ATTITUDE OF TRADITIONAL HEALERS TOWARDS MENTAL ILLNESS
1
Author(s):
PRAKASHA AMIN
Vol - 7, Issue- 11 ,
Page(s) : 312 - 319
(2016 )
DOI : https://doi.org/10.32804/IRJMSH
Abstract
worldwide across cultures, healers attitudes towards mental illness, varies and has never been very favourable. In places where there are no mental health and medical services available, people suffering from mental illness either go or are taken by their relatives to traditional healers without their concern. The World Health Organization (2000) estimates that 80% of the population living in rural areas in developing countries depend on traditional healers for their health care needs. This makes traditional healers a vital first line in identifying people with mental illness who are in need of treatment. Traditional healers have achieved some success in the treatment of mental illness, such as depression, as their treatment often involve talking through problems and in many ways are similar to counselling.. Though healers play a significant role in the treatment of mental illness , they lack knowledge with regard to mental illness which manifest in developing a negative attitude towards mental illness . With this in mind, the study was undertaken with an objective to assess the attitude of traditional healers towards mental illness.
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