Psychopathology among apprentice traditional health practitioners

A quantitative study from rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID2395358
AuthorsMartine Van Der Zeijst (0000-0003-1713-9861, Parnassia Groep), Wim Veling (0000-0002-1364-9779, University Medical Center Groningen), Elliot Mqansa Makhathini (Durban University of Technology), Sisanda Mtshemla (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Ndukuzakhe D Mbatha (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Sinethemba S Shabalala (0000-0002-2582-575X, University of KwaZulu-Natal), I Susser (0000-0001-7035-1525, City University of New York), Jonathan K Burns (0000-0002-4155-2667, University of Exeter), Ezra Susser (0000-0001-7665-4826, New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute), Hans W Hoek (0000-0001-6353-5465, University Medical Center Groningen, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume58
Issue4
Pages486-498
Publication date2021-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTranscultural Psychiatric Research Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0041-1108 • E-ISSN: 0315-4386
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1363461520949672
PMID33021152
OpenAlexW3089582708
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited44

Sociocultural context seems to influence the epidemiology, phenotype, treatment, and course of psychosis. However, data from low- and middle-income countries is sparse. This research is part of a multidisciplinary and multimethod study on possible mental disturbances, including hallucinations, among (apprentice) traditional health practitioners (THPs) who have experienced the 'ancestral calling to become a THP' in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The aim of the current article is to examine whether the calling-related experiences can be assessed according to a psychiatric taxonomy. We included individuals who were identified with the calling and who were undergoing training to become a THP ( ukuthwasa). IsiZulu-speaking formal mental health practitioners conducted thorough psychiatric interviews that measured psychological experiences with and without distress using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, and psychiatric symptoms and disorders using the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. Of the 48 individuals who participated, 92% had psychotic experiences (PE), causing distress in 75%; and 23% met DSM-5 criteria for an unspecified psychotic disorder (15%) or mood disorder (8%). In conclusion, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the ancestral calling may resemble phenomena that psychiatry would understand in the context of psychosis, ranging from subclinical PE to clinical psychotic disorder. Ukuthwasa might have a beneficial influence on the course of psychotic symptoms in some individuals, potentially because it reduces stigma and promotes recovery. Further multidisciplinary research is needed to investigate the psychopathology of the apprentice THPs and the underlying processes of ukuthwasa

Context (archaeology · Distress · Mental health · Psychiatry · Psychopathology · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology