SPIRITUALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. A NOVEL MODEL OF ETHICAL

FORMATION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS

Wojciech KOSMOWSKI1, Aleksander ARASZKIEWICZ1, Michał FRĄSZCZAK1, Maurycy ARASZKIEWICZ1

1Department of Psychiatry, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland

SPIRITUALITY − DEFINITIONS

CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY− DEFINITION

• THE PATHTO THE UNION WITH CHRIST

(the shortest)

• THE FORM OF A SPIRITUAL LIFE OF A RELIGIOUS PERSON,

• AIMED AT THE UNION WITH GOD THROUGHJESUS CHRIST,

• SHAPED AND REALIZED ACCORDING TO HIS TEACHING, EXEMPLARY LIFE AND SALVIFIC WORK,

• INCLUDES ALL MANIFESTATIONS OF LIFECOMING WITHIN THE SCOPE OF CHRISTIAN ETHOS

(the most complete)

Other definitions

METHODS OF TEACHING

ETHICS

Education

Formation

Modelling

Indoctrination

Manipulation

BYDGOSZCZ −CONCEPT

For medical students

Non-obligatory

Four lecturers

Five topics

30 hours

Collecting data

TOPICS OF WORKSHOPS ON SPIRITUALITY AND PSYCHIATRY

• Spirituality in the historical and philosophical aspect

• Christian spirituality

• Paths of shaping spirituality − methods of formation

• Cultural psychiatry and religious beliefs. Possession and trance

• Spirituality and mental illnesses

30 hours, 5 topics

CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICIPANTS

• 345 students

• medicine, years 2-5

• online survey afterwards

• survey participants – 61 students

• 2/3 women

SURVEY RESULTS 1USEFULNESS IN PRACTICE

335

938

14 %

not at all somhow neutral rather extremely

SURVEY RESULTS IIFORMS OF STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

discussion essay electronic presentation oral presentation

%

%

SURVEY RESULTS IIIRESOURCES USED BY STUDENTS

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

books from syllabus borrowed books text websites picture websites AV movies

weighted average

weighted average

EXAMPLES OF SLIDES

BY TUTORS

Why does a doctor need spirituality?

• Better understanding of oneself• Better understanding of patients• The ability to distinguish what

belongs to psychopathology from what is associated with a different order

• The ability to properly assess what problem we face

Carpatian HellDolor et Caritas

Wojciech Kossak, 1915

An ideal of spirituality in medicine?

Role models for the doctor

Saint Luke Albert Schweitzer

The essence of the medical spirituality

• Moral principle:• bonum faciendum, malum vitandum / salus aegroti suprema lex / primum non nocere

• Ontological principle: • to help a patient in need (treatment)

• to help a person keep and maintain health (preventive healthcare)

• Philosophical anthropology• When a man is a man?

• What are the essential features of humanity?

Multidimensionalitycategories of problems based on the term ”alcoholism”

Type of problem Name of the problem Sources of definitions

Medical diseasedisordersymptom

researchersmedical practitioners

Legal vicefelonycrime

lawmakersprofessors of lawprosecutorsjudges and other legal practitioners

Social social pathologymaladjustment

ideologistsscientists (sociology, psychology, pedagogy)

Theological sinmoral flaw

TraditionHoly BibleChurch FathersApostolic FathersTeaching Authority of the Church - Magisteriumtheologians (spirituality, moral and other)priests

Examples of student’s works

PDF, PPTX, MP4, DOC, etc.

Task:Analysis of texts, pictures, movies

Distinctive features

What is more appealing: text,

picture, recording?

Words teach, examples attract (verba docet,

exempla trahunt)

Relations with medicine,

especially with psychiatry

Or maybe other examples – chosen

by students?

Working alone or in groups of 2-3

people

Student’s works in the form of Word documents

Analysis of movies – thematic channels on YouTube

SPIRITUALITYAND PSYCHIATRY

– INTERPRETATIONOF IMAGES

PRADONATIONAL MUSEUM

”The Resurrection of Lazarus”

Juan de Flandes 1510-18

The three main characters depicted in the picture are: blessing Jesus, Lazarus rising from the grave and kneeling with his hands extended

Lazarus' sister – Martha.The whole situation takes place

in the cemetery with chapel ruins visible in the background.

A group of people standingin the gate and closely watching

the whole event are identifiedwith important Jewish priests.

Who was Lazarus?

A friend of Jesus. A person wealthy, pious and extremely

smart. A mortal illness leads to his death, but after four days Jesus stays at Bethany and performs

the miracle of resurrection.The whole situation presented

in the Gospel of Saint John shows a strong bond connecting

Jesus with Lazarus.

The painting depictingthe resurrection of Lazarus,

a deeply spiritual person who is close to the person of Jesus,

can become a picture with which patients can identify. They may think that their deep faith will be

rewarded by God, they will be healed, in other words they will not lose hope of recovery. The patient knows that nothing is impossible for God, and that his or her good

life can affect their future.

Name and surname: ………..Year………, Group …….

You cannot be a good doctor unless you are a good man (W. Biegański, +1917)

SUMMARY

• The model of this course seems to be a valuable support in the ethical education of future doctors.

• It enables personal findings.

• It leads to discussion and exchange of values and thoughts.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

• Conducting similar classes for students of the medical faculty at various medical schools.

• Spirituality classes for students of different faculties.

• Improving the formula of classes.

• Gathering information about what is important for students in the process of forming their spirituality.