Do rituals violate the rights of the mentally ill patient?

Abstract

<p>Health seeking behaviour of Sri Lankan psychiatric patients is influenced by traditional practices and cultural beliefs. Though the bio-psycho-social model accommodates the cultural aspects to some extent, in many cases, family members subject their sick for ritualistic management in out of proportion as ascribed by the model. However, these rituals involve rigorous physical procedures which could be abusive, thus, leading to violation of rights of the individual.</p>