Ethical Handling of Religious and Spiritual Issues: South Asian Perspective

Abstract

Psychiatry as a discipline is the most complex medical specialty and is affected very strongly by cultural and social factors which also determine what is normal and what is abnormal. Cultures decide where help is sought from and how services are developed and delivered. Ethical practice of psychiatry is critical in ensuring that patients and their families have confidence in what is being offered. It is helpful to understand spiritual aspects of an individual’s functioning and their family’s perspectives regarding spiritual understanding of mental illness. In clinical practice this clearly means that clinicians must take into account spiritual aspects in etiology and management of mental disorders. Ethical practice is at the core of the practice of medicine and within the context of changing patient expectations of the therapeutic encounters it is helpful that clinicians and policy makers are aware of complex needs that patients have to ensure that services provided are accessible and acceptable. In this chapter we highlight various issues that clinicians may take into account when dealing with patients.