Depression from a Different Perspective

Depression is one of the most common yet a serious mental health condition that individuals have struggled with from the past to the present. It affects the functionality of a human being regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or even religion. The aim of this article is to discuss depression in general and its Islamic perspective in specific as research has shown that an Islamically oriented approach and intervention works better with the Muslim population in general. The paper also aims to have a broader view of how Islam classified depression classically and its modern implications upon psychotherapy which also lets us explore the differences, similarities and gaps between the Islamic and Western perspectives of depression at large. A collection of both classic and modern sources was used to extract information and provide a scope of definitions and clarify what depression means from an Islamic perspective. It was found that application and integration of Islamically oriented psychotherapy showed a faster recovery in the Muslim clients. Yet, further studies and research needs to be conducted in order to compare the effectiveness among the religious and non-religious Muslims and to fill the gap as to why the Muslim population tends to be hesitant in seeking help regarding their psychological problems.