Recovery from Mental Illness: Understanding the Therapeutic Interventions of Shifaa Centres
Interdisciplinary Journal of Education February 7, 2026 Noor Mohamed Abdinoor, Ahmed Osman Warfa
Spirituality and religion form the basis for mental health recovery at Shifaa centres in Garissa County, Kenya, where a hybrid of conventional psychiatric methods and spiritual/religious techniques is used. Based on interviews with six staff members across two centres, the blended therapeutic interventions appear robust and effective, with a significant number of clients recovering from mental illness. Some relapse occurred in substance-induced psychotic patients after discharge. The authors recommend recognizing and promoting this approach, and call for further research on larger samples, in other towns, and on causes of relapse and the concept of dealing with Jinn (unseen spirit possession).