How psychiatrists think about religious and spiritual beliefs in clinical practice: findings from a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Objective:To examine the relationship between psychiatrists’ religious/spiritual beliefs and their attitudes regarding religion and spirituality in clinical practice.Methods:A cross-sectional survey of religion/spirituality (R/S) in clinical practice was conducted with 121 psychiatrists from the largest academic hospital complex in Brazil.Results:When asked about their R/S beliefs, participants were more likely to consider themselves as spiritual rather than religious. A total of 64.2% considered their religious beliefs to influence their clinical practice and 50% reported that they frequently enquired about their patients’ R/S. The most common barriers to approaching patients’ religiosity were: lack of time (27.4%), fear of exceeding the role of the doctor (25%), and lack of training (19.1%). Those who were less religious or spiritual were also less likely to find difficulties in addressing a patient’s R/S.Conclusion:Differences in psychiatrists’ religious and spiritual beliefs are associated with different attitudes concerning their approach to R/S. The results suggest that medical practice may lead to a religious conflict among devout psychiatrists, making them question their faith. Training might be of importance for handling R/S in clinical practice and for raising awareness about potential evaluative biases in the assessment of patients’ religiosity.

Patterns of religiosity and spirituality of psychiatrists in Brazil and the implications for clinical practice: a latent profile analysis

“…In the initial phase, 3.120 psychiatrists from the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP) were selected and invited to complete a questionnaire on R/S and psychiatric practice (a more detailed description can be found in Menegatti-Chequini et al [ 37 ]. In the second phase, 121 psychiatrists were selected, working at the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine teaching hospital (IPq-HC-FMUSP), who were also invited to answer the questionnaire (see detailed description in Menegatti-Chequini et al [ 38 ]. For the present study, samples were gathered from the ABP (484 psychiatrists already analysed in an earlier study [ 37 ], plus 35 psychiatrists who responded subsequently) and the IPQ (84 psychiatrists), excluding 11 individuals who were in both samples.…”

“…In Brazil, we performed two studies with the aim of ascertaining the religious/spiritual profiles of psychiatrists and investigating the field of work of these professionals in terms of the religious/spiritual issues of their patients. The first study [ 37 ] was conducted on a sample of psychiatrists from the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP), representing the population of psychiatrists practicing in Brazil, while the second [ 38 ] was carried out using a sample of psychiatrists working in the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine teaching hospital (IPq-HC-FMUSP), reflecting the thoughts and behaviors of the professionals working in one of the most important center for the practice, research and learning of psychiatry in Brazil.…”

Spirituality and Health in Brazil: A Survey Snapshot of Research Groups

“…The gynecologist's statement represents some Brazilian healthcare professionals' understanding of the relationship between spirituality, religion, and health. Such an understanding likely results from a lack of training on the adequate integration of spirituality in healthcare, as some Brazilian researchers have pointed out (Costa et al 2010;Lucchetti et al 2012Lucchetti et al , 2013Cavalheiro and Falcke 2014;Esperandio and Machado 2018;Menegatti-Chequini et al 2019).…”

Relação Entre Medicina E Espiritualidade/Religiosidade: Impacto No Processo De Adoecimento

“…No âmbito da ciência, cujas concepções são mecanicistas e racionalistas, há uma tendência à desvalorização do que não pode ser previsto, mensurado ou controlado pela razão e tecnologia. No entanto, a relação entre espiritualidade e medicina existe desde seus primórdios, e recentemente, vários estudos demonstram que pacientes que têm algum tipo de fé, seja ela religiosa ou não, costumam ter melhoria do bem-estar, sentimentos de significado e paz, reduções nas taxas de suicídio, depressão, ansiedade e abuso de substâncias, além de maior capacidade de enfrentamento do que aqueles céticos, havendo uma relação positiva da espiritualidade com saúde física e mental (MENEGATTI-CHEQUINI et al, 2019).…”

“…Além disso, as evidências mostram que grande parte dos médicos considera importante integrar tais tópicos em sua prática, porém encontram dificuldades na abordagem dos mesmos com seus pacientes, devido à falta de tempo e à falta de treinamento adequado (MENEGATTI-CHEQUINI et al, 2019). Entretanto, há ainda aqueles que consideram irrelevante, ou não consideram tal assunto como dentro de seu papel ou escopo como médicos (ABDULLA; HOSSAIN; BARLA, 2019).…”