Cultural issues in the psychiatric assessment of Xhosa children and adolescents.
Traditional healers living in Guguletu, Cape Town, were interviewed about their practices in order to ascertain whether or not there are cultural/indigenous expressions of psychological distress or dysfunction in black children and adolescents. Besides bedwetting, fits and school anxiety, five other 'syndromes' were described: ukuphambana, ukuphaphazela, amafufunyane, umoya and ukuthwasa. Although detailed case studies are required to establish the internal validity and exact nature of these 'syndromes', it is clear that any systematic study of psychiatric disorders in Xhosa children and adolescents needs to take them into account.
Child Guidance Clinic, University of Cape Town.
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BA
Robertson
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A
Kottler
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology