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The efforts of the state and the literati, such as the implementation of beneficent politics(仁政) and the rectification of folk customs, led to the alteration of the medical environment throughout the Song period. Epidemics with a severe impact that occurred frequently were what started the transition. Urbanization, increased transit accessibility, and population growth have all contributed to the emergence of epidemics. In addition, a disease that was indigenous to southern China, where regional development and population expansion were focused, started to spread widely. When an epidemic spread, the local population occasionally received medical care, but most of the time they relied on spiritual care from the neighborhood shaman or spirit medium. Spiritual treatment is utilized to treat malignant infectious diseases, even though professional doctors primarily focus on treating patients with traditional medicine. By editing and releasing publications on medicine at the national level, the Song dynasty government and intellectuals encouraged the development and transmission of efficient treatment procedures to advance medical practices. Meanwhile, folk remedies or medical prescriptions discovered by renowned scholars like Su Shi(蘇軾) and Shen Kuo((沈括) were included in the medical book and made available to the general public. Although there was a difference of opinion between the Song government and intellectuals, they commonly rejected shamanistic treatment and pursued the spread of medicine treatment through the transmission of codified medical knowledge. In the end, the spread of the epidemic and the subsequent transmission and development of Song dynasty medicine had a significant impact on the emergence of codified medicine treatment, but this was not solely to advance medical knowledge; it also served to further their political and ideological objectives. As a result, the following Jin(金) and Yuan(元) dynasties’ physicians instantly criticized the Song dynasty’s medical advancements. It is indisputable, however, that the medical development of the Song dynasty had a considerable influence on later Chinese medical practice in that it established the ideological superiority of formal and orthodox therapy over traditional and heterodox spiritual care.

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Older cancer patients are disproportionally affected by the Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. A higher rate of death among the elderly and the potential for long-term disability have led to fear of contracting the virus in these patients. This fear can, paradoxically, cause delay in diagnosis and treatment that may lead to a poor outcome that could have been prevented. Thus, physicians should devise a policy that both supports the needs of older patients during cancer treatment, and serves to help them overcome their fear so they seek out to cancer diagnosis and treatment early. A combination of telemedicine and a holistic approach, involving prayers for older cancer patients with a high level of spirituality, may improve vaccination rates as well as quality of life during treatment. Collaboration between health care workers, social workers, faith-based leaders, and cancer survivors may be crucial to achieve this goal. Social media may be an important component, providing a means of sending the positive message to older cancer patients that chronological age is not an impediment to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Pakistan has the highest rate of stillbirth (30.6 stillbirths per 1000 total births) as compared to other South Asian countries. The psychological impact of stillbirths on bereaved women is well documented; however, there is a dearth of literature on lived experiences of women with multiple stillbirths in Pakistan. Objective The purpose of this research is to understand the lived experiences of women who had multiple stillbirths in Thatta, Pakistan. Methods An interpretative phenomenological study was conducted in district Thatta with eight women who experienced more than one stillbirth. A semi-structured in-depth interview guide was used for data collection. The data were analyzed by using thematic analysis approach. Results The results of this study show that experiencing multiple stillbirths has a devastating impact on women’s mental and social wellbeing. The women who experienced multiple stillbirths are stigmatized as “child-killer” or cursed or being punished by God. They are avoided in social gatherings within the families and community, because of these social pressures these women seek spiritual and religious treatment, and struggle to conceive again to deliver a live baby. It was observed that the psycho-social and medical needs of these bereaved women remain unaddressed not only by the healthcare system but also by the society at large. Conclusions The physical, social and mental well-being of women who experience multiple stillbirth are at stake. These women are being considered social outcast. Health care providers including physicians, lady health workers, and traditional birth attendants should be trained on provision of psychosocial support along with the routine care that they provide in communities and health facilities. The health care providers should also inform the bereaved women about the biomedical causes of stillbirths that would be helpful to mitigate the stigma associated with stillbirths. Moreover, the health care providers should also counsel family members especially in-laws of these sorrowful women about the biomedical causes of stillbirths that would also be helpful to mitigate the stigma associated with stillbirths.

