Explanatory models and cultural context
In the communities where you work, local people may have different explanations for why mental illness occurs. The way people explain an illness is called an explanatory model. Health professionals often have different explanatory models (e.g. the biopsychosocial model) when compared with the local cultural model used by community members. See the table for an example of this. It is very important to try to understand a person's explanatory model for mental illness even if you don't agree with it. This will help you to support the person better.
Comparing explanatory models.
| Questions | Biopsychosocial model | Local cultural model |
|---|---|---|
| Why did I get ill? | Because I was drinking and had lost my family and friends. | Because my neighbour bewitched me. |
| Will I get better? | Things could get better if I stopped drinking. | This is a serious thing. I might even die unless this curse is removed from me. |
| What treatment might help? | If I had help to stop drinking, and was able to talk about my problems to somebody. | Going to see the witch doctor and slaughtering a sheep. |
Cultural explanations for mental illness
- Spirit possession
- Punishment for sins
- Evil eye
- Bewitched/cursed
- Thinking too much
- Exposure to cold air
- Exposure to sun rays
Last modified: Friday, 4 July 2014, 4:27 PM