Religion and spirituality in the context of bipolar disorder: A literature review
Date
2011
Authors
Pesut, Barbara
Clark, Nancy
Maxwell, Victoria
Michalak, Erin E.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mental Health, Religion & Culture
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) affects approximately half a million Canadians. Religion and spirituality (R/S) may play an important role for individuals with BD by providing a means of coping with, and an explanatory model for, their disorder. We conducted a systematic review of empirical studies that have explored R/S in individuals with BD or samples that explicitly delineate individuals with BD. Only six studies met our inclusion criteria. Findings from these studies suggest that R/S strategies may be important for some people in the management of BD. Religion and spirituality thus become relevant concerns for a therapeutic regime that seeks to develop wellness within a bio-psycho-social model. However, the limited body of research and methodological shortcomings of existing research make it difficult to draw relevant conclusions about how this might be accomplished. The authors propose a need for longitudinal, prospective, mixed methods research in order to inform evidence-based practice.
Description
Keywords
bipolar disorder, spirituality, religion, review
Citation
Pesut, B., Clark, N., Maxwell, V., & Michalak, E. E. (2011). Religion and spirituality in the context of bipolar disorder: A literature review. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 14(8), 785–796. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2010.523890