Explanatory models and treatment practices of mental illnesses among traditional healers in Blantyre, Malawi

This study aimed to explore explanatory models and treatment practices for mental illness/ bio-psycho-social disability by traditional healers in Blantyre, Malawi. The study adopted an exploratory design using qualitative methods. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. It was conducted in Blantyre, a district in southern Malawi. Participants were traditional healers practising in the district. Purposive sampling was used to select the study sample. In total, ten indepth interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted. The sample was determined based on data saturation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data aided by Nvivo 12. Four themes were identified in the data: presentation of a person with mental illness; types of mental illness; causes of mental illness; and management modalities. The findings show that although traditional healers are capable of recognizing mental illnesses, it is patients exhibiting significant behavioural disturbances that are mostly identified. Supernatural attributions and management dominated. Mistrust of the allopathic health system also exists among the healers.