The relationship between science and spirituality is complex and often uneasy. In strict scientific circles, the mention of faith is often seen as a sign of lower intellect, or perhaps worse, as a sign of mental weakness. Faith, in other words, is for people who aren’t strong enough to handle life and need something to comfort them. On the other hand, in many faith communities, atheists are perceived as evil or not fully human. Given that, it’s interesting that Irving Yalom, a psychotherapist and psychiatrist who is considered one of the field’s “masters,” prescribes psychotropics and insists on discussing the meaning of life with his patients. Could he be on to something? Is it possible that medical science and spirituality can combine to create better outcomes for patients?
Science points us to the answer. Research shows that people who are spiritual, which is defined as having a strong belief in something greater than themselves and finding life purpose and meaning though that belief, are happier and experience less anxieties. Few medical specialties exist in which patients don’t benefit from less stress and more happiness. For instance, reducing stress and being positive has been shown to improve the results of infertility treatments and helps people recover more quickly from surgery. The list goes on and on- the absence of neurotic symptoms can ameliorate health and provide more fertile ground for conventional medical treatments. Conversely, the presence of stress and anxiety can lead to a whole host of problems, including headaches, GI issues, and dermatological problems. Moreover, anxious people are much more likely to smoke, which in itself is detrimental to good health.
In 2000, The Journal of the American Medical Associations reported that religious involvement predicts successful coping with illness, and that spiritual practice is akin to abstinence from smoking-adding 7 to 14 years to the lifespan! In the last ten years, The Journal of Health Psychology, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and Psychiatric Annals have each dedicated a special issue to the topic of spirituality in clinical practice.
Of course, most physicians have neither the time nor the training to address such issues with patients, and payers certainly wouldn’t reimburse a cardiologist who spends an hour exploring the meaning of life with a patient. Luckily, payers do reimburse for psychotherapy services (albeit not much), so physicians could consider psychotherapy referrals as part of routine practice. This certainly makes sense and is in the best interest of patients’ health with beneficial effects on long-term prognosis.
The problem is that many therapists are themselves not well trained in the area of spirituality. In most psychotherapy training programs, spirituality gets little attention. Generally, the only mention of the topic is when professors advise students to respect their patients’ beliefs and not impose their own. But few instructors actually encourage student therapists to initiate a discussion of spirituality in counseling sessions. This is unfortunate because by ignoring spirituality, therapists miss great opportunities to motivate patients to change and to guide them to insights that could improve their well-being. Many issues that bring people to therapy-lack of direction, marital difficulties, grief, sexuality problems-have some relationship to spirituality and religion. For the issues that don’t have a direct relationship, drawing on the patient’s belief system can, at the very least, provide meaning, coping skills, and comfort-variables that research has shown, time and time again, to have significant impact on mental health. By ignoring their importance, we abdicate our responsibility as clinicians to offer our patients everything in our arsenal.
At the same time, we must not forget that the techniques of conventional medicine are useful and necessary in treating many mental illnesses and adjustment difficulties. Spirituality is a conjunctive aid. Thus, it is as important for mental health clinicians to inform patients about the benefits of medication, as it is for physicians to inform them about the benefits of psychotherapy. By doing so, together we can address a wider range of patient concerns, ultimately resulting in a greater well-being and improved health for those who entrust us with their care.
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