<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_gp-2018-0002_s_007_w2aab3b7b1b1b6b1aab1c16b1Aa"><h3>Objectives</h3><p>Globally, Moslems are the second largest religious group. During the month of Ramadan from dawn to sundown, healthy Moslems are required to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, sexual activity and harmful behaviour towards others and themselves. Thus Ramadan may change individual physical states and social interactions. Both might affect mental health within society. Consequently, this systematic review looks at the various effects of Ramadan on mental health.</p></sec><sec id="j_gp-2018-0002_s_008_w2aab3b7b1b1b6b1aab1c16b2Aa"><h3>Methods</h3><p>A literature search on Ramadan and mental health initially identified 294 papers. We finally selected all 22 relevant papers covering Ramadan and mental health from which study data were extracted.</p></sec><sec id="j_gp-2018-0002_s_009_w2aab3b7b1b1b6b1aab1c16b3Aa"><h3>Results</h3><p>Relevant papers focussed on the general population and healthy volunteers, on subjects practising sports, on subjects with severe physical disorders, on subjects at risk of eating disorders and on subjects with mental health disorders. The effects of Ramadan on mental well-being were mixed. Positive and negative effects were usually minor, except in subjects with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome, and in subjects with bipolar disorder who suffered a substantial increase of relapses.</p></sec><sec id="j_gp-2018-0002_s_010_w2aab3b7b1b1b6b1aab1c16b4Aa"><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Ramadan fasting is safe in most conditions and disorders, but caution is required in subjects with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The research on mental health and Ramadan would profit from larger studies with more representative samples to help understand the intra-individual and social factors that affect the mental health and well-being in patients and in society. The scientific potential of such studies may have been overlooked in the psychiatric community.</p></sec></abstract>

ObjectivesGlobally, Moslems are the second largest religious group. During the month of Ramadan from dawn to sundown, healthy Moslems are required to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, sexual activity and harmful behaviour towards others and themselves. Thus Ramadan may change individual physical states and social interactions. Both might affect mental health within society. Consequently, this systematic review looks at the various effects of Ramadan on mental health.MethodsA literature search on Ramadan and mental health initially identified 294 papers. We finally selected all 22 relevant papers covering Ramadan and mental health from which study data were extracted.ResultsRelevant papers focussed on the general population and healthy volunteers, on subjects practising sports, on subjects with severe physical disorders, on subjects at risk of eating disorders and on subjects with mental health disorders. The effects of Ramadan on mental well-being were mixed. Positive and negative effects were usually minor, except in subjects with schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome, and in subjects with bipolar disorder who suffered a substantial increase of relapses.ConclusionRamadan fasting is safe in most conditions and disorders, but caution is required in subjects with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The research on mental health and Ramadan would profit from larger studies with more representative samples to help understand the intra-individual and social factors that affect the mental health and well-being in patients and in society. The scientific potential of such studies may have been overlooked in the psychiatric community.

A systematic review on the effect of Ramadan on mental health: minor effects and no harm in general, but increased risk of relapse in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Global Psychiatry

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

ObjectivesGlobally, Moslems are the second largest religious group. During the month of Ramadan from dawn to sundown, healthy Moslems are required to refrain...

A systematic review on the effect of Ramadan on mental health: minor effects and no harm in general, but increased risk of relapse in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Publicado en línea: 11 feb 2018

Páginas: 7 - 16

Recibido: 26 oct 2017

Aceptado: 26 dic 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gp-2018-0002

Palabras clave
Systematic review, Ramadan, fasting, mental health, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

© 2018 Reinhard Heun, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A systematic review on the effect of Ramadan on mental health: minor effects and no harm in general, but increased risk of relapse in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Publicado en línea: 11 feb 2018

Páginas: 7 - 16

Recibido: 26 oct 2017

Aceptado: 26 dic 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gp-2018-0002

Palabras claveSystematic review, Ramadan, fasting, mental health, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

© 2018 Reinhard Heun, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Palabras clave
Systematic review, Ramadan, fasting, mental health, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder