Resort to faith-healing practices in the pathway to care for mental illness: a study on psychiatric inpatients in Orissa

Abstract

Belief in supernatural causation of mental illnesses and resort to faith healing as the method of intervention continue in many parts of the world. This study intended to find out the belief and utilisation of faith-healing, its implications, and associated socio-cultural factors in a sample of psychiatric inpatients in Orissa, an eastern state of India. It was found that the majority (85.5%) of the patients believed in supernatural causation, 75% attended faith healing before seeking medical help, and a considerable proportion had related psychopathology and continued to believe in the therapeutic efficacy of the faith healing, even while continuing medicinal treatment. Resort to faith-healing effectively delayed medical intervention to an extent in many patients and some of the faith-healing methods were traumatising. These observations raised concern. A considerable proportion of patients and families found faith healing supportive, reassuring, and more acceptable in the community. Sensitivity to these belief systems and faith healing practices is important for practising mental-health professionals.