Spirituality and religion in outpatients with schizophrenia: a multi-site comparative study of Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the importance of spirituality and religious coping among outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder living in three countries.


METHODS
A total of 276 outpatients (92 from Geneva, Switzerland, 121 from Trois-Rivières, Canada, and 63 from Durham, North Carolina), aged 18-65, were administered a semi-structured interview on the role of spirituality and religiousness in their lives and to cope with their illness.


RESULTS
Religion is important for outpatients in each of the three country sites, and religious involvement is higher than in the general population. Religion was helpful (i.e., provided a positive sense of self and positive coping with the illness) among 87% of the participants and harmful (a source of despair and suffering) among 13%. Helpful religion was associated with better social, clinical and psychological status. The opposite was observed for the harmful aspects of religion. In addition, religion sometimes conflicted with psychiatric treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder often use spirituality and religion to cope with their illness, basically positively, yet sometimes negatively. These results underscore the importance of clinicians taking into account the spiritual and religious lives of patients with schizophrenia.
Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland. sylvia.mohr@hcuge.ch
Sylvia
S
Mohr
Laurence
L
Borras
Jennifer
J
Nolan
Christiane
C
Gillieron
Pierre-Yves
PY
Brandt
Ariel
A
Eytan
Claude
C
Leclerc
Nader
N
Perroud
Kathryn
K
Whetten
Carl
C
Pieper
Harold G
HG
Koenig
Philippe
P
Huguelet
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002170:Canada; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012917:Social Adjustment; D029181:Spirituality; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents