1
|
Pham TV, Kaiser BN, Koirala R, Maharjan SM, Upadhaya N, Franz L, Kohrt BA. Traditional Healers and Mental Health in Nepal: A Scoping Review. Cult Med Psychiatry 2021; 45:97-140. [PMID: 32444961 PMCID: PMC7680349 DOI: 10.1007/s11013-020-09676-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Despite extensive ethnographic and qualitative research on traditional healers in Nepal, the role of traditional healers in relation to mental health has not been synthesized. We focused on the following clinically based research question, "What are the processes by which Nepali traditional healers address mental well-being?" We adopted a scoping review methodology to maximize the available literature base and conducted a modified thematic analysis rooted in grounded theory, ethnography, and phenomenology. We searched five databases using terms related to traditional healers and mental health. We contacted key authors and reviewed references for additional literature. Our scoping review yielded 86 eligible studies, 65 of which relied solely on classical qualitative study designs. The reviewed literature suggests that traditional healers use a wide range of interventions that utilize magico-religious explanatory models to invoke symbolic transference, manipulation of local illness narratives, roles, and relationships, cognitive restructuring, meaning-making, and catharsis. Traditional healers' perceived impact appears greatest for mild to moderate forms of psychological distress. However, the methodological and sample heterogeneity preclude uniform conclusions about traditional healing. Further research should employ methods which are both empirically sound and culturally adapted to explore the role of traditional healers in mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tony V Pham
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Bonnie N Kaiser
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Anthropology and Global Health Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rishav Koirala
- Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
- University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Brain and Neuroscience Center Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | | | - Lauren Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Brandon A Kohrt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, 2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|