The Role of Traditional Healers in Mental Health Care across African Countries: A Scoping Review

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18185290

Muhammad Hoque¹, Mostafizur Rahman², and Muhammad Uzzaman³ (Department of Public Health, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa¹, Industrial Organisational Psychology, Touro University, New York, USA², Department of Psychology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, South Asia³)

Background: Mental health is a rising concern among the population worldwide, and for African nations, this is a particular concern, as the health systems of these nations can be considered less well-equipped. Traditional healers, embedded as they have long been within the spirituality and culture of communities, remain the first line of contact for mental health patients. The question of working with conventional mental health practitioners is explored and covered through this scoping review. Methods: Literature was searched from the year 2000 to 2024 for articles using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The articles from Africa that reported on the role of traditional healers in making diagnoses, treating, or managing mental illnesses were selected. The information was synthesized according to themes. Of the 1,235 articles that were scanned, 20 articles were selected for inclusion. There were 24 African countries included. Four themes emerged: (1) cultural conceptions of mental illness; (2) practice and treatment modalities of traditional healers; (3) patient and community trust in traditional healers; and (4) integration attempts with formal health systems. Traditional healers were visited on a regular basis in order to treat conditions believed to have spiritual or social etiology, such as psychosis, depression, and drug abuse. Herbal remedies and spiritual rituals and counselling were used as interventions. Traditional healers are integral to mental health services in African countries, particularly in rural and underserved populations. Respect, referral systems, and cooperative training programs are required for the successful integration of traditional and biomedical systems.