Perceived causes of mental illness and treatment practices by Traditional Healers of the Berta Community in Assosa, Ethiopia

Abstract Traditional healers of the Berta community play important roles in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of patients who are with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived causes of mental illness and their treatment methods used by the Berta community traditional healers. To achieve the intended objectives, seven well known traditional healers were selected using snowball sampling technique from the total Berta community. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured one-to-one interviews, and they were analyzed by applying content analysis method. The findings of the study revealed that traditional healers of the Berta community detected mental illnesses through a detailed follow-up of a person’s behaviors/actions and his/her daily life activities. According to these traditional healers, curse/witchcraft, harsh social condition, hereditary, substance use,and food poising are considered as the main causes of mental illness. To treat mental illnesses caused by either of these causes, the traditional healers use traditional and religious books (Kitab), herbal medicine, and divination bones. These traditional healing way of identifying the causes, diagnosis methods and treatment options are culturally specific. This urges collaborative work and study between the modern mental illness treatment options and the indigenous healing mechanisms.