title: Religiousness and spirituality in patients with bipolar disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Religiousness and spirituality (R/S) are often neglected features among psychiatric patients but important both for quality of life and coping strategies for mental disorders. In patients affected by bipolar disorder (BD), R/S can sometimes be confused with symptoms related to the psychiatric disorder. This study aimed to perform a clinical review of the relationship between R/S and BD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data sources included Medline (OvidSP), CINAHL (Ebsco), EMBASE (Ovid), PsychINFO (Ebsco), Angeline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Database of Abstract of Reviews of Effects, searching for pertinent Keywords: 'religiousness', 'spirituality' and 'bipolar disorder'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine works were found but only five used homogeneous samples with BD patients. R/S were important when facing symptoms and relapses in the lifeworld. These beliefs influenced the relationship with psychiatrists and spiritual figures of reference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  R/S play a role as a psychosocial variable in the course of BD. However, the hypothesis that the R/S factor can be relevant both in terms of providing a protective effect as well as a provocative element in depressive or hypomanic phases was not fully supported at the moment.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University 'Magna Graecia' , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Fazio
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University 'Magna Graecia' , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaetano
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University 'Magna Graecia' , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Mariarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caroleo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University 'Magna Graecia' , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cerminara
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University 'Magna Graecia' , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.affiliation: b Department of Social Health Sciences , Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Cordoba , Cordoba , Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jaén Moreno
authors.affiliation: b Department of Social Health Sciences , Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Cordoba , Cordoba , Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Josè
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moreno Díaz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Social Health Sciences , Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Cordoba , Cordoba , Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medina León
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , University 'Magna Graecia' , Catanzaro , Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Segura-García
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: Religiousness; bipolar disorder; spirituality