Assessing problems with religious content: a comparison of rabbis and psychologists.
G Milstein, E Midlarsky, B G Link, P J Raue, M L Bruce
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease September 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1097/00005053-200009000-00008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 201 |
| Population | Rabbis and clinical psychologists |
| Citations | 36 |
| Key findings | Rabbis and psychologists similarly distinguish among mental disorder, religious or spiritual problem, and pure religious problem, providing empirical support for the DSM-IV V62.89 category. |
Abstract
This study measured distinctions made by a sample of clergy and mental health professionals in response to three categories of presenting problems with religious content: mental disorder, religious or spiritual problem, and "pure" religious problem. A national, random sample of rabbis (N = 111) and clinical psychologists (N = 90) provided evaluations of three vignettes: schizophrenia, mystical experience, and mourning. The participants evaluated the religious etiology, helpfulness of psychiatric medication, and seriousness of the presenting problems. The rabbis and psychologists distinguished between the three diverse categories of presenting problems and concurred in their distinctions. The results provide empirical evidence for the construct validity of the new DSM-IV category religious or spiritual problem (V62.89). Use of the V code allows for more subtle distinctions among the variety of problems that persons bring to clergy and mental health professionals. These distinctions may also provide a foundation for the initiation of co-professional consultation.