Zâr: Cultural beliefs, symptoms, and healing ritual anthropological study of a cultural mental disorder

Abstract

Zâr is one of the culture-bound syndromes mentioned for the first time in DSM-IV. Zâr is believed to be an evil spirit or wind that possesses people, causing various mental symptoms. Those affected rarely seek psychological help, believing the illness is of supernatural origin, with its cultural basis remaining largely unknown. The DSM removed this syndrome in subsequent editions, reasoning that it is only tied to cultural expressions of distress and can be classified within recognized diagnostic categories. The perspective of cultural criticism of psychological diagnostic systems highlights that the issue goes beyond simplification for diagnosis. It requires understanding syndromes within a broader framework of (1) beliefs of spirit possession, (2) distress perception and symptom expression, and (3) healing rituals. Without this, modern psychological systems cannot intervene effectively in specific cultures. This fieldwork study in southern Iran, using ethnographic methods and interpretive-thematic analysis, aims to comprehensively describe the three mentioned dimensions. It addresses questions about how beliefs about distress influence individuals' pursuit of healing and how the cultural function of these healing practices leads to recovery. Furthermore, the study assesses the need for Western diagnostic systems to effectively integrate these cultural frameworks to address such syndromes.