A Multidisciplinary Panel on EDI Considerations in the Intersection between Spirituality/Religion and Mental Health Care across Diverse Settings
Presenters
Alan Fung (he/him), MD, ScD, FRCPC, DFAPA
Yusra Ahmad (she/her), MD, FRCPC
Adrianne Sequeira (she/her), DMin, RP, RMFT, RN, Certified Psychoanalyst
Tat-Ying Wong (he/him), MD, MTS, MDiv, RMFT
Abstract
The roles of spirituality/religion in mental health and care have increasingly been recognized. In this workshop, panelists from diverse backgrounds (in terms of professional, ethnocultural, faith, etc) will discuss EDI considerations in the intersection between spirituality/religion and mental health care across diverse settings. Dr. Ahmad, a psychiatrist, will discuss the rationales, rewards and challenges in integrating Islamic faith/spirituality in her clinical work addressing mental health and trauma issues. She will also discuss the importance of her Islamic faith for her as a mental health practitioner. Dr. Sequeira - with background in mental health nursing, psychoanalysis, marriage and family therapy, and a doctorate in Christian ministry - will discuss her work in addressing mental health and substance misuse issues in diverse Christian communities through confronting stigma and raising mental health competence, as well as in promoting collaborations between mental health professionals and Christian ministers and communities. Dr. Wong, a family physician and psychotherapist, will describe his work in utilizing a Christian-based spiritually-integrated attachment focused systemic experiential psychotherapy model in building connection and resilience with Chinese individuals, couples, families and groups in primary care mental health and faith community settings.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1) Appreciate how spirituality/religion may be integrated in clinical mental health care across diverse settings.
2) Describe challenges in addressing mental health issues in some members of faith communities, and some potential strategies in addressing them – including the potential role of promoting collaboration/partnership between mental health professionals and faith leaders/communities.
3) Describe some examples of evidence-based spiritually-integrated mental health treatments for visible minorities.
References
WPA Position Statement on Spirituality and Religion in Psychiatry