“We Need Other Human Beings in Order to be Human”
Examining the Indigenous Philosophy of Umunthu and Strengthening Mental Health Interventions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18926245 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jerome Wright (0000-0001-9740-0534, University of York, corresponding author), Janaka Jayawickrama (0000-0002-5805-9107, Shanghai University) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 613-628 |
| Publication date | 2021-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Medicine and Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0165-005X • E-ISSN: 1573-076X |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11013-020-09692-4 |
| PMID | 33211266 |
| OpenAlex | W3098213753 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 31 |
This paper examines how cultural, historical and contemporary perspectives of mental health continue to inform ways of understanding and responding to mental distress even under the biomedical gaze of the Movement for Global Mental Health (MGMH). Based on experiences in Malawi, the authors explore three prominent interventions (practical support, counselling and support groups) employed by village health workers within a mental health task-shifting initiative and reveal how the ancient philosophy of Umunthu with its values of interconnectedness, inclusion and inter-relationships informs and shapes the direction of these interventions. Practical support is marshalled through traditional village structures, counselling provides advice and an encouragement to hope, and support groups provide a place for emotional exchange and a forum for the enactment of values, reflection and reinforcement of Umunthu . What are pronounced as biomedical psychosocial interventions are in fact the delivery of culturally embedded therapeutic approaches. Historical and socio-political evidence is offered to explain the dominance of biomedical perspectives and the HSAs’ responses and a call is made for a transformation of MGMH to embrace rich philosophies such as Umunthu and enact respectful, inclusive and democratic values to enlist collaborations between equals to develop relevant and effective knowledge and local responses to mental distress
Indigenous · Mental distress · Mental health · Political science · Politics · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Psychosocial · Psychotherapist · Sociology · Community Health and Development · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Citations per year | 1.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |