In reply: Despite recent changes in Australian culture, Peach underestimates the importance of religious beliefs to older Australians likely to see physicians today.1-3 As people age and experience negative life events, such as medical illness, longitudinal studies show that they become more and more religious.4
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
Correspondence:
- 1. do Rozario L. Spirituality in the lives of people with disability and chronic illness: a creative paradigm of wholeness and reconstitution. Disabil Rehabil 1997; 19: 427-434.
- 2. Daly J, Jackson D, Davidson P. The experience of hope for survivors of acute myocardial infarction. Aust J Adv Nurs 1999; 16: 38-44.
- 3. D'Souza R. Do patients expect psychiatrists to be interested in spiritual issues? Australas Psychiatry 2002; 10: 44-47.
- 4. Wink P, Dillon M. Spiritual development across the adult life course: findings from a longitudinal study. J Adult Dev 2002; 9: 79-94.
- 5. Koenig H, Bearon L, Dayringer R. Physician perspectives on the role of religion in the physician–older patient relationship. J Fam Pract 1989; 28: 441-448.
Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.