Muslim beliefs and mental health: good practice guidance

In this video, Dr Roz Warden draws on academic literature from the fields of psychiatry and social work to consider some of the practical implications that spiritual beliefs can have for those who provide mental health support for Muslim communities.

Dr Warden uses the example of jinn as a widespread spiritual belief in Muslim communities and explains the complexity of separating out belief in jinn from mental health problems, such as psychosis. She reminds us that belief in jinn, or spirits, can be found in many cultures around the world – this is not an exclusively Muslim belief.

Towards the end of the video, Dr Warden presents a set of good practice recommendations for practitioners when working with Muslims who hold spiritual beliefs that might impact on their mental health. These include: asking open questions; consulting religious scholars, avoiding assumptions, being self-aware and reflexive.

Over to you

Dr Warden encourages practitioners to consider the recommendations that she makes in relation to their own professional guidelines. One of her recommendations is to consult a religious scholar to better understand the impacts of religious beliefs on Muslim mental health.

How would you go about finding an appropriate expert? If you have done this before, share your experience.

If you are a religious practitioner, take a look at the comments and see if you can provide answers to any questions or add your perspective to any comments.