An Islamic approach to psychology and mental health

Abstract

It is unclear whether the development of “Western” psychology and psychiatry, in the last century or so, has overall actually been good for our mental health. The article argues that a deficiency has been the lack of attention paid by these disciplines, to the spiritual component of the Self. There are, however, psychologies” developed within religious traditions, which integrate the spiritual into a more holistic understanding of mental health. The psychology that has developed within the Islamic tradition is exampled.