Understanding Psychosocial Wellbeing in the Context of Complex and Multidimensional Problems

This Special Issue deals with the topic of how people and social groups face problems in an increasingly complex and globalized society. The topics included in the call for papers were the interaction of psychosocial well-being and mental health with economic, gender, racial and ethnic inequalities, migration and demographic change and conflict and war, as well as the effects of stigma on people discriminated against because of their differential characteristics, whether they are of a sexual, disability or other minority. We made this proposal because we believed that, despite the introduction of the biopsychosocial model in the late 1970s as a paradigm of the integration of different disciplinary views, research in mental health and psychosocial well-being is still highly fragmented. For decades, we have tried to advance by emphasizing a part of the equation, with results that are at least modest. Therefore, in this Special Issue, we prioritized works aiming at disciplinary and methodological integration. The Special Issue was open to any subject area related to the impacts of social issues on mental health and psychosocial well-being. We were interested in empirical and theoretical enquiries at all ecological levels, from the psychosocial impact of social dynamics on individuals, to the analysis of how sociocultural and geopolitical factors influence health and collective psychosocial well-being.

The Role of Procreation (injāb) in Marital Life: a Shift Between Classical Islamic Law and Contemporary Fatwas

Classical Islamic marriage and divorce laws focus on both spouses’ ability to perform sexually. In fiqh texts, sexual disability is considered a serious medical condition. The fiqh literature lists certain sexual disabilities unique to men, unique to women, or shared by both sexes. Infertility (ʿuqm) is not found in any of these early fiqh lists, although we have proof in various Islamic religious texts that fertility and procreation have always been highly valued in society. In contemporary fatwas (from the Sunni world), the picture appears reversed, as fertility is given priority over sexual performance. In this paper, I illustrate this shift in attitude between the classical legal texts and contemporary fatwas. Then, I offer possible explanations for it. Among the main motivations suggested for the change are feminist Muslim writings, a growing awareness of human rights in the Islamic world, advanced medical technology, and economic factors.

Effects of Sexual Orientation, Disability, and Gender Identity on Others’ Prosocial Behavior

The theory of intersectionality posits that people possess multiple identities varying in the level of privilege and oppression. The current study assesses participants’ prosocial behavior toward a target possessing sexual, disability, and gender minority identities. Prosociality was measured using the validated and reliable dictator game. The authors predicted that targets with increased minority identities would receive less prosocial behavior from their partner than targets with fewer intersecting identities. Contrary to our hypothesis, it was found that participants were significantly more prosocial toward targets with a disability, than toward targets without. Consistent with our hypothesis, these researchers found that participants were significantly less likely to be prosocial toward targets who were gay than straight. These results have implications for rehabilitation counselors working with clients with intersecting marginalized identities. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to experimentally explore observed prosocial behavior toward individuals with intersecting gender, disability, and sexual minority identities.

LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS: AN OVERVIEW

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a tropical disease caused by infection with the parasitic filarial worms: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori. The symptoms of this chronic disease appear in adults (in men more than in women) and include damage to the lymphatic system, arms, legs, and genitals, which cause significant pain, reducing productivity, and social problems. LF is a cause of continued disability, pain, disfigurement, and sexual disability in the world, so the knowledge of the disease and the infection control is very important. In addition to the importance of prevention, that includes giving medicine and using controlling ways of mosquitoes. Moreover, the prevention of disease is important, that includes giving medicine and using controlling ways of mosquitoes. However, although the efforts of health organizations to reduce the LF infections, there are still many challenges including the early diagnosis and control of infection among people.