Indigenous knowledge, wisdom and preventing mechanism of mental illness

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• Assessment of Indigenous knowledge, wisdom and
  mitigating mechanism to mental disorder in Oromia
  Regional state, North Shoa Zone, Wachale woreda
• Jimma University
• College Of Education and Behavioral Science
• Department of Psychology
• Program PhD in Counseling Psychology
• Assignment submitted in partial fulfillment of
  Multicultural Counseling course
• Course Code Psych 8352
•  
• By Fikadu Tafesse ID. NO.
  Rp0118/2012

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Contents of Presentation

• Introduction
• Background Information, statement of the problem
  and objectives
• Research Methodology
• Result and Discussion
• Indigenous identification of mental disorder
• Indigenous understanding to the Causes of mental
  disorder
• Indigenous Mechanisms used by community
• Implications
• Conclusion
• Possible Directions

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Introduction

• Mental disorder defined as (DSM-5)
• Clinically significant syndrome
• Disturbance in cognition, emotion or behavior
• Reflect dysfunction in the psychological,
  biological or development process.
• For a century Indigenous community
  conceptualized, distinguished, and react to
  Mental disorder in contexts of their
  sociocultural, spiritual and religious
  backgrounds.
• According to Jorm et al.(2005)
• Supernatural causes of MD are more widely known
• Traditional sources of help, are better accepted
  than medical advice in developing countries.

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Introduction Cont,d

• More specifically, most Ethiopians believe that-
  
• Illness is the work of malevolent spirits
• Namely ganen, jinn, seytun, zar and buda
  (Makonnen, 1990).
• Consequently, solutions required from traditional
  healers.
• However it is not universal and it is
  attributable to sociocultural, religious and
  environmental background of the community.
• Therefore the researcher endeavored to assess
  indigenous knowledge, wisdom and mitigating
  mechanism of mental disorder in a view of
  multicultural counseling and therapy in Oromia,
  north Shoa, Wachale woreda. .

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Objectives of the study

• The general objective
• Assessing indigenous knowledge, wisdom and
  mitigating mechanism to mental disorder in
  Wachale Woreda North Shoa Oromia Regional state.
  
• Specific objectives
• To assess the knowledge and wisdom
• To identify the indigenous mechanisms of
  mitigating MD
• To assess the implications of traditional
  knowledge and wisdom for MCT.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Design This study employed qualitative research
  method with thematic approach.
• Population and sampling
• Wachale Woreda Community, North Shoa Oromia
  Regional state and a total of 27 participants (21
  for FGDs and 6 KIIs) participants were involved
  to the study.
• Tools of data collection FGDs and KIIs.
• Data analysis method
• The data collected via qualitative research
  approach was analyzed using thematic
  categorization procedures.

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Findings of the study

• Analysis of the results was led by the specific
  objectives.
• Indigenous identifications of mental disorder
• Mental disorder conceptualized and recognized
  traditionally using societal religio-cultural
  norms.
• Symptoms includes
• -Negative emotions Unreasonable hate,
  anger,
• suspiciousness, fear, sadness.
• -Unusual behavior Unusual beliefs,
  low motivation,
• withdrawing from other people.
• The symptoms also not include emotional or
  behavioral reaction to specific case.

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Recognizing seriousness level of mental illness

• Through determining the relative degree to which
  individual patients are denied sociocultural and
  religious responsibilities three general levels.
  
• 1st . A Person who is
• -Unfit for any sociocultural and religious
  responsibility is labels serious mentally ill and
  termed Uffatagate in Amharic Libsi yetale.
• 2nd A person who relatively for a long-lasting
• -Doesnt show critical thought,
• -Inconsistent emotion and behavior labels person
  not dependable and moderate mental illness and
  termed Bal- Jedhe or Tuqame in Amharic
  wofefe or nik.

