Mental Illness in Madagascar: A Model of Community-Based Care (original) (raw)

Hende a Hasi Malu P’E: Popular Psychiatric Beliefs in Curaçaoan Culture

2010

Introduction This paper examines how culture shapes illness behavior and how people experience psychiatric care in Curaçaoan society, by examining the cultural background of illness experience and illness behavior from an anthropological perspective. It presents preliminary findings and thoughts and raises questions for further research. The principal data sources for this paper are diverse. First, the author draws from the oral history research that she has done since the 1980s, which includes interviews with practitioners of Afro-Curaçaoan beliefs and rituals. Second, data has also been gathered through participant observation at ceremonies aimed at helping people in psychological distress. A third set of sources is the limited literature on Afro-Curaçaoan beliefs and rituals.

Perceived causes, diagnosis methods and treatment practices of mental illness among traditional healers of the Berta community in Assosa, Ethiopia

International Journal of Social Psychiatry

Introduction: Mental illness is a non-communicable disease that is increasingly contributing to the global burden of diseases and disability. It affects a person’s feelings, thinking, behavior, and daily life functioning. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore perceived causes of mental illness, techniques for identifying mental illness, and treatment methods used by traditional healers in the Berta community. Methods: The study employed a qualitative research method. Data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews with seven traditional healers who were selected purposefully. We used thematic analysis to present and analyze the data. Results: The findings of this study indicated that witchcraft, supernatural power, hereditary, substance use, and food poising as the main perceived causes of mental illness among traditional healers in the Berta community. The traditional healers identify mental illness using different techniques such as patient observation...

Perceived causes of mental illness and treatment practices by Traditional Healers of the Berta Community in Assosa, Ethiopia

2022

Traditional healers of the Berta community play important roles in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of patients who are with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived causes of mental illness and their treatment methods used by the Berta community traditional healers. To achieve the intended objectives, seven well known traditional healers were selected using snowball sampling technique from the total Berta community. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured one-to-one interviews, and they were analyzed by applying content analysis method. The findings of the study revealed that traditional healers of the Berta community detected mental illnesses through a detailed follow-up of a person’s behaviors/actions and his/her daily life activities. According to these traditional healers, curse/witchcraft, harsh social condition, hereditary, substance use,and food poising are considered as the main causes of mental illness. To treat mental i...