Redemption in Psychiatry

Choa/Adobestock

PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

You may have noticed that over the last month or so, as I have been asking “Whither Psychiatry?” in these turbulent and uncertain times, it has led to covering what might be viewed as fringe areas of psychiatry. The columns have discussed enhanced psychiatry, peace psychiatry, and humanitarianism in psychiatry.

There is another that has come to mind, but I’ve hesitated to cover it, that being redemption in psychiatry. When I first brought the topic up to a colleague, the response was: “Redemptive psychiatry? Never!” Never because psychiatry doesn’t seem to have the power, wisdom, or mandate to redeem itself, patients, or society.

Perhaps that critique is why we don’t hear hardly anything about redemption in psychiatry. There are some psychiatric organizations that use “Redemption” in their names. There is an article about redeeming diagnosis,¹ but not much more that I know of.

So that begs the question: What is redemption? Generally, it refers to compensating for some sort of failure or falling short. It is emphasized in most all major religions around such themes as salvation, regret, forgiveness, renewal, and sacrifice, although these concerns can differ significantly across different religions.

The themes often become most apparent and emphasized during major religious holidays, which is why I have tried to cover them in these columns and videos. For instance, we are now in the Islamic Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” when many make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

My colleagues and I covered some of these redemptive practices in a series of books on religions and psychiatry. The underlying goal seemed to be in the realm of positive psychiatry, the restoration of our better selves. Indeed, over recent decades, psychiatry has recognized the overall important role of religion and spirituality as reflected in appreciating and appropriately responding to the values of individual patients and in ourselves.

Perhaps without saying so, psychiatry has also ventured out to redemption from time to time in psychiatry itself. In recent years, our American Psychiatric Association has had success in internally integrating psychiatrists of varied cultural and religious backgrounds at all organizational levels. In society, some psychiatrists have tried to propose our relevance for seeking more peace. Our rally for mental health at the annual meeting began a redemption for what might be thought to be unnecessary societal passivity.

Although mainly applied in religion and spirituality, redemption also seems relevant to those who are secular, atheist, or agnostic. Other than having malignant narcissism or sociopathy, or our natural tendency to at first deny what is psychologically uncomfortable, people often want to try to redress what we’ve done wrong, learn from our failures, and move forward. Certainly, that fits any limitations, shortcomings, or mistakes we make in patient care. Broader social group movements, though, can mimic some aspects of religions, but be based on cultish ties, illusionary love, and impaired freedom of thought. We in psychiatry should be able to help tell and address the difference.

So, is redemption of some relevance to psychiatry? What do you think?

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He presented the third Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman lecture at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis on Sunday, May 19, 2024. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.

Reference

1. McGorry P and van Os J: Redeeming diagnosis in psychiatry: timing versus specificity. Lancet. 2013:381(9863): 343-5.