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. 1986 Feb;143(2):226-9.
doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.2.226.

Psychological benefits of Spiritual Baptist "mourning," II: An empirical assessment

E E Griffith, G E Mahy, J L Young

Psychological benefits of Spiritual Baptist "mourning," II: An empirical assessment

E E Griffith et al. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Feb.

Abstract

Members of a West Indian Christian sect called the Spiritual Baptists participate in a "mourning" ritual that is characterized by praying, fasting, and the experiencing of dreams and visions while in isolation. Sixteen individuals who underwent mourning were evaluated with the SCL-90-R before and after the ritual. In general, the mourners showed significant improvement on the self-report scales.

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