Harold G. Koenig
Encyclopedia
Harold G. Koenig is a psychiatrist
on the faculty of Duke University
. His ideas have been covered in Newsweek
and other news media with regard to religion, spirituality and health, a focus of some of his research and clinical practice.
from Stanford University
(1974), later receiving his MD (1982) from University of California, San Francisco
. He became Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry (1992) and has been Professor of Psychiatry (2004-) at Duke University
Medical Center.
He is currently director of Duke's Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
on the faculty of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. His ideas have been covered in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
and other news media with regard to religion, spirituality and health, a focus of some of his research and clinical practice.
Education and academic career
Koenig graduated with a B.S. in historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
(1974), later receiving his MD (1982) from University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
. He became Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry (1992) and has been Professor of Psychiatry (2004-) at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
Medical Center.
He is currently director of Duke's Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health.
Media coverage
Koenig's ideas have been covered in a wide variety of news media, ranging from BBC radio to the Vatican Radio. Examples include:- In 2009, Newsweek featured comments from Koenig, stating that he was "leading the charge for a better understanding of patients' religious and spiritual beliefs in the medical setting. 'It just makes too much sense,' he says, when patient after patient tells him, 'Doctor, religion is the most important thing; it keeps me going.' Koenig advocates that doctors take spiritual histories of any patient they are likely to have an ongoing relationship with, asking questions like: 'Is religion a source of comfort or stress? Do you have any religious beliefs that would influence decision-making? Do you have any spiritual needs that someone should address?'"
Books
Koenig has authored or edited more than 35 books that include:- Is religion good for your health? The effects of religion on physical and mental health. Harold G. Koenig (1997, New York: Haworth Pastoral Press)
- Handbook of religion and mental health. Harold G. Koenig (1998, New York: Academic Press)
- Handbook of religion and healthHandbook of Religion and HealthHandbook of Religion and Health is a scholarly book about the relation of spirituality and religion with physical and mental health. Written by Harold G. Koenig, Michael E. McCullough, and David B. Larson, the book was published in the US in 2001...
(see articleHandbook of Religion and HealthHandbook of Religion and Health is a scholarly book about the relation of spirituality and religion with physical and mental health. Written by Harold G. Koenig, Michael E. McCullough, and David B. Larson, the book was published in the US in 2001...
). Harold G. Koenig, Michael E. McCullough, & David B. Larson, D. B. (2001, New York: Oxford University Press).
Other
Koenig has also published over 280 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, scholarly professional journal articles and 60 chapters in professional books. His main papers:- Koenig HG, Cohen HJ, Blazer DG, Pieper C, Meador KG, Shelp F, et al. Religious coping and depression among elderly, hospitalized medically ill men. Am J Psychiatry. 1992; 149(12): 1693-700.
- Koenig HG, George LK, Peterson BL. Religiosity and remission of depression in medically ill older patients. Am J Psychiatry. 1998; 155(4): 536-42.
- Koenig HG, Hays JC, George LK, Blazer DG, Larson DB, Landerman LR. Modeling the cross-sectional relationships between religion, physical health, social support, and depressive symptoms. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 1997; 5(2): 131-44.
External links
- Koenig's Duke University faculty page, accessed August 8th, 2011
- Koenig's CV