Islam and mental health: A few speculations.

Tags:

• ADJUSTMENT (Psychology)
• ISLAM
• mental health
• RESEARCH -- Methodology

Religiously integrated psychotherapy with Muslim clients: From research to practice.

Tags:

• Coping Behavior
• empirical research
• mental health
• MUSLIMS
• positive religious coping
• Psychological Assessment
• psychological measures
• Psychotherapy
• religion
• religious struggle
• religiously integrated psychotherapy
• stigma

Applying Qur’anic metaphors in counseling.

Tags:

• Counseling
• Cross Cultural Counseling
• Metaphor
• Quran
• Religious Literature
• therapeutic tools

Values, qualifications, ethics and legal standards in Arabic (Islamic) medicine

Tags:

• Arab World
• Ethics, Medical
• Female
• History, 20th Century
• History, Ancient
• History, Medieval
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Liability, Legal
• Male
• Medicine, Arabic
• Moral Obligations
• Quality of Health Care
• Social Values

Notes:

• Many historians claim that the Western world pioneered in the setting of ethical, legal and professional standards in the practice of medicine. Informed medical consent is proposed by some as an American invention. Others claim that patient rights and legal protection propose have stated in the early decades of the 20th century. This review is an attempt to uncover the facts regarding the way Arabs practiced medicine during the golden era of Islam. Eight hundred to fifteen hundred AD this includes the qualification of physicians according to a well designed curricula covering the science and humanity of medicine. The rules governing the quality control of health care delivery system and to some degree the principles of informed medical consent and to a lesser degree the principles of litigation are discussed. We hope that this paper will be a call to all humanity loving persons to end prejudices against other people and to stop stereotyping.

South African Muslim Faith Healers perceptions of mental illness: understanding, aetiology and treatment

Tags:

• Faith Healing
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• ISLAM
• Mental Disorders
• Religion and Psychology
• South Africa

Notes:

• The important role that religious beliefs may have on perceptions of mental illness cannot be ignored. Many religions including Islam advocate witchcraft and spirit possession--all of which are thought to influence the behaviour of a person so as to resemble that of a mentally ill individual. Thus this research explored Muslim Faith Healers perceptions of mental and spiritual illness in terms of their understanding of the distinctions between the two, the aetiologies and the treatments thereof. Six Muslim Healers in the Johannesburg community were interviewed and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. From the results it is clear that the faith healers were aware of the distinction between mental and spiritual illnesses. It was also apparent that Islam has a clear taxonomy that distinguishes illness and the causes thereof. Treatments are then advised accordingly. Thus this paper argues that the predominant Western view of the aetiology and understanding of mental illness needs to acknowledge the various culturally inclined taxonomies of mental illness so as to better understand and aid clients.

Islam and mental health

Tags:

• Alcoholism
• Attitude to Health
• Cultural Characteristics
• Health Behavior
• Health promotion
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Mental Disorders
• mental health
• Religion and Medicine
• Religion and Psychology

Notes:

• This paper discusses the importance of a spiritual element in health with particular reference to mental health and Islam. The Islamic spiritual quest is outlined and some directives described. Specific examples are given of their application to health.

The effects of Islam and traditional practices on women's health and reproduction

Tags:

• Abortion, Induced
• Adult
• Attitude to Health
• Culture
• Educational Status
• Family Planning Services
• Female
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Maternal Health Services
• Questionnaires
• Religion and Medicine
• Turkey
• Women's Health

Notes:

• The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Islam as a religion and culture on Turkish women’s health. The study included 138 household members residing in the territory of three primary health care centers in Turkey: Güzelbahçe, Fahrettin Altay and Esentepe. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire prepared by a multidisciplinary team that included specialists from the departments of public health, psychiatric nursing and sociology. We found that the women’s health behavior changed from traditional to rational as education levels increased, and that religious and traditional attitudes and behaviors were predominant in the countryside, especially practices related to pregnancy, delivery, the postpartum period, induced abortion and family planning. One of the most important prerequisites for the improvement of women’s health is that nurses should know the religious practices and culture of the society for which they provide care, so that their efforts to protect and improve women’s health will be effective.

'All is done by Allah'. Understandings of Down syndrome and prenatal testing in Pakistan

Claiming the Public Soul: Representations of Qur'anic Healing and Psychiatry in the Egyptian Print Media

The influence of Islam on AIDS prevention among Senegalese university students

Tags:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Female
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Male
• Questionnaires
• Religion and Sex
• Senegal
• Sexual behavior
• Students
• Young Adult

Notes:

• Few studies have attempted to quantify Islam’s contributions to HIV/AIDS prevention. Senegal has involved Muslim leaders in its prevention campaign for over a decade. Senegal also has the lowest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines how Islam influences AIDS prevention by testing whether Senegalese participants’ religiosity scores explain their risky decisions associated with sex, condom use, and drug use. Participants with higher religiosity scores were more likely to abstain from sex. However, participants high in religiosity were not more likely to report that they did not use condoms when sexually active.

