Transcultural perspectives of sensory phenomena in Arab Muslim patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract

The manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may vary across cultures. This is article discusses six case presentations of Arabic Muslim people suffering from OCD and is closely associated with practising religious rituals which tend to dominate the clinical picture. This is particularly relevant to sensory phenomena, which are often perceived as abnormal perceptions or hallucinations. We conclude that these phenomena are not uncommon in OCD and have relevant cultural, diagnostic and therapeutic issues in some cases.