Brief Description: We mailed questionnaires to a national probability sample of 1500 primary care physicians and 500 psychiatrists. Questionnaires included multiple vignettes (several with experimental designs) of patients reporting common mental and behavioral health concerns. We assessed how physicians responded to these, including to what extent physicians described patients’ problems as spiritual in nature and recommended spiritual resources as a response. We also measured the extent to which physicians’ religious characteristics accounted for their reported ideas and practices. Embedded in this study is a study of physician burnout, sense of calling, and plans for reducing or discontinuing patient care. The study design allows comparisons between psychiatrists and primary care physicians for most measures.

Funding: This work was funded by grants from the John Templeton Foundation and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (1 K23 AT002749, to Dr. Curlin).

Methodology:

Methods Report

Survey for Primary Care Physicians

Survey for Psychiatrists

Published Papers:

• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Meador KG, Koenig HG, Curlin FA. Primary care physicians’ and psychiatrists’ approaches to treating mild depression. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 2012;126(5):385-392.
• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Koenig HG, Meador KG, Curlin FA. Physicians’ Beliefs About Faith-Based Treatments for Alcoholism. Psychiatr Serv. 2012;63(6):597-604.
• Rasinski KA, Lawrence RE, Yoon, JD, Curlin FA. A sense of calling and primary care physicians’ satisfaction in treating smoking, alcoholism, and obesity. Arch Intern Med 2012;172(18):1423-4.
• Shin JH, Yoon JD, Rasinski KA, Koenig HG, Meador KG, Curlin FA. A Spiritual Problem? Primary Care Physicians’ and Psychiatrists’ Interpretations of Medically Unexplained Symptoms. J Gen Intern Med. 2013;28(3):392-398.
• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Religion and anxiety treatments in primary care patients. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2013;26(5):526-38. 
• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Religion and Beliefs about Treating Medically Unexplained Symptoms: A Survey of Primary Care Physicians and Psychiatrists. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. 45(1); 2013: 31-44.
• Sheppe AH, Nicholson RF, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Providing Guidance to Patients: Physicians’ Views about the Relative Responsibilities of Doctors and Religious Communities. Southern Medical Journal. 2013; 106(7): 399-406.
• Putman MS, Yoon JD, Rasinski KA, Curlin FA. Directive Counsel and Morally Controversial Medically Decision-Making: Findings from Two National Surveys of Primary Care Physicians. J General Internal Medicine. 2014;29(2):335-340.
• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Primary care physicians’ and psychiatrists’ willingness to refer to religious mental health providers. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2014;60(7):627-36.
• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Physician race and treatment preferences for depression, anxiety, and medically unexplained symptoms. Ethn Health 2015;20(4)354-64.
• Lawrence RE, Rasinski KA, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Psychiatrists’ and primary care physicians’ beliefs about overtreatment of depression and anxiety. J Nerv Ment Dis 2015; 203(2): 120-5.
• Yoon JD, Shin JH, Nian AL, Curlin FA. Religion, Sense of Calling and the Practice of Medicine: Findings from a National Survey of Primary Care Physicians’ and Psychiatrists. Southern Medical Journal. 2015;108(3):189-95.
• Brauer SG, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. US Primary Care Physicians’ Opinions about Conscientious Refusal: A National Vignette Experiment. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2015 Jul 1 [Epub ahead of print].
• Yoon JD, Daley B, Curlin FA. The association between a sense of calling and physician well-being: A national study of primary care physicians and psychiatrists. Academic Psychiatry. 2016 Jan 25 [Epub ahead of print].
• Brauer SG, Yoon JD, Curlin FA. Physician satisfaction treating medically unexplained symptoms. Southern Medical Journal, 2017;May;110(5):386-391.
• Lio J, Tak HJ, Duan Y, Dadani F, Ali B, Yoon JD. Religious characteristics of physicians who care for the underserved or work in religiously oriented practices: A national survey. Southern Medical Journal. 2018;111(9):511-515.
• Choi K, Tak HJ, Dwyer R, Mousa P, Barreras N, Dawahir W, Christou T, Yoon JD. Moral controversy and working with colleagues with a shared ethical/moral outlook: A national survey of US primary care physicians. Southern Medical Journal. 2019;Aug;112(8):457.