Can belief in faith healing delay patient recovery?

Greg Baxter writes that a patient’s belief in faith healing could jeopardise their recovery from illness, according to a new study by University of Ulster researcher Prof Tony Cassidy

New research has shown that a large percentage of Irish people who have strong beliefs in faith-based healing are less likely to adhere to their prescribed medication, and they are more likely to be dissatisfied with their GPs.
Prof Tony Cassidy, a health psychologist at the Psychology Research Institute in Coleraine’s University of Ulster, has led a general-population study in the North that looked at patient compliance and at satisfaction trends in relation to their religious beliefs and their intention to use faith healing.
Long-term prescriptions
The study surveyed almost 800 people in Northern Ireland and of those, some 200 were on long-term prescriptions. Startlingly, the likelihood of non-compliance with medicines regimes was similar in the large group and that subgroup, though long-term medicine takers were slightly more likely to comply with the prescriptions they were given to manage their conditions.
The question of adherence to medication is a vital one, and Prof Cassidy hoped to explore the relationship between people’s belief in non-medical interventions – including faith-based healing – and adherence to medical advice.
“We have found a strong relationship between a person’s belief in faith-based healing and a decreased likelihood of them following medical advice,” said Prof Cassidy.
Huge risk factor
It is, of course, important that medical practitioners such as GPs recognise when patients may not adhere to the advice they are given by healthcare professionals, and the research highlights the fact that a strong belief in non-medical intervention is a huge risk factor.
Once this issue is identified, doctors can then stress the risk of ignoring medical advice to that group.
“We’re always looking [as health psychologists] at issues surrounding illness representation. One of those is the link between cultural and religious beliefs and how they may contradict sound medical advice,” he said.
The sample studied in this research was an Irish sample, and the research was specifically focused on the developed-world experience. Prof Cassidy acknowledged that similar problems are faced in developing countries – or even more extreme problems – yet he cautioned that the high number of Irish people with strong beliefs in faith-based healing was a concern.
According to the research, 21 per cent of people surveyed had a ‘very strong’ belief in faith-based healing.
That represents the entire surveyed group.
“If we are trying to increase adherence [to taking medicine properly], we shouldn’t avoid this as a problem,” he said.
Of the 766 people who took part in the survey, about 200 were on long-term medication. This group was only slightly more likely to adhere to medical advice if they had a strong belief in faith-based healing.
“Belief in faith healing could jeopardise recovery from illness,” said Prof Cassidy.
“For medical treatment to be most effective, patients should follow medical or prescribed health advice. However, it’s possible that people who put their trust in faith healing may be less likely to adhere to medical advice,” he said.
Questioned their belief
Prof Cassidy and his team questioned people on their belief in and their intention to use faith healing, and also asked them about their adherence to medical regimens – measured by questions such as: ‘I always take my medicine or tablets’‚ or: ‘I sometimes decide not to take my medicine or tablets.’
“We found that belief and intention to use faith healing was a significant predictor of self-reported non-adherence to a medication. Participants who believed strongly in faith healing were also more likely to say they were less satisfied with their general practitioners,” Prof Cassidy said.
Understand the risks
“Given that only about one in three people follow medical advice totally and about one in four put their lives at risk through non-adherence, it’s important that healthcare professionals understand their patients’ beliefs about alternative remedies, such as faith healing, so that they can anticipate when patients may not stick to medical advice, and help people to understand the risks they may be taking.”
Prof Cassidy was quick to acknowledge that GPs do not always have time to identify this particular intent in patients.
His larger interest is a more psychosocial approach to medicine, and the effect that beliefs and lifestyle choices can have on health. He also wants to see greater integration of health psychology into more mainstream treatment, and research like this, he says, highlights the importance of that integration.
A lot of the problems people encounter are due to lifestyle choices, based on a set of beliefs or preconceptions, as well as beliefs that people may have about healthcare.
For instance, some people have a very extreme view about the dangers of MRSA, and will even go so far as to avoid seeking help because of the fear of infection.
Prof Cassidy presented his research at the British Psychological Society’s Division of Health Psychology annual conference, which was held last week in Aston University, Birmingham.