Description:

Traditional practitioners have contributed a great deal to the treatment of mentally ill patients in the West African communities. This book is a unique scientific contribution in that it focuses on indigenous practitioners that little research has been done. With empirical data from these cultures, the book combines critical analysis of theories concerning the manner these practitioners carry out their work in certain treatment centres. A primary contribution of the book is its insistence on how the various governments in this region should consider the need of the African patient in any major attempts to develop the integration of the Primary Health Care and the Traditional Health Care Sectors. Ideal for mental care workers, social workers, psychiatrists, cross-cultural psychologists, and sociologists who want potent knowledge that concerns the treatment performed by the traditional practitioners. The book will also serve as a valuable foundation of knowledge in courses that examine this topic.