International Perspectives on Ethical Issues in Religion and Psychiatry

This chapter provides international perspectives on ethical issues at the intersection between religion/spirituality and psychiatry. It begins by describing international patterns of spirituality and religion, then discusses the role of professional ethics in psychiatry from an international perspective and the stances of various professional psychiatric associations on the topic. These are illustrated by the case example of terrorism, including suicide and religious terrorism. The chapter also discusses ethical considerations regarding the intersection between religion/spirituality and traditional beliefs & cultures, which are illustrated by the case example of ethics and healing in ancient China and India. The importance of a global ethic and various international attempts at its development are discussed. Several clinical vignettes illustrate these ethical challenges in an international context. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the challenges in developing a global ethic in relation to psychiatry and spirituality/religion.