Authors: Kaiser Fawad, Janjua Abid Kholood, Arshad Amna.
Objective: To assess the perception of patients presenting at outpatients clinic of a private hospital regarding the effects of Jinn, evil eye and black magic on physical and mental health.
Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted over a period of four months including 382 Participants. A validated questionnaire adapted on existing literature was used, consisting of 13 items. Participants were asked questions about their beliefs regarding the supernatural phenomenon, their effects on health and the
preferred treating authority.
Results: Out of the respondents, 204 (53.4%) were male and 178 (46.6%) females with majority,38.2%, in the age group of 18-30 years and belonging to urban area, 69.4%. A significant majority of respondents said that they believed in Jinn (68.8%), Jinn possession (46.4%), black magic (59.9%) and evil eye (60.6%). 44.9% attributed black magic as a cause of mental illness and 47.2% believed evil eye to cause physical illness. There was a difference in perception regarding evil eye between male and female respondents with a higher number of females (71.0%) believing in evil eye than males (52.7%), (p=0.001). Similarly, fewer respondents, 62.0%, in the age group 18-30 years said they believed in the existence of Jinn when compared with other age groups (p=0.021). Only 20.7% participants believed that doctors can treat health condition caused by Jinn.
Conclusion: There is a strong influence of religion on people’s perceptions regarding health. There was also a common acceptance of the influence of these supernatural beings on one’s physical and mental health. Gender and age were found to impact these notions. Subsequently, the treatment seeking patterns of the participants favored treatment by religious figure.
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