The Impact of Spirituality on Psychiatric Treatment Adherence

This study aims to determine the degree to which adult psychiatric outpatients feel conflict between their spiritual views and their psychiatric treatment. A self-administered survey was offered to clinic patients and responses were analyzed. Results showed that psychiatric treatments were associated with religious or spiritual conflicts at 14.4%. Some patients delayed treatment due to spiritual beliefs; others reported "very frequent" conflicts between advice of their spiritual leader and their psychiatrist. The study concluded that psychiatric treatments could be associated with spiritual or religious conflicts that may delay or interfere with treatment; therefore, spiritual concerns should be incorporated into treatment planning.