MyMedR

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 50 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

The Application of Ibadah (Worship) in Counseling: Its Importance and Implications to Muslim Clients

Hanin Hamjah S, Mat Akhir NS, Ismail Z, Ismail A, Mohd Arib N

J Relig Health, 2017 Aug;56(4):1302-1310.
PMID: 26359049 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0122-6

Ibadah is one of the important components in Islamic teachings other than aqidah (belief) and akhlaq (moral). Its importance is determined through the purpose for creation of humans, namely to be devoted to Allah. In the context of counseling discipline, however, the element of ibadah or worship (submission) of Allah is not applied in the counseling process and is not recognized as one of the spiritual therapies able to help the client know his true potential in decision-making and problem-solving. Hence, the purpose of this study is to determine the importance of applying ibadah in counseling and its implications to the client. This study selects survey research as the method to collect data from clients. A set of questionnaire instruments was constructed and distributed to 30 clients selected through convenience sampling. Data obtained from research questionnaire are then analyzed using descriptive statistical technique. Research outcome finds that application of ibadah is very important in counseling and has four implications for the client: the client is able to control his behavior, gain peace of mind, control his emotions and becomes increasingly diligent in ibadah.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Religious psychotherapy in anxiety disorder patients

Azhar MZ, Varma SL, Dharap AS

Acta Psychiatr Scand, 1994 Jul;90(1):1-3.
PMID: 7976440

Religious patients with generalized anxiety disorder were given religious psychotherapy in addition to supportive psychotherapy anxiolytic drugs. Those receiving religious psychotherapy showed significantly more rapid improvement in anxiety symptoms than those who received supportive psychotherapy and drugs only. Thus, religious patients may require a different form of psychotherapy.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Religiousness and Mental Health: Systematic Review Study

AbdAleati NS, Mohd Zaharim N, Mydin YO

J Relig Health, 2016 Dec;55(6):1929-37.
PMID: 27654836 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9896-1

Many people use religious beliefs and practices to cope with stressful life events and derive peace of mind and purpose in life. The goal of this paper was to systematically review the recent psychological literature to assess the role of religion in mental health outcomes. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using medical and psychological databases on the relationship between religiosity and mental health. Seventy-four articles in the English and Arabic languages published between January 2000 and March 2012 were chosen. Despite the controversial relationship between religion and psychiatry, psychology, and medical care, there has been an increasing interest in the role which spirituality and religion play in mental health. The findings of past research showed that religion could play an important role in many situations, as religious convictions and rules influence the believer's life and health care. Most of the past literature in this area reported that there is a significant connection between religious beliefs and practices and mental health.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Religion, Strain and Suicidality among Chinese Young Adults

Wang W, Zhang J, Lew B

J Relig Health, 2021 Dec;60(6):4537-4555.
PMID: 34245434 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01329-z

This study examined the mediating effects of psychological strain (Strain Theory) as a possible explanation for the relationship between religiosity and suicidality among Chinese young adults. A questionnaire was administered that included the Religious Orientation-Revised Scale (RO-RS), Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and Psychological Strains Scale (PSS). Using cluster sampling, we recruited 13,250 college students across seven provinces in China. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the main determinants of suicidality. We further explored the mediation effect of psychological strains on the relationship between religion and suicidality. We found that non-believers obtained the lowest PSS. Believers of Islam and other religions obtained higher RO-RS scores compared to non-religious participants. Psychological strain imposed a complete effect between religiosity and suicidality. A positive relationship between religion and suicidality was present among the participants of the study. Individuals who are affiliated with a religion are considered as a marginalized population in China, which may lead to psychological strains, further increasing the risk of suicidality.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Stress Symptoms Among Adolescent: A Study from Islamic Perspective

Sham FM

J Relig Health, 2015 Aug;54(4):1278-85.
PMID: 24807209 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9866-7

Rapid social changes in current times which can be quite abrupt present a challenge to adolescent life. Adolescents who are unable to adapt themselves experience stress which may affect their health. Psychological issues of adolescents require attention because the long-term consequence is worse than the short-term effects, namely, there will be a group of people within society who live under stress. Stressed people show symptoms such as being aggressive, prone to rebel, uncontrollable anger, depression, mental disorders and health problems. Early recognition of adolescent stress symptoms is vital. Pursuant to this, a study is conducted among adolescents in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia for the purpose of determining whether they experience stress or otherwise, based on stress symptoms in terms of psychology, physiology and social behaviour. An analysis is conducted on 403 respondents who comprise of male and female adolescents aged 16-17 years. The required data are gathered through questionnaire and structured interview. Analysis is based on descriptive statistical method and is explained in a table in terms of frequency, percentage and mode. Research results show that adolescents do experience stress and that the majority of them exhibit psychological stress symptoms.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Measuring religiosity and its effects on personal well-being: a case study of Muslim female academicians in Malaysia

Achour M, Grine F, Mohd Nor MR, MohdYusoff MY

J Relig Health, 2015 Jun;54(3):984-97.
PMID: 24770892 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9852-0

This study seeks to measure religiosity in an Islamic context and to assess its effects on the personal well-being of Muslims. The determinants of religiosity included under this research are prayer, beliefs, and worship. This research also attempts to examine the coping strategies Muslims use to deal with life problems and changes such as prayer, supplication, trust and reliance on God, remembrance of death, and concept of life after death. Today, many scales of religiosity are being put into use among Muslims. This study measures religiosity and its effects on the well-being of Muslim academicians. The researchers used 315 Muslim female of academic staff as respondents, working in Research Universities in the Klang Valley such as University of Malaya, National University and Putra University area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their ages ranged from 30 to 60 years. The results of this study show that there exists a positive yet significant correlation between personal well-being and religiosity. The well-being also shows significant positive correlations with beliefs and worship and prayer.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Islamic approach in counseling

Hanin Hamjah S, Mat Akhir NS

J Relig Health, 2014 Feb;53(1):279-89.
PMID: 23563898 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-013-9703-4

A religious approach is one of the matters emphasized in counseling today. Many researchers find that there is a need to apply the religious element in counseling because religion is important in a client's life. The purpose of this research is to identify aspects of the Islamic approach applied in counseling clients by counselors at Pusat Kaunseling Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan (PKMAINS). In addition, this research also analyses the Islamic approach applied in counseling at PKMAINS with reference to al-Quran and al-Sunnah. This is a qualitative research in the form of case study at PKMAINS. The main method used in this research is interview. The research instrument used is interview protocol. The respondents in this study include 9 counselors who serve in one of the counseling centers in Malaysia. This study also uses questionnaire as an additional instrument, distributed to 36 clients who receive counseling service at the center. The findings of the study show that the Islamic approach applied in counseling at PKMAINS may be categorized into three main aspects: aqidah (faith), ibadah (worship/ultimate devotion and love for God) and akhlaq (moral conduct). Findings also show that the counseling in these aspects is in line with Islamic teachings as contained in al-Quran and al-Sunnah.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
The effects of stereotyping on impression formation: cross-cultural perspectives on viewing religious persons

Chia EK, Jih CS

J Psychol, 1994 Sep;128(5):559-65.
PMID: 7983612

We examined the effects of stereotyping on impression formation when encountering people dressed to represent a religious faith. We used stimulus photographs of eight male and female models dressed casually and a second photograph of one male and one female model in religious attire that was placed beside the control photos of models dressed causally. From each set of photographs, subjects selected a photo of the person with whom they would associate the various positive personality traits suggested by our stimulus questions. Subjects were students from a U.S. Catholic school, a U.S. public school, and a Malaysian Muslim school. All the subjects attributed more of the positive traits to photos of the models who were religiously attired than to photos of those who were casually dressed, but subjects from U.S. schools attributed more of the positive traits to the photos of religiously dressed models than did the subjects from the Malaysian school.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Religious psychotherapy as management of bereavement

