Believing in Psychiatry.

Believing always plays a role in psychiatry and in mental healthcare in general not only in patients but also in psychiatrists. It is part of how they relate to the illness, as far as the patients are concerned, and to the profession, as far as the psychiatrists are concerned. Both are driven by stories that not just are helpful in meaningmaking, but that wield also power for better or for worse. This contribution is no more and no less intended as a wake-up call to get a dialogue ongoing.

Declaración de la posición de la WPA sobre la espiritualidad y la religión en la psiquiatría / WPA Position Statement on Spirituality and Religion in Psychiatry

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Psiquiatría y religión: La Asociación Mundial de Psiquiatría más allá de los límites / Psychiatry and Religion: World Psychiatric Association Beyond Boundaries

Objetivo. Este artículo reflejará la relevancia de las discusiones sobre "Religión y ciencia" para la Asociación Mundial de Psiquiatría (AMP). La reflexión sobre este tema aún no ha comenzado, a pesar de la publicación por parte de la AMP del manual ‘Religion and Psychiatry: Beyond Boundaries’, emprendido por la sección de religión, espiritualidad y psiquiatría de la AMP. Discurso. Siguiendo el modelo propuesto por el filósofo de religión y ética holandés Willem Drees, se enunciarán y discutirán dos afirmaciones: 5. La AMP, representando la psiquiatría mundial, necesita cambiar su posición en relación a la religión y la espiritualidad. Se debe hacer yendo más allá de las constricciones científicas de mente estrecha como las reduccionistas o materialistas.6. La psiquiatría y la religión no deben considerarse adversarias, oponiéndose una a la otra, sino aliadas contra la superstición y el sin sentido. Conclusión. La frontera entre religión (y espiritualidad) y la práctica de la Psiquiatría cada vez es más porosa. Los psiquiatras no pueden esconderse mucho más tiempo detrás del rechazo a las creencias religiosas como patológicas o detrás del cientificismo biomédico en un mundo globalizado de múltiples fes y culturas. En consecuencia, hay una razón importante para enlazar ‘religión y ciencia’ más allá de los viejos conflictos. Esta razón podría ser la persistencia de supersticiones y sinsentidos (religiosas y científicas)(AU)

Objective. This paper will reflect on the significance of the discussions on ‘Religion and Science’ for the World Reflection on this topic has not even started yet despite the publication of a WPA handbook on ‘Religion and Psychiatry: Beyond Boundaries’, started up by the WPA Section of Religion, Spirituality and Psychiatry. Discourse. Following the model proposed by the Dutch philosopher of Religion and Ethics Willem Drees, two statements will be formulated and discussed: 1. The WPA, indeed representing world psychiatry, needs to change its position toward religion and spirituality. It should do so by crossing narrow minded scientific boundaries like reductionist and materialistic boundaries. 2. Psychiatry and religion should not be regarded as opposing adversaries against each other, but as allies against superstition and nonsense. Conclusion. The boundary between religion (and spirituality) and the practice of psychiatry is becoming increasingly porous. No longer can psychiatrists in a multifaith, multi-cultural, globalized world hide behind the dismissal of religious belief as pathological, or behind biomedical scientism. Consequently, there is a far more important reason for engaging in ‘Religion and Science’ than the outdated conflicts. That reason would be the persistence of (religious and scientific) superstition and nonsense(AU)

Controversy or consensus? Recommendations for psychiatrists on psychiatry, religion and spirituality.

OBJECTIVE: Although there is still a lot of controversy surrounding the debates on religion and psychiatry, working toward consensus based on clinical experience and research seems to be far more fruitful. DISCOURSE: The main idea in this contribution runs as follows. It is no longer appropriate to treat psychiatry and religion as enemies. It is argued here that they are in fact allies. This position is elucidated in the light of two statements. (1) The World Psychiatric Association, indeed representing world psychiatry, needs to change its position toward religion and psychiatry. It should do so by crossing narrow-minded scientific boundaries like reductionist and materialistic boundaries. (2) Science and religion should not be regarded as opposing adversaries against each other, but as allies against nonsense and superstition. CONCLUSION: Two recommendations are formulated. First, science-and-religion, and in our case psychiatry-and-religion, is not purely about description based on gathering evidence, systematic empirical testing and mathematical modeling. We need an approach of both descriptive and prescriptive aspects of our daily reality, not only how our world is, but also how it should be. Secondly, science-and-religion, in our case psychiatry-and-religion as allies should formulate sensible criteria and develop an appropriate attitude to discernment based on intellectual, moral and spiritual sincerity.

The case for more effective relationships between psychiatry, religion and spirituality.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to highlight that the indifferent, undecided, and rarely positive attitude of psychiatrists toward the relationship between psychiatry, religion and spirituality stands in contradiction to extensive data. RECENT FINDINGS: The evidence reveals a largely positive relationship between religiosity/spirituality and different indices of health. Despite the attitude of psychiatrists in general, the neglect of this fact is difficult to justify. However, religious and spiritual beliefs are powerful forces and may impart harmful as well as beneficial effects. SUMMARY: Whatever disagreements there might be on definition and use, spirituality and religion are concerned with the core beliefs, values and experiences of human beings. A consideration of their relevance should, therefore, be a central part of clinical and academic psychiatry.