A Descriptive Study of a Spirituality Curriculum for General Psychiatry Residents.

OBJECTIVE: The study collected data on the attitudes of residents toward religion and spirituality in their practice after taking part in a 3-year curriculum on spirituality during their residency.

METHODS: This is a descriptive, single-site study with psychiatry residents as subjects. A questionnaire was given to the residents at the end of their third year of residency (N = 12).

RESULTS: The responses heavily endorsed the religiousness/spirituality curriculum to be helpful and meaningful. Residents consider addressing spiritual and religious needs of patients to be important (76.9%) and appropriate. For majority of the residents (69.2%), there is strong agreement in the management of addictions having spiritual dimensions. Residents also strongly agreed that treatment of suffering, depression, guilt, and complicated grief may require attention to spiritual concerns (92-100%).

CONCLUSION: Regardless of cultural or religious background, the residents endorsed the curriculum as a worthwhile experience and increased their appreciation of the place of spirituality in the holistic care of patients with psychiatric conditions.