scholarly journals Who Are The Traditional Healers Treating Mental Illnesses In Rural Ethiopia? A population-Based Descriptive Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayele Belachew ◽  
Mitikie Molla ◽  
Abebaw Fekadu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractBackgroundEthiopia is a traditional country with a pluralistic health care system where people use the traditional health care systems in combination with the modern health care. In view of this, we assessed the profile of faith and traditional healers and their experience in treating people with mental illness in rural district Ethiopia so that inform the health minister to consider working towards integration with modern biomedical care to improve access.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among 173 traditional healers in Sodo district of Ethiopia. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews by trained enumerators using pretested structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 20.ResultThe median age of traditional and faith based healers was 55 (IQR=48.5, 67 years), about a third (29.5%) of them were female and 54(31.2%) earned their living exclusively from traditional healing practice. Eighty six (48.6%) healers didn’t attend formal education. Four types of healers were identified-herbalists accounted for 59% (n=102), faith healers were 36 (20.8%) mixed herbal and faith practitioners were 19(11.0%) and 16 (9.2%) were diviners. Most, 119(69%) had been practicing for an average of 15 years. Half of healers entered into the healing practice due to family kinship, whereas 26(15%) because of ancestral spirit.Seventy one (41%) of the healers reported that they have ever treated patients with mental illness in their lifetime. Sixty three(36.4%) reported that they had treated mental illness within the past one year, of which 30(47%) treat only mental illness while 33(52%) treat both mental and physical illnesses. All faith healers and divine healers reported treating mental illness while 11(57.9%) of mixed healers, and no herbalists reported treating mental illness. Only 58(33.5%) believed that mental illness can be cured completely.ConclusionSignificant proportion of traditional healers manages mental illness and remains an important part of the healthcare system in the rural setting of Ethiopia. Herbalists believed that biomedical treatments are preferable for mental illnesses, while faith healers and diviners believed traditional practices alone or in combination with biomedical practices is the treatment of choice.

Pathways to severe mental illness care: A retrospective study of patients seeking psychiatric care at Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, Delhi

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402098858
Author(s):  
Surat Ram Kudi ◽  
Deepika C Khakha ◽  
T K Ajesh Kumar ◽  
Koushik Sinha Deb
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Faith Healer ◽  
Medical Practitioners

Background and aim: Globally, very few patients with mental illness go to health care facilities to receive psychiatry treatment. This study aims to identify pathways used by patients with severe mental disorders who seek mental health care services in the psychiatry unit of AIIMS, New Delhi. Materials and methods: It is a retrospective cross-sectional study with convenience sampling technique was used, and data were collected from 123 caregivers of patients with severe mental illnesses using standardized tools like MINI, BPRS, YMRS and WHO Encounter pathway. Results: The findings revealed that 41.5% of the patients made their first contact with the faith healers, 27.6% with AYUSH medical practitioners, 14.6% with psychiatrists and 12.2% with allopathic medical practitioners. About 26% of the patients reported hallucinations as the first symptom for seeking help. In the majority of cases (96.7%), the patient’s relatives made the decision for the patient to seek treatment the first time to manage the symptoms. The psychotic symptoms (65.1%) helped the patient’s relatives to take the decision for first seek. The mean delay for seeking treatment from psychiatrists was 13.31 ± 10.6 (months). Conclusion: This study showed that a higher proportion of patients received treatment from the faith healer at the first seek, whereas only a few patients approached psychiatrist directly. Hence, there is an immense need to create awareness regarding mental illness and treatment options available.

scholarly journals The Perspective of General Practitioners about Mental Illness: A Cross-sectional Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Centre, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-49
Author(s):  
Muhammad Iqbal Afridi ◽  
Jawed Akbar Dars ◽  
Chooni Lal ◽  
Rakesh Kumar ◽  
. Sadia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Disorders

Objectives: To assess the general practitioner's perspective on mental illness in a tertiary health care setting. Study Setting and Duration: Online seminar in March 2020, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Study Design: Cross-sectional, Observational study Methodology: A total of 152 general practitioners were enrolled in the study. All house officers, psychiatric specialists, staff members, and patients were excluded from the study. An online survey instrument was used to collect data from general practitioners through social media. The questionnaire was related to the biodata of the physicians and their perspective on mental health disorders. Data was analyzed by using SPSS Version 26. Results: A total of 152 general practitioners participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 39.76 (11.540) years. The majority of them were male and married with an average experience of 12.80 (10.90) years. According to the participants, the most common symptoms experienced by patients with mental disorders were loss of appetite, hopelessness, and the loss of interest in day to day activities. The majority of the doctors confessed they find the treatment and management of psychiatric illnesses the hardest. Most of the participants were aware of the diagnostic criteria used for common mental health disorders. Over a hundred (66.4%) participants considered mental health disorders to be a medical disorder while 16 (10.5%) assumed it is the possession by supernatural creatures. 65 (42.7%) of the doctors confessed that they would not feel comfortable having a coworker or befriending a person with a diagnosed mental health issue. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that general physicians had good knowledge about common mental illnesses; however they found the management of these patients difficult. Mental health awareness and training intervention tools are needed to help improve the perspective of health care professionals towards patients with suspected mental illnesses.

