Relationship of supernatural beliefs and first treatment contact in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder: An exploratory study from India

Abstract

Background: The etiology of mental illness has been attributed to many different causes by people of various cultural backgrounds, including supernatural beliefs. This in turn affects the help-seeking behavior. Aim of this study was to explore the supernatural belief and pathways of care in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) attending a tertiary care hospital located in north India. Methodology: In all, 89 consecutive patients diagnosed with OCD (according to the International Classification of Diseases–10th Revision (ICD-10)) and ≥ 15 years of age were evaluated for their supernatural belief and help seeking. Results: More than half of the patients (54%) believed in supernatural causes and 57.3% attributed their illness to supernatural causes. In addition to supernatural causes, many patients also attributed their illness to stress (household/work-related stress) or chemical imbalance in the body and or mind. About two-thirds of the patients ( n = 58; 65.2%) first contacted a psychiatrist for their symptoms of OCD. Those who first contacted faith healers believed in one of the supernatural causations. Conclusion: Patients with OCD hold multiple beliefs regarding the etiology and treatment of mental illness which can affect their pathways to care.