative impact on one's health, and how often negative feelings of guilt and anxiety could be attributed to the religion or spirituality of their patients.

The results showed that 46% of the surveyed psychiatrists said their patients often mentioned spiritual and religious issues, compared to 23% of non-psychiatric physicians. 93% of psychiatrists said they find it appropriate to ask their patients about their spiritual life, and that 87% said they actually do inquire in this regard. Half as much non-psychiatric physicians said the same.

About 21% of psychiatrists said they believed religion and spirituality to have an equally positive and negative impact in the lives of their patients, while the vast majority said that religion and spirituality tend to have a generally positive influence on health. 82% of all physicians said that spirituality and religion are prone to cause negative emotions, such as anxiety and guilt. Again, half as many non-psychiatric physicians felt the same.

The most alarming statistic of all was that only 44% of psychiatrists and 14% of other physicians say they even inquire about religious and spiritual issues with patients suffering from depression and/or anxiety. Perhaps physicians find it "out of their place" to inquire in such matters, or that it is a touchy topic that should be left to each individual.

Well, if you ask me, the medical profession should be taking a much closer look at the correlation between spirituality, religion and health. It would especially be nice if more non-psychiatric physicians inquired about the way in which their patients see the world around them, as well as how they see themselves fitting within the world. Although this won't diagnose every case, if it can inspire more patients to face their illnesses with positivity, there certainly would be quicker and more frequent recoveries, not to mention a better overall quality of life.

The fact that the nature of our thoughts has a direct impact on the chemical component of our physical body should be enough to sway even the most cynical of doctors. Psychiatrists who witness the effects of religion and spirituality (both "good" and "bad") even speak of the power that religion and spirituality has in the lives of its practitioners. In other words, the phrase "you are what you think", or more aptly put, "you are what you believe", is certainly being given more weight by the medical profession this day and age.

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