Introduction: Religion and spirituality (R/S) serve as sources of meaning-making and coping for many individuals and families. While research on the relationship between R/S and mental health has been ongoing, their role in pediatric mental health is poorly understood. The objective of this study is to assess research trends and predominant themes of R/S in child and adolescent psychiatric research in articles published in the Journal of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). This provides a rough measure of the relative importance of these topics to academic psychiatrists and researchers in the field and identifies gaps for future research.Methods: All research and review articles published in JAACAP between 2000-2023 with a focus on R/S themes were retrieved, screened, and appraised for content and extent of focus on R/S (major, minor, incidental). Included articles were assessed for R/S variables and predominant themes.Results: Thirty-two (32) research articles published between 2000-2023 contained sufficient R/S content for inclusion in our study. Only 4 articles had R/S as their major focus. Our analysis suggested a decline in publications with R/S content over the last 24 years. The R/S variables and measurement tools were heterogenous, with religious attendance and religious affiliation being the most frequently measured variables. The predominant themes include the relationships between R/S and psychopathology, suicide, utilization of services, conceptualization of illness, trauma, identity, and coping.Discussion: Despite the significance attributed to R/S by many youths and families and the increasing academic interest in the intersection between R/S and health, a significant gap exists in our understanding of R/S vis-à-vis child and adolescent mental health. This gap may be further compounded by the limited attention offered to R/S factors and variables in academic psychiatric activities. JAACAP, a global leading academic platform, may advance this discourse by inviting and encouraging publications addressing R/S variables. This may inform diagnostic, preventive, and interventive clinical work with children and their families.

This study provides an overview of the extent, nature and quality of reporting on mental health compared with physical health in Qatari newspapers. We analysed 1274 news reports from daily newspapers in Qatar. The majority of the articles provided general information and were either positive or neutral in tone, reporting purely on physical health matters. A small proportion made associations with violence or reported on suicide or substance use. Our results highlight the underrepresentation of mental health in Qatari newspapers. A collaboration between media and health professionals is recommended to improve reporting on mental health.

The Islamic classical scholarly tradition is replete with literature on a wide range of psychological themes. In recent decades, there has been a surge in the study and re-evaluation of this classical literature considering modern psychology. The purpose of this review is to typologize and examine the prevalent themes and approaches in this contemporary body of scholarship engaging with classical Islamic psychological literature, and to highlight gaps and limitations. This literature review utilized a flexible search strategy through various national and regional databases using a wide range of keywords. The study included a total of 132 works in three languages: Arabic, English, and Turkish. The identified works were screened for inclusion based on their relevance to psychology and their focus on classical Islamic works. These works were organized according to a thematic typology developed by the authors into three categories: broad overviews, theory-oriented works, and application-oriented works. The review indicated a significant diversified interest in classical literature in relation to modern approaches to psychology. However, contemporary scholarship included a notable “championing” attitude towards classical literature with less prevalence of empirical explorations and practical applications. Certain classical scholars and treatises received significantly more attention than others in recent decades. The paper concludes by offering future directions for research in this domain.