Critical Research Journal | Graham Wilson

The influence of supernatural beliefs on clinical decision-making among medical practitioners raises significant concerns regarding the application of critical thinking in healthcare. Evidence suggests that when practitioners allow their beliefs in supernatural entities to guide their clinical choices, they may not be employing a rational, evidence-based approach to patient care.

Research also indicates that beliefs in supernatural phenomena can lead to cognitive biases that impair critical thinking. For instance, Bouvet highlights that non-reflective thinkers are predisposed to attribute supernatural causation to uncanny experiences, suggesting that such beliefs can emerge from personal experiences rather than rational analysis (Bouvet, 2015). This phenomenon can be particularly problematic in medical settings, where decisions should ideally be based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning rather than subjective beliefs.

Furthermore, the cognitive science of religion provides insights into how supernatural beliefs can arise and persist. For example, Maij et al. discuss how cognitive biases may contribute to the formation of beliefs in supernatural agents, indicating that these beliefs are not necessarily grounded in critical evaluation but rather in innate cognitive tendencies (Maij et al., 2017). This suggests that practitioners who hold such beliefs may be less likely to engage in the rigorous analysis required for effective medical decision-making.

Moreover, the implications of supernatural beliefs extend to broader societal contexts, where such beliefs can influence behaviours and attitudes. Shariff and Rhemtulla’s study on the effects of beliefs in heaven and hell on crime rates illustrates how supernatural beliefs can shape moral reasoning and decision-making in ways that may not align with evidence-based practices (Shariff & Rhemtulla, 2012). This raises concerns about the potential for similar influences in clinical settings, where a practitioner’s belief in supernatural entities could lead to decisions that prioritize spiritual considerations over medical evidence.

Additionally, the prevalence of supernatural beliefs among practitioners can create a disconnect between their clinical responsibilities and their personal convictions. For instance, Martinez et al. explore how beliefs in supernatural evil can lead to risk management strategies that may not be scientifically justified, suggesting that such beliefs can introduce unnecessary layers of complexity into healthcare decision-making (Martinez et al., 2017). This is particularly concerning in fields like psychiatry, where evidence-based approaches are crucial for effective treatment.

Summing up, the evidence indicates that when medical practitioners allow supernatural beliefs to influence their clinical decisions, they may compromise their ability to apply critical thinking effectively. The reliance on beliefs that lack empirical support can lead to decisions that are not aligned with best practices in patient care. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare professionals to recognize the potential impact of their beliefs and strive to base their clinical decisions on scientific evidence and critical reasoning.

Follow up

I have been challenged that the work cited above does not specifically address the behaviour of physicians.

Curlin et al (2005), reported that a significant percentage of US physicians believe their religious beliefs influence their medical practice, indicating a widespread acknowledgment of the interplay between faith and clinical decision-making.

Moreover, the attitudes of physicians towards sensitive issues such as abortion and euthanasia are also influenced by their religious beliefs. For instance, Marván et al (2012) found that gynaecologists with strong religious convictions were more likely to view elective abortion negatively, reflecting the impact of religious doctrine on clinical ethics and decision-making.

Similarly, Broeckaert et al (2009) noted that palliative care physicians who actively practice their faith tend to be more critical of euthanasia, suggesting that personal beliefs can shape ethical stances on complex medical issues.

Bibliography:

Balboni, T., Balboni, M., Enzinger, A., Gallivan, K., Paulk, M., Wright, A., … & Prigerson, H. (2013). Provision of spiritual support to patients with advanced cancer by religious communities and associations with medical care at the end of life. Jama Internal Medicine, 173(12), 1109. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.903

Borges, M., Lucchetti, G., Leão, F., Vallada, H., & Peres, M. (2021). Religious affiliations influence health-related and general decision making: a brazilian nationwide survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 2873. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062873

• Based on a large scale survey of Brazilians, this was a comprehensive review of the influence of religious belief on individual’s decision making. Of interest to us, concerning health-related decisions, the influence of religious affiliation was high on accepting medical recommendations (45%) and on refusing medical advice (22.6%).

