Psychological Well-Being in the Gulf States: The New Arabia Felix

ISBN-13: 9781137524201 / Angielski / Miękka / 2013 / 187 str.

Justin Thomas

Opis

Few regions on earth have witnessed such rapid social change as the Arabian Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Oman). Wealth from oil and gas has radically transformed the landscapes, lifestyles and human relationships across these nations. Transformation however is seldom painless, and numerous psychosocial challenges have followed the triumphal progress. The psychological implications of the region's meteoric modernization have not received sustained examination until now. Tensions between traditional ways of life, rooted in cultural and Islamic values, and the influx of foreign lifestyles are implicated in the rise of common psychological problems such as depression, addiction and eating disorders. Psychological Well-Being in the Gulf States, now in paperback, examines these issues, providing an in-depth exploration of the psychological consequences of transition. This important work, now in paperback, also looks at how the region's traditional cultural values may foster resilience against psychological problems, and how these values have a vital role to play in developing effective therapies and culturally grounded prevention strategies.

Recenzje

"Justin Thomas shows that modern psychiatric and psychological research provides a useful framework for understanding the wellbeing of people in the Gulf states, but only when adapted to take into account the unique cultural and historical circumstances in which the Gulf's citizens live out their lives. This book therefore provides an excellent demonstration of how psychological and cross-cultural perspectives must be brought together. I strongly recommend it, not only to mental health professionals in the region, but also to those elsewhere who may be curious about the extent to which psychiatric and psychological theories can be extended beyond North American and European societies." - Richard Bentall, University of Liverpool, UK

"This is a unique work, one of the very few books that deal with psychological issues within the cultural context of the Arabian Gulf region. I particularly appreciated the culturally grounded cases that introduce some of the chapters. Overall, I strongly believe this is a valuable reference for psychology students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners." - Associate Professor Fatima Al-Darmaki, Zayed University, UAE

Spis treści

Preface 1. The New Arabia Felix 2. Eating Disorders 3. Substance Related Disorders (Addiction) 4. Mood Disorders: Melancholy, Mania and Modernity 5. Anxiety Disorders 6. Intervention References

O autorze

Justin Thomas is an experimental psychologist and cognitively orientated psychotherapist. He presently undertakes research and teaches Psychology at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dr Thomas is also a regular columnist at The National, one of the UAE's leading daily newspapers.