Background: Pakistan has the highest rate of stillbirth (30.6 stillbirths per 1000 total births) as compared to other South Asian countries. The psychological impact of stillbirths on bereaved women is well documented; however, there is a dearth of literature on lived experiences of women with multiple stillbirths in Pakistan.Objective: The purpose of this research is to understand the lived experiences of women who had multiple stillbirths in Thatta, Pakistan.Methods: An interpretative phenomenological study was conducted in district Thatta with eight women who experienced more than one stillbirth. A semi-structured in-depth interview guide was used for data collection. The data were analyzed by using thematic analysis approach.Results: The results of this study show that experiencing multiple stillbirths has a devastating impact on women's mental and social wellbeing. The women who experienced multiple stillbirths are stigmatized as "child-killer" or cursed or being punished by God. They are avoided in social gatherings within the families and community, because of these social pressures these women seek spiritual and religious treatment, and struggle to conceive again to deliver a live baby. It was observed that the psycho-social and medical needs of these bereaved women remain unaddressed not only by the healthcare system but also by the society at large.Conclusions: The physical, social and mental well-being of women who experience multiple stillbirth are at stake. These women are being considered social outcast. Health care providers including physicians, lady health workers, and traditional birth attendants should be trained on provision of psychosocial support along with the routine care that they provide in communities and health facilities. The health care providers should also inform the bereaved women about the biomedical causes of stillbirths that would be helpful to mitigate the stigma associated with stillbirths. Moreover, the health care providers should also counsel family members especially in-laws of these sorrowful women about the biomedical causes of stillbirths that would also be helpful to mitigate the stigma associated with stillbirths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Best practices in global mental health stress the importance of understanding local values and beliefs. Research demonstrates that expectancies about the effectiveness of a given treatment significantly predicts outcome, beyond the treatment effect itself. To help inform the development of mental health interventions in Burundi, we studied expectancies about the effectiveness of four treatments: spiritual healing, traditional healing, medication, and selected evidence-based psychosocial treatments widely used in the US. Treatment expectancies were assessed for each of three key syndromes identified by previous research: akabonge (a set of depression-like symptoms), guhahamuka (a set of trauma-related symptoms), and ibisigo (a set of psychosis-like symptoms). In individual interviews or written surveys in French or Kirundi with patients (N = 198) awaiting treatment at the clinic, we described each disorder and the treatments in everyday language, asking standard efficacy expectations questions about each ("Would it work?" "Why or why not?"). Findings indicated uniformly high expectancies about the efficacy of spiritual treatment, relatively high expectancies for western evidence-based treatments (especially cognitive behavior therapy [CBT] for depression-like symptoms), lower expectancies for medicine, and especially low expectancies for traditional healing (except for traditional healing for psychosis-like symptoms). There were significant effects of gender but not of education level. Qualitative analyses of explanations provide insight into the basis of people's beliefs, their explanations about why a given treatment would or would not work varied by type of disorder, and reflected beliefs about underlying causes. Implications for program development and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Spiritism has been strongly connected with mental health in Brazil. However, there is a lack of descriptions of spiritual treatment provided by thousands of Brazilian Spiritist centers. The present study aims to describe the spiritual care for depression provided by one large Spiritist center in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods This is a descriptive study carried out in 2012 at “São Paulo Spiritist Federation.” Authors visited the “spiritual intervention sections,” observed the therapies provided, listened to the “spirits’ communication,” and interviewed two patients. Results The assistance consists on a 90-min “Spiritual healing” session which includes educational lectures, “disobsession” (spirit release therapy), “passe” (laying on of hands) and person advice. Both patients had remitted depression when they were interviewed. Conclusions Further studies would be necessary to report other religious/spiritual treatments in order to improve our understanding of the available practices used by patients and optimize the integration of conventional care with spiritual treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spiritism has been strongly connected with mental health in Brazil. However, there is a lack of descriptions of spiritual treatment provided by thousands of Brazilian Spiritist centers. The present study aims to describe the spiritual care for depression provided by one large Spiritist center in São Paulo, Brazil., Methods: This is a descriptive study carried out in 2012 at "São Paulo Spiritist Federation." Authors visited the "spiritual intervention sections," observed the therapies provided, listened to the "spirits' communication," and interviewed two patients., Results: The assistance consists on a 90-min "Spiritual healing" session which includes educational lectures, "disobsession" (spirit release therapy), "passe" (laying on of hands) and person advice. Both patients had remitted depression when they were interviewed., Conclusions: Further studies would be necessary to report other religious/spiritual treatments in order to improve our understanding of the available practices used by patients and optimize the integration of conventional care with spiritual treatments., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)