Letters to the Editor
Re: Canadian Psychiatric Inpatient Religious Commitment
Dear Editor:
Dr Watters is somewhat disingenuous in using his “critique” (1) of the study by Baetz and others (2) to advocate his well-known view of “religion as the most destructive of human inventions.” The search for finding meaning and guidance about life and death has been around for thousands of years and can hardly be described as an “invention.” It has been expressed in what we choose to call “religion” in many ways that have changed over time but are present in all cultures. These philosophical considerations, however, were not the issue in the paper by Baetz and others.
Their study is welcome. It attempts to bridge the gap between 2 aspects of human behaviour that are frequently seen in isolation: psychopathology and religious observance. They also admit to the limitations of their investigation. One could add that answers to 3 questions on a Gallup Poll (3) can only provide a simplistic view of an individual’s belief system. Moreover, religious commitment seemed restricted to adherence to the Christian religion, perhaps inevitable in the demographic distribution of the study population. Similarly, length of stay in hospital is, at best, a rough indication of clinical status.
Nevertheless, the paper by Baetz and others is a welcome start, and a more detailed investigation into the relation between overt psychopathology and religious beliefs and practices could lead to useful dialogue and enhancement of our therapeutic armamentarium.
References
1. Watters W. Canadian psychiatric inpatient religious commitment: an association with mental health [Letter]. Can J Psychiatry 2002;47:972.
2. Baetz M. Larson DB, Marcoux G, Bowen R, Griffin R. Canadian psychiatric inpatient religious commitment: an association with mental health. Can J Psychiatry 2002;47(2):159–66.
3. Princeton Religion Research Centre. Religion in America. Gallup Poll. Princeton (NJ): Princeton Religon Research Center; 1996.
Hans F Reichenfeld, MB
Ottawa, Ontario
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