Judaism and Mental Health: Beliefs, Research and Applications

This book is for mental health professionals, clergy, and researchers interested in the relationship between religion, spirituality and health in Judaism. A concise description of Jewish beliefs and practices is followed by a systematic review of the research literature, and then by recommendations for clinical practice based on the research findings. The author is a physician researcher who has spent over 30 years investigating the relationship between religion and health, and directs Duke University's Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health. He is also a clinician who for decades has treated clients with a wide range of emotional disorders using a faith-based approach. In this well-documented and highly cited volume, he brings together over 50 years of research that has examined how religious faith impacts the mental health of those who call themselves Jews, and explains what this means for those who are seeking to provide hope, meaning, and healing to members of this faith tradition.… (more)