Assessment of Common Mental Disorders among Visitors to Traditional Healers: a Mixed Study in North Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: People with common mental disorders have instability, poor self-care, social withdrawal, poor communication with others and frequent somatic pains. Seeking help from traditional healers which offer Prayer and treatment with holy water have been strategies reported by several studies particularly in developing world.Purpose : to assess perceived causes, associated factors and prevalence of common mental disorders among visitors to traditional healers in Mekelle town, North Ethiopia.Methods and subjects: We used a mixed study design; a quantitative study on 380 subjects and a qualitative study among fifteen subjects. We used Self-reported questionnaire (SRQ 20) to screen common mental disorders. Also perceived causes of mental illness and psycho-social stressful situations were assessed using a semi structured tool and in-depth interview. We analyzed data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software, windows 25. Findings in the qualitative study were triangulated with the quantitative finding.Result: the prevalence of common mental disorders was 38.7% (95% CI; 33.7, 43.6). Factors independently associated with common mental disorders were being a woman (AOR= 1.68 (95% CI; 1.04, 2.72)), low level of education (AOR=3.2 (95% CI; 1.28, 6.91)), a conflict in the family (AOR= 3.82 (95% CI; 1.89, 7.68)) and traditional belief about the cause of mental illness (AOR= 2.33 (95% CI; 1.43, 3.79)). Experience of poor/no religious rituals, evil spirit, personal sin and will of God were the top traditional causes of common mental disorders.Conclusion : prevalence of common mental disorders was higher among the visitors as compared to prior studies. This refers the importance of establishing a link between traditional healers and modern treatment of mental illness with special attention to women, low socio-economic class and people with poor family dynamics.