Bouvet, R. (2015). Non-reflective thinkers are predisposed to attribute supernatural causation to uncanny experiences. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(7), 955-961. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167215585728

Broeckaert, B., Gielen, J., van Iersel, T., and d. Branden, S.V.. (2009) ‘Palliative Care Physicians′ Religious / World View and Attitude Towards Euthanasia: A Quantitative Study Among Flemish Palliative Care Physicians’. Indian Journal of Palliative Care 15, no. 1: 41. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1075.53511. [Alternative source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2886213/]

• A particularly significant topic at the present, the researchers showed that physicians who have a strong belief in God and express their faith through participation in prayer and rituals, tend to be more critical toward euthanasia. Physicians who deny the existence of a transcendent power and hardly attend religious services are more likely to approve of euthanasia even in the case of minors or demented patients.

Curlin, F.A., Lantos, J.D., Roach, C.J., Sellergren, S.A., and Chin, M.H.. (2005) ‘Religious Characteristics of U.S. Physicians’. Journal of General Internal Medicine 20, no. 7: 629–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0119.x.

• Fifty-five percent of physicians say their religious beliefs influence their practice of medicine. Compared with the general population, physicians are more likely to be affiliated with religions that are underrepresented in the United States, less likely to say they try to carry their religious beliefs over into all other dealings in life (58% vs 73%), twice as likely to consider themselves spiritual but not religious (20% vs 9%), and twice as likely to cope with major problems in life without relying on God (61% vs 29%).

Curlin, F., Chin, M., Sellergren, S., Roach, C., & Lantos, J. (2006). The association of physicians’ religious characteristics with their attitudes and self-reported behaviors regarding religion and spirituality in the clinical encounter. Medical Care, 44(5), 446-453. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mlr.0000207434.12450.ef

• Controversy exists regarding whether and how physicians should discuss or share religion/spirituality (R/S) beliefs with patients and pray with them. This study examines the relationship between physicians’ religious characteristics and their attitudes and self-reported behaviours regarding R/S in the clinical encounter.

MacLean, C., Susi, B., Phifer, N., Schultz, L., Bynum, D., Franco, M., … & Cykert, S. (2003). Patient preference for physician discussion and practice of spirituality. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18(1), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20403.x

Maij, D., Harreveld, F., Gervais, W., Schrag, Y., Möhr, C., & Elk, M. (2017). Mentalizing skills do not differentiate believers from non-believers, but credibility enhancing displays do. Plos One, 12(8), e0182764. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182764

Martinez, B., Tom, J., Ferguson, T., Andercheck, B., & Stroope, S. (2017). Parenting practices and attitudes and the role of belief in supernatural evil: results from a national US survey. Journal of Family Issues, 39(6), 1616-1638. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513×17720757

Marván, Ma.L., d. Río, A.A., and Campos, Z.. (2012) ‘On Abortion: Exploring Psychological Meaning and Attitudes in a Sample of Mexican Gynecologists’. Developing World Bioethics 14, no. 1: 29–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/dewb.12005.

• Elective abortion has become an issue of political debate. This study explored the psychological meaning and attitudes toward elective abortion of Mexican gynaecologists. Words most frequently used by participants implied a negative sanction. There were important differences by gender and religiosity: male gynaecologists, as well as those with strong religious beliefs (mainly Catholics), revealed a more negative attitudes than females or physicians with weak religious beliefs.

Menegatti-Chequini, M., Maraldi, E., Peres, M., Leão, F., & Vallada, H. (2019). How psychiatrists think about religious and spiritual beliefs in clinical practice: findings from a university hospital in são paulo, brazil. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 41(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2447

Shariff, A. and Rhemtulla, M. (2012). Divergent effects of beliefs in heaven and hell on national crime rates. Plos One, 7(6), e39048. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039048

Yoon, J., Shin, J., Nian, A., & Curlin, F. (2015). Religion, sense of calling, and the practice of medicine: findings from a national survey of primary care physicians and psychiatrists. Southern Medical Journal, 108(3), 189-195. https://doi.org/10.14423/smj.0000000000000250

• Surveyed primary care physicians and psychiatrists, and overall between 45 and 60% depending on their particular Faith, considered that they had a religious calling (not merely a vocation, which could be for a variety of secular reasons) to do this kind of work.