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.
Method: Between January and March 2008, Face-to-Face Interviews were conducted with 400 patients attending traditional
healers’ shrines for mental health problems, using Self Rating Questionnaire 25 (SRQ-25) for screening, the Mini International
Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus) for specific DSM-IV diagnosis and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) for severity
of illness. Descriptive data analysis and frequency estimates were performed using SPSS version 15.0 for Windows. Pearson’s chi–
square tests and odds ratios were used to explore the relationship between severity and combined use of biomedical services and
traditional healing.
Results: Of 387 respondents, 60.2% had diagnosable current mental illness and 16.3% had had one disorder in their lifetime. Of the
diagnosable current mental illnesses, 29.7% were Psychosis; 5.4% Major depressive episode; 5.6% Anxiety disorders; 3.6% mixed
Anxiety-Depression; and 3.9% Suicidality. In terms of severity, 37.7% of the current mental illnesses were severe, 35.1% moderate
and 13.2% mild. Patients with moderate to severe symptoms were more likely to use both biomedical services and traditional healers.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that a considerable number of patients with DSM-IV diagnosable mental disorders attend
traditional healing shrines; the majority had moderate to severe symptoms. Mental health professionals therefore need to come up
with ways to co-operate with traditional healers, e.g. as officially designated Traditional Mental Attendants (TMA), for the benefit of
their patients.