Editorial: Building resilience through healing communities
Frontiers in Psychiatry March 19, 2024 Jaswant Guzder, Geoffrey Walcott 1 citation
Medical training often overlooks culturally adapted tools that respect patients' beliefs and realities. In Ethiopia, transformative learning theory helped bridge biomedical and traditional healing for psychosis; only 58% of rural patients access biomedical care, with most relying on Orthodox Christian traditional healers who are less stigmatized. Collaborative partnerships between spiritual healers and researchers reduced stigma and increased referrals to psychiatric clinics. Low parental mental health literacy and stigma are fundamental treatment barriers across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Democratic Republic of Congo. One paper from an LMIC cohort uses psilocybin in psychotherapy. Creative arts modalities, including Zentangle, offer accessible, transportable treatment for serious mental illness. In Qatar, 75% of the population are migrant workers, yet community mental health services remain underdeveloped, especially for children, women, and migrants.