Religiosity and Psychotic Experiences: A Large Community-Based Study From Qatar

Peter Woodruff; Salma Khaled; Sanne Brederoo; Majid Alabdulla; Iris Sommer

doi:10.1192/bjo.2022.260

Religiosity and Psychotic Experiences: A Large Community-Based Study From Qatar

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 June 2022

Majid Alabdulla and

Peter Woodruff*: Affiliation:
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Salma Khaled: Affiliation:
Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Sanne Brederoo: Affiliation:
University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Majid Alabdulla: Affiliation:
Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Iris Sommer: Affiliation:
University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
*: *Presenting author.

Article contents

Abstract

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Abstract

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Aims

We wished to explore associations between intrinsic religiosity, extrinsic (non-organizational (ENORG) and organizational (EORG)) religiosity and hallucinations phenomenology in a non-clinical Muslim population.

Methods

We selected full-time students at Qatar University using systematic random sampling and administered the Questionnaire of Psychotic Experiences online. We modelled the effects of sociodemographic variables, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and religiosity measures, delusions on hallucinations severity and distress/impact in the past week, using structural equation modelling.

Results

Direct-effects models supported ENORG religiosity's protective role against experiencing distress or negative impact on daily function from hallucinations. Intrinsic religiosity had positive indirect-effects on hallucinations distress/impact through depression, anxiety, and through EORG but negative (suppression) indirect-effects on hallucinations distress/impact through ENORG. Younger and married from lower socio-economic class participants had comparatively more severe hallucinations and more distress from them.

Conclusion

We present evidence of differential associations between the religiosity types, socioeconomic and cultural groups, and past week distress/impact of hallucinations.

Our data support the importance of alignment between religious education and mental health and well-being education.

Type: Research
Information: BJPsych Open , Volume 8 , Supplement S1: Abstracts of the RCPsych International Congress 2022, 20–23 June , June 2022 , pp. S78 - S79

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.260 [Opens in a new window]
Creative Commons: This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.