P opular opinion of medical missionaries has undergone wide swings during the last 2 centuries. Individuals who traveled far from home, often into dangerous territory to spread their religious faith in conjunction with medical care, have been both praised enthusiastically for their benevolent work, and castigated as pompous, presumptuous, and overly pious. Considering the enormous effect these ...

Is there ever any reason for a doctor to lie to a patient? In this paper, we critically review the literature on lying to patients and challenge the common notion that while lying is unacceptable, a related entity--'benevolent deception' is defensible. Further, we outline a rare circumstance when treating psychotic patients where lying to the patient is justified. This circumstance is illustrat...

background: one of the most common mental health problems among women with infertility problems is depression. research has shown that religious beliefs and practices can help people to cope with difficult situations. the purpose of this study was to explore the role of different religious coping strategies in predicting depression in a group of infertile women in shiraz. methods: a total of 72...