RELIGIOUS PSYCHOTHERAPY IN DEPRESSIVE PATIENTS

This study was conducted to explore the outcome of psychotherapy in et hnic Malays with strong religious and cultural background. The patient s were divided into two groups. The study and control groups consisted of 32 depressed patient each. In the study group brief psychotherapy of 15-20 sessions was attempted with the addition of a religious persp ective, while in the control group the religious perspective was omitt ed. Patients in the study group showed more rapid improvement in the i nitial 3 months of the study period than those in the control group, b ut at the end of the 6 months the difference became nonsignificant.