With Ramadan fast approaching, Dr. Zainab Furqan of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health discusses balancing fasting with maintaining mental health care, including being aware of oral medications, for Muslim patients
During the month-long observance of Ramadan, many Muslims across the world fast from sunrise to sundown. While there is a robust body of research on its effects on medical illnesses such as diabetes, Dr. Juveria Zaheer, a clinician scientist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, was surprised to discover there is little addressing the topic of mental health issues during Ramadan.
So Dr. Furqan and I conducted a literature review around mental health issues during Ramadan. We know that this is an area where we need to do more research and advocacy but in the interim, we compiled this information to support clinicians, whether they have a Muslim background or they don’t, working with Muslim people who may be fasting during Ramadan.
There are certain psychiatric illnesses wherein people are very sensitive to sleep disruption. Chief among them is bipolar disorder, where evidence suggests decreased sleep or interruptions can put people at risk of relapse or worsening symptoms. There are a few studies about fasting during Ramadan for people with bipolar disorder and the evidence is mixed but clinicians need to be aware of this issue.
You refer to a study that says 60 per cent of fasting patients altered their dosage without seeking medical advice. How do you see that affect people who are dealing with mental disorders or issues?
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