Religious or spiritual problem? The clinical relevance of identifying and measuring spiritual emergency

Spiritual emergency (SEY) is a type of religious or spiritual struggle that has been associated with physical and psychological health problems as well as providing a unique opportunity for growth. The SEY construct provided the impetus for the development of a diagnostic v-code that exists within the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). However, clinicians are failing to utilize the code due to a lack of understanding and knowledge. This article discusses the clinical relevance of identifying religious and spiritual problems and presents an overview of the SEY construct. We discuss attempts to identify religious and spiritual problems in a clinical setting and distinguish them from psychopathology. A systematic review of recent research aimed to measure SEY is provided, along with an outline of its limitations and suggestions for further empirical inquiry. Given the expanding number of positive health benefits associated with healthy religiousness and spirituality, facilitating this potential outcome for those experiencing more pathological forms of religiousness and spirituality should be of paramount importance to mental health professionals.