Cross-cultural study of religious phenomenology in psychiatric in-patients.

Case notes of patients from nine different cultural groups admitted to a London hospital were scrutinized for religious background and religious phenomenology. With the exception of preaching behaviour there were no statistically significant cultural differences, but certain trends were apparent. The pattern of religion in each cultural group could be understood in terms of the historical and geographical origins of these groups. Religious phenomenology was better explained in terms of deep-seated cultural factors rather than current religion.