Faith Healing Practices in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Madhya Pradesh, India: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Introduction: Faith healing has been practiced in various cultures for many decades and is an accepted mode of treatment in different cultures. Beliefs about mental illness can affect patients’ willingness to seek and adhere to treatment, so it is important to consider cultural, traditional, and folk methods for conceptualising and managing mental illnesses. Aim: To assess the clinical and socio-cultural factors associated with faith healing and the effect of faith healing methods on the patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, MGM Medical College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India from January 2023 to March 2023. The sample comprised 100 consecutive patients selected by convenient sampling who had visited a faith healer for their disorder. A semi-structured proforma was administered to participants and their informants, which contained sociodemographic details, clinical information, and details of the faith healing practices they underwent. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the sample distribution, and measures of central tendency were applied. Results: The mean age of patients was 28.6±2.3 years, and the majority (66%) were male. The majority (48%) suffered from psychotic and mood disorders (28%). The majority (64%) contacted a faith healer as their first point of treatment contact. Most visited a healer on the advice of their family or friends (82%), followed by having supernatural or religious beliefs towards their illness (52%). The most common method of healing was offering a “Tabeej”/Talisman (82%), followed by “bhabooti”/“prasad”/ sacred water (77%). About 20 participants, or one-fifth of the sample, reported some improvement with faith healing, while most (74%) reported no improvement. Conclusion: The majority of the sample in the study believed in supernatural causation and resorted to faith healers before seeking medicinal treatment. Thus, awareness of and sensitivity to belief systems and faith healing practices in different cultures are important for mental health professionals.