Forschungsschwerpunkte im Zusammenhang mit der Plattform Herman Westerink

Mental Health Project:

Critical life events and religious transformations among psychiatric patients –  

Muslim and Christian migrants

Qualitative empirical research on transformation processes in religiosity (religious beliefs and practices) and meaning constructs among Muslim and Christian migrants who define themselves as being religious, and who have been diagnosed a mental disorder (DSM-IV), were in psychiatric treatment and are currently no longer hospitalized.

A sample of Christian patients will function as complementary group in a second phase of the research project.

Basic questions: Do critical life events and a psychiatric diagnose bias the religious attitude, and if so, in which way? What consequences could the result have for aftercare and inclusion?

This project is embedded in the research platform “Religion and Transformation in Contemporary European Society” (cluster “Constructs of Meaning”).

Context:

Mental health and religious and ethnic diversity

Social inclusion of people with mental health problems

Intercultural/interreligious dialogue

Questions:

1. Have Muslim and Christian religiosity, meaning constructs and philosophy of life been transformed through psychiatric treatment? And if so, how has psychiatric treatment influenced the transformation processes?

2. Are there elements in Muslim and Christian religiosity that contributed to healing or coping processes, that is, are there liberating elements in religiosity that can be supported in psychiatry?

3. Are there elements in Muslim and Christian religiosity that obstructed healing or coping processes; how to deal with that and who might be competent?

Methods:

-          qualitative empirical research

-          analysis on the basis of interpretation groups

-          partly quantitative approach (for personal information about the probands)

The interviewers are scholars who are acquainted with or trained in the qualitative research methods.

Aims:

-          Insight in religious transformation processes among Muslim and Christian patients having been diagnosed.

-          Promoting social inclusion of people with mental health problems in the context of psychiatric care and aftercare.

-          Recommendations for psychiatry for dealing with religiosity, meaning constructs and transformation processes of patients.

Target Groups:

-          migrants with a Muslim and Christian background who define themselves as being religious

-          with mental health problems

-          who are mentally capable and willing to cooperate as probands.

Co-operations

-          Mental Health Europe

-          Pro Mente Austria

-          Several Faculties and Departments at Vienna University, Austria (Psychology of Religion, Sociology, Muslim Educational Sciences)

-          Leuven University, Belgium

-          Lausanne University, Switzerland

-          University of Southern Denmark, Odense

-          University of Salzburg