A study of the effectiveness of hajj rituals in the mental health of hojjaj

This quasi-experimental research aims to study psychological dimensions of Hajj rituals (Manasek-e-Hajj) and its effectiveness in the general health of hojjaj. Its population is composed of 22500 pilgrims who registered in Tehran Province. Among them, 105 subjects (62 males, 43 females) were selected as sample and were asked to fill GHQ (General Health Questionnaire) before and after their travel (pre-test and post-test). Data collected were analyzed using dependent and independent T-test and one-way ANOVA. Research findings indicate that a) general health total number of hojjaj in post-test stage improved significantly compared to pre-test stage; b) based on comparing pre-test and follow-up stages, general health of hojjaj and components "anxiety" and "depression" were significantly different; c) general health total number of hojjaj as well as status of symptoms, anxiety and depression in follow-up stage changed significantly compared to post-test stage; d) research findings were not affected by factors like sex, age, education level and previous experience in hajj. Finally, it was concluded that doing hajj rituals increases general health of hojjaj.