The Role of Spirituality in the Medical Care of Patients Suffering from Addiction and Mental Disease

Abstract

For a long time, a separation has been made between medicine and spirituality, but since the 90s, there has been an advent of spirituality after several researchers in North America have found that this dimension is linked to several pathologies and could play a role in the recovery of psychiatric patients. After a brief reminder about spirituality and religion and some concepts of mental health, we present three qualitative studies. The first aims to measure the degree of religiosity of the consultants of the center of addiction of Marrakech by using A religiosity Scale created by DR Dany R.Khalaf. The result of this first study is unequivocal, the patients of the center of addictology have a middle degree of religiosity with a certain profile a clear male predominance having less than 30 years, sedentary. Half of them is unemployed and did not passed secondary school in non-religious schools. Mostly Muslim, while occasionally consuming alcohol and consuming more than 10 cigarettes a day. The second study attempts to establish a link between religiosity and the impact it may have on the abstinence of alcohol addicts. The final result of this study is that religiosity has a definite impact on alcohol dependent abstinence and is even the main reason behind the abstinence of some patients. The third study sought to demonstrate the relationship between religion and suicidality among depressed patients. The result is that religion is one of the reasons for abandoning suicidal ideation and that it brings tremendous benefit to patients, which make them quit the idea of committing suicide. During both studies, questions relating to the integration of the spiritual and religious aspects of care were asked. The majority of patients want spirituality and religiosity / religion to be taken into consideration and integrated into their care while being with their doctor. After having seen all the benefits of spirituality and the positive effect it had on patients in the various studies, we can only conclude that spirituality has a primordial and very important role in the care of patients. . Herein, everything needs to be done, a protocol of care taking should be established, including this dimension and future psychiatrists needs to be trained to do it, and it should include a panelist such as “the leaders of the cults” in the care.