Possession states: approaches to clinical evaluation and classification.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Medical Anthropology

Background:

• Extensive literature exists on possession states in anthropology and sociology.
• Clinical descriptions of possession states are limited due to infrequent physician reporting.
• Possession states may be more prevalent and less deviant than commonly perceived.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the scarcity of clinical descriptions of possession states.
• To review Western cultural perspectives on possession and related phenomena.
• To provide guidelines for the clinical evaluation and classification of possession disorders.

Main Methods:

• Review of anthropological and sociological literature on possession states.
• Analysis of Western cultural notions regarding possession and kindred states.
• Development of proposed guidelines for clinical assessment and categorization.

Main Results:

• Identified a significant gap between sociological/anthropological understanding and clinical reporting of possession states.
• Highlighted the potential underdiagnosis of possession disorders in clinical settings.
• Established a framework for evaluating and classifying possession phenomena.

Conclusions:

• Clinical practice needs to better incorporate the study of possession states.
• International diagnostic manuals like ICD-10 and DSM-IV may require specific criteria for possession disorders.
• The proposed guidelines can aid clinicians in evaluating and classifying these phenomena more effectively.