The power of the divine: religion, rituals, and healing in Greece
The present critical review examines the role of religious healing in mental health in Greece. After describing the history of psychiatry in Greece, and the close links between medicine and religion, we discuss the role of various ritual contexts in healing mental distress. Findings suggest that sup...
| Main Author: | |
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| Contributors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2020
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| In: |
Mental health, religion & culture
Year: 2020, Volume: 23, Issue: 8, Pages: 718-732 |
| Further subjects: | B
ritual healing
B Religion B Pilgrims B Mental Health B Evil Eye B Psychiatry |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The present critical review examines the role of religious healing in mental health in Greece. After describing the history of psychiatry in Greece, and the close links between medicine and religion, we discuss the role of various ritual contexts in healing mental distress. Findings suggest that supernatural explanatory models of mental illness, such as the evil eye and spirit possession still appear to be prevalent in many parts of Greece. Despite the availability of mainstream psychology, patients and their families commonly resort to religious healers. The perception is that ritual healing is effective in alleviating symptoms of mental distress. While studies suggest that ritual participation can be efficacious, there is a need for future research to examine the efficacy of religious healing for mental disorders. Ethnographic methods will play a significant role in understanding how ritual attendees perceive healing and biomedical assessments elucidate physiological changes. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-9737 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Mental health, religion & culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2020.1825363 |