The characteristics of people with mental illness who are under treatment in traditional healer centres in Sudan

Abstract

This study improves the understanding about what types of people with mental illness are treated at these traditional healer centres and gives recommendations that can help in improving the quality of services in these centres. It can probably be used in building bridges of collaboration between these centres and the available mental health and psychiatric services in Sudan, especially at primary healthcare level.

Traditional, complementary and alternative medicine use in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

“…132 In Sudan, more than one-third (41%) of patients with mental disorders had sought the service of a TCAM practitioner prior to accessing conventional care. 130 Musculoskeletal conditions A total of seven (six Nigerian, one Ghanaian) studies drawn from small samples reported TCAM product and practitioner use for musculoskeletal conditions. Two studies reported 96.8% of peasant farmers 41 and 40.2% of occupational drivers 133 as using TCAM products for the management of musculoskeletal pain.…”

“…129 Another study from Sudan reported that mental health patients who visit traditional healers were men, with an average age of 31 years, illiterate or with only a primary education, and unemployed. 130 TCAM users among students, healthcare professionals, academic staff and general outpatient population A Ghanaian study observed that TCAM users were more likely to be Christians enrolled in non-science-related programmes at the university. 35 In Sierra Leone, healthcare students' gender, age and year of study were not associated with TCAM use, 36 37 although being a Christian was associated with the use of spirituality/prayer among pharmacy students.…”

“…For example, a Cameroonian study reported that the cost of TCAM BMJ Global Health treatment per day (US$1.5) was higher than conventional treatment (US$0.77). 197 Although cost was not stated, Sorketti and colleagues 130 in Sudan reported that more than three-quarters of psychiatric patients reported that the cost of treatment in traditional health centres was not less than conventional psychiatric service. Although no comparison was made with regard to conventional care, cost for TCAM services was relatively high in certain cases.…”

Unravelling the spirits’ message: a study of help-seeking steps and explanatory models among patients suffering from spirit possession in Uganda

“…Explanatory models (EM) is a term introduced by Kleinman, referring to “notions about an episode of sickness and its treatment that are employed by all engaged in the clinical process” [20]. Recent studies in Africa on EM—concerning various common mental disorders such as psychosis [21-24], epilepsy [25], depression [26], or mental illness in general [27-30]—illustrate a wide range of locally used categories and explanations for Western categories of mental illness. It is also acknowledged that traditional healers play an important role in dealing with distress, especially in countries where Western psychological services are extremely limited [31,32].…”

The treatment outcome of psychotic disorders by traditional healers in central Sudan

“…The patients are deprived of all types of food apart from a special porridge made in the centre. All medications are stopped except those provided by the traditional healers and their assisting therapists (Sorketti & Habil, 2009). Ahmed, Bremer, Magzoub and Nouri (1999) investigated the characteristics of visitors to traditional healers in Sudan in a sample of 134 visitors at four centres.…”