Abstracts and Reviews : News from the Arabian Gulf
Abstract
Abstracts and ReviewsNews from the Arabian Gulf SAGE Publications, Inc.1984DOI: 10.1177/136346158402100314 M. Fakhr El-Islam Roland Littlewood The first Arab Gulf Psychiatric conference was held in Nanama (Bahrain) from 22-25 November 1982. Cultural psychiatric issues discussed included the effect of mixed communities and their culturally determined interpretations of recent life events on depressive illness. The First Gulf Conference on Psychology was held in Kuwait City (Kuwait) from 2-5 April 1983. The need to take into account cultural (including religious) norms in implementing social therapy of mental ill-health was emphasized. The preliminary findings of a community study of intergenerational conflict outlined three main areas of conflict : family relationships, methods of marriage and role of women where traditional and non-traditional attitudes are adopted by the older and younger generations respectively. An Arabian Gulf Psychiatric Symposium on Alcohol and Drug Dependency (Kuwait, 11-13 February 1984) highlighted the antireligious nature of consumption of alcohol and drugs that adversely affect health. According to the Islamic religion, which forms a principal component of culture in the region, alcohol consumption is prohibited because of its effects on the mind. It follows that any drug consumption that adversely influences the mind will also be against religion.