Do Patients Expect Psychiatrists to be Interested in Spiritual Issues?

Abstract

Objective: To carry out a pilot study surveying the spiritual attitudes and needs of patients with a psychiatric illness at the Centre of Excellence in Remote and Rural Psychological Medicine, Broken Hill Base Hospital, NSW. Method: A questionnaire consisting of 6 questions was completed by 79 patients. Results: It was found that 79% of the patients rated spirituality as very important and 82% thought their therapists should be aware of their spiritual beliefs and needs. Sixty-nine per cent of the patients reported that patients's; spiritual needs should be considered by the therapist in treating their psychological illness and 67% said that their spirituality helped them cope with their psychological pain. Conclusion: The majority of patients said spirituality was important to them and that they wanted their therapist to take their spiritual needs into consideration in the assessment and management of their illness.