[Endogenous depressions with religious experience].
G I Kopeyko, E V Gedevani, O A Borisova, F M Shankov, B V Smirnova, V G Kaleda
Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova January 1, 2021 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202112105255 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn patients with depression, religious distress can mask underlying mental disorders, leading to delayed diagnosis and increased suicide risk. Among 115 patients (41 men, 74 women) with depression and religious distress—38 with affective disorders and 77 with schizophrenia—five types of depression were identified, with melancholic depression most common (61%). Religious experiences varied: congruent guilt and sinfulness, loss of living faith and God-forsakenness, overvalued doubts about faith choice, and spiritual hypochondria. Because religious content obscures the disorder, early diagnosis and specific treatment approaches are needed to prevent severe outcomes including suicidal activity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 115 |
| Population | Patients with depression and religious distress in affective disorders or schizophrenia |
| Keywords | Endogenous depression Godforsakenness Guilt and sinfulness Pathological pseudo-religiosity Religious experiences |
| Key finding | Depressive states with a religious facade often remain unrecognized, leading to increased suicidal activity, and require early diagnosis and specific treatment. |
Abstract
To identify the specifics of psychopathology and phenomenology of religious experience in depressed patients, for early diagnosis of mental disorders masked by a «religious facade», and prevention of suicidal activity. The study included 115 patients (41 men, 74 women) with depression contained religious distress in affective disorders (38 observations) and schizophrenia (77 observations), F31.3, F31.4, F32.1, F32.2, F33.1, F33.2 and F20.0, F20.4, F21 according to ICD-10. According the psychopathological structure of depressive states, five types of depression were identified. The predominant type was melancholic depression (61%). Based on characteristics of religious experience, types of depressions were distinguished as follows: with congruent religious ideas of guilt and sinfulness; with the loss of «living» faith, God-forsakenness; with overvalued doubts about the choice of faith; and with «spiritual hypochondria». Mental disorders, in particular depressive states, which have a religious «facade» often remain unrecognized due to the specific religious content, which often leads to severe and sometimes irreversible consequences as suicidal activity. Thus, these conditions require early diagnosis and specific approaches to the treatment.