154
9.2.2.8 Traditional health practitioners‟ advocacy for collaboration between them and western health practitioners
Traditional health practitioners have demonstrated positive views about the idea of collaborating between western and African traditional health systems in the management of mental illness. The traditional health practitioners have expressed that the collaboration will help by one system complementing the other, especially in services that either system has limitations in managing, specifically with conditions that have a cultural basis. In their view, collaboration can best be achieved through a system of referral from one system to another. The participants have further presented differing views regarding their location of practice in the event of collaboration with others. Some suggestings were to work from home, be given offices in the mainstream health institutions, and working in African traditional and western specialised institutions separately.
9.2.3 Convergences and divergences from the findings
This study revealed some convergences and divergences in the conceptualisations of mental illness by both traditional health practitioners and clinical psychologists. Both the western and African health practitioners that were consulted shared the same feelings about stress and stress-related conditions. Secondly, they held similar views about the positive outcomes that may emanate from the process of collaborating the two systems, especially in the management of mental health conditions. However, some themes demonstrated discrepancies in their views on other issues. They have shown divergences in their methods of enquiry, their views about causal factors of mental health conditions and the management processes of such conditions.
155
9.3.1.1 The afrocentric theory
From the point of view of traditional health practitioners as sources of information in the present study, cultural and spiritual factors are at the centre in the causation, progression, treatment and prevention of mental illness. The researcher involved the traditional health practitioners as custodians of the information that is embedded in the African traditional practices by Africans. This argument is in keeping with the Afrocentric theory which puts Africans at the centre of information that concerns Africans. Their understanding, formulation and conceptualisation of mental illness draws from African theories without any infiltration of western-based information that misrepresents Africans.
The findings further demonstrated commonalities in the views of traditional health practitioners, about cultural and spiritual factors contributing more to the causation, treatment and prevention of mental illness. Their view of mental illness does not take into consideration any biological factors as causal and maintaining factors in mental illness, as is the case with the western biomedical theories. It is therefore imperative to always take into cognisance the cultural and contextual aspects in dealing with mental illness.
9.3.1.2 The biopsychosocial theory
The findings of this study have revealed that biological, social and psychological factors either in isolation or in combination play a role in the causation and maintenance of mental illness as illustrated by the findings from the clinical psychologists. There is less consideration of cultural and spiritual factors in the causation of mental illness as is the case with the findings obtained from the traditional health practitioners. The arguments presented in this regard suggested that the biopsychosocial theory as one of the western biomedical theories plays a huge role in the formulation and management of mental illness by psychologists. The findings of this study concur with the biopsychosocial theory and make it pivotal and practical in the conceptualisation and management of mental illness within the South African context.
156
9.3.2 Implications of the study on policy
The findings of this study have revealed that there is high utilisation of African medicine that runs parallel to western medicine in the management of mental illness in South Africa. In addition to the African Traditional Health Act that regulates the registration and practice of traditional health practitioners, there is a need for the development of more policies that will integrate the African health system and the western health system for them to participate reciprocally to benefit the health of all South Africans.
As the future looks brighter for the long-awaited collaboration between the African traditional health system and the western health system, the government may need to put policies in place that should outline the process of collaboration. Such policies should direct the process in terms of ethical guidelines, procedures and hierarchical protocols to foster mutual respect and avoid dominance of one system by another.
It can further be argued that there is a need for future policies that should help in the protection and preservation of the wealth of knowledge of African traditional practices for future reference. The endorsement of such policies may assist in the encouragement of more traditional health practitioners to participate openly and confidently in the continuous provision of health services in South Africa.
9.3.3 Implications of the study on future research
This present study, as well as many previous studies, continues to acknowledge the critical role that traditional African medicine play in the care, prevention and cure of different illnesses in African communities. There is a need for more future studies that will contribute positively to the wealth of knowledge as far as African medicine is concerned, especially in mental health. It is also pivotal to have more future studies that will continue to advocate for and ease the process of envisaged collaboration between western and African medicine in the management of mental illness.
157