BRISBANE, May 1 AAP|Published: Wednesday May 1, 2002 3:22 PM

A world-first treatment for severe depression combining spirituality and psychiatry had proven effective in patient trials, a conference was told today.

Psychiatrist Russell D’Souza said trials had found the non-denominational cognitive behavioural therapy conducted in a hospital chapel was more effective than supportive counselling.

“It removes their depression, their hopelessness, helplessness and it certainly takes away their despair,” Dr D’Souza said.

He said the spiritually-based therapy of 14 treatments over 10 weeks included meditation, prayer, relaxation techniques, and a focus on hope, forgiveness and the meaning and purpose of a person’s life.

Dr D’Souza said all those in the trials, including a control group who received counselling, had indicated beforehand that spirituality was important in their lives.

He developed the therapy after Australian research found 65 per cent of patients with depression, anxiety and other psychological conditions indicated they wanted spirituality to play a part in their treatment.

This compared with related research that found less than 10 per cent of psychiatrists believed spirituality was important in their practices.

“Psychiatry has a history of not giving too much important to this area,” Dr D’Souza said after addressing the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ annual congress in Brisbane.

“It’s a very delicate area but we are now showing that the patient wants it and it has very beneficial effects.”

Most of the research was done through the Centre for Excellence in Remote and Rural Psychological Medicine in Broken Hill.

Dr D’Souza said the therapy was already winning acceptance internationally with a collaborative project underway in Canada.

By Janelle Miles

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