Systematic review of the relationship between Islamic-Sufi spirituality and practice and mental well-being
Mental Health, Religion and Culture, vol.26, no.10, pp.1065-1080, 2023 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 26 Issue: 10
- Publication Date: 2023
- Doi Number: 10.1080/13674676.2023.2256265
- Journal Name: Mental Health, Religion and Culture
- Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ATLA Religion Database, CINAHL, Psycinfo, Religion and Philosophy Collection, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts
- Page Numbers: pp.1065-1080
- Keywords: mental health, mental well-being, spiritual practice, spirituality, Sufi spirituality, systematic review
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Affiliated: No
Abstract
This systematic review examines research on Sufi spirituality and mental well-being. Earlier investigations have focused on general spiritual practice in mental health care and found a connection between spirituality and mental health. In this systematic review, we aimed to explore existing research specifically considering the relationship between Sufi spirituality and mental well-being and examine the quality of this research. We identified 49 papers published between the years 2007–2022. Our findings revealed a positive connection between Sufi spirituality and reducing anxiety and depression in patients. However, most studies were of low quality. This review highlights the need to provide more comprehensive and higher quality research to redress the methodological limitations of the current evidence base.