The Influence of Culture on the Cause, Diagnosis and Treatment of Serious Mental Illness (Ufufunyana): Perspectives of Traditional Health Practitioners in the Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal.
Ntombifuthi P Ngubane, Brenda Z De Gama
Culture, medicine and psychiatry September 1, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1007/s11013-024-09863-7 via PubMed
Summary
Cultural beliefs shape how mental illness is understood, diagnosed, and treated. In this study of 31 traditional health practitioners in South Africa, mental illness was attributed to witchcraft and ancestral calling. Diagnosis relied on spiritual intervention, including divination, consulting ancestors, and examining patients. Common symptoms were aggression, hallucinations, and unresponsiveness. Treatment involved medicinal concoctions and cultural rituals guided by ancestors. The duration of treatment depended on ancestral guidance. Cultural beliefs and ancestors influenced nearly every aspect of mental illness care, from cause to treatment.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | traditional health practitioners in the Harry Gwala District Municipality |
| Key finding | Cultural beliefs and ancestors influence the perceived causes, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of mental illness among traditional health practitioners. |
Abstract
Cultural beliefs influence the perceived cause, methods of diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. A qualitative study was conducted among traditional health practitioners (THPs) in the Harry Gwala District Municipality to further explore this influence. Purposive sampling assisted in the recruitment of 31 participants (9 males and 22 females). The four key themes this study investigated in relation to mental illness included its causes, methods of diagnosis, common symptoms observed and treatment approaches used by THPs, and the system of patient management. Culturally, mental illness was reported to be caused by witchcraft and an ancestral calling in this study. Mental illness was predominantly diagnosed by spiritual intervention which included divination through consultation with the ancestors, familial background, burning of incense which can also be part of communicating with the ancestors and through examining the patient. The common symptoms included aggression, hallucination and unresponsiveness. Prevalent modes of treatment included the use of a medicinal concoction and performing cultural rituals where ancestors and other spirits were assumed influential. The duration of the treatment process was dependent on guidance from the ancestors. Most causal aspects of mental illness from diagnosis to treatment seemed to be influenced by cultural beliefs and ancestors.