scholarly journals Economics of mental well-being: a prospective study estimating associated health care costs and sickness benefit transfers in Denmark

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziggi Ivan Santini ◽  
Hannah Becher ◽  
Maja Bæksgaard Jørgensen ◽  
Michael Davidsen ◽  
Line Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Government Expenditure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Sickness Benefit ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background Previous literature has examined the societal costs of mental illness, but few studies have estimated the costs associated with mental well-being. In this study, a prospective analysis was conducted on Danish data to determine 1) the association between mental well-being (measured in 2016) and government expenditure in 2017, specifially healthcare costs and sickness benefit transfers. Methods Data stem from a Danish population-based survey of 3,508 adults (aged 16 + years) in 2016, which was linked to Danish registry data. A validated scale (WEMWBS) was used for the assessment of mental well-being. Costs are expressed in USD PPP. A two-part model was applied to predict costs in 2017, adjusting for sociodemographics, health status (including psychiatric morbidity and health behaviour), as well as costs in the previous year (2016). Results Each point increase in mental well-being (measured in 2016) was associated with lower healthcare costs ($− 42.5, 95% CI = $− 78.7, $− 6.3) and lower costs in terms of sickness benefit transfers ($− 23.1, 95% CI = $− 41.9, $− 4.3) per person in 2017. Conclusions Estimated reductions in costs related to mental well-being add to what is already known about potential savings related to the prevention of mental illness. It does so by illustrating the savings that could be made by moving from lower to higher levels of mental well-being both within and beyond the clinical range. Our estimates pertain to costs associated with those health-related outcomes that were included in the study, but excluding other social and economic outcomes and benefits. They cover immediate cost estimates (costs generated the year following mental well-being measurement) and not those that could follow improved mental well-being over the longer term. They may therefore be considered conservative from a societal perspective. Population approaches to mental health promotion are necessary, not only to potentiate disease prevention strategies, but also to reduce costs related to lower levels of mental well-being in the non-mental illness population. Our results suggest that useful reductions in both health care resource use and costs, as well as in costs due to sick leave from the workplace, could be achieved from investment in mental well-being promotion within a year.

Cross-Sectional Study on Stigma among Care Givers of Patients with Mental Illness in Kanchipuram District, Tamil Nadu

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (28) ◽  
pp. 2484-2488
Author(s):  
Umesh G ◽  
Asokan T.V. ◽  
Roselin V ◽  
Sri Santhanakrishnan V V
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Care Center ◽  
Care Givers ◽  
Family Interview

BACKGROUND Stigma experienced by caregivers of patients with mental illnesses remains unnoticed. This study was conducted to evaluate the stigma perceived by the care givers of patients with various mental illnesses and the factors associated with stigma. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted among the care givers of patients with mental illnesses who accompanied the patients to the outpatient department (OPD) of Psychiatry in Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, from January 2017 to March 2017. A total of hundred care givers were included in the study. All care givers aged between 18 - 50 years of age in both sexes were included in the study. Care givers of substance abuse cases were excluded from the study. A total of hundred care givers with fifty care givers of neurosis patients and another fifty care givers of psychosis were included in the study. Family interview schedule (FIS) stigma scale was used to assess the stigma perceived by care givers. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and data analysis was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17. RESULTS Mean perceived stigma score was 12.27 ± 9.43. High, low and zero stigma was noted among 44 %, 36 % and 20 % of care givers, respectively. Also, it was found that care givers of psychosis patients had more stigma than the care givers of neurosis patients (P = 0.0008). Statistically significant association was found between patient’s duration of illness (P = 0.003), patient’s diagnosis (P = 0.000) and care givers burden (P = 0.000) with severity of stigma perceived by the care givers. CONCLUSIONS Proportion of stigma prevailing among the care givers is high and it depicts only the cases which were reported to the health care center, whereas a larger proportion of cases remains not seeking the health care. An early intervention by conducting routine assessments of the mental status of caregivers is necessary. KEYWORDS Stigma, Care Givers, Mental Illnesses, Family Interview Schedule

Differentiating Between Rights-Based and Relational Ethical Approaches

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Trobec ◽  
Majda Herbst ◽  
Boštjan Žvanut
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Ethical Approach ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees ◽  
Ethical Approaches ◽  
Health Institutions

When forced treatment in mental health care is under consideration, two approaches guide clinicians in their actions: the dominant rights-based approach and the relational ethical approach. We hypothesized that nurses with bachelor's degrees differentiate better between the two approaches than nurses without a degree. To test this hypothesis a survey was performed in major Slovenian health institutions. We found that nurses emphasize the importance of ethics and personal values, but 55.4% of all the nurse participants confused the two approaches. The results confirmed our hypothesis and indicate the importance of nurses' formal education, especially when caring for patients with mental illness.

scholarly journals Knowledge and attitude towards mental illness among health and non-health university students in Riyadh

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 3497
Author(s):  
Samira M. Mahboub ◽  
Rahaf A. Aleyadhi ◽  
Reema I. Aldrees ◽  
Shahad S. Almuhanna
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
University Students ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge And Attitude

Background: Mental illness can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, and residence. Studying the attitude and knowledge about mental illnesses among university students is important, because they are the future decision makers dealing with such problems. The aim of this study was to assess level of knowledge and attitude towards mental illnesses among health and non-health university students in Riyadh.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study on students of the governmental universities in Riyadh with both health and non-health speciality. The total sample size was 587 students. The questionnaire was designed electronically, and the link was distributed through social media. It included socio-demographic questions, 17 questions to assess knowledge and 22 questions to assess the attitudes. The statistical tests used were chi square, independent sample t-test, spearman’s correlation and multiple linear regression tests.Results: More than half of the participants had a positive attitude toward mental illness (52%). Only 13.46% of university students had good knowledge about mental illness. Significant higher level of good knowledge and positive attitude were reported among health college students compared to non-health (24.7% versus 7.9% for good knowledge and 60.8% versus 48.3 for positive attitude respectively). Attitude towards mental illness can be successfully predicted by using the knowledge score about mental illness and the type of college.Conclusion: Low percentage of university students had good knowledge about mental illness and their attitude towards mental illness was generally positive. Health college students had better attitude and knowledge about mental illness than non-health.

scholarly journals UNDERSTANDING NON-MEDICAL COSTS FOR HEALTH CARE: EVIDENCE FROM INPATIENT CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN CHINA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S733-S733
Author(s):  
Wei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Medical Costs ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Health Payment

Abstract Non-medical costs can constitute a substantial part of total health care costs, especially for older people. Costs associated with carers, travel, food and accommodation for family members accompanying and caring for older people during their medical visits can be hefty. This study seeks to examine the effects of non-medical costs on catastrophic health payments and health payment-induced poverty among older people in rural and urban China. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey 2015, this study finds that inpatient costs account for a significant proportion of household expenditure, and non-medical costs can account for approximately 18% of total costs. That share is highest for those who belong to the lowest wealth groups. Non-medical costs increase the chances of older people incurring catastrophic health payments and suffering from health payment-induced poverty. Such effects are more concentrated among the poor than the rich. The results also show that the rural population are more likely to incur catastrophic health payments and suffer from health payment induced poverty compared to the urban population. This paper urges policy makers to consider reimbursing the non-medical costs of patient care, improving health care systems in general and for the rural populations specifically.

scholarly journals Clinical and epidemiological profile of hypertensive patients at the primary health care level in the state of Alagoas

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 349-357
Author(s):  
Raphaela Costa Ferreira ◽  
Bruna Merten Padilha ◽  
Yasmin Eugênia Santos e Silva Pedrosa ◽  
Rosielle Batista Ferreira ◽  
Poliana Coelho Cabral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Important Public Health Problem ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Hypertensive Patients ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Epidemiological Profile

Study design: This was a cross-sectional, population-based and descriptive study. Study objective: To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of hypertensive patients at the primary health care of Alagoas state. Methods: This study was carried out in the Basic Health Units of 12 cities of Alagoas, between 2014 and 2015, with hypertensive individuals between 20 and 60 years, of both gender. Socioeconomic, demographic, clinical, lifestyle, anthropometric and biochemical data were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by Epi-Info version 7. Results: We evaluated 645 individuals. Of these, 86.2% were women, 62.3% had uncontrolled blood pressure, 41.9% had low educational level, 11.1% were smokers, 26.3% were alcohol users, 64.7% were sedentary, 48.4% were obese, 73.6% had high cardiovascular risk, according to waist circumference; 54.4% and 47.2% had elevated total cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively. Conclusion: Since hypertension is an important public health problem that has serious consequences, the knowledge of the hypertensive population profile of Alagoas will facilitate the treatment for the health of patients with this condition.

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