Indigenous Knowledge of Mental Illness and Intervention among Borana Community of Southern Ethiopia

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.