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Mental health services and traditional healing in Indonesia: Are the roles compatible?

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Abstract

This study reports on the presentation of illness complaints by 90 individuals to nine traditional healers in three Indonesian cities. Focus is on the nature of problems, client explanations and expectations, healer treatment and subsequent outcome as judged by clients. Selected clients were observed and interviewed by a psychiatrist and one other health professional, and followed in a subsequent home visit. Complaints were categorized according to dimensions of acuteness and chronicity of problem, presumed self-limited characteristics, and psychological, general medical and other factors. Sixty-five percent of all clients had received prior treatment for the same problem in a biomedical health care setting. The study holds practical implications for policies regarding relations between health and mental health services and traditional healers in Indonesia.

The authors wish to acknowledge support from the following institutions;

The Institute for Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia (LITBANGKES) for financial support; The Asia Foundation, Jakarta; The World Health Organization, Southeast Asia Office; The Cultural Learning Institute, East West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program Development, Directorate of Mental Health, Republic of Indonesia

    Rudy Salan

  2. University of Hawaii, Hawaii

    Thomas Maretzki

Authors
  1. Rudy Salan
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  2. Thomas Maretzki
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Additional information

Co-investigators in this project were: Lukman Mustar, M.D., Ernaldi Bahar, M.D.; Achmad H Hardiman, M.D.; Helmi Ramli, M.D.; Pranowo Sosrokoesoemo, M.D.; Slamet Santoso, M.D.; M. S. Hartono, M.D.; Soemitro, M.D.; Hanafi, M.D.; F. Soenarto, M.D.; Denny Thong, M.D.; I. G. P. Panteri, M.D.; L. K. Suryani, M.D.; I. D. N. Wirawan, M.D., M.P.H.; Hilda Sudhana, M.A.; Moentoyah, M.A.; Sukarsih; Rosmyati; D. A. Tejawati; N. K. Martini; Ali Masri; G. A. Pusparini.

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Salan, R., Maretzki, T. Mental health services and traditional healing in Indonesia: Are the roles compatible?. Cult Med Psych 7, 377–412 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052239

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