[Religion and psychiatric disorders in patients admitted to a university general hospital]. / Religião e transtornos mentais em pacientes internados em um hospital geral universitário.

In order to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in a Brazilian general hospital and their association with religious denomination and religiosity, 253 inpatients were interviewed. A socio-demographic questionnaire and an instrument for diagnosis of mental disorders (MINI-Plus) were applied. Distribution of religious denominations was: Catholic 63.2% (n=177), Evangelical Protestant 20.4% (n=57), Spiritist 4.3% (n=12), traditional Protestant 2.3% (n=8), and "no religion" 7.5% (n=21). Degree of religiosity was: very religious 43.2% (n=116), religious 46.9% (n=129), hardly religious 9.8% (n=27), and not at all religious 1.1% (n=3). Evangelical (Pentecostal) religious affiliation and frequent attendance at worship services were associated with fewer alcohol problems. Membership in an Evangelical (Pentecostal) church may thus have an inhibitory effect on alcohol dependence or abuse. Intensity of religiosity was moderately associated with overall prevalence of disorders, especially bipolar disorder. It is reasonable to conclude that extreme situations (very intense versus very limited religious participation) are related to this finding, associating both an exacerbated pursuit of religion and alienation from it with altered mental states.

Religião e transtornos mentais em pacientes internados em um hospital geral universitário / Religion and psychiatric disorders in patients admitted to a university general hospital

A fim de determinar a prevalência de transtornos mentais em uma amostra de pacientes de um hospital geral e sua relação com a denominação religiosa e religiosidade, foram investigados 253 pacientes internados no Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas por intermédio de um questionário sócio-demográfico e um instrumento para diagnóstico psiquiátrico (MINI-Plus). A maioria dos pacientes era católica (63,2 por cento; n = 177); seguidos dos evangélicos pentecostais (20,4 por cento; n = 57); dos "sem-religião" (7,5 por cento; n = 21); espíritas (4,3 por cento; n = 12) e protestantes históricos (2,3 por cento; n = 8). Consideraram-se muito religiosos 43,2 por cento (n = 116), religiosos 46,9 por cento (n = 129), pouco religiosos 9,8 por cento (n = 27), não religiosos 1,1 por cento (n = 3). A filiação religiosa evangélica e maior freqüência a cultos relacionaram-se à menor freqüência de problemas com álcool. É possível que a filiação religiosa evangélica exerça uma ação inibidora na ocorrência de transtornos relacionados ao álcool. Indivíduos muito religiosos ou pouco/nada religiosos apresentaram maior prevalência de transtorno bipolar. A dimensão intensidade da religiosidade revelou-se modestamente associada à prevalência geral dos transtornos, especialmente ao transtorno bipolar. É razoável que situações extremas (de muito ou reduzido envolvimento) relacionem-se a tal achado, relacionando tanto a busca exacerbada ou o afastamento da religiosidade com estados mentais alterados.

In order to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in a Brazilian general hospital and their association with religious denomination and religiosity, 253 inpatients were interviewed. A socio-demographic questionnaire and an instrument for diagnosis of mental disorders (MINI-Plus) were applied. Distribution of religious denominations was: Catholic 63.2 percent (n = 177), Evangelical Protestant 20.4 percent (n = 57), Spiritist 4.3 percent (n = 12), traditional Protestant 2.3 percent (n = 8), and "no religion" 7.5 percent (n = 21). Degree of religiosity was: very religious 43.2 percent (n = 116), religious 46.9 percent (n = 129), hardly religious 9.8 percent (n = 27), and not at all religious 1.1 percent (n = 3). Evangelical (Pentecostal) religious affiliation and frequent attendance at worship services were associated with fewer alcohol problems. Membership in an Evangelical (Pentecostal) church may thus have an inhibitory effect on alcohol dependence or abuse. Intensity of religiosity was moderately associated with overall prevalence of disorders, especially bipolar disorder. It is reasonable to conclude that extreme situations (very intense versus very limited religious participation) are related to this finding, associating both an exacerbated pursuit of religion and alienation from it with altered mental states.