A professor of Psychiatry at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASU), Abiodun Adewuya, has advised mentally ill-people healers to treat them with care.
He gave the advice in an interview with The Nation.
He said the role of traditional healers in psychiatry could not be overemphasised.
“We, as professionals, take due recognition of these trado-medicine healers as complementary, but then, they have their limitations, hence they must know when to refer appropriately.
“Aside that, one problem in the sector is the poor quality of care given the sick. Stigma and discrimination can result in a lack of access to health and social services. The human body isn’t a simple machine with an easy solution for problems, especially those involving mood and mental health,” he said.
Relying on the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, the notable medic said health systems had not been adequately being provided.
As a result, the gap between the need for treatment and its provision is wide all over the world, he said.
In low- and middle-income countries, he said, between 76 and 85 percent of people with mental disorders do not get treatment for their disorders. But not so in high-income countries, where those who have no access is between 35 and 50 percent.
‘’And that is the gap traditional healers in psychiatry have filled over the years,’’ he added.
Adewuya, an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Department of Behavioural Medicine, pointed out that some plants are good for treating mental disorders. He listed these herbs to include Rauwolfia Vomitoria, Asofeyeje (Yoruba) akanta (Igbo language) and Wada (Hausa), an hypnotic that is good for reducing blood pressure.
“Rauwolfia is also good for treating insanity, anti-anxiety agent and is a good stimulant for the nervous system. This has been documented by Lambo J. O. (1975) Management of Hypertension in Traditional Medicine; in Sofowora A (ed) Antihypertensive Agents from Natural Sources: Ile-Ife, University of Ife Press, where it is reported that Asofeyeje has effect on the brain and will restore mental activities to normal.
‘’It should, however, be moderately used as it sometimes weakens the patient. Notable side effects of Rauwolfia alkaloids are depression and parkinsonia syndrome. according to Okpako D.T. ‘Principles of Pharmacology: A Tropical Approach: New York, Cambridge University Press (1991). Odugbemi T. in: ‘A Textbook of Medicinal Plants from Nigeria: Lagos, University of Lagos Press (2008) and Adodo Anselm in ‘Nature Power: Benin, Generation Press’.
Adewuya continued: “As good as this plant and others are, they have their limitations and I will encourage healers to update themselves on their practice and treat patients accordingly. Every drug is plant- based, so as professionals we are not throwing away the traditional art of healing mentally sick but we are rather asking that the healers should identify their limitations, and refer when necessary.”
He said the era of beating, starving or even chaining mentally ill people had gone, urging practitioners to improve on their practice.
“The healers have their plus. And they are commended for that. But they should just know that the archaic way of maltreating people with mental illness is phasing out. The healers should not chain them to bed, shackle or punish them for being ill. They should know when to refer. Most of the healers inherited the art from their fathers or forefathers but it is high time they introduced civility into their skill.
‘’When they do the referral, it does not dent their image; nobody will laugh at them or allege that they are not good at their trade. It does not translate to their not knowing their salt either. It is not an admission of failure on their part. Rather, they would have done professionally well, and praised. The place where they treat should also be hygienic. When they do not refer to the appropriate hospital promptly, some serious damages would have been done to the patient and they come in, highly damaged. Trado healers should see us as working together because of the patient involved and not as rivals,” Adewuya added.
He noted that there are various forms of mental disorders, that required various treatments but it has been observed that healers apply the same format in handling their patients.
“There are different mental disorders, with different presentations. They are generally characterised by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.
“Mental disorders include depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including autism. There are effective strategies for preventing mental disorders such as depression. There are effective treatments for mental disorders and ways to alleviate the suffering caused by them. Access to health care and social services capable of providing treatment and social support is important,” he explained.
Adewuya said he had analysed the herbal plants and other ingredients used by the healers. He said he could only advise on regulation of the dosage to avoid more damage being done. ‘’As scientists we are promoting what we have around here, we are not throwing out the bath water with the baby,’’ he added.
He described schizophrenia as a severe mental disorder, affecting about 21 million people worldwide. Psychoses, including schizophrenia, are characterised by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Common psychotic experiences include hallucinations i.e. hearing, seeing or feeling things that are not there and delusions fixed false beliefs or suspicions that are firmly held even when there is evidence to the contrary. The disorder can make it difficult for people affected to work or study normally.
“Stigma and discrimination can result in a lack of access to health and social services. Furthermore, people with psychosis are at high risk of exposure to human rights violations, such as long term confinement in institutions.
‘’Schizophrenia typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. With appropriate treatment and social support, affected people can lead a productive life, be integrated in society. Facilitation of assisted living, supported housing and supported employment can act as a base from which people with severe mental disorders, including schizophrenia, can achieve numerous recovery goals as they often face difficulty in obtaining or retaining normal employment or housing opportunities,” Adewuya added.