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Recognizing Seriousness cont,d

• 3rd. Third is a person relatively for a long
  time
• Feeling sad, reduced ability to concentrate,
• withdrawal from friends,
• Problems of sleeping is identified as law level
  of mental illness and sometimes not considered as
  mental illness by the community and called
  Dawwee.
• The other understanding is most likely footed
  the genetic, psychoactive or depressant drug
  consequent illness. includes
• -Abisho,
• -Gegebdo or Epilepsy.

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Indigenous understanding to the Causes of mental
disorder

• The study deduced that the community highly
  believed to spiritual causation of mental
  illness.
• Caused by angered ancestral spirits (miidhaa
  ayyaana warra darbee),
• Evil spirits (seexana) and
• witchcraft ("hojjaa harka) were seen as potent
  causes of mental illness.
• Also punishment of God, unfortunate fate (hiree
  badaa) evil eye and Zar were considered as causal
  factors.
• Another to some extent there were a community
  group beliefs MD caused by biological, genetic
  and substance abuse. (e.g. Brain injury, inborn
  brain disability and Abisho respectively)

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Indigenous MD mitigating Mechanisms used by the
community

• The study highly persuaded that the community
  believed mental illnesses have predominantly
  been caused by supernatural power
• For the reason the community preferred
  traditional healers and religio-cultural
  practices.
• Seeking help from diviners including religious
  prayers, serving holly water, Gedam Megbat
  fasting long time and extended residential stays
  at the healers compound specially Qallu namely
  Abbaa Ganuu, Jiilcha, Haadha-Abbayyi,
  Giftii-Elemoo, Cabsa and Cooka.
• Herbalist healers practices including using
  plant, animal, mineral based medicines, spiritual
  therapies, manual techniques and exercises.

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Mitigating mechanisms

• Another the community have documented
  traditional wisdom and it is common for spiritual
  and religious leaders which is a books on mental
  health originating from local Orthodox religion.
• Awude Negest wefikare Kewakibt a book telling
  ones fate matching your birth date with stars,
• Etse Debdabie Abook listing herbal medicine,
  and
• Metsihafa Tibeb Book of Wisdom books guiding
  and describe how to treat and what you have to do
  for healing mental illness.
• It is used by spiritual and traditional healers
  as guidance to diagnose and treat mental illness.
  

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Conclusion

• Mental disorder conceptualized and recognized
  traditionally using societal religio-cultural
  norms.
• The study deduced that the community highly
  believed to spiritual causation of mental illness
  and to some extent genetic and drug abuse
  considered as causal factors of Mental illness.
• The community preferred traditional healers and
  religio-cultural practices.
• The community defined both (traditional and
  clinical) concepts are shared common impressions
  such as disturbance of emotional, behavioral and
  mental dysfunction and are not including an
  expectable response to a particular event.
• Indigenous concepts and most types of traditional
  healers usually have a considerable amount of
  insight into the patients experience and
  cultural backgrounds.

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Implications of the study on multicultural
counseling

• Positive implication
• In indigenous context motives and paradigms of
  understanding and proposing mechanisms to healing
  mental disorder can be basically determined by
  peoples religio-cultural based knowledge and
  wisdom.
• Consequently the community preferred
  religio-cultural based healing practices.
• Similarly the concepts and principles of modern
  MCT practices characterized by cultural
  sensitivity, cultural intelligence and mindful
  intercultural communication of therapist. It
  laydown basic ground for applying modern
  multicultural therapy.

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• Detrimental implication
• Traditional MD healing practices using universal
  approach/model/
• Unlike MCT personalizing model
• Indigenous community labeled some mental illness
  to God punishment, blamed for bringing on their
  illness, avoid treatment.
• Severe mental illness cases likely bring to
  medical care institutions after extended stay
  with traditional healing or delay (problem reach
  a state of irreversibility).

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Possible Directions

• Lack of documentation of indigenous knowledge and
  lack collaboration with modern practitioners of
  mental care,
• Needed proper response through health policy.
• The attitudes of the general public toward mental
  illness has to be enriched.
• New initiatives should be needed to incorporate
  and integrate traditional concepts and healing
  modalities into mental health services.

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• Thank you very much!!