Conceptualising mental health in the United Arab Emirates: the perspective of traditional healers
Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Mental Health, Religion and Culture
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Abstract
© 2015, © 2015 Taylor & Francis. Substantial investments in health-care have ensured the widespread availability of allopathic medical services across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, in spite of this accessibility traditional healers (Mutawa) continue to play a significant, albeit, unofficial role in the UAE's health sector. Citizens routinely consult traditional healers for problems that might, from a western biomedical perspective, be considered psychiatric conditions. This qualitative study explores traditional healers' conceptualisations of mental health problems, discussing their perspectives on phenomenology, aetiology, intervention and outcome. Notably, traditional healers distinguished between biomedical illness and states they attributed to demonological or metaphysical causes. The Islamic spiritual narrative was central to discussions of aetiology, intervention and outcome. Greater integration of traditional healers within the UAE's mental health-care services would, in many cases, improve patient experience and outcomes.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
Routledge
Volume
18
Issue
2
First Page
134
Last Page
145
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Keywords
Arab, culture, health beliefs, Muslim, religious healing, UAE
Scopus ID
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Justin; Al-Qarni, Nowf; and Furber, Steven W., "Conceptualising mental health in the United Arab Emirates: the perspective of traditional healers" (2015). All Works. 1024.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/1024
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
no