Participation in Spiritual Healing, Religiosity, and Mental Health

Recently, the research analyzes the relationship between religion and spirituality has grown rapidly.Many mental health clinics have implemented interventions on religious and spirituality-based mental disorders. This article aimed to examine the effectiveness of handling mental-based mental disorders from various studies that have been conducted. Methods: The articles used in this systematic review were searched in the SCOPUS, PROQUEST, SPRINGERLINK, SAGE and SCIENCEDIRECT databases which is published between 2016-2020. The keyword used were "mental disorders" or "mental illness" and “spiritual” or “religious”, with the use of the phrase Boolean Operators. The articles selected according to the inclusion criteria include articles stating the effectiveness of spiritual healing for mental disorders, articles that analyzed mental illness patients in RCT, case-control studies and experiment. The articles obtained then were analyzed with the DSVIA conclusion table (design, sampling, variables, intervention and analysis). Results: There were 15 articles that meet the criteria as a systematic review.Thestudy result showed that there was a relationship between religious/spiritual involvement and mental disorders (positive). The findings from previous research indicated that religion play an important role in many situations because religious beliefs and rules affect people's lives. Conclusions:The majority of the previous literature stated a significant relationship between religious beliefs and practices and mental health.

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Religious Mosque Leaders (Khateebs): Awareness, Perceptions, Practices and Attitude towards Mental Health, Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia

International Neuropsychiatric Disease Journal ◽

10.9734/indj/2019/v13i3-430112 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Abdulhameed Abdullah Alhabeeb ◽

Abdulelah Ishaq Khayat ◽

Adnan Ahmed Makkawi ◽

Naseem Akhtar Qureshi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Mental Health Literacy ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Peace Building ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Extensive Experience ◽

Attitudes And Practices

Background: Mosques are the most holy places in the eyes of Allah-Exalted and Glorified, and the religious mosque leaders (Khateebs) who read 15-20 minutes Khutbah prior to Friday Prayers have great knowledge in religion of Islam and are considered the peace-building leaders through delivering the pertinent Friday sermons around the world. Objective: This online consenting cross-sectional survey explored the mental health awareness, perceptions, attitudes and practices of Khateebs of Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This survey used 14-items self-designed culturally competitive questionnaire and sociodemographic proforma to tap religious mosque leaders’ knowledge, perceptions, practices and attitude towards mental health. Results: Majority of mosque leaders were middle aged with higher education and extensive experience as a model of true interlocutor (Khateeb). Their knowledge and practices revealed were replete with religious and spiritual healing approaches but religious mosque leaders did not completely overlook the role of psychiatric medications and mental health professionals in the management of mentally ill persons. However, religious mosque leaders showed some negative attitudes towards patients with mental disorders, and recommended 10 corrective guides including integration of mosques and religious leaders into mental health system. Conclusion: Despite mosque leader’s good mental health literacy, they need further training to plug certain loopholes traced in their mental health literacy. Researchers should conduct further similar research overcoming the caveats of this survey not only in Saudi Arabia but also globally in Muslim world.

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A Holistic Approach to Mental and Physical Well-Being

Current Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Reports ◽

10.33702/cncnr.2019.1.1.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 21-23

Author(s):

Shilpa Jasubhai

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Major Goal ◽

Behavioural Health ◽

Recent Trends ◽

Indian Physician

A major goal of mankind since ages has been to seek liberation from suffering, both physical and mental. Ancient Indian physician and scholar Charaka emphasized positive mental health when he articulated that the task of medicine is not simply to strive for absence of disease but to enable an individual to learn about and lead ideal life. Recent trends in the field of psychology have major developments in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The methods used to heal patients both physically and psychologically are increasingly holistic in their approaches. Research suggests that holistic techniques used to reduce stress, anxiety and depression are being utilized by patients and clients more and more and subsequently replacing what used to be the authority of pharmaceutical remedies. According to a study done by the Samueli Institute in Alexandria, Virginia, the United States has shown a marked increase in the use of methods such as hypnosis, yoga, relaxation exercise, acupressure, affirmations, reiki, meditation, spiritual healing and energy healing. Taking a holistic approach to healing means consider all realms of existence, not just the physical body. The objective of present article is to create an awareness of the benefits of holistic approach and achieving dramatic changes in physical, emotional and behavioural health.

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Perceived barriers on utilization of mental health services among adults in Dodoma Municipality – Tanzania

Journal of Public Mental Health ◽

10.1108/jpmh-09-2012-0008 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 79-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tumbwene Elieza Mwansisya ◽

Anne H. Outwater ◽

Zhening Liu

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Perceived Barriers ◽

Evil Spirit ◽

Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine perceived barriers to utilization of mental health services among adults in Dodoma Municipality, Tanzania. To improve the use of mental health services, identifying related perceived barriers is a key step. Design/methodology/approach – A concurrent mixed method model was used. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews (n=152) using a structured survey questionnaire. In addition in-depth interviews were conducted (n=10). The quantitative data were analyzed by using Epi info version 2002. Content analysis was used for analyzing qualitative data. Findings – The majority of respondents opted to use modern mental health facilities for mental illness treatment. They also used spiritual healing and other forms traditional methods including herbal medicines. The most frequently identified causes of mental illness were: drug abuse, being cursed and witchcraft, demons or evil spirit possession. The reported significant perceived barriers were stigma, economic, lack of transport, witchcraft, lack of awareness of mental health services, unemployment, and negative believes about professional cure. Originality/value – The option for mental health service utilization is influenced by the existing barriers on community and clients’ perception. There is a need for mental health professionals and policy makers to integrate mental health into primary care. Mutual sharing of knowledge between mental health professionals and tradition healers is warranted. Further research on the attitudes toward mental health professional services and on effectiveness of traditional healers’ services is indicated.

