Medicinal plant use plays an important role in the healthcare of many South Africans. Furthermore, in orthodox
medicine, conventional antimicrobial agents are amongst themost commonly prescribed groups of drugs. Therefore,
due to the prevalence of use of these two forms of healthcare, there is a high probability for their concurrent
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses represent the uppermost ladders in the hierarchy of evidence. Systematic
reviews/meta-analyses suggest preliminary or satisfactory clinical evidence for agnus castus (Vitex agnus castus)
for premenstrual complaints, flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) for hypertension, feverfew (Tanacetum
Herbal medicines are mixtures of more than one active ingredient. The multitude
of pharmacologically active compounds obviously increases the likelihood of
interactions taking place. Hence, the likelihood of herb–drug interactions is
theoretically higher than drug–drug interactions, if only because synthetic drugs
Objective: The study aimed to investigate the types of mental illnesses treated by traditional healers, and their methods of
identifying and treating mental illnesses in their patients. Method: In urban informal settlements of Kibera, Kangemi and
Kawangware in Nairobi, Kenya, we used opportunistic sampling until the required number of traditional healers was reached,
Mental disorders are highly prevalent and cause considerable suffering and disease burden. To compound this public
health problem, many individuals with psychiatric disorders remain untreated although effective treatments exist. We examine the
extent of this treatment gap. We reviewed community-based psychiatric epidemiology studies that used standardized diagnostic
Background: Little is known about the prevalence and severity of DSM-IV mental disorders treated by traditional healers in
Uganda.
Objective: To describe the prevalence and severity of DSM-IV disorders handled by traditional healers in Jinja and Iganga districts,
Eastern Uganda.
This paper reviews some recent research on the mental health ofthe First Nations, Inuit, and Metis ofCanada. We
summarize evidencefor the social origins ofmental health problems and illustrate the ongoing responses ofindividuals
and communities to the legacy ofcolonization. Cultural discontinuity andoppression have been linked to high rates
Illness and medicine are among a limited number of topical domains which cross-cultural researchers have for some time described as organized bodies of cultural knowledge (e.g., Clements 1932; and see Conklin 1972:363–392 for a bibliography).