General health workers' description of mental health problems and treatment approaches used in Papua New Guinea.
The International journal of social psychiatry November 1, 2014 Betty E Koka, Frank P Deane, Geoffrey Cb Lyons et al. 5 citations
In Papua New Guinea, a developing country with scarce specialist mental health services, health workers report that schizophrenia and substance use disorder are the most common mental health problems among men, while depression is most common among women. Culture-bound conditions such as sorcery and spirit possession are also frequently encountered. Over 65% of patients receive psychotropic medication, more than 50% receive psychological intervention, and 28% undergo traditional treatments. Somatic symptoms are common across genders, but men tend to present with psychotic symptoms and women with mood-related problems. Culture-specific explanations and treatments are widely used.