title: Christianity and Schizophrenia Redux: An Empirical Study.
abstract: This paper explores the relationship among schizophrenia, spirituality, and Christian religiosity. We interviewed 120 patients with schizophrenia and 120 control individuals (74.2 % of individuals with self-reported Christian religions). Patients with schizophrenia showed increases in positive spirituality and decreases in positive congregational support, as measured by the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality. There was no significant difference in Christian religiosity. Higher positive spirituality was predicted by more severe self-disorder, perceptual disorder, and positive clinical symptoms. Schizophrenia patients with religious delusions did not exhibit enhanced Christian beliefs and rituals. These results do not confirm the hypothesis of general hyper-religiosity in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Nyírő Gyula Hospital - National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary. szkeri@cogsci.bme.hu.|Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Egry J. str. 1, Budapest, 1111, Hungary. szkeri@cogsci.bme.hu.|Katharina Schütz Zell Center, Budapest, Hungary. szkeri@cogsci.bme.hu.
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kéri
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kelemen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002835:Christianity; D003702:Delusions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: BMMRS; Basic symptoms; Christianity; Psychotic experiences; Religion; Schizophrenia; Spirituality