Healing Mind: Mental health, Indigenous healers and Traditional Medicine

  • Authors

    • Ravinder Singh IHBAS Hospital, Delhi
    • Upmesh Kumar
    2021-02-27
    https://doi.org/10.14419/jsc.v3i1.31387
  • Mental Illness, Traditional Healers, IPR.

  • Abstract

    Mental illnesses and other psychosocial disabilities are main source of burden for the family. About 13.7 per cent of general population of India has issues of mental illness or disorders and 10.6 per cent of these people need immediate intervention for the treatment followed by 10 per cent of the population has common mental disorders with 1.9 per cent people suffers with severe mental disorders. The mental morbidity is very high in urban areas. There is a higher prevalence of neurotic or stress-related disorders, schizophrenia and mood disorders. This situation may be due to fast-life styles, experiencing stress, complexities of living, a breakdown of support systems and challenges of economic instability. There are few population-level insights into the use of traditional healers and other forms of alternative care for the treatment of common mental disorders in our country as well as in South Asian and sub-Saharan Africa countries. Paper examines the extent to which alternative practitioners are consulted, and predictors of traditional healer visits for various neuropsychiatric diseases. Further it illuminates studies and national survey conducted on mental health on tribal communities and the role of traditional healers in the country. Paper raised the issue of mental illnesses as prevalent in the country and questions that do indigenous healing matters in healing the mind for better mental health in our country in first part of the paper besides analyzing recent survey, NMHS-2014. Then illuminates various mind healing ways and put it in question whether we can protect these healers and their medicines in existing IPR in part-II followed by traditional knowledge, medicines, National policy and cases of Indian patents and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the last part where we conclude countries like Canada, South Africa or New Zeeland have supported for integration of traditional healers with main stream health care system. There are fears also generated for example in Canada that increasing acceptance of traditional healing may result into sea change. The lessons of these countries may be useful for our planning for integration of healers and their medicine in our country for effective resources utilization of the traditional healers and their medicines.

     

     


     

  • References

    1. [1] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation Development Team 2009.Voices from the campfires: Establishing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation Retrieved March 2018 from http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/pubs/healing/voices_campfire/Documents/HealingFoundationReport.pdf.

      [2] Aboriginal Healing Foundation 2008.Active Funding Grants [as at February 2008].Retrieved March 2018 from http://www.ahf.ca/funded-projects.

      [3] Adelson, N. and Lipinski, A. 2008. The Community Youth Initiative Project. Aboriginal Healing in Canada: Studies in Therapeutic Meaning and Practice. Ed. J. B. Waldram. Ottawa, Aboriginal Healing Foundation: 9 - 30.

      [4] Archibald, L. 2006. Decolonization and Healing: Indigenous Experiences in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Greenland. Ottawa.

      [5] Belfrage, M. 2007. "Why “culturally safe†health care? ."Med J Aust 186(10): 537-538.https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01032.x.

      [6] Carlos, M.Correa (2002). Protection and Promotion of Traditional Medicine: Implications for Public Health in Developing Countriesâ€, Geneva, South Centre.

      [7] Castellano, M. B. 2006. Final Report of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation: A Healing Journey: Reclaiming Wellness. Ottawa.

      [8] Chansonneuve, D. 2005. Reclaiming Connections: Understanding Residential School Trauma Among Aboriginal People. Ottawa.

      [9] Chauhan, B.L.(2004). The Protection of Traditional Knowledge: Problems and Perspectives.

      [10] Dobson, V. 2007.Arelhe-KenheMerrethene: Arrernte Traditional Healing, Alice Springs, IAD Press.

      [11] Fiske, J.-A. 2008. Making the Intangible Manifest: Healing Practices of the Qul-Aun Trauma Program. Aboriginal Healing in Canada: Studies in Therapeutic Meaning and Practice. Ed. J. B. Waldram. Ottawa, Aboriginal Healing Foundation: 31 - 92.

      [12] Finke, B. 2009.The SCF NUKA Model: Customer-Owned, Customer-Driven Healthcare Facility Design – Primary Care. Indian Health Summit, Denver. July 2009http://conferences.thehillgroup.com/healthsummit/Documents/Day2_Presentations/Better%20Facilities%20&%20Better%20Care%20Principles%20of%20Facility%20Design_Bruce%20Finke.pdf.

      [13] Fletcher, C. and Denham, A. 2008.Moving Towards Healing: A Nunavut Case Study.Aboriginal Healing in Canada: Studies in Therapeutic Meaning and Practice. Ed. J. B. Waldram. Ottawa, Aboriginal Healing Foundation: 93 - 130.

      [14] Gopalakrishnan,N. S. (2004). 'TRIPS and Protection of Traditional Knowledge of Genetic Resources: New Challenges to the Patent System", European Intellectual Property Review, 27 (1): (2004), pp 11-18.

      [15] Hewson, M. G. 1998. "Traditional Healers in Southern Africa."Annals of Internal Medicine 128(12 Part 1): 1029-1034.https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-128-12_Part_1-199806150-00014.

      [16] Horn, M. 2008. Rethinking employment assistance to strengthen social and economic participation. The 2008 Economic & Social Outlook Conference, Melbourne. 27 March 2008, Retrieved March 2018 from http://www.melbourneinstitute.com/conf2008/Presentations/Session%204B/Horn,%20Michael.pdf.

