정신질환자들의 종교적 믿음，행위 및 체험

Religious Beliefs, Practices, and Experiences of Psychiatric Patients

To study the influences of religion on the psychiatric disorders, the authors examined the differences in religious beliefs, practices, and experiences between 60 psychiatric and 43 surgical patients in the Gyeongsang University Hospital using a modified questionnire developed by Littlewood and Lipsedge. The proportion of individuals having beliefs in the existence of Devil, in God’s concern with all that is happening, and that dead persons will return were significantly higher in the psychiatric patients than in the surgical ones. The schizophrenics showed the higher rate of beliefs that dead persons will return and in Gods concern with all that is happening, the mood disorders showed the higher rate of beliefs that the Scripture refers to daily events, and the neurotics showed the higher rate of beliefs in God, the Devil, and an after life. The proportion of individuals avoiding prescribed foods or drinks, and praying more than once a week were significantly higher in the psychiatric patients than in the surgical ones. The mood disorders showed the higher tendency to regular religious rite and pray daily. The proportion of individuals that have had a personal religious experience, had received a revelation, had the power to heal, and had experienced that God or the Devil have made them do things were significantly higher in the psychiatric than in the surgical patients. The proportion of individuals that attended specific religious meeting more than three times and have experienced that God or the Devil made them do things were high in the schizophrenics. The religious variables had influence on the occurrence of illnesses as precipitating or reinforcing factors in 18.3% patients, and on the symptom formation in 18.3% of psychiatric patients. These variables also had positive effect on the treatment of illnesses in 13.3%, negative effect in 18.3%. The authors concluded that there are some differences in religious beliefs, practices, and experiences and that individual inquiry and systematic research into this neglected area is very important.