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Mental health treatment outcome expectancies in Burundi

Transcultural Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1363461516652302 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 46-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Pacifique Irankunda ◽

Laurie Heatherington

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Global Mental Health ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Traditional Healing ◽

Future Research ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Treatment Expectancies ◽

Values And Beliefs ◽

Evidence Based Treatments

Best practices in global mental health stress the importance of understanding local values and beliefs. Research demonstrates that expectancies about the effectiveness of a given treatment significantly predicts outcome, beyond the treatment effect itself. To help inform the development of mental health interventions in Burundi, we studied expectancies about the effectiveness of four treatments: spiritual healing, traditional healing, medication, and selected evidence-based psychosocial treatments widely used in the US. Treatment expectancies were assessed for each of three key syndromes identified by previous research: akabonge (a set of depression-like symptoms), guhahamuka (a set of trauma-related symptoms), and ibisigo (a set of psychosis-like symptoms) . In individual interviews or written surveys in French or Kirundi with patients ( N = 198) awaiting treatment at the clinic, we described each disorder and the treatments in everyday language, asking standard efficacy expectations questions about each (“Would it work?” “Why or why not?”). Findings indicated uniformly high expectancies about the efficacy of spiritual treatment, relatively high expectancies for western evidence-based treatments (especially cognitive behavior therapy [CBT] for depression-like symptoms), lower expectancies for medicine, and especially low expectancies for traditional healing (except for traditional healing for psychosis-like symptoms). There were significant effects of gender but not of education level. Qualitative analyses of explanations provide insight into the basis of people’s beliefs, their explanations about why a given treatment would or would not work varied by type of disorder, and reflected beliefs about underlying causes. Implications for program development and future research are discussed.

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Socio-demographic Risk Factors in Depression among the Clergy in Nigeria

International Neuropsychiatric Disease Journal ◽

10.9734/indj/2020/v14i430141 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 89-95

Author(s):

Enyidah Nonyenim Solomon ◽

Osika Ubigh Micheal ◽

Akoko Sokiprim

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Social Life ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Care Giving ◽

Bivariate Correlation ◽

Prevalence Of Depression ◽

Demographic Risk ◽

Demographic Risk Factors

Background: Depression poses a huge challenge on personal, professional, and social life of individuals. Studies on the prevalence of depression have largely been on the general population, using socio-demographic variables to explain it’s outcome. The clergy constitutes a special group of trained professionals on the vocation of care-giving, problem solving and spiritual healing. Information is scanty on the prevalence of depression among them and the contribution of socio-demographic risk factors on their mental health. Objectives: This study seeks to determine the prevalence of depression among the clergy and impact of socio-demographic variables on their mental health. Methods: 84 pastors of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in southern Nigeria, were evaluated for depression using the 9-item patients health questionnaire (PHQ-9), which assesses vulnerability to depression, and a 27 item demographic and risk factor questionnaire which assessed the demographic variables. Using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-25.0), cross tabulation of variables of interest were obtained using x2 and t-test. Level of correlation of variables with depression was done by a bivariate correlation analysis. Results: Out of the 84 pastors who consented to the study, 16 (19%) had depression, mean age of participants was 43.6yr, 72 (85.7%) were currently married, all the participants were educated, the mean year of service was 10 years and 45% had at least 3 children. There was no significant correlation between the socio-demographic variables and depression. Conclusion: The study revealed a 19% prevalence rate for depression among the clergy and that the socio-demographic variables of age, marital status, level of education, number of children and year of service impacted positively on the mental health of the clergy.

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Transcultural Psychiatry: Comparison of Eastern and Western Culture and their influence on mental health and its treatment

10.14293/s2199-1006.1.sor-.ppjs1uw.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shyun Ping Tiong ◽

Starry Rajkumari ◽

NurFariesha Farhanna binti Rasidi ◽

Olga Viktorovna Poplavskaya

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Case Studies ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Test Validity ◽

Spiritual Healing ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

Transcultural Psychiatry

Introduction In a globalizing world the need for humans to understand one another is fundamental. Transcultural Psychiatry aims to bridge the differences due to culture, norms and values, especially in a controversial topic such as the paranormal between doctors and patients. Objectives To study the beliefs of Eastern and Western populations on the subject of religion, the paranormal and its relation to mental health. Methods The study was conducted targeting citizens of Eastern and Western countries (target sample size 200). A survey and 2 case studies were distributed, aimed to determine respondents level of belief in cultural superstitions and practices, views on mental disorders and opinions on treatment. A chi-square statistical test (significance set at 0.05) was performed to test validity. Results Results are tabulated in Table 1. In the case studies, P-value =4.68x10 -6 proves a strong relationship between East/West populations and their viewpoints on mental illness vs. possession. There is a strong relationship (p=3.37x10 -5) between respondents beliefs in spiritual healing and its effectiveness in treating mental illness. Table 1 East West Total respondents (226) 58% 42% Identified as religious 74% 26% Strong belief in paranormal 85% 15% Effectiveness of spiritual healing 55% 45% Preferred methods of treatment Mental health professionals 54% 46% Religious healer/psychic 90% 10% Conclusions The study revealed that Eastern populations are far more superstitious and religious than their Western conterparts, and also have higher belief in the effectiveness of spiritual healing to treat mental disorders. This difference demonstrates the importance of integrating culture into diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, and further explore methods for more inclusive treatment plans.

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