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Biological theories of brain function are widely accepted as adequate explanations of normal mental functioning and of the causes of mental illness by professionals and a growing number of patients. Just as science eliminated "spirit" and "vital energy" from its discourse, the role of spirituality and religion has increasingly been marginalized in biomedicine. In the context of the tension between the orthodox view and non-allopathic explanations of health and healing, it is important to carefully evaluate all efficacy claims. The range of non-allopathic therapies includes natural products, somatic therapies, and mind-body therapies, as well as treatment approaches that have historically been outside the conceptual framework of modern medicine and psychiatry, such as religious or spiritual beliefs and practices- prayer or other forms of "directed intention" or "energy."
Physicians are prudent to remain cautious when they are evaluating all claims of beneficial health effects associated with treatment approaches that are widely used but are not substantiated by good science. Examples include several complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies used to treat or self-treat medical and mental health problems in the absence of evidence from large, well-designed studies. Offlabel uses of psychotropic medications that have not been evaluated in large, well-designed, placebo- controlled trials are another example of medical practices that are not supported by research.
This article is offered as a concise review of the literature on the relationships between religion, spirituality, and mental health. Although the evidence thus far has not been compelling, emerging research findings suggest that spirituality and religion are in fact related to well-being at multiple levels and may play important roles in both the prevention and the treatment of mental illness.
The relevance of religion and spirituality to mental health
Until historically recent times, priests and other spiritual adepts were regarded as healers, and gifted healers were elevated to the status of priest, or shaman. By the early 20th century, psychoanalysis had pathologized or outright dismissed the psychological dimensions of spiritual experience and the relevance of spirituality in mental health.
While conventional biomedicine does not acknowledge the direct role of spirituality in health, many cultural practices and traditions (eg, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Tibetan medicine) assume that spirituality is centrally involved in health. Symptoms are interpreted as indicators of imbalances of...