Religious Delusions in a Xhosa Schizophrenia Population (original) (raw)
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Psychological characteristics of religious delusions
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2013
Purpose Religious delusions are common and are considered to be particularly difficult to treat. In this study we investigated what psychological processes may underlie the reported treatment resistance. In particular, we focused on the perceptual, cognitive, affective and behavioural mechanisms held to maintain delusions in cognitive models of psychosis, as these form the key treatment targets in cognitive behavioural therapy. We compared religious delusions to delusions with other content. Methods Comprehensive measures of symptoms and psychological processes were completed by 383 adult participants with delusions and a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis, drawn from two large studies of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis. Results Binary logistic regression showed that religious delusions were associated with higher levels of grandiosity (OR 7.5; 95 % CI 3.9-14.1), passivity experiences, having internal evidence for their delusion (anomalous experiences or mood states), and being willing to consider alternatives to their delusion (95 % CI for ORs 1.1-8.6). Levels of negative symptoms were lower. No differences were found in delusional conviction, insight or attitudes towards treatment. Conclusions Levels of positive symptoms, particularly anomalous experiences and grandiosity, were high, and may contribute to symptom persistence. However, contrary to previous reports, we found no evidence that people with religious delusions would be less likely to engage in any form of help. Higher levels of flexibility may make them particularly amenable to cognitive behavioural approaches, but particular care should be taken to preserve self-esteem and valued aspects of beliefs and experiences.
A Thematic Analysis of Delusion With Religious Contents in Schizophrenia
Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 2013
The aim of the present study was to elicit how patients with delusions with religious contents conceptualized or experienced their spirituality and religiousness. Sixty-two patients with present or past religious delusions went through semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using the three coding steps described in the grounded theory. Three major themes were found in religious delusions: ''spiritual identity,'' ''meaning of illness,'' and ''spiritual figures.'' One higher-order concept was found: ''structure of beliefs.'' We identified dynamics that put these personal beliefs into a constant reconstruction through interaction with the world and others (i.e., open dynamics) and conversely structural dynamics that created a complete rupture with the surrounding world and others (i.e., closed structural dynamics); those dynamics may coexist. These analyses may help to identify psychological functions of delusions with religious content and, therefore, to better conceptualize interventions when dealing with it in psychotherapy.
Religious content of hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia
Psychiatria Danubina, 2012
Different environmental factors are thought to be responsible for 15-20% of schizophrenia pathogenesis. Religion has long been considered a major force in human life, regardless of economic, social or political affiliation. How the perception of religion has changed over time, especially in the context of mental illness, was the focal point of this long-term comparative study. A random selection of 100 case histories from the years 1932, 1952, 1972 and 1992 was selected. By reviewing the subject history and medical notes, information on the presence of religious hallucinations and/or delusions were collected and grouped. Religious topics were demonstrated in 46.8% of the test population. Whereas there was a clear diversity of religious-themed delusions, "God", "Christ", "Mary", "Satan/devil" and "hell" all figured prominently across all reviewed years. There is a progressive decrease in the number of religious topics in paranoid schi...
Phenomenology of delusions and hallucinations in schizophrenia by religious convictions
Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 2010
Şizofreni hastalarında sanrı ve varsanıların fenomenolojisi Giriş: Bu çalışmada şizofreni hastalarından oluşan 2 ayrı grup üzerinde şizofrenide rastlanan sanrı ve varsanıların fenomenolojisi üzerine farklı coğrafik bölgelerde yaşamanın etkilerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Metod: Hasta grubu, Türkiye'nin 3 ayrı psikiyatri hastanesinde yatarak tedavi edilen toplam 373 kişiden oluşmaktadır. Bu hastaların sanrıları Huber ve Gross tarafindan geliştirilen sınıflama sistemi kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Hastalar yaşadıkları bölgeler göz önüne alınarak kategorize edildi. 1. Grup Türkiye'nin Batı Bölgesini (Marmara Bölgesi), 2. Grup ise Türkiye'nin Orta Bölgesi'ni (İç Anadolu ve İç Ege Bölgesi) temsil etmektedir. Sonuçlar: Her iki cinsiyet ve grupta en sık olarak referans ve perseküsyon sanrıları saptanmıştır. Zehirlenme ve erotomanik sanrı kadınlarda erkeklerden daha sık görülmüştür. En yaygın işitsel varsanıları dinsel inançla ilgili ve telkinde bulunan sesleri içermektedir. Cinleri görmek en yaygın görsel halüsinasyon temalarındandır. Tartışma: Sonuçlar, bir ülkede ikamet edilen coğrafi bölge ile sanrı ve varsanıların içeriği arasında bir ilişkiye işaret etmektedir. Her ne kadar kültürel ve çevresel faktörler, sanrı ve varsanıların fenomenolojisinde önemli ise de; yaşanılan coğrafik bölge de bu bağlamda büyük bir önem arzetmektedir.
Journal of Religion and Health, 2013
The association between global functionality and religiosity among patients from developing and predominantly Catholic countries warrants attention. To compare religiosity and psychosocial functioning in Mexican schizophrenia patients with and without a history of religious delusions, seventy-four patients with paranoid schizophrenia were recruited. Patients with a history of religious delusions had more psychiatric hospitalizations and poorer psychosocial functioning compared with those without a history of religious delusions. No differences emerged between groups in the total scores of religiosity scales. A history of religious delusions rather than religiosity itself may have an influence on psychosocial functioning among Mexican patients with schizophrenia.
Religion, spirituality, and psychosis
This review discusses the relationships between religion, spirituality, and psychosis. Based on the DSM-IV, we comment on the concept of spiritual and religious problems, which, although they may seem to be psychotic episodes, are actually manifestations of nonpathological spiritual and religious experiences. Studies reporting that hallucinations also occur in the nonclinical population and thus are not exclusive to the diagnosed population are presented. Then, other studies pointing to the strong presence of religious content in psychotic patients are also presented. Finally, the criteria that could be used to make a differential diagnosis between healthy spiritual experiences and mental disorders of religious content are discussed. We conclude that the importance of this theme and the lack of quality investigations point to the necessity of further investigation.