Handbook of Spirituality and Worldview in Clinical Practice Allan M. Josephson, John R. Peteet (eds) Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2004, $37.50 pb, 180 pp. ISBN: 1-58562-104-8

We all have a worldview. These beliefs underpin what we value, the things we consider worth treating or investigating and how we deal with people. All doctors, all people, need to consider their own life philosophy and be aware of what other people believe, not just those of us who belong to a formal religion. This book is a valuable addition in that quest.

The first part of the book deals with worldview and spirituality, which the authors leave loosely defined. This enables them to include materialistic and atheistic philosophies, which deny the existence of a spiritual realm. The first chapter looks at Freud’s worldview. His writings have had a major influence on the development of our current secular society and on the perception of psychiatry as not being interested in spiritual issues. The rest of the first part deals with how to take a spiritual history and incorporate it in the formulation and treatment plan. It is written from the point of view of an American psychoanalytical psychiatrist with an office practice in downtown USA. Hence it needs some translation for the UK National Health Service hospital scene. An in-depth spiritual history from upbringing to current practice will rarely be relevant in my work, but I find the question ‘ Do you have any faith or beliefs that are important to you?’ enables a useful discussion of an individual’s worldview.

The second half of the book is new and valuable. There are many books on comparative religion, a few written by the adherents of each religion, and none that highlight the challenges and concerns of the mental health professional as well. Each worldview is described by psychiatrists who hold that philosophy. The exception is the joint chapter on Hinduism and Buddhism, which, despite shared history, differ greatly in practice and deserve separate chapters.

The views of atheists and agnostics permeate western societies, but are generally overlooked in books on spirituality; this chapter is a significant addition to the field. The book is relatively easy to read and would be of value to new arrivals in the UK and to all who work in a cross-cultural setting.