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Religious faith after psychotic illness
1Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK. kirov@cardiff.ac.uk
Psychopathology
|September 8, 1998
Summary
Psychotic illness often strengthens religious faith and increases its importance for patients. Many use religion for coping, leading to better illness insight and medication adherence.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Sociology of Religion
Background:
- Religion frequently holds significance in the lives of individuals experiencing psychiatric conditions.
- The interplay between psychosis and religious beliefs warrants further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the frequency of changes in religious faith strength due to psychotic illness.
- To determine the commonality of using religion as a coping mechanism for psychosis.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 52 consecutively admitted psychiatric patients diagnosed with psychosis were interviewed.
- Interviews focused on patients' religious beliefs and their relationship with the illness post-admission.
Main Results:
- 69.4% of patients identified as religious, with 22.4% considering religion paramount.
- 30.4% reported an increase in religiousness after the onset of their psychotic illness.
- 61.2% utilized religion for coping, correlating with better illness insight and antipsychotic compliance.
Conclusions:
- Psychotic illness experiences are associated with an increase in religious beliefs.
- Religion serves as a common coping strategy for patients with psychosis.
- Strong religious beliefs are linked to improved patient outcomes in psychosis management.