fi t e t w TO THE EDITORS: A recent article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology evaluated how religious eliefs influenced gynecologists’ notions about when gestation egins. The authors said that “the association between religious afliation and beliefs about when pregnancy begins is mediated y the importance of religion in the physician’s life.” That religious beliefs ...

This article is rooted in the observation that the 21st century has witnessed a resurgent interest in and a new visibility of religions and beliefs across a range of arts, humanities and social science disciplines, some of which have always focused on religions and beliefs, others are returning to it, while some have no previous tradition of doing so. The article reports on an analysis of these...

Approximately 50% of patients do not adhere to medical therapy. Religious and spiritual factors may play an important role in determining medication compliance in mental illness. The aim of this paper is to review published evidence documenting a relationship between religion/spirituality (R/S) and treatment adherence in mental illness, in particular in schizophrenia, depression and substance a...

“This correspondence is now closed”: but in medical ethics the traditional editorial fiat is often less easy to issue. The quality of argument and counter-argument demonstrated by so many contributors to the Journal of Medical Ethics illustrates not so much that they are undefeated because they have gone on trying, but the existential importance, for them and for many of their readers, of the c...

Spirituality plays an integral role in how the individual with cancer and his/her family adapt to the experience of cancer. In this module, spirituality, religion, and spiritual coping are defined and contrasted. The historical role of religion and the current demography of religious affiliation in the African American population are reviewed. The importance of spirituality and religion in the ...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Undergraduate medical education lacks standardized curricula for teaching end-of-life care and only sporadic curricula evaluations have been reported. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of a multimodal teaching program on preclinical medical students' knowledge of palliative care, and their beliefs relating to ethical decision-making. METHODS This stud...

As a science and practice transcending metaphysical and ethical disagreements, 'secular' medicine should not exist. 'Secularity' should be understood in an Augustinian sense, not a secularist one: not as a space that is universally rational because it is religion-free, but as a forum for the negotiation of rival reasonings. Religion deserves a place here, because it is not simply or uniquely ir...

Background: Religion is often included in the beliefs and experiences of psychotic patients, and therefore becomes the target of psychiatric interventions. Objectives: This article examines religious beliefs and activities among nonpsychotic persons in the United States, Brazil and other areas of the world; discusses historical factors contributing to the wall of separation between religion and...

Background: One of the most important determinants of health and marital satisfaction, the family and religious adherence can be effective because religion includes guidelines for life and providing a system of beliefs and values make these features can affect family life. Approach: This descriptive research - an analysis performed to assess the level of satisfaction of 47 questionnaires marita...