scholarly journals Child Witchcraft Confessions as an Idiom of Distress in Sierra Leone; Results of a Rapid Qualitative Inquiry and Recommendations for Mental Health Interventions.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heleen Yoder ◽  
Joop T.V.M. de Jong ◽  
Wietse Anton Tol ◽  
Joshua Abioseh Duncan ◽  
Amjata Bayoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Individual Child ◽  
Idiom Of Distress ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
The Individual

Abstract BackgroundReports about child witchcraft are not uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study we approach child witchcraft as an idiom of distress. In an environment that may prohibit children from openly expressing distress, belief in witchcraft can provide a shared language to communicate about psychosocial suffering. We used an ecological approach to study how some children in distressing circumstances come to a witchcraft confession, with the aim to set out pathways for mental health interventions. MethodsWe employed rapid qualitative inquiry methodology, with an inductive and iterative approach, combining emic and etic perspectives. We conducted 37 interviews and 12 focus group discussions with a total of 127 respondents in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Inductive analysis was used to identify risk and protective factors related to witchcraft accusations and confessions. ResultsWe identified risk and protective factors related to the individual child, the family, peer relations, teachers and other professionals in a child’s life, traditional healers, pastors and the wider society. We found that in the context of a macrosystem that supports witchcraft, suspicions of witchcraft are formed at the mesosystem level, where actors from the microsystem interact with each other and the child. The involvement of a traditional healer or pastor often forms a tipping point that leads to a confession of witchcraft. ConclusionsChild witchcraft is an idiom of distress, not so much owned by the individual child as well as by the systems around the child. Mental health interventions should be systemic and multi-sectoral, to prevent accusations and confessions, and address the suffering of both the child and the systems surrounding the child. Interventions should be contextually relevant and service providers should be helped to address conscious and subconscious fears related to witchcraft. Beyond mental health interventions, advocacy, peacebuilding and legislation is needed to address the deeper systemic issues of poverty, conflict and abuse.

scholarly journals Child witchcraft confessions as an idiom of distress in Sierra Leone; results of a rapid qualitative inquiry and recommendations for mental health interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène N. C. Yoder ◽  
Joop T. V. M. de Jong ◽  
Wietse A. Tol ◽  
Joshua A. Duncan ◽  
Amjata Bayoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Individual Child ◽  
Idiom Of Distress ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background Reports about child witchcraft are not uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study we approach child witchcraft as an idiom of distress. In an environment that may prohibit children from openly expressing distress, the shared imagery of witchcraft can provide a cultural idiom to communicate about psychosocial suffering. We used an ecological approach to study how some children in distressing circumstances come to a witchcraft confession, with the aim to set out pathways for mental health interventions. Methods We employed rapid qualitative inquiry methodology, with an inductive and iterative approach, combining emic and etic perspectives. We conducted 37 interviews and 12 focus group discussions with a total of 127 participants in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Inductive analysis was used to identify risk and protective factors related to witchcraft accusations and confessions. Results We identified risk and protective factors related to the individual child, the family, peer relations, teachers and other professionals in a child’s life, traditional healers, pastors and the wider society. We found that in the context of a macrosystem that supports witchcraft, suspicions of witchcraft are formed at the mesosystem level, where actors from the microsystem interact with each other and the child. The involvement of a traditional healer or pastor often forms a tipping point that leads to a confession of witchcraft. Conclusions Child witchcraft is an idiom of distress, not so much owned by the individual child as well as by the systems around the child. Mental health interventions should be systemic and multi-sectoral, to prevent accusations and confessions, and address the suffering of both the child and the systems surrounding the child. Interventions should be contextually relevant and service providers should be helped to address conscious and subconscious fears related to witchcraft. Beyond mental health interventions, advocacy, peacebuilding and legislation is needed to address the deeper systemic issues of poverty, conflict and abuse.

scholarly journals Child witchcraft confessions as an idiom of distress in Sierra Leone; results of a rapid qualitative inquiry and recommendations for mental health interventions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heleen Yoder ◽  
Joop T.V.M. de Jong ◽  
Wietse Anton Tol ◽  
Joshua Abioseh Duncan ◽  
Amjata Bayoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Individual Child ◽  
Idiom Of Distress ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background Reports about child witchcraft are not uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study we approach child witchcraft as an idiom of distress. In an environment that may prohibit children from openly expressing distress, the shared imagery of witchcraft can provide a cultural idiom to communicate about psychosocial suffering. We used an ecological approach to study how some children in distressing circumstances come to a witchcraft confession, with the aim to set out pathways for mental health interventions.Methods We employed rapid qualitative inquiry methodology, with an inductive and iterative approach, combining emic and etic perspectives. We conducted 37 interviews and 12 focus group discussions with a total of 127 participants in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Inductive analysis was used to identify risk and protective factors related to witchcraft accusations and confessions.Results We identified risk and protective factors related to the individual child, the family, peer relations, teachers and other professionals in a child’s life, traditional healers, pastors and the wider society. We found that in the context of a macrosystem that supports witchcraft, suspicions of witchcraft are formed at the mesosystem level, where actors from the microsystem interact with each other and the child. The involvement of a traditional healer or pastor often forms a tipping point that leads to a confession of witchcraft. Conclusions Child witchcraft is an idiom of distress, not so much owned by the individual child as well as by the systems around the child. Mental health interventions should be systemic and multi-sectoral, to prevent accusations and confessions, and address the suffering of both the child and the systems surrounding the child. Interventions should be contextually relevant and service providers should be helped to address conscious and subconscious fears related to witchcraft. Beyond mental health interventions, advocacy, peacebuilding and legislation is needed to address the deeper systemic issues of poverty, conflict and abuse.

In Conversation… Mia Eisenstadt

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Risk And Protective Factors ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Mia Eisenstadt discusses her current research on the stressors, risk and protective factors for mental health and wellbeing, how research informs mental health interventions and the important role of self care during the COVID-19 lockdown.

scholarly journals Hope, optimism and delusion

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Negative Thought ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Economic Influences ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
The Individual

SummaryOptimism is generally accepted by psychiatrists, psychologists and other caring professionals as a feature of mental health. Interventions typically rely on cognitive–behavioural tools to encourage individuals to ‘stop negative thought cycles’ and to ‘challenge unhelpful thoughts’. However, evidence suggests that most individuals have persistent biases of optimism and that excessive optimism is not conducive to mental health. How helpful is it to facilitate optimism in individuals who are likely to exhibit biases of optimism already? By locating the cause of distress at the individual level and ‘unhelpful’ cognitions, does this minimise wider systemic social and economic influences on mental health?

scholarly journals Child Disaster Mental Health Interventions: Therapy Components

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 494-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Pfefferbaum ◽  
Jennifer L. Sweeton ◽  
Pascal Nitiéma ◽  
Mary A. Noffsinger ◽  
Vandana Varma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intervention Development ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Disaster Mental Health ◽  
Publication Type ◽  
Intervention Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
The Individual

AbstractChildren face innumerable challenges following exposure to disasters. To address trauma sequelae, researchers and clinicians have developed a variety of mental health interventions. While the overall effectiveness of multiple interventions has been examined, few studies have focused on the individual components of these interventions. As a preliminary step to advancing intervention development and research, this literature review identifies and describes nine common components that comprise child disaster mental health interventions. This review concluded that future research should clearly define the constituent components included in available interventions. This will require that future studies dismantle interventions to examine the effectiveness of specific components and identify common therapeutic elements. Issues related to populations studied (eg, disaster exposure, demographic and cultural influences) and to intervention delivery (eg, timing and optimal sequencing of components) also warrant attention.PfefferbaumB, SweetonJL, NitiémaP, NoffsingerMA, VarmaV, NelsonSD, NewmanE. Child disaster mental health interventions: therapy components. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(5):1-9.

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