Religion And Mental Health Essay

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There is evidence of religion playing a role in human life for close to 500,000 years when the ritual treatment of skulls took place in China during the Paleolithic period.(Smart, 2007 p.26) What role is it though that religion serves to mankind? It can be argued that religion is a powerful coping mechanism that aids human beings in the ability to make sense of suffering, and that it provides control over those things unforeseen.
Until the 19th century, religion and care for the mentally ill were connected. Religious institutions made it their job to care for the mentally ill. Many of the hospitals for the mental were located in monasteries and run by the priests. These religious institutions are known to have treated patients with a great amount of empathy. Religion was believed to have had a positive, influence on the patients, who could be rewarded for good behavior by being allowed to attend chapel services.(Koenig 2001)
In the late 19th …show more content…

This conflict has manifested itself in clinical work, where psychiatrists have generally ignored the religious resources of patients or viewed them as pathological. In Koenig’s 2001 national survey of US psychiatrist, he found that 56% never even inquire about religious or spiritual issues in patients with depression or anxiety.
In the last 20 years, more attention has started to be paid to the scientific study of religion and its relationship to mental illness. Evidence has been accumulating to help provide a more objective answer to the question of the role of religion and spirituality in mental illness. This research is rapidly expanding and most of this is being done outside the field of psychiatry. Despite the negative and conflicting views held by many mental health professionals research into religion and spirituality and its effects on mental illness, needs to be at the forefront of clinical research.
Religiosity

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