Medical Student and Patient Attitudes Toward Religion and Spirituality in the Recovery Process

Abstract

This study compares the views on spirituality of dually diagnosed patients (diagnosed with both substance abuse and general psychiatric disorders) and medical students in order to investigate their respective orientations toward spirituality and their views of the importance of spirituality in the treatment of addiction. We administered a modified version of Feagin's "Orientation to Life and God Scale" to assess religious and spiritual orientation in both the patients and students. A second series of items was developed and administered in order to compare the patients' and students' perceptions of the relative importance of a religious and spiritual orientation in substance abuse treatment. A third series of items was also given to compare the nature of religious and health-related services on the inpatient unit that patients and students most wanted to see improved. We found that the medical students responsible for treating substance abuse are significantly less religiously and spirituality oriented than the patients they treat, and that the students do not indicate that spirituality is an important component in the care of these patients. It may be clinically relevant to train medical students in the potential importance of spirituality in addiction treatment so that they can incorporate spirituality into the treatment of addictions.

Assessment of spirituality and its relevance to addiction treatment

“…They had been admitted to an acute inpatient general psychiatric service at Bellevue Hospital because of their potential harmfulness to themselves or to others. Individuals in this sequential series of admissions were interviewed as soon as they were able to respond effectively to structured questionnaire items read to them (Goldfarb, Galanter, McDowell, Lifshutz, & Dermatis, 1996). Therapeutic community (TC) residents (n = 210) of the Daytop Village Therapeutic Community Program at two sites (Swan Lake and Parksville, NY) were studied.…”

Spiritually based parenting workshop: An outcome study

“…Religiosity can be defined as allegiance to an institution's beliefs and practices in organized religion (Goldfarb, Galanter, McDowell, Lifshutz, & Dermatis, 1996;Grimm, 1994;Lukoff, Turner, & Lu, 1992). The term ''spiritual'' can be used to refer to ''practices involving the individual's relationship with a higher being or the universe'' (Rose et al, 2001, p. 61), thereby encompassing both religious experience and experiences of the Divine or God (defined below) outside the bounds of religion (Goldfarb et al, 1996;Grimm, 1994;Lukoff et al, 1992). In this study, the terms God, Love, and the Divine will represent the many names for and conceptualizations of a sacred higher power or being, across religions and outside religion.…”

Measuring Dimensions of Spirituality in Chemical Dependence Treatment and Recovery: Research and Practice

“…As part of research studying the attitudes of medical students and dually diagnosed clients toward religion and spirituality in the recovery process, Goldfarb et al (1996) developed a short scale based on the Intrinsic/Extrinsic Scale of Feagin (1964). The authors selected 11 of the 21 original items and added one item that asked how often the person attended religious services or spiritual meetings.…”