Psychosis has long been recognised as a severe mental disorder characterised by derangement of personality, disorganised thought, and a loss of contact with reality. Certain mystical and alternate states, which have been practiced throughout history by various cultures, have also been deemed as pathological through the lens of western psychiatry even though many of these states provide beneficial contributions to the individual and their community. A number of similar states have been found in modern society and have been termed "Spiritual Emergencies". The aim of this research was to determine whether "spiritual emergency". (SE) is a valid concept and to outline the differences between SE and psychosis. One-hundred-and-nine participants from the general public completed a questionnaire developed for this research, comprised of measures of psychosis and ten spiritual emergency subscales. Results indicated that participants who were prescribed medication or previously experienced a psychotic episode scored higher on the SE subscales. One strong factor was found to underlie all the SE subscales and a significant relationship was found between this factor and the measure of psychotic experience. It is open to interpretation as to whether psychosis is nothing more than SE or whether SE is nothing more than psychosis. The implications of these findings are discussed. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2008

No description available.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Luzia Ferreira Peixoto.pdf: 1435850 bytes, checksum: 4a10d40099660866911b374157281505 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-08-11 / The general goal of this study is to discuss the teaching and practice of psychospiritual assistance to clients, considering the teachers and students perception of the graduation courses on nursing, and to emphasize the psychospiritual assistance to clients in the nursing teaching and praxis. Descriptive-exploratory research carried out in the Middle West Region of Brazil. The sample was comprised of 63 nurses and 141 students of graduation courses on nursing. Data were collected by the researcher, who used the applied questionnaire as an instrument, after approval of the project by the Research Ethics Committee of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUCSP. The spiritual values of education of the new nursing professionals were discussed. It is believed that more than offering drugs, the professionals need to know how to listen to the patient and his/her family, work for prevention and take care of the individual as an active agent in the healing process. In the academic education, the new professionals need a space that assures them religious knowledge for the spiritual assistance. The autonomy of the patient must be the conductor axis to introduce the spirituality in the practice. Finally, among other aspects, it is believed that the faith of the clients is a positive power for the faster recovery; that doing and taking care must be turned to the humanized integral assistance and that the nurse must take care of the clients rather than the disease, besides providing full assistance according to the needs. We are sure that our thesis brought many possibilities to touch those who work in the area of health! / O estudo tem como objetivos gerais discutir o ensino e a prática da assistência psicoespiritual prestada aos clientes, partindo de percepções de docentes e discentes dos cursos de graduação em enfermagem e enfatizar a assistência psicoespiritual aos clientes no ensino e na práxis de enfermagem. Pesquisa do tipo descritivo-exploratória realizada na região Centro-Oeste do Brasil. A amostra foi constituída de 63 enfermeiros e 141 acadêmicos de cursos de graduação em enfermagem. A Coleta de Dados realizada pela pesquisadora que utilizou como instrumento o questionário aplicado após aprovação do projeto pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo-PUCSP. Foram discutidos os valores espirituais na formação dos novos profissionais de enfermagem. Considera-se que mais do que oferecer remédios, os profissionais precisam saber ouvir o paciente e sua família, trabalhar a prevenção, cuidar do indivíduo como agente ativo no processo de cura. Na formação acadêmica, os novos profissionais precisam de um espaço que lhes garantam conhecimentos religiosos para a assistência psicoespiritual A autonomia do paciente deve ser o eixo condutor para introduzir a espiritualidade na prática. Por fim considera-se entre outros aspectos, que a fé dos clientes é uma alavanca positiva na recuperação mais rápida; que o fazer e o cuidar devem estar voltados para a assistência integral humanizada e que o enfermeiro deve cuidar dos clientes e não da doença, além de prestar assistência integral segundo as necessidades. Concluiu-se com a certeza de que nossa tese levantou muitas possibilidades para sensibilizar aqueles e aquelas que trabalham na área de saúde!

The thesis presents three mystical writings of the Middle Ages,whose common least denominator is experience of inner mystical union accompanied by a religious experience and the experience of spiritual purgation. The thesis attempts to adopt a holistic approach,it presents relevant views of C.G.Jung s concepts of archetypes and relationships between consciousness and unconsciousness,views of other authors,quotes some documents of magisterial role of the church,it takes into account a long-term empiric observations,and presents one case study.In the conclusion some approaches towards handling so called psychospiritual crisis are suggested.