Prevalence and patient feedback on Islamic spiritual healing in Brunei.

Abstract

Islamic spiritual healing is a complementary technique in traditional medicine that is very popular in Muslim-majority countries, in terms of its affordability, availability, and accessibility. However, lack of studies investigating feedback of the treatment despite its popularity and practices worldwide has left a void in the evidence of Islamic spiritual care aspect of conventional health care system. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence and patient feedback of spiritual healing in the main Islamic healing center in Brunei; 1,378 data points were extracted from the center's database and used for analysis. The results showed that 26 -32% of patients reported positive feedback after treatment, particularly significant for those with spiritual disturbances, which accounts up to 24% of total cases. Patients with heart disease, emotional issues, and sleeping difficulties were significantly associated and more likely to have spiritual disturbance symptoms. Positive feedback was significantly higher in female patients and those aged above 50. Interestingly, there was significant association between spiritual disturbances and heart disease, a major cause of mortality worldwide. Future studies should therefore explore the effects of Islamic spiritual healing into heart disease, particularly on the biochemical and physiological changes, to formulate a holistic approach to treatment.

The process and outcome of spiritually integrated psychotherapies: A cross-cultural study in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America.

“…There are only a few studies on the process and outcome of SIPs with international samples. Abdul Rahman et al (2019) analyzed feedback from 1,378 clients who had received treatments in an Islamic healing center in Brunei and found that 26%–32% of clients, especially those who had a spiritual disturbance, provided positive feedback about Islamic spiritual treatment. Using a randomized clinical trial of female cancer patients in Iran, Sajadi et al (2018) found that spiritual interventions led to significantly more improvements in spiritual well-being than nonspiritual interventions.…”

Does religiosity matter for entrepreneurs’ psychological well-being in conflict areas? Insights from Palestine and Libya

“…This view lends support to Emmons’s (2000) conception of spiritual intelligence, implying that spirituality allows individuals to encounter problems, attain goals, manage their lives and discover meaning and significance. As noted by Abdul-Rahman (2017), many Muslim scholars touched upon the spiritual aspect of well-being. This notion is in light of the following Quranic verse: “And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind” (Quran, 20:124).…”

“…The following verse induces people to contemplate: “We will soon show them our signs in the Universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth” (Quran, Fusselat, 41:53). As suggested by Abdul-Rahman (2017), such contemplations foster people’s spirituality by abstracting positive feelings and meanings (e.g. perseverance, optimism, gratitude and inspiration).…”