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Follow-up study of 67 first episode schizophrenic patients and their involvement in religious activities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

P Huguelet ,
S Binyet-Vogel ,
C Gonzalez ,
S Favre  and
A McQuillan
P Huguelet
Affiliation:
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Département de Psychiatrie, 2 Chemin de Petit Bel Air, 1225Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland
S Binyet-Vogel
Affiliation:
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Département de Psychiatrie, 2 Chemin de Petit Bel Air, 1225Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland
C Gonzalez
Affiliation:
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Département de Psychiatrie, 2 Chemin de Petit Bel Air, 1225Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland
S Favre
Affiliation:
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Département de Psychiatrie, 2 Chemin de Petit Bel Air, 1225Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland
A McQuillan
Affiliation:
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Département de Psychiatrie, 2 Chemin de Petit Bel Air, 1225Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland
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Summary

We studied the characteristics of religious practice in a cohort of 67 first admission schizophrenic patients over 5 years. Thirty percent of these patients were involved in religious activities, either with an established religion or in a marginal group. They were mostly women, who had a good premorbid psychosocial adaptation and tended not to be substance abusers. Their social adaptation was improved at year 5. They were as compliant with their ambulatory treatment as the other patients. However, when controlling for the inclusion characteristics, a similar outcome was shown between the group of practicing patients and the nonpracticing group. Religious activity may not be by itself the cause of this favorable outcome, as it is probable that only the patients who are less symptomatic and relatively well adapted could actually join a religious movement. The fact that many schizophrenic patients find an occupation and relationships in religious activities that they would not find elsewhere should encourage the psychiatric community target its occupational goals.

Keywords

schizophreniareligionoutcome
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 12 , Issue 6 , 1997 , pp. 279 - 283
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1997

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