Evil Eye, Jinn Possession, and Mental Health Issues ― An Islamic Perspective

Evil Eye, Jinn Possession, and Mental Health Issues aims to raise awareness of the cultural considerations, religion and spirituality involved in the assessment of Muslim patients with mental health problems. The belief that Jinn spirits can cause mental illness in humans through affliction or possession is widely accepted among Muslims. This means that belief in Evil Eye and Jinn Possession is a crucial, but frequently overlooked, aspect of mental health problems with Muslim patients in psychiatric care. This book explores the nature of such beliefs, their relationship to mental health and the reasons for their importance in clinical practice.

Muslims have a different perception of mental health and illness and their explanatory models of illness causation in relation to mental health problems and psychiatric disorders may not always be medically oriented. A Muslim patient may believe that their illness is caused by possession and although it is tempting to dismiss this as a spiritual problem, Rassool argues that it is vital to remember that mental disorders are a multifactorial affair, in which spiritual, social, psychological and physical factors may all play a role. Differential diagnostic skills may have an important part to play in offering help to those who believe their problems are caused by possession.

This book provides accessible literature on clinical issues and practice, interventions, management and evidence-based practice to help health workers achieve a better understanding of Muslim beliefs about possession and how to work with patients that hold such beliefs. This makes it an essential manual for mental health professionals, social workers and psychologists. It should also be of interest to academics and students in the healthcare sciences.

Hussein Rassool is currently Head of Department in the?Faculty of Psychology, Islamic Online University. Dr. Rassool is also a?Lecturer in Psychology?at the Academy of Tertiary Studies, Mauritius.?