Are religious delusions related to religiosity in schizophrenia?

Abstract

This article attempts to explore the phenomenology of religious delusions in patients suffering from schizophrenia and to determine parallels between personal religiosity and content of religious delusions. We have studied the content of delusions in patients with schizophrenia looking for religious themes using Fragebogen fur psychotische Symptome (FPS) – a semistructured questionnaire developed by the Cultural Psychiatry International research group in Vienna. A total of 295 patients suffering from schizophrenia participated in this study at Vilnius Mental Health Center in Lithuania, among whom 63.3% reported religious delusions. The most frequent content of religious delusion in women was their belief that they were saints and in men – that they imagined themselves as God. Univariate multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that four factors such asmarital status, birthplace, education, and subjective importance of religion were significantly related to the presence of religious delusions. However, multivariate analyses revealed that marital status (divorced/separated vs. marriedOR (odds ratio)=2.0; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.5) and education (postsecondary education vs. no postsecondary education OR=2.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.9), but not personal religiosity, were independent predictors of the religious delusions. We conclude that the religious content of delusions is not influenced by personal religiosity; it is rather related to marital status and education of schizophrenic patients.

Spiritual and Religious Issues in Psychotherapy with Schizophrenia: Cultural Implications and Implementation

“…Religious delusions were particularly frequent in Catholic individuals with schizophrenia. In another study by the same authors, the sociocultural factors of gender, marital status, and education level revealed differences in religious based delusions [69]. In this study, it was found that men were more likely to describe themselves as Gods while women identified as Saints [69].…”

“…In another study by the same authors, the sociocultural factors of gender, marital status, and education level revealed differences in religious based delusions [69]. In this study, it was found that men were more likely to describe themselves as Gods while women identified as Saints [69]. In this study, married individuals had fewer apocalyptic delusions, and lower levels of education were more predictive of religious based delusions [69].…”

“…In this study, married individuals had fewer apocalyptic delusions, and lower levels of education were more predictive of religious based delusions [69]. It is important for clinicians to be mindful of sociocultural factors in presentation [69] and be able to adapt interventions around issues of religion and spirituality in a culturally sensitive manner [70].…”

Apocalypses et fins de monde : enjeux de santé mentale

“…Les délires apocalyptiques et de fin de monde ont aussi été analysés dans le cadre du diagnostic des troubles mentaux et ont été problématisés dès les débuts de la psychiatrie moderne (De Martis, 1965 ;Rudaleviciene et al, 2008a), en particulier chez les patients souffrant de formes de schizophrénie aux causes encore mal élucidées. Ceux-ci ne semblent plus en contact avec leur environnement et présentent des dysfonctionnements cognitifs (hallucinations visuelles, mais surtout auditives), comportementaux et sociaux souvent associés à des sentiments de persécution exprimés dans des délires.…”

“…Cette convergence entre les deux groupes à cet égard se vérifie de nouveau dans une enquête plus récente (Tateyama et al, 1993). Ces délires peuvent s'accompagner d'idées grandioses et d'identification à des figures religieuses (réincarnation d'archanges, Christ/Messie et à Dieu) (Vardy et Kaplan, 2008 ;Silva et al, 1997), avec des différences de genre : les hommes se déclarant plus significativement être une divinité que les femmes, qui se prenaient plutôt pour des saintes (Rudaleviciene et al, 2008b). Selon des études de cas psychiatriques, des patients souffrant de délires apocalyptiques prétendent ainsi être l'incarnation de l'Antéchrist, comme le rapporte le récit d'un homme de 32 ans, de confession protestante.…”