Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cognitive Foundations of Community Mental Healthcare: The Role of Local Institutions and Practices

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Psychosocial Interventions for Health and Well-Being

Abstract

The psychological enquiry in India needs to focus on belief in the supernatural, and its role in mental health. Perhaps a key to this new direction lies in the functional approach to supernatural beliefs. The functional approach is most appropriate for creating a setting for reconciliation between believers and non-believers in the supernatural. The proposal rests on a thesis that in every culture all over the world supernatural agents have allied in enabling human psyche. This quest assumes much greater significance for psychologists in a country where the landscape is saturated with supernatural entities. There are two main parts in this chapter. The first part presents three aspects of this alternative approach: the viewpoint of community mental health, the embedding of the supernatural in collective, and ways of its narration. The second part provides evidence on these issues by taking a case study of the institution of deity in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which is closely associated with the physical, social and mental well-being of people, and in addition a space for cooperative action. Four aspects of supernatural agents explored include: diversity, order, learning, and image. While the first three aspects largely relate to the social and religious context, the fourth aspect image or representation of supernatural looks into the memory processes such as storage, organization and retrieval of associations in mind.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agarwal, S. P., Goel, D. S., Ichhpujani, R. L., Salhan, R. N., & Shrivastava, S. (Eds.). (2004). Mental health: An Indian perspective 1946-2003. New Delhi: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allport, G. W. (1954/1975). The historical background of modern social psychology. In G. Lindzey & E. Aronson (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 1–80). New Delhi: Amerind.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balodhi, J. P. (1989). In pursuit of Indian Shastric sources for community mental health. NIMHANS Journal, 7(1), 49–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardhan, P. (2006). Does globalization help or hurt the World’s poor. Scientific American India, 1(11), 68–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton, W. E. (1966). Trends in community mental health programs. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 17, 253–258.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauregard, M. (2007). Mind does really matter: Evidence from neuroimaging studies of emotional self-regulation, psychotherapy, and placebo effect. Progress in Neurobiology, 81, 218–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bering, J. M. (2006). The folk psychology of souls. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 29, 453–498.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhugra, D., & Mastrogianni, A. (2004). Globalisation and mental: overview with relation to depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 10–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1969/1997). Attachment and loss. Volume 1: Attachment. London, UK: Pimlico.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer, P. (2003). Religious thought and behaviour as by-products of brain function. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), 119–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R. E., & Milner, P. M. (2003). The legacy of Donald O. Hebb: More than the Hebb Synapse. Nature Reviews, 4, 1013–1019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruner, J. (1991). Self-making and world-making. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 25(1), 67–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carstairs, G. M., & Kapur, R. L. (1976). The great universe of Kota: Stress, change and mental disorder in an Indian village. London: Hogarth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, A. (2001). Mental health of Indian women: A field experience. In B. V. Davar (Ed.), Mental health from a gender perspective (pp. 34–60). New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chattopadhyay, P. K. (2010). Clinical psychology. In G. Misra (Ed.), Psychology in India. Volume 3: Clinical and health psychology (pp. 1–106). New Delhi: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crook, J. H. (1997). The indigenous psychiatry of Ladakh, part I: Practice theory approaches to trance possession in the Himalayas. Anthropology & Medicine, 4, 289–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crook, J. H. (1998). The indigenous psychiatry of Ladakh, part II: narrative and metanarrative in the cultural control of dissociative states in the Himalayas. Anthropology & Medicine, 5, 23–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das, J. P., Kar, B. C., & Parrila, R. K. (1996). Cognitive planning. The psychological basis of intelligent behavior. New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreze, J., & Sen, A. (2002). India: Development and participation. Oxford: New Delhi.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gervais, W. M., & Norenzayan, A. (2012). Analytic thinking promotes religious disbelief. Science, 336, 493–496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S., Khandelwal, S. K., Tandon, P. N., Maheshwari, M. C., Mehta, V. S., Sundaram, K. R., et al. (2000). The development and standardisation of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery in Hindi (adult form). Journal of Personality and Clinical Studies, 16, 75–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hermans, H. J. M. (1996). Voicing the self: From information processing to dialogical interchange. Psychological Bulletin, 119(1), 31–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermans, H. J. M. (2006). Moving through three paradigms, yet remaining the same thinker. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 19(1), 5–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch, E. M. (1977). Psychotherapy for the illiterate. In S. Arieti & G. Chrzanowski (Eds.), New dimensions in psychiatry: A world view (Vol. 2, pp. 75–92). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and effort. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D. (2003). A perspective on judgment and choice: Mapping bounded rationality. American Psychologist, 58(9), 697–720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kapur, M. (2001). Mental health, illness and therapy. In J. Pandey (Ed.), Psychology in India revisited. Developments in the discipline. Volume 2: Personality and health psychology (pp. 412–472). New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapur, R. L. (1975). Mental health care in rural India: A study of existing patterns and their implications for future policy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 286–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumari, A., & Pirta, R. S. (2009). Exploring human relationship with God as a secure base. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 35(special issue), 119–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • MA. (2005). Millennium Assessment Website: http://www.ma-secretariat.org [update: http://www.Millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx].

  • McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. The New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misra, B., & Sudarshan, E. C. G. (1977). The Zeno’s paradox in quantum theory. Journal of Mathematical Physics, 18(4), 756–763.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neki, J. S. (1984). Psychotherapy in India. Traditions and trends. In A. De Sousa & D. A. De Sousa (Eds.), Psychiatry in India (pp. 333–352). Bombay: Bhalani Book Depot.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norenzayan, A., & Hansen, I. G. (2006). Belief in supernatural agents in the face of death. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(2), 174–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nowak, M. A. (2006). Five rules for the evolution of cooperation. Science, 314, 1560–1563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obeyesekere, G. (2004). The Buddhist meditative askesis: A variety of the visionary experience. Harvard Divinity Bulletin, 32(3), 7–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, D. R., & Bruner, J. S. (1996). Folk psychology and folk pedagogy. In D. R. Olson & N. Torrance (Eds.), The handbook of education and human development: New models of learning, teaching and schooling (pp. 9–27). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pakhretia, S., & Pirta, R. S. (2011). Cognitive foundations of mental health in Gaddi community: Role of sensual, affectional and supernatural elements. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 6(1), 53–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paquette, V., Levesque, J., Mensour, B., Leroux, J.-M., Beaudoin, G., Bourgouin, P., et al. (2003). “Change the mind and you change the brain”: Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on the neural correlates of spider phobia. Neuroimage, 18, 401–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennycook, G., Cheyne, J. A., Seli, P., Koehler, D. J., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2012). Analytic cognitive style predicts religious and paranormal belief. Cognition, 123, 335–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2003). Native cognition of sustainable development in the western Himalaya. Psychological Studies, 48, 30–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2005). Community mental health approach in rural areas: Developing the traditional institution. Journal of Personality and Clinical Studies, 21, 91–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2006). Community-based approach to mental health: The traditional healing. Journal of CommunityGuidance & Research, 23(2), 161–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2007). Ecology and human well-being: Nature and society in Himachal Pradesh. Delhi: Shipra Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2009). Pastoralism and the tribesman of mountain: The arungzetsa of Kanaor. Delhi: Shipra Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2012). Some aspects of empathy in the process of psychotherapy: Learning from Indian tradition. Psychological Studies, 57, 336–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pirta, R. S. (2014). Yoking gnosis and logos: On the knowledge function of some exceptional mental states for well-being. Psychological Studies, 59, 166–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purzycki, B. G., & Sosis, R. (2011). Our Gods: Variation in supernatural minds. In U. J. Frey, C. Stormer, & K. P. Willfuhr (Eds.), Essential building blocks of human nature (pp. 77–93). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Raguram, R., Venkateswaran, A., Ramakrishna, J., & Weiss, M. G. (2002). Traditional community resources for mental health: A report of temple healing from India. British Medical Journal, 325, 38–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanujan, A. K. (1983). The Indian Oedipus. In L. Edmunds & A. Dundes (Eds.), Oedipus: A folklore casebook (pp. 234–261). New York: Garland Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, K. (2010). Psychological interventions: From theory to practice. In G. Misra (Ed.), Psychology in India. Volume 3: Clinical and health psychology (pp. 317–359). New Delhi: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray, O. (2004). How the mind hurts and heals the body. American Psychologist, 59(1), 29–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, J. M., Stapp, H., & Beauregard, M. (2005). Quantum theory in neuroscience and psychology: a neurophysical model of mind/brain interaction. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 360, 1309–1327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharfstein, S. S. (2000). Whatever happened to community mental health. Psychiatric Services, 51, 616–620.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, S., & Misra, G. (2010). Health psychology: Progress and challenges. In G. Misra (Ed.), Psychology in India. Volume 3: Clinical and health psychology (pp. 265–316). New Delhi: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shariff, A. F., & Norenzayan, A. (2007). God is watching you: Supernatural agent concepts increase prosocial behavior in an anonymous economic game. Psychological Science, 18, 803–809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1991). Search for beliefs to live by consistent with science. Zygon, 26(2), 237–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. W. (1992). Paradigms of belief, theory and metatheory. Zygon, 27(3), 245–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sundararajan, L., Misra, G., & Marsella, A. J. (2013). Indigenous approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. In F. A. Paniagua & A. M, Yamada (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural mental health: Assement and treatment of diverse populations (pp. 69–87). Oxford: Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sudarshan, E. C. G. (1982). Evolution of mind. Journal of Time Space and Knowledge, 1, 5–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sudarshan, E. C. G. (2002). One quest, one knowledge. In W. M. Richardson, R. J. Russell, P. Clayton, & K. Wegter-McNelly (Eds.), Science and the spiritual quest (pp. 247–252). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sudarshan, E. C. G. (2003). The promise of quantum computing. Current Science, 84(4), 504–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasa Murthy, R. (1998). Rural psychiatry in developing countries. Psychiatric Services, 49, 967–969.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasa Murthy, R. (2004). Mental health in the new millennium: Reseach strategies for India. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 120, 63–66.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasa Murthy, R. (2007). Mental health programme in the 11th Five Year Plan. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 125, 707–711.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thakur, S., & Pirta, R. S. (2009). Mental health and cognitive representations of people experiencing spirit possession. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 35(2), 203–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaillant, G. E. (2003). Mental health. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1373–1384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (World Health Organization). (2001). The world health report: 2001: Mental health: New understanding, new hope. Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wig, N. N. (2004). Mainstreaming mental health. In S. P. Agarwal, D. S. Goel, R. L. Ichhpujani, R. N. Salhan, & S. Shrivastava (Eds.), Mental health: An Indian perspective 1946–2003 (pp. 341–343). New Delhi: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, 171005, India

    Raghubir Singh Pirta

Authors
  1. Raghubir Singh Pirta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raghubir Singh Pirta .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, India

    Girishwar Misra

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer (India) Pvt. Ltd., part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pirta, R.S. (2018). Cognitive Foundations of Community Mental Healthcare: The Role of Local Institutions and Practices. In: Misra, G. (eds) Psychosocial Interventions for Health and Well-Being. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3782-2_18

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation