Holistic methods for mental health

THE shocking disparity between the number of registered psychiatrists, now sitting at 975, and the total population of almost 60 million has prompted mental health professionals to call for greater collaboration with traditional healers.

The number of traditional healers in South Africa is not well documented, but it is estimated at around 200 000.

The call is particularly important as the country observes Mental Health Month under the theme: “Mental Health in an Unequal World”.

According to the South African Medical Journal, 1 in 3 people in the country experiences common mental health disorders, with 75% going untreated. Of these cases, 80% seek treatment in the public sector, which has inadequate healthcare services.

The role of collaboration, according to psychiatrist Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane, is therefore one of information sharing, where both the Western and traditional/faith practitioners can learn from each other.

“When a patient comes into my practice presenting with symptoms that are not solely psychiatric, but also spiritual, I should be able to refer (them) to a traditional/faith colleague. The same applies when a patient with psychiatric symptoms consults a traditional/faith healer. They should be referred to a practitioner like me.

“And because traditional/faith healers are so respected within their communities, they can facilitate psycho-education and awareness to help destigmatise mental illness.”

Dikobe-Kalane adds that traditional and spiritual healers can play a key role in early identification, referral and sharing of cultural understanding for treatment-resistant patients, who could need alternative treatment modes.

“For instance, a patient presenting with a mild anxiety disorder because they did not attend a traditional ceremony could benefit from seeking counsel from a traditional/faith healer who would be able to put things in perspective and put the patient’s mind at ease. By opening up the communication channels between Western and traditional/faith healers, we can start to bridge the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’, which can ultimately make mental health services accessible to all,” she said.

Distance energy therapist Thando Ngeno, who also holds a degree in psychology, concurs on the need for a more inclusive conversation and place for traditional healers, pointing out that some of the mental health issues healers deal with have a lot to do with the spirit realm.

“Most of these appear in the form of what you would see in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).”

Ngeno says for the longest time, there existed an invisible wall or barrier between traditional healers and Western medicine, thus creating very limited interaction between the two fraternities due to lack of awareness and closed communication channels on both sides.

“I don't necessarily think that traditional healers neglected their role in the conversation around mental health, but there was a lack of education around it.

“As we see the emergence of a new breed of healers who are much aware about what is going on in the world.

“I think the reason why mental health is mostly misdiagnosed in black society is due to having nowhere to turn to, and if we are being honest, the psychology space was mainly saturated with white people and many black people felt like they could not relate to other races.

“This made it difficult for us to believe that white people could understand us,” said Ngeno.

“With that in mind, the breakdown (between the two professions) happened when traditional healers educated themselves a little bit more and exposed themselves to Western medicine and yet Western medicine did not respond accordingly.”