Fixating on the future

An overview of increased astrology use

Das, Abhilasha
Sharma, Manoj Kumar
Kashyap, Himani
Gupta, Srijita

¹Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
²SHUT Clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology), Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Manoj Kumar Sharma, SHUT Clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology), Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental health & Neurosciences, Govindaswamy Block, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560029, India. Email: [email protected]

International Journal of Social Psychiatry 68(5):p 925-932, August 2022. | DOI: 10.1177/00207640221094155

Background:

Interest in astrology has surged recently, possibly due to the uncertain conditions in the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While belief in astrology is common and socially legitimized in many cultures, a few instances of excessive engagement with astrological services or “fortune-telling addiction” are indicating a risk of adverse mental health consequences.

Aim:

To understand the existing research base on correlates of belief in astrology and fortune-telling. Method: We have carried out a scoping review to synthesize the available literature base on belief in astrology and to review the evidence for “fortune-telling addiction” using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. Databases of PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO, and SCOPUS were searched for relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

Results:

The search findings revealed the association of belief in astrology with cognitive, personality, and psychological factors such as thinking style, self-concept verification, and stress. Case studies on “fortune-telling addiction” have conceptualized it as a possible behavioral addiction and have reported symptoms such as distress, cravings, and salience.

Conclusions:

However, further research on the condition along with its psychosocial determinants is necessary for the development of preventative and curative intervention efforts.