Mental health in Northern Malawi : a cultural perspective

Abstract

This thesis seeks to address a theoretical question: What is the experience of people with a mental disturbance, when they are introduced to a health care system which is ontologically distinct from their own cultural beliefs about health? This question was addressed in the context of a recently established biomedically orientated mental health service in Northern Malawi. Mental disturbance is predominately treated by traditional healers in this region. Two parallel studies were conducted; a longitudinal study which explored the explanation’s patients in the mental health service held regarding their mental disturbance and a study which focussed on traditional healers in the extant healing system.