4 - Aetiological Explanations of Epilepsy and Implications on Treatments Options among Yoruba Traditional Healers in Southwest Nigeria
African Sociological Review,
Vol. 25 No. 1 (2021): African Sociological Review
Abstract
In Nigeria, traditional healers play major roles in the treatment of patients living with epilepsy and their status as well as worldview have a considerable influence on the therapies or treatments that are provided, thereby affecting the quality of care and rights of their clients. With the dearth of studies on these healers’ management of clients with epilepsy, this study explored their perspectives on the aetiology of epilepsy and how their view and understanding of the condition shape the treatments and therapies that are accessible to their clients. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with 24 traditional healers considered as experts in the treatment of epilepsy in two Yoruba communities in Southwest Nigeria. Findings showed these healers perceived epilepsy as a health condition that is highly stigmatised and fearfully avoided among the Yoruba people. A multicausal view was advanced in their aetiological explanations of the causes of epilepsy ranging from natural, hereditary, and the supernatural. Each epilepsy case requires clear divination to understand the underlying cause and possible regimen to adopt in providing help and recovery. Treatments are often in stages and mixed as the individual progresses towards recovery. Of all the aetiologies, epilepsy cases that are attributed to preternatural and supernatural forces were considered most difficult to treat. The paper concludes that with the traditional healers’ status in the community, and acceptance of their treatment modalities, the absorption of traditional medical practice will aid the supervision of their practice and help reduce exploitation and improve the quality of care.
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- Abasiubong, F. et al. (2009) ‘Knowledge , Attitude and Perception of Epilepsy among Traditional Healers in Uyo , Nigeria.’, 2(1), pp. 39–46.
- Adjei, P. et al. (2013) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior Beliefs on epilepsy in Northern Ghana’, Epilepsy & Behaviour. Elsevier Inc. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.07.034.
- Alkhamees, H. A., Selai, C. E. and Shorvon, S. D. (2015) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior The beliefs among patients with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia about the causes and treatment of epilepsy and other aspects’, Epilepsy & Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 53,
- pp. 135–139. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.10.008.
- Baskind, R., & Birbeck, G. (2005). Epilepsy Care in Zambia: A Study of Traditional Healers. Epilepsia, 46(7), 1121-1126.
- Ekeh, B. C. and Ekrikpo, U. E. (2015) ‘The Knowledge , Attitude , and Perception towards Epilepsy amongst Medical Students in Uyo , Southern Nigeria’, 2015. doi: 10.1155/2015/876135.
- Galbin, A.(2014) ‘An introduction to social constructionism’, Social Reasearch Report, vol. 26, pp. 82–92. ISSN: 2067-5941.
- Ghanean, H., Nojomi, M. and Jacobsson, L. (2013) Public awareness and attitudes towards epilepsy in Tehran , Iran.
- Guekht, A. (2018) ‘Quality of Life and the Stigma of Epilepsy’, pp. 37–40.
- Ian, R. (1992) ‘Counselling psychology quarterly Applying social constructionism to psychotheraphy’, Taylor & Francis., 5(4) pp. 385–402.
- Kaddumukasa, M. et al. (2018) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior Epilepsy misconceptions and stigma reduction interventions in sub-Saharan Africa , a systematic review’, Epilepsy & Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 85, pp. 21–27. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.04.014.
- Keikelame, M. J. and Swartz, L. (2015) ‘Whom will I give him to? The difficulty is mine’ : Psychosocial difficulties experienced by care givers of patients with epilepsy in Cape Town, South Africa. doi: 10.1177/1359105315581065.
- Kendall-Taylor, N. et al. (2007) ‘Traditional healers and epilepsy treatment on the Kenyan coast’, pp. 1638–1650.
- Lunardi, S. et al. (2012) ‘Original Article Epilepsy Perception among Education Professionals’, Journal of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology.
- Mbuba, C. K. et al. (2008) ‘The epilepsy treatment gap in developing countries : A systematic review of the magnitude , causes ’, 49(9), pp. 1491–1503. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01693.x.
- Mohammed, I. N. and Babikir, H. E. (2013) ‘Original Article Traditional and spiritual medicine among Sudanese children with epilepsy’, 13(1), pp. 31–37.
- Mokgobi, M. G. (2014) ‘Western-trained health care practitioners’ knowledge of and experiences with traditional healing’, (2014), pp. 1–13.
- Mushi, D. et al. (2013) ‘Europe PMC Funders Group Perceptions, social life, treatment and education gap of Tanzanian children with epilepsy: a community-based study’, 23(3), pp. 224–229. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.12.003.Perceptions.
- Mushi, D. et al. (2016) ‘Perceptions, social life, treatment and education gap of Tanzanian children with epilepsy: a community-based study’, European Scientific Journal, 2(1), pp. 18–48.
- Njamnshi, A. K. et al. (2010) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior A community survey of knowledge, perceptions, and practice with respect to epilepsy among traditional healers in the Batibo Health District, Cameroon’, Epilepsy and Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 17(1), pp. 95–102. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.10.018.