Abortion and Islam: policies and practice in the Middle East and North Africa

Tags:

• Abortion, Induced
• Africa, Northern
• Aftercare
• Contraception
• Cultural Characteristics
• Family Planning Services
• Female
• Health Policy
• Health Services Accessibility
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Middle East
• Patient Advocacy
• Pregnancy
• Women's Health
• Women's Rights

Notes:

• This paper provides an overview of legal, religious, medical and social factors that serve to support or hinder women’s access to safe abortion services in the 21 predominantly Muslim countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where one in ten pregnancies ends in abortion. Reform efforts, including progressive interpretations of Islam, have resulted in laws allowing for early abortion on request in two countries; six others permit abortion on health grounds and three more also allow abortion in cases of rape or fetal impairment. However, medical and social factors limit access to safe abortion services in all but Turkey and Tunisia. To address this situation, efforts are increasing in a few countries to introduce post-abortion care, document the magnitude of unsafe abortion and understand women’s experience of unplanned pregnancy. Religious fatawa have been issued allowing abortions in certain circumstances. An understanding of variations in Muslim beliefs and practices, and the interplay between politics, religion, history and reproductive rights is key to understanding abortion in different Muslim societies. More needs to be done to build on efforts to increase women’s rights, engage community leaders, support progressive religious leaders and government officials and promote advocacy among health professionals.

Reproductive issues from the Islamic perspective

Notes:

• The Islamic faith is regarded by its followers, Muslims, as a complete way of life. A multitude of nationalities practice Islam and also various sects, and as a result there are various interpretations of Qur’anic guidance relating to almost every matter. Only a fully qualified jurist of the highest rank can issue edicts on problems that are not already clearly addressed in the Qur’an. This applies to contemporary issues and any Muslim is at liberty to debate and dialogue with the religious leader to obtain a ruling on a specific question. Marriage is described as half the faith in Islam and to have children is seen as a great blessing. There is no religious objection to an infertile married couple pursuing any form of infertility treatment including in vitro fertilization, surgical sperm retrieval and micro-assisted conception methods. However, there must be strict control to ensure that the gametes belong to the husband and wife. This relationship is described as ‘halal’ (permitted), whereas any union of gametes outside a marital bond, whether by adultery or in the laboratory, is ‘haraam’ (forbidden). Therefore, donor sperm pregnancies are strictly forbidden in all schools of Islamic law. The advent of ovum donation and surrogacy has led some Islamic scholars to allow this procedure between co-wives thereby avoiding the ‘haraam’ relationship between sperm and egg, but there is still debate on the definition of the mother. Similarly, treating any other situation outside a marriage relationship, for example fertilization of an ovum from cryopreserved sperm after divorce of the couple or death of the husband would be ‘haraam’ and strictly forbidden. The Qur’anic guidance is quite clear that the couple can pursue all permitted treatments but may need to accept that they may not achieve a pregnancy. Adoption is encouraged in Islam with the specific rule that the child must be able to identify its biological father by keeping his name. It must be emphasized that Muslims will vary on their degree of adherence to the faith and the practitioner should present all the options to the couple without assuming which treatments they will or will not accept.

Illness of the mind or illness of the spirit? Mental health-related conceptualization and practices of older Iranian immigrants

Tags:

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Cultural Characteristics
• Female
• Healthcare Disparities
• Holistic Health
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Iran
• Male
• mental health
• Middle Aged
• Qualitative Research
• spirituality
• Transients and Migrants

Perception of nursing care: views of Saudi Arabian female nurses

Tags:

• Data Collection
• Female
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Male
• Nurse-Patient Relations
• Nurses
• Nursing
• SAUDI Arabia
• Terminal Care

Notes:

• Values are principles and standards that have meaning and worth to an individual, family, group, or community’ (Purnell & Paulanka 1998: p.3). Values are central to the care provided by nurses. The provision of nursing care within the context of value clarification, has been explored from various perspectives, however, as values vary within cultures, there is a limited range of studies reflecting on Saudi Arabian nurses’ perspectives of nursing care. Through a Heideggerian phenomenological research design, six nurses were enrolled through purposive sampling. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were audio tape-recorded, were chosen as the methods of data collection. A seven stage framework approach was applied to analyse and organise the research findings in three conceptual themes: values in context of Islam, the nurse-patient relationship, and identity’s influence on being in the world of nursing. The findings of the research indicate that values in nursing and the perception of care are closely linked to the Islamic values of the informants. However, one of the most challenging aspects emerging from this study is related to these nurses’ experiences related to the public’s negative perception of nursing as a profession for Saudi Arabian women.

Veiled communication: is uncovering necessary for psychiatric assessment?

