God and religion in mental health recovery: Perspectives of people with Schizophrenia and their family members, and mental health professionals in India and Australia
Keywords:
Schizophrenia, Mental Health Recovery, God, Religion, Intersectoral CollaborationAbstract
Beliefs in god and religion and associated practices were related to recovery outcomes for people with mental illnesses like Schizophrenia. Treatment programs for people with mental health issues must understand their orientation to god and religion. This paper reports a thematic analysis of individual in-depth interviews that explored the participants' experiences and opinions regarding the role of god and religion in the recovery of people with Schizophrenia. The study involved 120 participants made up of people with Schizophrenia (PwS), their caregiving family members and mental health professionals living in India and Australia, the former predominantly Hindu and the latter predominantly Christian. Four themes emerged from the analysis. Two themes described the beneficial effects, and one related to the lack of relevance and harmful effects of god and religion on recovery. The fourth theme discussed the role of god, religious institutions, and the risks and benefits of religious or faith healing in the treatment. These themes featured the statements of participants from both countries. The Indian participants, in particular, discussed a model of care called the Dava (Medicines)-Dua (Prayer), where medical treatment is provided at the religious healing centres in an environment that facilitates the consumer's beliefs and practices related to god and religion. Such a collaborative model of care will provide a safe and effective culturally sensitive model of care, especially for people who have limited access to mental health services.
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