SPIRITUAL RECOVERY MOVEMENTS AND CONTEMPORARY MEDICAL-CARE

WHEN confronted by the threat of illness, general medical and psychiat ric patients may turn to treatments that have a spiritual orientation but lack empirical validation. This article examines the nature of con temporary movements that offer these treatments and their impact on me dical care. A typology of spiritually oriented recovery movements is p resented, including those associated with established religions, holis tic medicine, or programs for self-liberation. Possible mechanisms for their behavioral and physiologic impact on health status are discusse d. The psychological appeal of these treatments is analyzed in light o f the way sick people may attribute meaning to illness and may then be come engaged into a spiritual recovery movement, achieve a sense of se lf-efficacy through affiliation, and finally comply with putative ''he aling'' practices. Although some spiritual recovery movements provide hope in the face of illness and even offer therapeutic benefits, they may also discourage patients from getting appropriate medical treatmen t and promote harmful regimens. Options are discussed for mental healt h professionals' response to the spiritual orientation of their patien ts and options for future research.