Abstract:
Mental illness is defined scientifically in different forms but people seek help for the problem based
on their understanding. These imply that, community knowledge of mental illness will have
influence on how they understand the problem and where they seek intervention. There is scant of
study regarding mental illness specifically indigenous knowledge of mental illness in the
community. A qualitative study was conducted among the Borana community of southern Ethiopia
to explore the indigenous knowledge and intervention of mental illness. A total of 30 key informants
were selected from four villages, using purposive sampling. Using 14 in-depth interviews and two
focus group discussions, data was collected. Qualitative analysis of the interview and FGD responses
indicated a range of indigenous knowledge about mental illness and its intervention. The view
expressed regarding how to understand mental illness is in relation to categorization and naming the
illness, describing as declining in cognitive functioning and manifestation of unusual behavior.
Regarding perceived signs and symptoms both physical appearance and behavioral manifestations
were identified. Indigenous causal explanations of mental illness expressed were heterogeneous
encompassing supernatural like Sagaara rituals ceremony, poor participation in Ichima buusu
festival, Eebbiftuu and others. In addition to supernatural, biological factor like relative marriage,
hereditary and exposure to wind and psychosocially substance use and catastrophe mentioned as
cause of mental illness. Both preventive mechanism (like Ichima buusu worshiping festival and
Sagaara rituals) and treatment mechanism (consultation, spirituals healing and herbal medicine were
cited as helpful to manage mental illness. This finding will be helpful for those who wish to preserve
and protect indigenous knowledge of this community for the next generation and for health care
planners who wish to expand modern mental health care to this community with encouraging the
contribution of their indigenous knowledge and intervention in managing mental illness.