Azhar MZ, Varma SL

Acta Psychiatr Scand, 1995 Apr;91(4):233-5.
PMID: 7625203

This study was aimed at determining the effect of psychotherapy in patients in bereavement. Fifteen patients in a control group were given brief psychotherapy and 15 study group patients received psychotherapy with a religious perspective. The patients in the study group showed consistently significant improvements as compared with the control group at the end of 6 months. The results indicate that highly religious patients with grief and bereavement tend to improve faster when a religious psychotherapy is added to a cognitive-behaviour approach.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Determinants of stakeholders' intention to adopt pharmacogenomic

Mustapa MAC, Amin L, Mahadi Z

Pharmacogenomics J, 2020 12;20(6):801-812.
PMID: 32457399 DOI: 10.1038/s41397-020-0167-0

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing, which aims to identify the genes that affect our responses to drugs, has been favoured by healthcare professionals as a means of maximising drug efficacy and improving the safety and cost-effectiveness of healthcare. Support from the public is needed to determine the successful development of this technology and its implementation in society. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to analyse factors that influence stakeholders' intentions to adopt pharmacogenomic testing in Malaysia. A validated instrument was administered through face-to-face interviews with a total of 421 adult respondents who were stratified according to 2 stakeholder groups: healthcare providers (n = 221) and patients/family members (n = 200). The data were then analysed using SPSS® version 24 software and the advanced multivariate statistical approach of Partial Least Square (PLS) path modelling in order to analyse the complex relationships among variables. Results of the studies indicated that the Malaysian stakeholders had a high amount of trust in the key players (mean score of 5.31), perceived high benefits (mean score of 5.53) and claimed to have high intentions of adopting PGx (mean score of 5.39). The majority of the predictors have significant direct relationships with the intention to adopt PGx, with the exception of moral concerns. Perceived benefits appeared to be the most important direct predictor of the intention to adopt PGx testing (ß = 0.371, P

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Associations of religiosity, attitudes towards suicide and religious coping with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in 11 muslim countries

Eskin M, Baydar N, El-Nayal M, Asad N, Noor IM, Rezaeian M, et al.

Soc Sci Med, 2020 11;265:113390.
PMID: 33007656 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113390

OBJECTIVE: The study investigated the associations of religiosity, religious coping and suicide acceptance to suicide ideation and attempts in 7427 young adults affiliating with Islam from 11 Muslim countries.
METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. We used F and χ2 tests and correlation analyses to report descriptive statistics. Multi-group path models with (i) a zero-inflated Poisson distribution and, (ii) a Binomial distribution were used to model the number of occurrences of suicidal ideation, and occurrence of a suicide attempt, respectively.
RESULTS: Religiosity was negatively associated with acceptability of suicide, but it was positively related to punishment after death across the 11 countries. Religiosity was negatively associated with ever experiencing suicidal ideation, both directly and indirectly through its association with attitudes towards suicide, especially the belief in acceptability of suicide. Neither positive nor negative religious coping were related to suicidal ideation. However, religiosity was negatively related to suicide attempts among those who experienced suicidal ideation at least once. This association was mediated through the belief in acceptability of suicide and religious coping. Negative religious coping was positively associated with suicide attempts probably because it weakened the protective effects of religiosity.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study suggest that the effects of religiosity in the suicidal process operate through attitudes towards suicide. We therefore conclude that clinical assessment as well as research in suicidology may benefit from paying due attention to attitudes towards suicide.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology
Is the hijab protective? An investigation of body image and related constructs among British Muslim women

Swami V, Miah J, Noorani N, Taylor D

Br J Psychol, 2014 Aug;105(3):352-63.
PMID: 25040005 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12045

Previous studies have reported equivocal findings concerning the impact of wearing a hijab, or Islamic head- and body-cover, on Muslim women's body image. Here, we sought to examine that impact using a larger sample of Muslim women than has been relied upon and a wider range of body image measures. A total of 587 British Muslim women completed a battery of scales assessing their frequency and conservativeness of hijab use, body image variables, attitudes towards the media and beauty ideals, importance of appearance, and religiosity. Preliminary results indicated that 218 women never used the hijab and 369 women used some form of the hijab at least rarely. Controlling for religiosity, women who wore the hijab had more positive body image, lower internalization of media messages about beauty standards, and placed less importance on appearance than women who did not wear the hijab. Among women who wore the hijab, hijab use significantly predicted weight discrepancy and body appreciation over and above religiosity. These results are discussed in terms of the possible protective impact among British Muslim women of wearing the hijab.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Reasons on the similarity of objections with regards to gambling and speculation in Islamic finance and conventional finance

Kunhibava S

J Gambl Stud, 2011 Mar;27(1):1-13.
PMID: 20514512 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-010-9201-5

Gambling and speculation which leads to zero-sum outcomes are prohibited in Islamic finance and condemned in conventional finance. This article explores the reasons for the similarity of objections towards gambling and speculation. Three probable reasons are explored namely the concept of stewardship in conventional thought and the concept of khalifa in Islam, Christianity and morality's influence on conventional law and finance and the concept of ethics of sacrifice and ethics of tolerance.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Militant extremist mind-set: Proviolence, Vile World, and Divine Power

Stankov L, Saucier G, Knežević G

Psychol Assess, 2010 Mar;22(1):70-86.
PMID: 20230154 DOI: 10.1037/a0016925

In the present article, the authors report on the development of a scale for the measurement of the militant extremist mind-set. A previous pilot study identified 56 statements selected from writings of various terrorist groups as well as from psychological, historical, and political texts on terrorism. These statements, together with measures of personality, social attitudes, values, and social cynicism, were administered to participants from 9 countries (N = 2,424). A series of exploratory factor analyses of 56 statements produced 3 factors: Proviolence, Vile World, and Divine Power. Correlations of these factors with external variables indicate that Divine Power is a traditional religiosity scale, whereas Proviolence and Vile World scales cannot be accounted for by the existing psychological constructs. The distribution of scores on the Proviolence scale is skewed, indicating that the majority of participants disapprove of this attitude. The authors also present means for the countries included in the analysis. Participants from Malaysia endorse Vile World and Divine Power statements stronger than participants from other countries. The 3 Asian countries (China, Korea, and Malaysia) endorse Proviolence more strongly than countries from other parts of the world.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Theories and Modules Applied in Islamic Counseling Practices in Malaysia

Zakaria N, Mat Akhir NS

J Relig Health, 2017 Apr;56(2):507-520.
PMID: 27145944 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0246-3

Some Malaysian scholars believe that the theoretical basis and models of intervention in Islamic counseling practices in Malaysia are deficient and not eminently identified. This study investigated and describes the nature of current Islamic counseling practices including the theories and modules of Islamic counseling that are been practiced in Malaysia. This qualitative research has employed data that mainly consist of texts gathered from literatures and semi-structured interviews of 18 informants. It employed grounded theory analysis, and the result shows that most of the practitioners had applied integrated conventional counseling theories with Islamic rituals, references, interventions and ethics. Some had also applied Islamic theories and modules formulated in Malaysia such as iCBT, al-Ghazali counseling theories, Cognitive ad-Deen, KBJ, Prophetic Counseling and Asma Allah al-Husna Counseling Therapy.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients: The Association with Religiosity and Religious Coping

Ng GC, Mohamed S, Sulaiman AH, Zainal NZ

J Relig Health, 2017 Apr;56(2):575-590.
PMID: 27287259 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0267-y

There is a lack of studies looking into religiosity and religious coping in cancer patient. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the religiosity using Duke University Religion Index, religious coping using Brief Religious Coping Scale, anxiety and depression based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale among 200 cancer patients. The association between religiosity and religious coping with anxiety and depression was studied. The findings showed that subjects with anxiety or depression used more negative religious coping and had lower non-organization religiosity. Hence, measurements in reducing negative religious coping and encouraging religious activities could help to reduce psychological distress in cancer patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Materialism and life satisfaction: the role of religion

Rakrachakarn V, Moschis GP, Ong FS, Shannon R

J Relig Health, 2015 Apr;54(2):413-26.
PMID: 25811060

This study examines the role of religion and religiosity in the relationship between materialism and life satisfaction. The findings suggests that religion may be a key factor in understanding differences in findings of previous studies regarding the inverserelationship found in the vast majority of previous studies. Based on a large-scale study in Malaysia—a country comprised of several religious subcultures (mainly Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus), the findings suggest that the influence of religiosity on materialism and life satisfaction is stronger among Malays than among Chinese and Indians, and life satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between religiosity and materialism. The paper discusses implications for theory development and further research.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Religious psychotherapy in depressive patients

Azhar MZ, Varma SL

Psychother Psychosom, 1995;63(3-4):165-8.
PMID: 7624461

This study was conducted to explore the outcome of psychotherapy in ethnic Malays with strong religious and cultural background. The patients were divided into two groups. The study and control groups consisted of 32 depressed patient each. In the study group brief psychotherapy of 15-20 sessions was attempted with the addition of a religious perspective, while in the control group the religious perspective was omitted. Patients in the study group showed more rapid improvement in the initial 3 months of the study period than those in the control group, but at the end of the 6 months the difference became nonsignificant.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
Moderating effect of intrinsic religiosity on the relationship between depression and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults

Foong HF, Hamid TA, Ibrahim R, Haron SA

Aging Ment Health, 2018 04;22(4):483-488.
PMID: 28060527 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2016.1274376

OBJECTIVES: Research has found that depression in later life is associated with cognitive impairment. Thus, the mechanism to reduce the effect of depression on cognitive function is warranted. In this paper, we intend to examine whether intrinsic religiosity mediates the association between depression and cognitive function.
METHOD: The study included 2322 nationally representative community-dwelling elderly in Malaysia, randomly selected through a multi-stage proportional cluster random sampling from Peninsular Malaysia. The elderly were surveyed on socio-demographic information, cognitive function, depression and intrinsic religiosity. A four-step moderated hierarchical regression analysis was employed to test the moderating effect. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 15.0).
RESULTS: Bivariate analyses showed that both depression and intrinsic religiosity had significant relationships with cognitive function. In addition, four-step moderated hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the intrinsic religiosity moderated the association between depression and cognitive function, after controlling for selected socio-demographic characteristics.
CONCLUSION: Intrinsic religiosity might reduce the negative effect of depression on cognitive function. Professionals who are working with depressed older adults should seek ways to improve their intrinsic religiosity as one of the strategies to prevent cognitive impairment.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*
The Relationship between Religious Coping and Self-Care Behaviors in Iranian Medical Students

Sharif Nia H, Pahlevan Sharif S, Goudarzian AH, Allen KA, Jamali S, Heydari Gorji MA

J Relig Health, 2017 Dec;56(6):2109-2117.
PMID: 28229351 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0376-2

In recent years, researchers have identified that coping strategies are an important contributor to an individual's life satisfaction and ability to manage stress. The positive relationship between religious copings, specifically, with physical and mental health has also been identified in some studies. Spirituality and religion have been discussed rigorously in research, but very few studies exist on religious coping. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between religious coping methods (i.e., positive and negative religious coping) and self-care behaviors in Iranian medical students. This study used a cross-sectional design of 335 randomly selected students from Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A data collection tool comprised of the standard questionnaire of religious coping methods and questionnaire of self-care behaviors assessment was utilized. Data were analyzed using a two-sample t test assuming equal variances. Adjusted linear regression was used to evaluate the independent association of religious copings with self-care. Adjusted linear regression model indicated an independent significant association between positive (b = 4.616, 95% CI 4.234-4.999) and negative (b = -3.726, 95% CI -4.311 to -3.141) religious coping with self-care behaviors. Findings showed a linear relationship between religious coping and self-care behaviors. Further research with larger sample sizes in diverse populations is recommended.

Matched MeSH terms: Religion and Psychology*

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links