Spirituality or Professional Mental Health Services: Where Does Modern India Turn to in Crises?

Abstract

This study aimed to explore whether contemporary India turns towards professional mental health services or spirituality in the face of crises. An operational definition of spirituality was constructed in context of the Indian culture, incorporating domains such as belief in a higher power or universal intelligence, the process of self-discovery, experiences within relationships and eco-awareness. This quantitative study followed a cross-sectional research design. Data was collected using purposive sampling via a survey questionnaire that measured people’s attitude towards professional therapy as well as spirituality in times of crisis along with measuring the components of life satisfaction and well-being. The effect of variables such as gender, academic qualification, and political ideology were also studied. The sample consisted of 96 individuals which included 60 females and 36 males of various age groups in India. T-test and chi square measures were used to infer the data. Results indicate that a majority of participants practice spirituality rather than availing mental health services, when faced with a crises and for most people spirituality means getting in touch with their inner- selves. Amongst the specific spiritual practices, connecting to nature stands out as the most primary means of connecting to one’s inner self and dealing with the crises of life. A significant difference in the levels of wellbeing amongst people who do or do not practice spirituality was also observed. The results also suggest a significant relationship between practicing spirituality with gender as well as with political ideology Findings may encourage mental health practitioners to leverage spirituality into practise to improve people’s overall well-being.