- Nuhu, F. T. et al. (2010) ‘Social consequences of epilepsy: A study of 231 Nigerian patients’, 9(3), pp. 3–8. doi:10.4103/1596-3519.68360.
- Okoye, E. . et al. (2016) ‘Community integration of people living with epilepsy in a Nigerian population’, Epilepsy Research. Elsevier B.V., 128, pp. 21–26. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2016.10.001.
- Toit, D. and Pretorius (2018) ‘Seizures in Namibia: A study of traditional health practitioners’, Epilepsia, pp. 1–9. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12240.
- Vancini, R. L. et al. (2014) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior’, Epilepsy & Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 31, pp. 194–195. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.12.019.
References
Abasiubong, F. et al. (2009) ‘Knowledge , Attitude and Perception of Epilepsy among Traditional Healers in Uyo , Nigeria.’, 2(1), pp. 39–46.
Adjei, P. et al. (2013) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior Beliefs on epilepsy in Northern Ghana’, Epilepsy & Behaviour. Elsevier Inc. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.07.034.
Alkhamees, H. A., Selai, C. E. and Shorvon, S. D. (2015) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior The beliefs among patients with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia about the causes and treatment of epilepsy and other aspects’, Epilepsy & Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 53,
pp. 135–139. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.10.008.
Baskind, R., & Birbeck, G. (2005). Epilepsy Care in Zambia: A Study of Traditional Healers. Epilepsia, 46(7), 1121-1126.
Ekeh, B. C. and Ekrikpo, U. E. (2015) ‘The Knowledge , Attitude , and Perception towards Epilepsy amongst Medical Students in Uyo , Southern Nigeria’, 2015. doi: 10.1155/2015/876135.
Galbin, A.(2014) ‘An introduction to social constructionism’, Social Reasearch Report, vol. 26, pp. 82–92. ISSN: 2067-5941.
Ghanean, H., Nojomi, M. and Jacobsson, L. (2013) Public awareness and attitudes towards epilepsy in Tehran , Iran.
Guekht, A. (2018) ‘Quality of Life and the Stigma of Epilepsy’, pp. 37–40.
Ian, R. (1992) ‘Counselling psychology quarterly Applying social constructionism to psychotheraphy’, Taylor & Francis., 5(4) pp. 385–402.
Kaddumukasa, M. et al. (2018) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior Epilepsy misconceptions and stigma reduction interventions in sub-Saharan Africa , a systematic review’, Epilepsy & Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 85, pp. 21–27. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.04.014.
Keikelame, M. J. and Swartz, L. (2015) ‘Whom will I give him to? The difficulty is mine’ : Psychosocial difficulties experienced by care givers of patients with epilepsy in Cape Town, South Africa. doi: 10.1177/1359105315581065.
Kendall-Taylor, N. et al. (2007) ‘Traditional healers and epilepsy treatment on the Kenyan coast’, pp. 1638–1650.
Lunardi, S. et al. (2012) ‘Original Article Epilepsy Perception among Education Professionals’, Journal of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology.
Mbuba, C. K. et al. (2008) ‘The epilepsy treatment gap in developing countries : A systematic review of the magnitude , causes ’, 49(9), pp. 1491–1503. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01693.x.
Mohammed, I. N. and Babikir, H. E. (2013) ‘Original Article Traditional and spiritual medicine among Sudanese children with epilepsy’, 13(1), pp. 31–37.
Mokgobi, M. G. (2014) ‘Western-trained health care practitioners’ knowledge of and experiences with traditional healing’, (2014), pp. 1–13.
Mushi, D. et al. (2013) ‘Europe PMC Funders Group Perceptions, social life, treatment and education gap of Tanzanian children with epilepsy: a community-based study’, 23(3), pp. 224–229. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.12.003.Perceptions.
Mushi, D. et al. (2016) ‘Perceptions, social life, treatment and education gap of Tanzanian children with epilepsy: a community-based study’, European Scientific Journal, 2(1), pp. 18–48.
Njamnshi, A. K. et al. (2010) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior A community survey of knowledge, perceptions, and practice with respect to epilepsy among traditional healers in the Batibo Health District, Cameroon’, Epilepsy and Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 17(1), pp. 95–102. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.10.018.
Nuhu, F. T. et al. (2010) ‘Social consequences of epilepsy: A study of 231 Nigerian patients’, 9(3), pp. 3–8. doi:10.4103/1596-3519.68360.
Okoye, E. . et al. (2016) ‘Community integration of people living with epilepsy in a Nigerian population’, Epilepsy Research. Elsevier B.V., 128, pp. 21–26. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2016.10.001.
Toit, D. and Pretorius (2018) ‘Seizures in Namibia: A study of traditional health practitioners’, Epilepsia, pp. 1–9. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12240.
Vancini, R. L. et al. (2014) ‘Epilepsy & Behavior’, Epilepsy & Behavior. Elsevier Inc., 31, pp. 194–195. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.12.019.