Spirit possession and healing among Chinese psychiatric patients.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica December 1, 1993 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1993.tb03489.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Chinese psychiatric patients referred consecutively to a general hospital psychiatric unit in Singapore |
| Citations | 48 |
| Key findings | Belief in spirit possession was more common among women, but neither this belief nor the tendency to consult a traditional healer was related to educational status, sex, or diagnosis, and most depressed patients presented with somatic complaints. |
Abstract
This is a study of the illness behaviour of 100 Chinese psychiatric patients referred consecutively to the psychiatric unit of a general hospital in Singapore. More women than men felt that their illness was due to spirit possession; but belief in possession was not related to educational status. Thirty-six patients or their relatives had consulted a traditional healer before going to the hospital. Duration of illness, sex and educational status were not associated with the tendency to seek help from the traditional healer; there was also no significant difference between psychotic or neurotic patients. The majority of depressed patients (72%) presented with somatic complaints of chest discomfort, headache and abdominal discomfort. Somatization was not related to the educational level or sex of the patients.
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Haunted by ghosts: prevalence, predictors and outcomes of spirit possession experiences among former child soldiers and war-affected civilians in Northern Uganda. Social Science & Medicine August 1, 2012
- [Evolution of views on the phenomenon of spiritual possession within the framework of psychiatric pathology (psychopathological, transnosological and transcultural aspects)]. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova 2024