Presentation Information
[SY-101-03]The interplay of schizophrenia and religion
*Philippe Huguelet (Geneva University Hospitals(Switzerland))
Keywords:
Schizophrenia,Religion,Delusion,Meaning making
Religion influences the clinical presentation and course of schizophrenia in relation to at least two aspects : 1) religious delusions and 2) the explanation that patients have for their disorder (i.e., meaning making).
1) Delusions with religious content have been associated with a poorer prognosis in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, positive religious coping is common in this population and is linked to better outcomes. In our research, patients with religious delusions did not present with more severe clinical symptoms compared to other deluded patients, but they were less likely to adhere to psychiatric treatment. The main delusional themes included persecution (by malevolent spiritual entities), influence (being controlled by spiritual entities), and self-significance (delusions of sin/guilt or grandiose delusions). Using qualitative methods, we identified three major themes in religious delusions: “spiritual identity,” “meaning of illness,” and “spiritual figures.”
2) The concept of meaning-making reflects the human tendency to search for explanations when facing stressful events (e.g., experiencing psychosis or the COVID-19 pandemic). Research has shown that meaning-making can influence resilience. It often includes a religious component (e.g., interpreting a mental disorder as punishment or a test from God). We recently studied two populations of psychiatric outpatients—in Geneva, Switzerland, and in an ultra-Orthodox community in Israel—within the context of COVID-19. We assessed religious coping, meaning in life, and religiosity. The Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish patients were significantly more religious than the Swiss participants. Divine explanations were common in both groups, yet they did not hinder acceptance of medical treatment—particularly among the ultra-Orthodox patients.
In treating patients with schizophrenia, clinicians should assess the role of religion, which may sometimes involve stigma, by considering how delusions and meaning-making interact with patients’ clinical and cultural contexts.
1) Delusions with religious content have been associated with a poorer prognosis in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, positive religious coping is common in this population and is linked to better outcomes. In our research, patients with religious delusions did not present with more severe clinical symptoms compared to other deluded patients, but they were less likely to adhere to psychiatric treatment. The main delusional themes included persecution (by malevolent spiritual entities), influence (being controlled by spiritual entities), and self-significance (delusions of sin/guilt or grandiose delusions). Using qualitative methods, we identified three major themes in religious delusions: “spiritual identity,” “meaning of illness,” and “spiritual figures.”
2) The concept of meaning-making reflects the human tendency to search for explanations when facing stressful events (e.g., experiencing psychosis or the COVID-19 pandemic). Research has shown that meaning-making can influence resilience. It often includes a religious component (e.g., interpreting a mental disorder as punishment or a test from God). We recently studied two populations of psychiatric outpatients—in Geneva, Switzerland, and in an ultra-Orthodox community in Israel—within the context of COVID-19. We assessed religious coping, meaning in life, and religiosity. The Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jewish patients were significantly more religious than the Swiss participants. Divine explanations were common in both groups, yet they did not hinder acceptance of medical treatment—particularly among the ultra-Orthodox patients.
In treating patients with schizophrenia, clinicians should assess the role of religion, which may sometimes involve stigma, by considering how delusions and meaning-making interact with patients’ clinical and cultural contexts.