People Changing the World Podcast Review

The podcast “Overcoming Stigma” discusses the benefits of bringing together medicinal doctors and traditional healers to treat mental health in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, the podcast discussed the efforts of 10 local groups who are coming together in an attempt to break down the stigma about mental health, normalizing it and incorporating western health mechanisms into society. Many individuals in these regions fear going to mental health professionals, as there is a stigma embedded in their communities, and as such they could be ostracized by those around them for seeking out these services. The groups involved attempt to address this stigma by partnering western doctors with traditional healers, to increase effectiveness while maintaining the ethos of the traditional health systems. The podcast specifically discusses the local response to psychosis, and explores the effectiveness of educating traditional healers on the symptoms of psychosis, allowing doctors to come in if deemed necessary. This partnership seeks to address the problem in a safe, locally appropriate way.

 

The podcast further delves into the effectiveness of this project, relaying the positive developments on reducing the stigma in the local communities. The podcast relays how Mental health professionals used to be feared, while now the mindsets have changed, embracing the alternative healthcare methods. Furthermore, the podcast discusses the modifications to the practices of the traditional healers. By working together, doctors can rationalize the negative effects of these traditional techniques, reducing harmful procedures in traditional healers methods and creating a net-positive effect on the local communities. The segment concludes by discussing the scope and effectiveness of the program. The program was a 5 year research project by the US institute for mental health with 300 patients involved. Half of the patients received collaborative care, while the other half did not. The program measured severity of symptoms of psychosis and measured a significant improvement in collaborative care individuals, allowing individuals to return to society without the burden of their mental health struggles. Furthermore, the status of the traditional healers as a cornerstone of their communities allow the healers to meet the individuals where they are at, integrating traditional and contemporary medicine in a productive manner. Finally, the podcast discussed how this integration program increased registration of healers to the national registry, as in order to participate in the program the healers needed to register, allowing the national government to garner a more realistic and holistic viewpoint of the healthcare system within their country.