Varieties of Religious and Spiritual Struggles by Type of Mental Disorder: A Qualitative Approach.
Psychopathology January 1, 2024 Joke C Van Nieuw Amerongen-Meeuse, Arjan W Braam, Gerlise Westerbroek et al.
Religious and spiritual struggles appear in distinct patterns across different psychiatric diagnoses. In a qualitative study of 34 patients in two clinical mental health care institutions, those with depression experienced isolation, guilt, and a lack of positive religious experiences. Patients with anxiety or cluster C disorders showed uncertainty toward God and reluctance to engage religiously. People with psychotic disorders had intense religious experiences but mistrusted health professionals and were reticent to share them. Bipolar patients struggled to interpret their experiences and felt both drawn to and distanced from religion.