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Aims The cultural narratives around Jinn Possession are deeply intertwined with the societal understanding of mental health in Bangladesh, often blurring the lines between supernatural beliefs and clinical psychiatric diagnosis. This study aims to delineate the community-based differentiation between Jinn Possession and serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorders and major depressive disorders with psychotic symptoms, as perceived by traditional and faith-based healers in Korail slum. We attempted to unravel the nuanced approaches the healers use to distinguish spiritual afflictions from psychiatric conditions and to explore potential collaborations between traditional healing practices and biomedical mental health services as a part of TRANSFORM Research. Methods Adopting an ethnographic and participatory approach, this study engaged in a comprehensive qualitative exploration involving community engagement meetings, 45 key informant interviews, 8 naturalistic interviews with 56 participants, year-long observations of the community and healing practices, 5 co-designing workshops with 46 participants, and 2 pilot training programmes from 2021 to January 2024. We discussed with the traditional and faith-based healers, community health workers, medicine sellers, person with lived experience and their caregivers. The continuous discussion and observation of the community help us to develop a trusted relation and explore the healing practices in the korail slum. Data collected from interviews and workshops were meticulously transcribed and analysed using NVivo software to uncover underlying patterns and distinctions made by traditional and faith-based healers in diagnosing Jinn Possession versus serious mental disorders. Results We found a stepwise diagnostic framework utilized by healers, initially categorising conditions based on the symptom's onset and presentation. Sudden and rapid symptoms onset, especially during specific times of the day, was often attributed to Jinn Possession. Specific symptoms such as sudden onset convulsions, disorganised speech and self-laughing further supported this distinction. Moreover, they used traditional diagnostic tests, including the use of holy water and recitation of the Quran, if the patient improves immediately following these interventions was considered as confirmation of Jinn Possession. We observed a few of the healers refer cases perceived as non-spiritual to biomedical facilities when they confirmed it was not the case of Jinn Possession, indicating a potential for collaborative mental health-care models Conclusion This cultural understanding offers a unique perspective on community-based mental health care in Bangladesh, emphasising the importance of integrating traditional and biomedical approaches to foster a more inclusive and culturally sensitive mental health-care ecosystem.

BackgroundAs the number of mental health apps has grown, increasing efforts have been focused on establishing quality tailored reviews. These reviews prioritize clinician and academic views rather than the views of those who use them, particularly those with lived experiences of mental health problems. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased reliance on web-based and mobile mental health support, understanding the views of those with mental health conditions is of increasing importance.ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the opinions of people with mental health problems on mental health apps and how they differ from established ratings by professionals.MethodsA mixed methods study was conducted using a web-based survey administered between December 2020 and April 2021, assessing 11 mental health apps. We recruited individuals who had experienced mental health problems to download and use 3 apps for 3 days and complete a survey. The survey consisted of the One Mind PsyberGuide Consumer Review Questionnaire and 2 items from the Mobile App Rating Scale (star and recommendation ratings from 1 to 5). The consumer review questionnaire contained a series of open-ended questions, which were thematically analyzed and using a predefined protocol, converted into binary (positive or negative) ratings, and compared with app ratings by professionals and star ratings from app stores.ResultsWe found low agreement between the participants' and professionals' ratings. More than half of the app ratings showed disagreement between participants and professionals (198/372, 53.2%). Compared with participants, professionals gave the apps higher star ratings (3.58 vs 4.56) and were more likely to recommend the apps to others (3.44 vs 4.39). Participants' star ratings were weakly positively correlated with app store ratings (r=0.32, P=.01). Thematic analysis found 11 themes, including issues of user experience, ease of use and interactivity, privacy concerns, customization, and integration with daily life. Participants particularly valued certain aspects of mental health apps, which appear to be overlooked by professional reviewers. These included functions such as the ability to track and measure mental health and providing general mental health education. The cost of apps was among the most important factors for participants. Although this is already considered by professionals, this information is not always easily accessible.ConclusionsAs reviews on app stores and by professionals differ from those by people with lived experiences of mental health problems, these alone are not sufficient to provide people with mental health problems with the information they desire when choosing a mental health app. App rating measures must include the perspectives of mental health service users to ensure ratings represent their priorities. Additional work should be done to incorporate the features most important to mental health service users into mental health apps.

The article presents an editorial focuses on the role of digital phenotyping in improving mental health care through data science. Topics include how digital phenotyping captures behavioral and physiological data via smartphones and wearables, its potential for early detection and remote monitoring of mental health issues, and the future of personalized psychiatry based on individualized digital patterns.

Involuntary musical imagery (INMI) is a ubiquitous cognitive phenomenon. The present study comprises six intensive interviews that examine the subjective phenomenology of INMI for individuals of varying musical experience. Grounded theory analysis was used to establish themes regarding both the form and feelings ascribed to INMI episodes. All the respondents felt that their INMI experiences had high fidelity including some complex musical arrangements. INMI form could be unstable over time according to cognitive demands. Individuals with musical experience reported concurrent sensations of visual and motor imagery as well as involuntary extemporizations of their INMI. Motivators for positive and negative appraisals of INMI were identified such as nostalgia and entertainment, and repetitive cycling with loss of control, respectively. We discuss interpretations from auditory memory theory and develop hypotheses for future INMI empirical investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

INVOLUNTARY MUSICAL IMAGERY (INMI) DESCRIBES the everyday phenomenon of having a tune stuck in the head. Research has established the ubiquity of this form of spontaneous cognition but the predictive role of individual differences is still debated. This study examines the impact of everyday musical behaviors and subclinical obsessive compulsive attributes on INMI experiences. In total 1,536 participants completed three online questionnaires; a novel inventory of musical behavior and INMI, and a standardized obsessive compulsion (OC) inventory. Exploratory factor analysis (N = 512) and structural equation modelling (N = 1,024) were applied. Everyday singing and music listening positively predict length and frequency of reported INMI episodes, respectively. No relationships were found with musical training. High OC was positively related to INMI frequency and disturbance, but only indirectly to INMI episode length and unpleasantness. The identified contributory factors of INMI experiences are discussed in the context of musical memory and spontaneous mental activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI) or “earworms” describes the experience whereby a tune comes into the mind and repeats without conscious control. The present article uses an inductive, generative, grounded theory-based qualitative analysis to classify reports of everyday INMI circumstances, and creates graphical models that determine their relative frequency within two population samples; listeners to the BBC radio station 6 Music and an online survey. Within the two models, four abstract categories were defined that described the characteristics of the circumstances surrounding the onset of INMI episodes; Music exposure, Memory triggers, Affective states, and Low attention states respectively. We also note the variety of musical media by which exposure to a tune results in an INMI episode and discuss the impact of musical engagement on INMI experiences. The findings of the present study are considered within a framework of involuntary retrieval theory from both the autobiographical and semantic memory literatures. In addition, the results highlight the potential facilitative effects of varying affective and attentional states on INMI episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]