ABSTRACT
Many mental disorders begin during adolescence and young adulthood, with symptoms and distress often lasting many years. Chronic suffering and dysfunction are assumed for some diagnoses, such as psychosis, mood disorders and addictions. In this chapter, the literature on chronicity in severe mental illness (SMI) will be reviewed and critiqued. Notions of recovery will be reinterpreted in the context of religion and faith. Religious case material from the Cultural Consultation Service (CCS) will be summarized and assessed thematically with respect to chronicity and the distress of mental illness. Findings highlight that religion (1) fosters cultures of recovery that reinterpret mental illness as episodic rather than chronic or degenerative in nature, (2) provides comforting coping strategies that reduce the distress associated with symptoms, (3) redefines recovery and wellness, and (4) offers meaning and purpose in the face of adversity. Religious variables have been neglected for decades in mental health research despite the consistent finding that religious beliefs and practices are positively associated with improved mental health on diverse measures. Religious cultures, beliefs and practices offer powerful tools to assist patients and their families in times of illness and suffering. The re-evaluation of notions of chronicity and wellness, as some belief systems encourage, permit reinterpretation of the illness experience, reduce stigma, and foster recovery. These findings suggest that clinicians need to consider the religious resources that exist in the lives of their patients and plan interventions accordingly. Neglecting to do so may undermine the therapeutic relationship, or unwittingly may worsen suffering over the illness course.
