Religion and Mental Health: a Review of Russian Research and Translations on Psychological Assistance to Muslims
https://doi.org/10.31162/2618-9569-2025-18-4-947-966
Abstract
In recent years, the development of Islamic Psychology and the issues of counseling Muslims in the Russian academic community have been examined through the lens of international experience and the development of original domestic approaches. Particular attention is paid to the theoretical and methodological foundations, practical models of assistance, and institutional development of this field. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Russian-language research and translated works devoted to mental health and psychological assistance for Muslims, from the perspective of the psychology of religion. Key trends are identified, including the integration of religious and psychological knowledge, the development of culturally sensitive counseling methods, and the formation of a professional community. The analysis is based on a corpus of scientific publications of the years from 2018 up to 2025.
Keywords
psychology of religion,
mental health,
Islam,
Islamic Psychology,
psychological assistance to Muslims,
counselling
UDC: 159.9
About the Author
V. R. Algushayeva
Ufa University of Science and Technology
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Venera R. Algushayeva, Cand. Sci (Pedagogy), Associate Professor of the Department of General Psychology of the Higher School of Psychology and Pedagogy of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences; Member of the Association of Psychological Assistance to Muslims
Ufa
References
1. Lucchetti G., Koenig H.G. & Lucchetti A.L.G. Spirituality, religiousness, and mental health: A review of the current scientific evidence. World journal of clinicalcases. 2021;9(26):7620–7631. DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i26.7620
2. Psikhologiya religii: proshloye i sovremennost′ [Psychology of religion: the past and the present]. Dvoinin A.M., Zhuravlev A.L., Yurevich A.V. (ed.). Moscow: Publishing House Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2025. 654 p. (In Russian)
3. Pavlova O.S. Psikhologiya religii v islamskoy paradigme: sostoyaniye i perspektivy razvitiya [Psychology of religion in the Islamic paradigm: state and prospects of development]. Islam v sovremennom mire [Islam in the modern world]. 2015;11(4):207–222. (In Russian)
4. Rassul G.H., Yakhin F.F. Islam i psikhologiya na postsovetskom prostranstve: istoriya, sovremennost' iperspektivy [Islam and Psychology in the post-Soviet space: history, modernity and prospects]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2022;15(4):911–940. DOI: 10.31162/2618-9569-2022-15-4-911-940/ (In Russian)
5. Hussein R.G. Islamic Psychology: Human Behaviour and Experience from an Islamic Perspective. Oxford: Routledge; 2021. 638 р.
6. Badri M. The Dilemma of Muslim Psychologists. London: MWH London; 1979. 131 р.
7. Carrie York Al-Karam (ed.) Islamically Integrated Psychotherapy: Uniting Faith and Professional Practice. Pennsylvania: Templeton Press; 2018. 304р.
8. Clinical Applications of Islamic Psychology. Haque A., Rothman A. (ed.). Washington: International Association of Islamic Psychology Publishing Seattle; 2023. 362 p.
9. Keshavarzi H., Khan F., Ali B.& Awaad R. (еds). Applying Islamic principles to clinical mental health care: Introducing Traditional Islamically Integrated Psychotherapy. New York: Routledge / Taylor & Francis Group; 2021.326 p.
10. Rothman A. & Coyle A. Toward a framework for Islamic psychology and psychotherapy: An Islamic model of the soul. Journal of Religion and Health. 2018;57(5):1731–1744. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-018-0651-x
11. Rothman A. & Coyle A. Conceptualizing an Islamic psychotherapy: A grounded theory study. Spirituality in Clinical Practice. 2020;7(3):197–213. DOI: 10.1037/scp0000219.
