Mixed methods inquiry into traditional healers' treatment of mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders in rural South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Traditional healers are acceptable and highly accessible health practitioners throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Patients in South Africa often seek concurrent traditional and allopathic treatment leading to medical pluralism.

Methods & findings

We studied the cause of five traditional illnesses known locally as "Mavabyi ya nhloko" (sickness of the head), by conducting 27 in-depth interviews and 133 surveys with a randomly selected sample of traditional healers living and working in rural, northeastern South Africa. These interviews were carried out to identify treatment practices of mental, neurological, and substance abuse (MNS) disorders. Participating healers were primarily female (77%), older in age (median: 58.0 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 50-67), had very

SUBMITTER: Audet CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5736181 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature