In my first six months as a predoctoral psychology intern at McLean Hospital, I was approached by at least 10 patients asking essentially the same question: Can I speak to you about God? They wanted to discuss their problems not in psychological terms but in spiritual ones. I guess the yarmulke on my head suggested I was an appropriate person to offer guidance.<\/p>\n
I was not. I am a practicing Orthodox Jew and a clinical scientist, but I am no theologian. At the time, I did not even have my supervisors\u2019 permission to speak to patients about their spiritual lives. I typically responded by suggesting the patient ask his case manager about a chaplaincy visit, though I knew the hospital did not employ an on-site chaplain.<\/p>\n
It was hardly surprising that patients wanted to speak about God. Psychological science has consistently shown that spirituality can shape how someone thinks. \u201cReligion and spirituality have the ability to promote or damage mental health,\u201d a\u00a02014 review of research<\/a>\u00a0into spirituality and mental health concluded. \u201cThis potential demands an increased awareness of religious matters by practitioners in the mental health field as well as ongoing attention in psychiatric research.\u201d Why has this been neglected?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n