University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Grigore T. Popa", 16 Strada Universităţii, 700115 Iasi, Romania,
Psychiatr Danub. 2021 Dec;33(Suppl 13):209-218.
The growing closeness between psychiatry and theology may impact positively the healthcare of the religious psychiatric patients. However, some significant divergences regarding the health care religious methods and the concept and believe in the demonic possession of psychiatric patients continue to shape the relationships between these professionals. While the religions generally admit the demonic or spirit possession as real, the current views of physicians and psychiatric patients are just taken for granted and therefore demands new investigations. In this study, we have performed a targeted survey on this subject.
The survey was based on a questionnaire addressed to 216 psychiatrists and 201 non-psychiatrists, and 408 psychiatric patients. For physicians, the questionnaire was randomized sent to hospitals in Romania. The patients received the questionnaire on paper. Except for patients with dementia and those in the acute phase of a psychiatric illness, all psychiatric disorders available at the time of the investigation were randomized included in the study.
The results showed that about 20% of physicians and 60% of psychiatric patients considered that demonic possession might be associated to a psychiatric illness, while the later would like a priest in the therapeutic team (89.4%, CI: 0.86-0.92). In addition, the psychiatrists declared a lower attendance of religious services, although the majority would accept a priest in the therapeutic team (p>0.05, CI: 0.61-0.70).
These findings invite to a more practical collaboration between psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and theologians/priests with training in psychiatry for a more integrative mental care of the religious psychiatric patients. The results call as well for more efficient practical solutions for psychiatric patients, raise awareness towards the personal religious needs and critical beliefs of such patients, and finally might narrow the gap of the controversy between psychiatrists, non-psychiatrists, psychologists and theologians/priests on the addressed issues.
精神病学和神学之间日益密切的关系可能会对有宗教信仰的精神病患者的医疗保健产生积极影响。然而，一些关于宗教医疗方法以及精神病患者的恶魔附身概念和信仰的重大分歧，继续影响着这些专业人员之间的关系。虽然宗教普遍承认恶魔或精神附身是真实存在的，但目前医生和精神病患者的观点只是被视为理所当然的，因此需要新的调查。在这项研究中，我们对此进行了针对性调查。
该调查基于一项针对 216 名精神科医生和 201 名非精神科医生以及 408 名精神病患者的问卷。对于医生，问卷随机发送到罗马尼亚的医院。患者收到纸质问卷。除痴呆症患者和精神病急性发作期间的患者外，调查时所有可用的精神障碍均随机纳入研究。
结果表明，约 20%的医生和 60%的精神病患者认为恶魔附身可能与精神疾病有关，而后者希望在治疗团队中加入一名牧师（89.4%，置信区间：0.86-0.92）。此外，精神科医生表示参加宗教仪式的次数较少，尽管大多数人会接受治疗团队中的牧师（p>0.05，置信区间：0.61-0.70）。
这些发现邀请精神病学家、临床心理学家以及接受过精神病学培训的神学家/牧师进行更实际的合作，为有宗教信仰的精神病患者提供更综合的精神保健。研究结果还呼吁为精神病患者提供更有效的实际解决方案，提高对这些患者个人宗教需求和关键信仰的认识，最终可能缩小精神病学家、非精神病学家、心理学家和神学家/牧师在解决这些问题上的争议差距。
