Attitudes toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Beliefs in Afterlife and Religiosity among Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Theologists.

BACKGROUND

The aim of our study was to investigate the differences in beliefs, attitudes toward CAM, beliefs in afterlife and religiosity among the sample of psychiatrists, psychologists, and theologists. Relationship among these constructs could have impact on the concept of mental health.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Research was conducted in the Split urban area, Croatia, during 2017 on a sample of psychiatrists (n=51), psychologists (n=55), and theologists (n=25). Participants were presented a figure of the human body, which contained numbers identifying eight different regions of the body. Participants were asked to select which region best represents the location of the self, soul, and mind in the body. We used CAIMAQ (The Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire) which contains five subscales. The Afterdeath Beliefs Scale was used to measure the varieties of afterlife beliefs. Analyses showed that applied questionnaires have appropriate reliability and expected factor structure.

RESULTS

The most frequent locations of the Soul were 9 (37%, Not located in any centralized region in the body) and 5 (31% chest), whereas Self and Mind were mostly located in the head (43% and 73%). Psychiatrists and psychologists have average scores on positive pole of CAIMAQ but did not differ significantly (p>0.05). There were statistical differences between theologists and psychologists/psychiatrists on two subscales: "nutritional counseling and dietary/food supplements can be effective in the treatment of pathology" and "attitudes toward a holistic understanding of the disease" (p<0.05). There were significant correlations between religion and three CAIMAQ subscales. Although they were mostly religious, psychiatrists and psychologists had a higher average score on Annihilation than theologists. They also did not believe in body resurrection and connection between behavior during life and after death.

CONCLUSION

The results of our study could have impact on the concept of mental health and in the future must be deeper evaluated within qualitative research methodology.