      [17] Iris, M. (1998). Life in Balance. Park Ridge Center Bulletin, Park Ridge Center http://www.parkridgecenter.org/Page126.html.

      [18] Lane, P. J., Bopp, M., Bopp, J. and Norris, J. (2002).Mapping the healing journey : the final report of a First Nation research project on healing in Canadian Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal peoples collection ; APC 21 CA http://www.fourworlds.ca/pdfs/Mapping.pdf.

      [19] Mashelkar, R.A. (2001), Intellectual Property rights and the Third World, Special Section: Science in the Third World, Current Science, Volume 81, No. 8,25,p-959.

      [20] Mishra, B.S.(2003).Huge Commercial Implications of GI in Third World.

      [21] Moran, H. and Fitzpatrick, S. 2008. Healing For The Stolen Generations: Document prepared in Response to the National Indigenous Healing Forum. Canberrahttp://www.nsdc.org.au/images/stories/files/healing_stolen_generations_sept_2008%5B3%5D.pdf.

      [22] Mrinal, Madhur (2018). Troubled Mind: Healing Rituals and Healing, Fourth Semester, Summer Field Research Work Report submitted B.Sc. (Hons) Anthropology AUUP(Unpublished) NMHS-2014.National Mental Health Survey-2014 NIMHANS, Banglore.

      [23] Peter Drahos(1994).Decentring Communication: The Dark Side of Intellectual Property. In Tom Campbell and Wojciech Sadurski (eds.) Freedom of Communication. Aldershot: Dartmouth, Phillips, G. 2003. Addictions and Healing in Aboriginal Country, Canberra.

      [24] Ross, R. 2008. Institutional Colonization and the Delivery of Healing Programs in First Nations. Yukon Government, Retrieved 24 February 2010 from http://www.correctionsconsultation.yk.ca/implementation/docs/focus_conf/institutional_colonization.pdf.

      [25] Sandner, D. 1979. Navaho Symbols of Healing: A Jungian Exploration of Ritual, Image, and Medicine, New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

      [26] Shastri, Parth (2016). Science of the soul: Davaand Dua Project creates wonders to mental illnesses and how! The Times of India City, Ahembadabd.

      [27] Smith, R. 2003. "Learning from indigenous people."British Medical Journal 327(7412): 0.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7402.0.

      [28] Smith, P. 2009. American Indian and Alaska Natives Traditional healing practice in the Indian Health Service. Indian Health Summit, Denver. July 2009http://conferences.thehillgroup.com/healthsummit/Documents/Day2_Presentations/Traditional%20Medicine%20in%20the%20Indian%20Health%20System_Phillip%20Smith-Part2.pdf.

      [29] Swan, P. and Raphael, B. 1995.Ways Forward: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Policy National Consultancy Reporthttp://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-w-wayforw-toc.https://doi.org/10.1037/e676872010-001.

      [30] Towne, J. 2009. Innovations in Planned Care for the Indian Health System (IPC): Virtual Site Visit: Whiteriver Service Unit. Indian Health Summit, Denver. July 2009http://conferences.thehillgroup.com/healthsummit/Documents/Day2_Presentations/Better%20Facilities%20and%20Better%20Care%20Principles%20of%20Facility%20Design_%20Jana%20Towne.pdf.

      [31] Jain, Sumeet and Jadhav, Suhurut (2009). Pills that swallow policy: Clinical ethnography of a community mental health program in northern India. Transcultural Psychiatry, 46 (1) 60 - 85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461509102287.

      [32] Vandana Shiva and Radha Holla–Bhar(1993). Intellectual Piracy and the Neem Tree, Ecologist, Volume 23, No. 6.

      [33] Varshney,Vibha (2013).Troubled Beautiful Minds, Down to Earth, 15 August 2013.

      [34] Venkataraman, K and Swarna, S. Latha(2008).Intellectual Property Right, TraditionalKnowledge and Biodiversityof India, Journal of Intellectual Property Right13: (2008), p.326.

      [35] Yasmeen,Afshan(2016). India needs to talk about mental Illness. The Hindu, October,23,2016

      [36] WHO(2005).National Policy on Traditional Medicine and Regulation of HerbalMedicines.Report of the WHO Global Survey, Geneva.

      [37] WHO (2008).Report on Intellectual Property Right and Access to Medicines: a South East Asia Perspective on GlobalIssues.Regional Office for South-East Asia,India.

      [38] Waldram, J. B., Ed. 2008. Aboriginal Healing in Canada: Studies in Therapeutic Meaning and Practice. The Aboriginal Healing Foundation Research Series, Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

      [39] Wearne, G. and Muller, S. 2009. DilthanYolunha: An Evaluation of a Yolu Healing Place, January 2009, Wearne Advisors and associates. Darwin.

      [40] Williams, E., Guenther, J. and Arnott, A.(2011). Traditional healing: a literature review. Working paper series 2: Evaluation and policy.No.2, Co-valuator Network, Retrieved March 2018 from http://www.covaluator.net/docs/S2.2_traditional_healing_lit_review.pdf

  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Singh, R., & Kumar, U. (2021). Healing Mind: Mental health, Indigenous healers and Traditional Medicine. SPC Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1), 28-40. https://doi.org/10.14419/jsc.v3i1.31387

    Received date: 2021-01-12

    Accepted date: 2021-02-06

    Published date: 2021-02-27