BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL CAUSES OF MENTAL-ILLNESS AMONG MALAY PATIENTS - IMPACT ON TREATMENT

The concept of aetiology of mental illness in 134 Malay patients was i nvestigated by means of a 20-item checklist. About 53% of the patients attributed their illnesses to supernatural agents. Witchcraft and pos session by evil spirits were regarded as common causes of illness. The number of patients who believed in supernatural causes of their menta l illness was significantly higher among those who had consulted bomoh s (Malay traditional healers) than among those who had not consulted t hem. The belief that mental illness is caused by supernatural agents i s firmly held by bomohs, who reinforce this notion in those who seek t heir advice. Belief in supernatural causes of mental illness was not s ignificantly associated with age, gender, level of education or occupa tion of the patients. Patients who believed in supernatural causes of mental illness were also found to show poor drug compliance, and the n umber of such patients at 6 months follow-up was significantly lower t han the corresponding figure for those who did not believe in supernat ural causes. The importance of understanding the patients' cultural ba ckground when treating psychiatric patients is highlighted.