| Titel: | Hinduism and Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Autor: | Murthy, R. Srinivasa |
| Mediengruppe: | chapter |
| Herausgeber: | --- |
| Zeitschrift: | --- |
| Jahr: | 2010 |
| Band: | --- |
| Heft: | --- |
| Seiten: | 159-179 |
| Sprache: | English |
| Abstract: | (from the chapter) Hinduism is the oldest religion of mankind. The Hindu religion is an ocean of spiritual teachings about all aspects of life and consciousness. Mental health is an important component of Hinduism. There are five areas in which mental health is reflected in Hinduism. Firstly, spirituality is an essential feature of the practice of Hinduism. Secondly, there is emphasis on unity of the body and mind. Thirdly, yoga and meditation provide a practical way of addressing health in general and mental health in particular. Fourthly, Bhagavadgita, one of the key texts of Hinduism, is an excellent illustration of the application of the psychological interventions to life situations. Fifthly, the concept of ashramas (stages of life) provides a guide to master the changes during the life-course of individuals. Presenting mental health concepts and practices of Hinduism is a challenge. The chapter begins with a description of the history of Hinduism. This is followed by the concept of mind and mental health, causes of mental disorders and treatment as described in the religious texts and the medical texts. The next section summarizes the efforts at relating the concepts of mental disorders with modem psychiatric classification and scientific study of the mental health practices. The next section considers the current practice of mental health interventions in the general community. The last section identifies some of the important contributions of Hinduism and mental health as relevant to Indian mental health programmes and to the larger understanding of mental health in the world. The current chapter is based on the literature from wide variety of sources and authors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter) |