title: Talking with patients about spirituality and worldview: practical interviewing techniques and strategies.
abstract: Psychiatrists now recognize that religion and spirituality are important to much of the populace and that attending to them probably will improve clinical psychiatric practice. This article presents a practical guide for addressing some of the key interviewing skills needed to explore a patient's framework for meaning-the patient's religion, spirituality, and worldview. It offers guidelines on the process of the interview, including ways to initiate conversation in this area, with suggestions and specific questions for a more thorough exploration of the patient's religious and spiritual life.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, 200 East Chestnut Street, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. allan.josephson@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Allan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Peteet
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods*; D009014:Morals; D012067:Religion; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012649:Self Concept; D029181:Spirituality