Papers by Shimon Waldfogel
American Journal of Psychiatry, 1988
Biopsychosocial Approaches in Primary Care, 1997
Religion and medicine have a common tradition of alleviating suffering, yet, throughout much of t... more Religion and medicine have a common tradition of alleviating suffering, yet, throughout much of the twentieth century the religious /spiritual dimension of the person has rarely been addressed in the medical literature and more rarely incorporated in clinical training. Thus, an important therapeutic tool that can enhance the patient’s coping with illness and improve their well-being has not been part of the clinician’s medical treatment repertoire. Recently, there is a growing recognition that the biopsychosocial model of health could be expanded to include the spiritual dimension (1,2). The primary care setting is the logical locus for this expanded paradigm to sprout as we enter the twenty-first century.
Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry, 1988
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jefferson Digital Commons. The Jef... more This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jefferson Digital Commons. The Jefferson Digital Commons is a service of Thomas Jefferson University's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). The Commons is a showcase for Jefferson books and journals, peer-reviewed scholarly publications, unique historical collections from the University archives, and teaching tools. The Jefferson Digital Commons allows researchers and interested readers anywhere in the world to learn about and keep up to date with Jefferson scholarship. This article has been accepted for inclusion in Jefferson
Hospital Community Psychiatry, May 1, 1993
Religion plays an important role in the lives of most Americans and often influences the ways pat... more Religion plays an important role in the lives of most Americans and often influences the ways patients react to medical illness. However, the religious aspects of patients' lives are often ignored or only superficially explored by consultation-liaison psychiatrists. Building on an existing typology, the authors use six dimensions of religious experience to discuss approaches to incorporating religious factors in the psychiatric evaluation and treatment of the hospitalized medical patient; the dimensions include religious beliefs, participation in religious rituals, and affiliation with a religious community. Case examples illustrate how these approaches can enhance the work of the consultation-liaison psychiatrist and improve the patient's coping ability.
Hospital & community psychiatry, 1993
Religion plays an important role in the lives of most Americans and often influences the ways pat... more Religion plays an important role in the lives of most Americans and often influences the ways patients react to medical illness. However, the religious aspects of patients' lives are often ignored or only superficially explored by consultation-liaison psychiatrists. Building on an existing typology, the authors use six dimensions of religious experience to discuss approaches to incorporating religious factors in the psychiatric evaluation and treatment of the hospitalized medical patient; the dimensions include religious beliefs, participation in religious rituals, and affiliation with a religious community. Case examples illustrate how these approaches can enhance the work of the consultation-liaison psychiatrist and improve the patient's coping ability.
Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 1997
Attending to the spiritual dimension of the patient can provide the physician with a more in-dept... more Attending to the spiritual dimension of the patient can provide the physician with a more in-depth understanding of the patient and his or her needs. The physician may use a variety of spiritually informed therapeutic tools that can greatly facilitate the patient's coping ability, thus enhancing well being. Physicians' own religious or spiritual practices may impact upon their ability to function effectively in clinical practice. Specific suggestions are offered for attending to the spiritual aspects of the patient.
General Hospital Psychiatry, 1991
During medical or psychiatric hospitalization, Nazi Holocaust survivors may display emotional sym... more During medical or psychiatric hospitalization, Nazi Holocaust survivors may display emotional symptoms that reflect the psychological sequelae incurred by their traumatization. What is often less recognized is the idiosyncratic responses that may be seen in the children of these survivors in response to physical illness and hospitalization. Psychiatrists should be alert to the possible effects of Holocaust-related experiences. Awareness of emotional conflicts, defenses, and strengths in these individuals may enhance the therapeutic alliance as well as treatment planning. The author describes two cases illustrating adaptive and maladaptive manifestations of the Holocaust theme in response to medical illness.
General Hospital Psychiatry, 1996
The authors explore the difficulties present in the capacity evaluation of patients with strong r... more The authors explore the difficulties present in the capacity evaluation of patients with strong religious beliefs. The article reviews the legal protection for treatment refusal on religious grounds as well as psychiatry's approach to religion. Clinical cases encountered in an urban hospital are presented to highlight how the conflicts among psychiatric, religious, and legal issues can be resolved. Suggestions are made for incorporating an exploration of religious values into the capacity assessment. gious content 131. For many people, religious beliefs are a central component of personal identity, and exert particular influence on their adaptation to major life events such as birth, death, and illness [4,51. In the medical setting, religious beliefs can affect patients' understanding of, emotional response to, and ability to cope with physical illness. For the majority of patients, religious beliefs do not conflict with the treatment proposed by their physicians, and can serve to enhance their ability to cope with
General Hospital Psychiatry, 1995
To further delineate the clinical characteristics of patients who deliberately, severely mutilate... more To further delineate the clinical characteristics of patients who deliberately, severely mutilate their eyes, we reviewed the medical records of a specialty eye hospital and found nine cases of infentional, severe, self-inflicted eye injuries. We idenfified fwo groups of patients. Most were young psychotic individuals with severe psychopathology offen involving sexual and religious elusions, command ~lluci~fio~, and the prapensity to act on de~us~ns. The second group was ~rnp~~d of stir fs with organic d~~~lifies~ either ~~tia or severe metal r~ar~fion, where a lack of impulse confrol and preexisting eye irritation or surgical operafion may have contested to the act. One patient was a recidivist. Two-thirds of the patients were confined at the time of the act. That selfmutilation may occur frequently in confined pafients calls for active vigilance from caretakers; that if may recur calls for caution by the psychiatrist.
Families, Systems, & Health, 1999
Primary care physicians (PCPs) are integral to the provision of mental health (MH) services. Link... more Primary care physicians (PCPs) are integral to the provision of mental health (MH) services. Linkages between PCPs and MHproviders are a vital component of care for psychiatric patients. This paper reports on an exploratory survey of PCPs about their relationships with mental health specialists.
Academic Psychiatry, 1998
The authors present the results of a survey that inquired into the religious life of 121 resident... more The authors present the results of a survey that inquired into the religious life of 121 residents from 5 psychiatric residency programs. In addition, the study sought to explore the didactic and supervision experience of the residents regarding religious issues. The authors' results show that this group of residents appears to be more religious than what has been reported before in prior studies of psychiatrists' religious beliefs. While didactic exposure was limited, those who received didactic exposure were more likely than those who did not to believe that religion is important in the clinical setting, and the former also felt more competent to recognize and attend to a patient's religious and spiritual issues. Still, most residents felt competent to address religious issues in their clinical encounter. The implications of the results are discussed as they relate to training.
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Papers by Shimon Waldfogel