Mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves,

and interacts with other people. perceiving the signs and symptoms of mental illness and

effective treatment is important. The early the analyzing, the better the outcome. Although

nowadays there is a big achievement for mental illness treatment in world and people understood

that this disease is just like any other medical disease but still there is stigma and some ideas like

that the body and brain are different things.

Mental illness is treatable if we get rid of the stigma. Many mental illnesses are treatable and

many people diagnosed with mental illness achieve with health and improvement through

cooperating in individual or group treatment. There are many contrasting treatment options

available and no single treatment that works for everyone. for e.g psychotherapy is a therapeutic

treatment which analyzes thoughts, feeling and behaviors and investigate to improve an

individual’s wellbeing. on the other hand, medications support management of symptoms. And

psychotherapy mated with medications is the most effective way to build up recovery. (1)

Besides psychotherapy and medications, other therapeutic treatments are possible for patients

who require them like: psychoeducation which involves educating the patient and their family in

ways to treat and cope with the mental illness; health and fitness therapy which focuses on

nutrition and wellness of an individual in order to improve mental health.

These days, clinical treatment commonly takes place in the community rather than in hospital.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental illness which demands treatment should be able

to gain a range of clinical services in their own community. (2)

There are many things that people with a mental illness can do for themselves, to help improve a

balanced life. Healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and regular physical activity are all essential
to good mental health. Learning skills which help cope with stress, feeling depressing,

relationships or the symptoms of the illness, are also ways in which someone with mental illness

can support themselves. (2)

Treatment in psychiatry pursue the bio-psychosocial model, and religion is treated to be one of

the most essential psychosocial factors in human life especially in Muslim population. In Islam,

religion and spirituality are not commonly exclusive as you can not have one without the other.

Muslims believes that there is no disease which has no treatment as a prophet Muhammad said

(down a cure even as he sent down the disease). The first psychiatric hospital in the world is

settled in Baghdad, Iraq in 705CE by al Razi (one of the greatest Islamic physician). (3)

Many individuals with mental illness are treated, improved well or even completely, however,

because there are many different aspects contributing to the development of each illness, it can

sometimes be difficult to anticipate how, when, or to a degree, somebody is going to get better (2).

But if we remove the stigma and give suitable treatment with self-encouragement, most of the

patients or even all of them can achieve great recovery. (2)

Marriage is one of the most essential events of life touching social status as well as the psyche of
(4)
a person .in Islam it is not allowed a mentally ill individual to marry a mentally healthy

person, except if the health person wants by him/her self. Part of shaficiya allows that marriage

while Malikiya allows only if it is afraid to fall a haram/ fasad, otherwise no marriage to

mentally ill person as Malikiya believes. (5)

Since this patient cannot take the responsibility of the family, and does not know whether she is

his wife or not if the patient is a man, or can not take the responsibility of the children and the

home if she is a woman. The ill person may be unable to give approval to marriage and
understand the duties of a marital relationship. And after marriage, many face a severe problem

as they rejected by their partner.

Consent and understanding are important proper requirements whether marriage is considered a

contract or a sacrament. A mentally ill person may be treated as unfit to marry from a

psychiatrist’s perspective because of the weight of a new relationship may further exacerbate the

mental illness. (6)

Marriage may be stressful for susceptible people, which may lead to the progress of mental

health problem or can be worsening if the person is mentally ill. serious mental illness results in

interruption of behavior and may result in the defect and inability to function adequately and

meet the obligations of marriage. Even though both legal and mental health methods are in

agreement that a person suffering from serious disable psychiatric illness may not be very much

benefitted by marriage.

If the caregiver of the person of defective mind considers such marriage to be in his interest and

in the interest of society and is eager to take up all the monetary obligations of the marriage, then

such a marriage can be completed and may be considered valid.

It does not mean to demoralize persons from seeking mental health treatment and neither from

getting the persons with mental illness married. The aim is to escape only those marriages where

defective of mind is severe and intense to preclude clearance basic marital duties (6). the family

history of mental illness or previous history of mental illness is not a prohibition to marriage. In

recent times with current treatment, most patients recover well and get married. It must be

accepted that all persons with a psychiatric illness do not have impairment in understanding and

role functioning to the same extent. (6)

Mental illness is treatable and there are so many individuals who improved after they got treated.

And there are different types of treatments like psychotherapy, medication, and even

psychoeducation but no single type can cover all types of illnesses. psychotherapy with

medications is most effective.

Nutrition and wellness of an individual can promote mental health. The Muslim population is

first people who reported that mental illness is like any other medical condition. First psychiatric

hospital established one of the Muslim countries (Baghdad, Iraq in 705CE by Al Razi).

Marriage is so important for an individual’s life. IN Islamic religion there are exceptional

conditions which marriage of mentally ill person is allowed like if she/he is getting marrying to

someone with the same condition or with mental health person who wants and satisfying by him

/ her self. No consent to marriage for a mentally ill person and may be considered unfit to marry

since consent and understanding are essential legal requirements. It does not mean to discourage

mental illness individuals from seeking mental health and neither from getting married.
References:

[1]: Mental Health America. (2018). Mental Health America. [online] Available at:

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

[2]: Elkovich, K., The Problem with Quick Fixes.

[3]: Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. (2018). National Center for Biotechnology Information. [online]

Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

[4]: Rao, T.S.S., Nambi, S. and Chandrashekhar, H., 2009. Marriage, mental health, and Indian

legislation. Indian J Psychiatry, 51, pp.113-128.

[ 5]: youtube (sheik cabdiaziz alfawzani ) published on may 19, 2014 by Khalid tube. And

Islamic book “fiqhi alusrah Biruyatil Maqasidah “

[6]: Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. (2018). Home - PMC - NCBI. [online] Available at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].