Incorporating traditional healers in the care of mental disorders: The experiences of mental health nurses in Lesotho
Background: A shortage of specialised mental health providers often encourages mental health care users to seek mental health services from alternative medicine providers such as traditional healers. Traditional healers form a substantial part of the alternative mental health workforce globally as well as in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Lesotho, the most culturally acceptable form of alternative medicine is traditional healing. Due to the nature of the illness, mental disorders are often culturally implied to be the result of an external supernatural and evil attack, which should be treated culturally. The current study is based on the researcher’s concern for inadequate integration of traditional healers in the care of mental disorders despite the evident trust patients have in them, and the available mental health gap. Methods: This study was aimed at exploring the experiences of mental health nurses with incorporating traditional healers in the care of mental disorders. The objectives of the study were to describe mental health nurses’ experiences of the influence of culture in the care of mental disorders and to explore mental health nurses’ experiences with incorporation of traditional healers in the care of mental disorders to provide culturally congruent care. The researcher used a qualitative exploratory descriptive design. Participants were purposely sampled from mental health nurses with at least two years of experience. The final sample size was nine. The researcher deployed a manual interpretive data analysis. Findings: The findings indicate that traditional healers are minimally incorporated in the care of mental disorders. Health education is the most common incorporative strategy used by mental health nurses. Patients with mental illness are faced with stigma and discrimination that is influenced by cultural beliefs and practices. Conclusion: The study draws the conclusion that mental health nurses need support in the provision of culturally congruent care and effective incorporation of traditional healers in caring for patients.
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