Religious Delusions in a Xhosa Schizophrenia Population.
Here, we assessed for the first time the frequency of religious delusions and the effect of treatment on religiosity and the phenomena of religious delusions in a Xhosa schizophrenia population. Religious delusions were present in 42 (70%) participants, and treatment significantly reduced religiosity (p = 0.02) as well as mean scores for certain phenomena associated with the delusions including changes in both thinking (p = 0.0001) and behaviour (p = 0.0001), as well as affective response to the delusion (p = 0.0001) The high frequency of religious delusions may indicate a higher tolerance for religious delusions in this community. It is therefore important to educate spiritual leaders on mental illness.
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 19063, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa.
Alida
A
Connell
Liezl
L
Koen
Dana
D
Niehaus
Karen J
KJ
Cloete
Esme
E
Jordaan
Ulla
U
Botha
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003702:Delusions / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013019:South Africa