Within economics, there has been a recent effort to better understand the notion of culture, typically defined as beliefs, values, and norms held by individuals. Empirical work has focused on identifying systematic cultural differences between individuals from different ethnic and national backgrounds. More recently, attention has turned to the historical origins of cultural differences (e.g., ...

Results from several national studies in the United States suggests that: (1) religious beliefs and practices are highly prevalent; (2) spirituality and religion are statistically and clinically relevant to mental health and symptoms; and (3) many patients have a preference for spiritually integrated care. However, existing protocols that assess for salient religious themes in psychiatric setti...

objective: the study of the relationship between religious beliefs performance and life satisfaction among the elderly in sabzavar city. materials & methods: the data gathered about religious beliefs performance and also life satisfaction among the elderly by survey research and questionnaires in representative sample. the size of sample was 301old persons and the technique of sampling was clus...

We describe three patients from different religious backgrounds in Sri Lanka whose possession states were strongly influenced by their religious beliefs. Patient A was a Buddhist who claimed to have special powers given by a local deity named Paththini. Patient B was a Catholic who experienced spirits around her whom she believed were sent by Satan. Patient C was a Muslim and believed she was p...

METHOD We describe the cases of four patients with eating disorders in whom complex interactions occurred among religious faith, pathogenesis of the eating disorder, and clinical management. RESULTS In some of the cases, religious beliefs seemed to provide a containment of maladaptive behaviors, partly through prayer and through a sense of belonging to the religious community. In other cases,...

Background & aim: Considering the lack of information regarding the effects of religion on young couples’ fertility preferences, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between religious beliefs and fertility preferences among engaged couples in Mashhad, Iran, in 2013. Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on 450 engaged couples, referring to premarital counseling clinics at h...

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To evaluate the extent to which religious affiliation and self-identified religious importance affect advance care planning (ACP) via beliefs about control over life length and end-of-life values. DESIGN AND METHODS Three hundred and five adults aged 55 and older from diverse racial and socioeconomic groups seeking outpatient care in New Jersey were surveyed. Measures inc...

There abound antagonisms in the health care practice and the religious beliefs of people from different societies. When health care practices cross the line of their beliefs, the people will rise to the occasion and oppose the practices. Religion and science are two opposing doctrines. What scientists believe sometimes collide with what different religious contexts uphold. An example where ther...

Recent findings Studies indicate that religion and spirituality can promote mental health through positive religious coping, community and support, and positive beliefs. Research also shows that religion and spirituality can be damaging to mental health by means of negative religious coping, misunderstanding and miscommunication, and negative beliefs. Tools for the assessment of patients’ spiri...