“This discussion guide examines non-western concepts of mental health specifically from,Mozambique and Angola. It looks at the ways in which mental health and illness can be understood outside the framework of western biomedical paradigms. The paper discusses how mental health is understood by local people, how it relates to war and other social crisis, and what kinds of therapeutic strategies people use to deal with the social and emotional problems caused by deep social crisis. Is mental illness a universal phenomenon? Are there different ways of dealing with mental health problems? Does culture have anything to do with it? What is the relationship between culture and mental health? Why is it important to consider non-western understandings of mental health? These are some of the issues which are analysed throughout this discussion paper.” – Publisher’s description CONTENTS Introduction 1. Culture and Mental Health 1.1. Mental health as a social and cultural construction 1.2. Beyond post traumatic stress disorder 2. Non-Western Concepts of Mental Health in Mozambique and Angola 2.1. Notions of health and ill-health 2.2. Spiritual agencies’ role in health and healing 2.3. The war and the spirits of the dead 2.4. The war and the performance of burial rituals 2.5. The notion of social pollution 3. Case Studies from Mozambique and Angola 3.1. Community rituals 3.2. Cleansing and purification rituals Conclusion References
