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The Role of Religious Institutions in Mental Health Rehabilitation and Recovery in India

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Mental Health and Social Work

Part of the book series: Social Work ((SOWO))

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Abstract

In India, religious institutions and religious healing are pivotal in the treatment of mental illness and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the discourse on religious healing and the role of religious institutions in mental health care are scarce in India. In this chapter, we critically analyze the nature of religious healing from the perspective of two major religions in India, Hinduism and Islam. Subjective explanatory models that attribute mental illness to supernatural causes, stigma toward mental illness, and dearth of psychiatric services propel people with mental illness to avail services from religious institutions and faith healers. A few studies have documented that faith healing and religious institutions are supportive and provide a positive environment in which healing takes place. Furthermore, collaboration between psychiatric care and religious care appears to result in a holistic care for persons with mental illness. On the other hand, seeking help from religious institutions was found to delay psychiatric treatment, and faith healers were reported to have resorted to inhumane healing methods. Nonetheless, professional experiences of psychiatric social workers indicate that religious institutions are potential avenues of resources for micro and macro practices.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Srinivasan Chokkanathan

  2. Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, India

    H. Sobhana

  3. Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work and Legal Specialties, School of Social Justice, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Aravindhan Natarajan

Authors
  1. Srinivasan Chokkanathan
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  2. H. Sobhana
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  3. Aravindhan Natarajan
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Correspondence to Srinivasan Chokkanathan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Rosaleen Ow

  2. School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Abner Weng Cheong Poon

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Chokkanathan, S., Sobhana, H., Natarajan, A. (2020). The Role of Religious Institutions in Mental Health Rehabilitation and Recovery in India. In: Ow, R., Poon, A. (eds) Mental Health and Social Work. Social Work. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6975-9_17

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