Psychiatry and Islam

Abstract

Islam is based on unity and core values of compassion, justice and benevolence. Islamic psychiatry has a proud early history, and advances are occurring. There is an opportunity for the profession of psychiatry to bridge religious, ethnic and cultural boundaries.

Islam, mental health and law: a general overview

“…From these scripts, the most important and highly accepted ones are called Sunnah. There are six recognized collections of Sunnah, which were written in the ninth and tenth century A.D, during the Sahih period [3]. …”

“…Some of them provide advanced therapies [26], and they have a modern legal framework (Sudan 1998, Jordan 2002, Oman 1992), while in some others, the therapy of the psychiatric patients includes cautery, exorcism, and physical violence [1, 3]. Some of the Arabic countries either don’t have a specific legislation for mental health (Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain) or the corresponding legal framework is out of date (Egypt 1944, Morocco 1959, Syria 1981) [12].…”

“…The followers of Islam are called Muslims and they believe that the orders of their religion apply in every field of their life and they represent a complete life model [2]. Muslims are the majority in 56 countries, and it is estimated that they represent the one-fifth of the world population (more than 1.2 billions) [3]. …”

Mental health help-seeking among Arab university students in Israel, differentiated by religion

“…We suspect that the common reference points between Christians in the Middle East and Western society may make the Christians less stigmatised towards mental health systems and more likely to use them. Where Muslim respondents, like their Druze counterparts, would see mental health systems as more removed from their cultures and more threatening to their cultural values and survival Pridmore & Pasha, 2004). It is possible to understand the differences between Christian and Muslim/Druze respondents through the prism of acculturation and cultural identity.…”

Die Rolle von Religion und Religiosität in der Suizidologie

“…So war der Suizid in Israel bis 1966 eine Straftat [9] und auch im Islam ist der Suizid bzw. Suizidversuch ein Verbrechen, das zu strafrechtlicher Verfolgung führen kann [10]. Aufgrund der strikten Ablehnung von Suizid als illegal und Sünde werden in islamischen Ländern Suizide möglicher-weise einerseits oft nicht als solche erfasst [11], andererseits vielleicht auch weniger begangen [12].…”