The perceived role of Islam in immigrant Muslim medical practice within the USA: an exploratory qualitative study

Tags:

• Adult
• Cultural Characteristics
• Emigrants and Immigrants
• Female
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Physicians
• Pilot Projects
• Professional Practice
• Qualitative Research
• Religion and Medicine
• United States

Notes:

• Background: Islam and Muslims are underrepresented in the medical literature and the influence of physician’s cultural beliefs and religious values upon the clinical encounter has been understudied. Objective: To elicit the perceived influence of Islam upon the practice patterns of immigrant Muslim physicians in the USA. Design: Ten face-to-face, in-depth, semistructured interviews with Muslim physicians from various backgrounds and specialties trained outside the USA and practising within the the country. Data were analysed according to the conventions of qualitative research using a modified grounded-theory approach. Results: There were a variety of views on the role of Islam in medical practice. Several themes emerged from our interviews: (1) a trend to view Islam as enhancing virtuous professional behaviour; (2) the perception of Islam as influencing the scope of medical practice through setting boundaries on career choices, defining acceptable medical procedures and shaping social interactions with physician peers; (3) a perceived need for Islamic religious experts within Islamic medical ethical deliberation. Limitations: This is a pilot study intended to yield themes and hypotheses for further investigation and is not meant to fully characterise Muslim physicians at large. Conclusions: Immigrant Muslim physicians practising within the USA perceive Islam to play a variable role within their clinical practice, from influencing interpersonal relations and character development to affecting specialty choice and procedures performed. Areas of ethical challenges identified include catering to populations with lifestyles at odds with Islamic teachings, end-of-life care and maintaining a faith identity within the culture of medicine. Further study of the interplay between Islam and Muslim medical practice and the manner and degree to which Islamic values and law inform ethical decision-making is needed.

Islam and end-of-life organ donation. Asking the right questions

Tags:

• Death
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Religion and Medicine
• Tissue and Organ Procurement

Notes:

• Organ transplantation has become an established treatment option for end-stage organ disease. Both living and end-of-life (so called deceased) organ donation narrow the gap between supply and demand for transplantable organs. Advances in human biology prove that death occurs as a gradual process over time and not as a single discrete event. Declaring death with either neurological criteria (heart-beating organ donation) or circulatory criteria (non-heart-beating organ donation) enables the procurement of transplantable organs before human death is complete, namely, from the incipiently dying donor. Thus, surgical procurement of organs from the incipiently dying donor is the proximate cause of death, raising new questions on end-of-life organ donation. It is imperative to first and foremost care for the patient as a dying person. International Muslim scholars should reevaluate previous Islamic rulings and provide guidance about current practice of end-of-life organ donation.

The terminally ill Muslim: death and dying from the Muslim perspective

Tags:

• Attitude to Death
• Attitude to Health
• Cultural Diversity
• Ethics, Medical
• Funeral Rites
• Grief
• Humans
• ISLAM
• Patient Advocacy
• Resuscitation Orders
• Terminal Care
• United States

Notes:

• Islam holds life as sacred and belonging to God and that all creatures will die one day. Suicide is forbidden. Muslims believe death is only a transition between two different lives. The terminally ill Muslim desires to perform five ritual requirements. Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders are acceptable. A deceased Muslim must always be buried after being ritually washed and wrapped. There are different Muslim schools of thought, but they are united regarding their views on death and dying.

Islamic perspectives in human reproduction

Tags:

• Cloning, Organism
• Cryopreservation
• Female
• Gene Therapy
• Humans
• Infertility
• ISLAM
• Male
• Menopause
• Posthumous Conception
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal
• Religion and Medicine
• Reproduction
• Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
• Sex Preselection
• Surrogate Mothers
• Uterus

Notes:

• Assisted reproductive technology is widely practised around the world for the treatment of virtually all forms of infertility. The application of this technology in the Islamic world had been delayed for many years, based on the misconception that Islamic teachings do not approve assisted reproduction. The paper discusses derivation of Islamic rulings and its impact on the ethics of contemporary issues, including family formation and assisted reproduction. It clearly shows that Islam encourages family formation and assisted reproduction, when indicated, within the frame of marriage. It also discusses differences among Muslim sects, Sunni and Shi’aa. The paper also discusses Islamic rulings on the new emerging practices in assisted reproduction, including surrogacy, multifetal pregnancy reduction, cryopreservation, pregnancy in the post-menopausal period, sex selection and embryo implantation following the husband’s death. The moral status of the embryo in Islam is discussed. Organ differentiation and ensoulment are believed to occur at 42 days after fertilization at the earliest. As individuation of the embryo does not occur before 14 days from fertilization, research on surplus embryos during this period is allowed. Similarly, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, gene therapy and non-reproductive cloning for the benefit of humanity are ethically acceptable in Islam. This information should help physicians in their decision before conscientious objection to offering various modalities of assisted reproduction to their infertile patients.

Islamic legacy of cardiology: Inspirations from the holy sources

Notes:

• The main source of all inspirational knowledge in Islam is indeed the Holy Qur’an. The verses of the Qur’an as well as the Hadeeth and Sunnah literature have also accumulated a number of teachings and practices in relation to cardiovascular medicine. Islam is actually a comprehensive system of life, which provides mankind with the best forms of balance between the mundane and the spiritual. Early era of Islamic medicine has generated some very famous and notable physicians. The greatest physician of this era was Avicenna who devoted a substantial section of his classic magnum opus, the Canon of Medicine, to cardiovascular disorders. The empirical guidelines and principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah might contribute to the understanding and evaluation of various disturbances of the heart and vessels. Islamic legacy will still continue to inspire the contemporary cardiology in investigating cardiovascular diseases.