(Press-News.org) Belmont, MA — Belief in God may significantly improve the outcome of those receiving short-term treatment for psychiatric illness, according to a recent study conducted by McLean Hospital investigators.
In the study, published in the current issue of Journal of Affective Disorders, David H. Rosmarin, PhD, McLean Hospital clinician and instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, examined individuals at the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital program at McLean in an effort to investigate the relationship between patients' level of belief in God, expectations for treatment and actual treatment outcomes.
"Our work suggests that people with a moderate to high level of belief in a higher power do significantly better in short-term psychiatric treatment than those without, regardless of their religious affiliation. Belief was associated with not only improved psychological wellbeing, but decreases in depression and intention to self-harm," explained Rosmarin.
The study looked at 159 patients, recruited over a one-year period. Each participant was asked to gauge their belief in God as well as their expectations for treatment outcome and emotion regulation, each on a five-point scale. Levels of depression, wellbeing, and self-harm were assessed at the beginning and end of their treatment program.
Of the patients sampled, more than 30 percent claimed no specific religious affiliation yet still saw the same benefits in treatment if their belief in a higher power was rated as moderately or very high. Patients with "no" or only "slight" belief in God were twice as likely not to respond to treatment than patients with higher levels of belief.
The study concludes: "… belief in God is associated with improved treatment outcomes in psychiatric care. More centrally, our results suggest that belief in the credibility of psychiatric treatment and increased expectations to gain from treatment might be mechanisms by which belief in God can impact treatment outcomes."
Rosmarin commented, "Given the prevalence of religious belief in the United States – over 90% of the population – these findings are important in that they highlight the clinical implications of spiritual life. I hope that this work will lead to larger studies and increased funding in order to help as many people as possible."
###
McLean Hospital is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of Partners HealthCare. For more information about McLean, visit http://www.mclean.harvard.edu or follow the hospital on Twitter @McLeanHospital. END
Faith in God positively influences treatment for individuals with psychiatric illness
2013-04-25
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Sexually explicit material affects behavior in young people less than thought
2013-04-25
Viewing sexually explicit material through media such as the Internet, videos, and magazines may be directly linked with the sexual behavior of adolescents and young adults, but only to a very small extent. That is the conclusion of a new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. The findings suggest that the practice is just one of many factors that may influence the sexual behaviors of young people.
Concerns have been raised that viewing sexually explicit material may negatively affect sexual behaviors, particularly in young people. Because previous studies ...
Pitt team finds melatonin delays ALS symptom onset and death in mice
2013-04-25
Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In a report published online ahead of print in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, the team revealed that receptors for melatonin are found in the nerve cells, a finding that could launch novel therapeutic approaches.
Annually about 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS, which is characterized by progressive ...
Novel therapeutic approaches to cure chronic HBV infection
2013-04-25
Exciting new data presented today at the International Liver Congress™ 2013 include results from early in vitro and in vivo studies targeting covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which may form the basis of a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
HBV cccDNA is organized into mini-chromosomes within the nucleus of infected cells by histone and non-histone proteins. Despite the availability of efficient therapies against HBV, long-term persistence of cccDNA necessitates life-long treatments to suppress the virus. The following three experimental studies ...
New advances in the management of patients with cirrhosis
2013-04-25
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Thursday 25 April 2013: New data from clinical studies presented for the first time at the International Liver Congress™ 2013 provide new rationale for an old and established treatment option for portal hypertension. Additionally, spleen stiffness predicts the occurrence of clinical complications, which is of paramount importance in clinical practice.
In patients with cirrhosis, increasing blood pressure in the abdominal circulatory system (known as portal hypertension) leads to potentially lethal complications which might be prevented with ...
New studies prove lethal link between alcohol, weight
2013-04-25
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Thursday 25 April 2013: Research announced today at the International Liver CongressTM 2013 has revealed the deadly impact that alcohol and body weight have on liver disease.
Women should forgo the wine and doughnuts after a new study found the harmful combination of high alcohol intake and high body mass index (BMI) causes an increased risk of chronic liver disease. The study analysed a cohort of over 107,000 women to investigate how a female's weight and alcohol consumption affected their chances of suffering and dying from chronic liver ...
Preparing for an initial consultation with a divorce attorney
2013-04-25
Preparing for an initial consultation with a divorce attorney
Article provided by Debbie Robb
Visit us at http://www.debbierobblaw.com/
When a relationship is breaking down, there may be threats of divorce. Arguments may start about finances or any number of topics as communication becomes more strained. When a marriage is beyond reconciliation, an important step is meeting with a divorce attorney.
When you contact an attorney, it important to know that everything you share even from the first call is confidential. Gathering information and documents before the ...
Shorter intern hours actually increase medical errors
2013-04-25
Shorter intern hours actually increase medical errors
Article provided by Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLC
Visit us at http://www.infolaw.com/
First-year doctors--also called medical interns--typically work long hours. Until recently, these young doctors were on-call up to 36 hours. In 2003, regulations were put into place limiting their shifts to 30 hours. In 2011, regulators feared that the longer shifts were causing interns to become fatigued, putting them at a greater risk of making medical errors, so their shifts were further reduced to 16 hours.
Common ...
Some California drivers poorly reflected in recent statistics
2013-04-25
Some California drivers poorly reflected in recent statistics
Article provided by Hanasab & Zolekhian, LLP
Visit us at http://www.hzpersonalinjury.com
Recent statistics indicate that Americans seem to be improving their driving skills. In fact, in 2011, the number of fatal collisions dropped to the lowest it has been in over 60 years. According to the Huffington Post, recent federal transportation reports indicate that 32,367 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2011. This number represents a 1.9 percent decrease from 2010.
California drivers aren't ...
San Marino Historical Society & Crowell Public Library Present The History of Mt. Wilson Observatory
2013-04-25
Fueling the economic engine of scientific enterprise in Southern California, the Mount Wilson Observatory and its founder, George Ellery Hale, were the motivating forces that transformed the San Gabriel Valley into a major center of technological achievement, spawning institutions such as the California Institute of Technology, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a host of other science-based organizations found here today. On Monday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m., DAVE JURASEVICH, the Superintendent at Mt. Wilson Observatory, will take the audience on a journey back in time, reliving ...
Attention Text Messaging- Obsessed Youth: Los Angeles School of Gymnastics Presents Healthy and Active Alternative for Children During Idle Summer Months.
2013-04-25
LA parents have an opportunity to get their children away from the computer and to stop incessantly thumbing out texts and start tumbling, twirling and flying through the air
The Los Angeles School of Gymnastics (http://lagymnastics.com/) will open its doors on Sunday, May 19th from 1-3pm for the school's annual Summer Camp Open House. The free event will allow visitors to tour the facility, meet the instructors, sample camp activities, win freebies and even meet and greet members of the USA National Team who will perform onsite.
The 2013 summer camp program, which ...