First International Congress on Religion and Mental Health

The First International Congress on Religion and Mental Health was heldApril 16-19,2001 in Tehran, Iran. It was sponsored by the Iran Universityof Medical Sciences, Tehran Psychiatric Institute, World HealthOrganization Collaborating Center for Mental Health, The ResearchInstitute for Rehabilitation and Improvement of Women's Life (Iran), andthe Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran.Science and religion have generally seemed to oppose each other when itcomes to an understanding and upliftment of human behaviors. The tide isturning however; as increasing number of research in the West is showingindisputable evidence on the positive influence of religion on humanthoughts and behaviors, specifically, in the area of mental health. Thepresent congress highlighted all this in its four-day meeting of scholars inthe field of religion and mental health representing 23 countries fromaround the globe. The key feature of the conference was the presentation ofempirical findings on the benefits of religion in fostering and maintainingpositive mental health. The Islamic Republic of Iran, a country, known forits hard line approach toward secularism and sanctioned by the West inmany ways, attracted some of the best scholars from the Americas andEurope.The Congress Secretary, Dr. Jafar Bolhari, indicated in his speech thatthis conference has at least three objectives: (1) Presentation of scientificresearch in the area of psychiatry and psychology carried out in Iran, in thearea of psychiatry and psychology, which can be beneficial to the Iranianas well as international community, (2) Presentation of integrated researchdone in Iran by the Muslim clergy and scientists collaborating together anddiscussion of its implications at national and international levels, and (3)Observation of April 7, 2001 as World Health Day with the theme of"Mental Health" declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).Since mental health professionals have generally ignored religion andspirituality, this conference was organized to deal specifically with theseissues in the interest of the average person.Out of 242 research papers received by the congress, the Scientific ...