scholarly journals Praying with a patient constitutes a breach of professional boundaries in psychiatric practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 199 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Poole ◽  
Christopher C. H. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
General Medical Council ◽  
Psychiatric Practice ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Medical Council ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Professional Boundaries

SummaryThe extent to which religion and spirituality are integrated into routine psychiatric practice has been a source of increasing controversy over recent years. While taking a patient's spiritual needs into account when planning their care may be less contentious, disclosure to the patient by the psychiatrist of their own religious beliefs or consulting clergy in the context of treatment are seen by some as potentially harmful and in breach of General Medical Council guidance. Here, Professor Rob Poole and Professor Christopher Cook debate whether praying with a patient constitutes a breach of professional boundaries in psychiatric practice.

scholarly journals Religion and spirituality in clinical practice

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C. H. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Psychiatric Practice ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Professional Boundaries ◽  
Spirituality And Religion

SummarySpirituality and religion have assumed importance in psychiatric practice in recent years because of both a growing evidence base and the desire of patients that such matters should be better addressed as an aspect of their care. However, there has been controversy regarding interpretation of the evidence base and issues of good practice, notably about defining appropriate professional boundaries. A sensitive and patient-focused clinical enquiry is therefore needed to discover whether and how spiritual/religious concerns are important to patients and, if they are, how they might most appropriately be addressed in treatment. Many of the concerns of patients and professionals regarding spirituality overlap with the recovery agenda and so are easily addressed implicitly and without need to impose the language of spirituality or religion. However, for some patients, transcendent concerns that are not a part of this agenda are easily overlooked.

scholarly journals Religious competence as cultural competence

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Whitley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Psychiatric Services ◽  
Psychiatric Practice ◽  
Service Satisfaction ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Ambivalent Attitude

Definitions of cultural competence often refer to the need to be aware and attentive to the religious and spiritual needs and orientations of patients. However, the institution of psychiatry maintains an ambivalent attitude to the incorporation of religion and spirituality into psychiatric practice. This is despite the fact that many patients, especially those from underserved and underprivileged minority backgrounds, are devotedly religious and find much solace and support in their religiosity. I use the case of mental health of African Americans as an extended example to support the argument that psychiatric services must become more closely attuned to religious matters. I suggest ways in which this can be achieved. Attention to religion can aid in the development of culturally competent and accessible services, which in turn, may increase engagement and service satisfaction among religious populations.

The Duties of Doctors In Medical Education: A Letter To The Editor (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sneha Barai
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Role Model ◽  
General Medical Council ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Medical Council ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
The Uk ◽  
And Training

UNSTRUCTURED The UK General Medical Council (GMC) explicitly states doctors have a duty to ‘contribute to teaching and training…by acting as a positive role model’. However, recent studies suggest some are not fulfilling this, which is impacting medical students' experiences and attitudes during their training. As such, doctors have a duty to act as role models and teachers, as specified by the GMC, which it seems are not currently being fulfilled. This would improve the medical students’ learning experiences and demonstrate good professional values for them to emulate. Therefore, these duties should be as important as patient care, since this will influence future generations.

Business of the General Medical Council

BMJ ◽  
1898 ◽  
Vol 1 (1941) ◽  
pp. 729-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Hall
Keyword(s):  
General Medical Council ◽  
Medical Council

DIRECT REPRESENTATION ON THE GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL

BMJ ◽  
1928 ◽  
Vol 2 (3523) ◽  
pp. 74-74
Author(s):  
C. H. Milburn
Keyword(s):  
General Medical Council ◽  
Medical Council

scholarly journals Medical Students’ Experience of Mindfulness Training in the UK: Well-Being, Coping Reserve, and Professional Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Malpass ◽  
Kate Binnie ◽  
Lauren Robson
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
General Medical Council ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
The Body ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Medical Council ◽  
The Uk

Medical school can be a stressful experience for students, resulting in stress-related mental health problems. Policy recommendations from the General Medical Council (GMC), the body responsible for improving medical education in the UK, recommend the use of mindfulness training to increase well-being and resilience to stress. Students participating in an eight-week mindfulness training between Autumn 2011 and Spring 2015 were invited to complete a free text survey at the end of their mindfulness course. In addition, six qualitative interviews were conducted lasting between 60 and 90 minutes. Interviews used a topic guide and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used the framework approach to analyse the data. Students reported a new relationship to their thoughts and feelings which gave a greater sense of control and resiliency, an ability to manage their workload better, and more acceptance of their limitations as learners. The small group context was important. Students described improved empathy and communication skills through building inner awareness of thoughts and feelings, noticing judgments, and developing attentive observation. The findings show how resiliency and coping reserve can be developed within medical education and the role of mindfulness in this process. We present a conceptual model of a learnt cycle of specific vulnerability and describe how MBCT intercepts at various junctures in this self-reinforcing cycle through the development of new coping strategies that embrace an “allowed vulnerability.”

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