• Question: How do you think superstition can impact a person's mental health?

    Asked by anon-184375 to Tom, sarahhodge, Owen, Nathan, Lorna, Abbie on 8 Nov 2018.
    • Photo: Nathan Hook

      Nathan Hook answered on 8 Nov 2018:

      Sometimes superstition can be helpful. in a situation where someone is powerless (for example, when a loved one is sick), superstition such as prayer helps the person cope because they believe they are ‘doing something’ and have some power to help the situation.

      A therapist does need acknowledge such belief to maintain rapport with a client. For example, I was at a talk form someone who who had done therapy in the middle east, and while doing it they couldn’t challenge either islam or folk beliefs in jinn.

    • Photo: Abbie Jordan

      Abbie Jordan answered on 9 Nov 2018:

      Hello. This is an interesting question indeed. It’s not at all my area but I would imagine that it does play a role for a small number of people (likely not most). I did find this article by Garcia and colleagues which is interesting (I know it’s 10 years old) which suggests that there are links between superstition and mental health. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235328358_The_Role_of_Superstition_in_Psychopathology

      For me though, I think it is not a factor for most people and that people can be superstitious (I would less so as years progress) but that it does not impact their mental health.

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