12. Pavlova O.S. Psikhologiya religii v islamskoy paradigme: sostoyaniye i perspektivy razvitiya [Psychology of Religion in an Islamic perspective: the state and prospects of development]. Islam v sovremennom mire [Islam in the modern world]. 2015;11(4):207–222. DOI: 10.20536/2074-1529-2015-11-4-207-222. (In Russian)
13. Badri M. Teoriya i praktika islamskoy psikhologii [Theory and practice of Islamic Psychology]. Pavlova O.S., Polosin V.S. (ed.). Moscow: Autonomous Non-profit Organization Scientific and Educational Center “Al-Wasatiya”; 2018. 268 p. (In Russian)
14. Badri M. Razmyshleniya. Issledovaniya psikhiki i dushi cheloveka [Reflection. Research of the human psyche and soul]. Guliev R. (tr. from English). St. Petersburg: LitoBook Publishing House; 2022. 136 p. (In Russian)
15. Al-Balkhi Abu Zayd. Pishha dlya dushi. Kognitivno-povedencheskaya terapiya vracha devyatogo veka [Food for the soul. Cognitive behavioral therapy of a ninth-century physician]. Badri M. (tr. and abstract of a ninth-century manuscript); Mammadov L. (tr.). Moscow: International Institute of Islamic Thought, NGO "Idrak", Association of Psychological Assistance to Muslims Publ.; 2019. 110 p. (In Russian)
16. Rassoul H. Islamskoye konsul'tirovaniye. Vvedeniye v teoriyuipraktiku [Islamic counseling. Introduction to theory and practice]. Moscow: Institute of Knowledge Integration, Association of Psychological Assistance to Muslims Publ.; 2022. 392 p. (In Russian)
17. Rotman A. Razvitiye modeli islamskoy psikhologii i psikhoterapii: islamskoye bogosloviye i sovremennoye ponimaniye psikhologii [Development of a model of Islamic psychology and psychotherapy: Islamic theology and modern understanding of Psychology]. Moscow: Institute of Knowledge Integration Publ.; 2025. 352 p. (In Russian)
18. Riyono B. Tazkiya – metod islamskoy psikhoterapii [Tazkia – the method of Islamic psychotherapy]. Moscow: Institute of Knowledge Integration; 2025. 120 p. (In Russian)
19. Pavlova O.S. Psikhologiya: islamskiy diskurs [Psychology: Islamic discourse]. Moscow: Association of Psychological Assistance to Muslims Publ.; 2020. 203 p. (In Russian)
20. Pavlova O.S. Semeynyye otnosheniya musul'man postsovetskogo prostranstva: osnovnyye osobennostii podkhody k psikhologicheskomu konsul'tirovaniyu [Family relations of Muslims of the post-Soviet space: the main features and approaches to psychological counseling]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2024;17(4):953–978. (In Russian)
21. Yakhin F.F. “Chelovek po prirode…”. Esse o vnutrennem mire cheloveka [“Man by nature ...”. An essay on the inner world of man]. Moscow: Institute of Knowledge Integration Publ.; 2024. 240 p. (In Russian)
22. Yakhin F.F. Chelovecheskie simvoly i bozhestvennye znameniya v psikhoterapii i psikhokonsul'tirovanii: islamskij diskurs [Human symbols and divine signs in Psychotherapy and counseling: Islamic discourse]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2021;14(1):201–225. (In Russian)
23. Yakhin F.F. Islam i psikhologiya na postsovetskom prostranstve: istoriya, sovremennost' iperspektivy [Islam i psikhologiya na postsovetskom prostranstve: istoriya, sovremennost' i perspektivy]. Islam: lichnost' iobshсhestvo [Islam: personality and society]. 2021;1–2:66–89. (In Russian)
24. Ganieva R.H. Kul'turnoye i dukhovnoye izmereniye v psikhologicheskom konsul'tirovanii [Cultural and spiritual dimension in psychological counseling]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2022;15(1):197–221.(In Russian)
25. Ganieva R.H. Psikhologicheskoye konsul'tirovaniye v kul'turnom i dukhovnom kontekste kliyenta [Psychological counseling in the cultural and spiritual context of the client]. Magas, 2023. 162 p. (In Russian)
26. Juad Yu.Y. Potentsial narrativnoy praktiki v psikhologicheskom konsul'tirovanii kliyentov-musul'man [The potential of narrative practice in psychological counseling of Muslim clients]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2025;18(1):201–223.(In Russian)
27. Barinova N.G. Kollektivistskoye i individualisticheskoye v islamskoy traditsii samopoznaniya [Collectivistic and individualistic in the Islamic tradition of self-knowledge]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2025;18(1):224–248.(In Russian)
28. Yakhin F.F. Skhema-terapiyai islamskoye ponimaniye vnutrennego mira cheloveka: kontseptual'nyye paralleli i puti integratsii [Schematherapy and the Islamic understanding of the inner world of man: conceptual parallels and ways of integration]. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2024;17(2):449–479. (In Russian)
29. Yakhin F.F. Koranicheskoye ponyatiye «shakila»: evristicheskoye znacheniye dlya teorii i praktiki psikhologii i sotsial'no-gumanitarnykh nauk [The Quranic concept of "shakilah": heuristic value for the theory and practice of Psychology and socio-humanitarian sciences]. Musul'mane Tsentral'noy Yevrazii v XXI veke: v poiskakh kompleksnogo podkhoda: monografiya [Muslims of Central Eurasia in the 21st century: in search of an integrated approach: monograph]. Yarosh O., Akhmetov E., Yakhin F., Kuliev E. (ed.). Tbilisi: Universal; 2025, pp. 34–68. (In Russian)
30. Korchagina A.V. Psikhologicheskiye motivy i posledstviya obrashсheniya v islam: rezul'taty sotsial'no-psikhologicheskogo issledovaniya [Psychological motives and consequences of conversion to Islam: results of a socio-psychological study]. Islam: lichnost' i obshchestvo [Islam: personality and society]. 2019;3(3):21–27.(In Russian)
31. Bikbaeva V.R. Programma pomoshсhi novoobrashhennym musul'mankam «Chto dal'she?» kak variant dukhovnoy i sotsial'noy podderzhki neofitov v protsesse ikh integratsii v nemusul'manskoy obshсhiny [The program of assistance to newly converted Muslim women "What's next?" as an option for spiritual and social support for neophytes in the process of their integration outside the Muslim community]. Islam: lichnost' iobshchestvo [Islam: personality and society]. 2020;1(1):21–27.(In Russian)
32. Pavlova O.S. Psikhologicheskiye prichiny i profilaktika vovlecheniya molodezhi v ekstremistskuyu deyatel'nost' [Psychological causes and prevention of youth involvement in extremist activities]. Realizatsiya gosudarstvennoy natsional'noy politiki: opyt goroda Moskvy i regionov Rossii: [sbornik] [Implementation of state national policy: the experience of the city of Moscow and the regions of Russia: [collection]]. Burova G.V., Changlyang L. D., Oreshin S. A. (comp.). Moscow: State Budgetary Institution Moscow House of Nationalities Publ.; 2019, pp. 132–140. (In Russian)
33. Yakhin F.F. Prichiny i factory religiozno motivirovannogo ekstremizma v kontekste psikhodinamicheskoy teorii lichnosti (A. Adler, K. Khorni, E. Fromm) [Causes and factors of religiously motivated extremism in the context of the Psychodynamic Theory of personality (A. Adler, K. Horney, E. Fromm)]. Islam: lichnost' iobshсhestvo [Islam: personality and society]. 2019;4(4):66–75. (In Russian)
34. Pavlova O.S. Psikhologicheskiye kompetentsii musul'manskogo religioznogo deyatelya [Psychological competencies of a Muslim religious figure]. Materialy Mezhdunarodnogo foruma po islamovedeniyu v stranakh SNG v kontekste sovremennykh vyzovov [Proceedings of International Forum on Islamic Studies in the CIS countries in the context of modern challenges]. Baki Publ., 2024, pp. 90–106. (In Russian)
35. Psikhologicheskaya pomoshсh' v krizisnykh situatsiyakh: metodicheskoye posobiye dlya musul'manskikh religioznykh deyateley [Psychological assistance in crisis situations: a methodological guide for Muslim religious leaders]. Pavlova O.S., Zyazin S.Y., Barieva N.Y. (eds). Moscow: Association of Psychological Assistance to Muslims – ANO Scientific, Educational and Cultural Center "Moderation and Creation"; 2022. 201 p. (In Russian)
Review
For citations:
Algushayeva V.R. Religion and Mental Health: a Review of Russian Research and Translations on Psychological Assistance to Muslims. Minbar. Islamic Studies. 2025;18(4):947-966. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31162/2618-9569-2025-18-4-947-966
Views:
26
Email this article 