P-434 - Mental health and spirituality/religion

Abstract

Despite recent scientific and technological advances, 90% of the world's population is involved in some sort of spiritual or religious practice. Until the end of the 19th century, religion and mental health care were deeply associated. Jean Charcot and Sigmund Freud began to associate religion with hysteria and neurosis and introduced a profound division in this matter which was maintained over the following century. However, over the last few decades, the attitude of Psychiatry towards religion has begun to change in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO), which regards spirituality as a significant contribution in promoting mental health. Some authors support that religious beliefs and practices can be important resources in coping skills while others believe that they might contribute, in some cases, to psychopathology. The authors propose to further explore this theme, in a critical review of existing literature.