Knowledge and practice of help-seeking for treatment of mental disorders in Pemba Island, Zanzibar.
The objective of this study was to describe how people explain mental disorders and its treatment in Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Eight hundred and twenty-one participants (users, carers, health professionals, traditional healers, community members and leaders) were interviewed as part of a cross-sectional survey. Most people viewed mental disorder as arising within their internal or supernatural world. Although they thought that they could be helped both by primary health care and alternative healing, the majority described going to the traditional healers when things went wrong. This provides evidence that there is considerable reliance on traditional care for the treatment of mental disorders. It is therefore important for the health services to be in dialogue with the traditional healers.
Mirza
Ilyas
I
WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. ilyasmirza@blueyonder.co.uk
Okitapoy
Michel On'okoko
MO
Jenkins
Rachel
R
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania