IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v69y2023i5p1202-1212.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Patterns and factors associated with consulting traditional healers on the care pathway of psychiatric patients in the United Arab Emirates

Author

Listed:
  • Shaden Adel
  • Karim Abdel Aziz
  • Dina El Tabei
  • Noha Adel Mahfouz
  • Dina Aly El-Gabry

Abstract

Background: Despite the availability of mental health services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reluctance in seeking a mental health professional is widely prevalent. In many countries, psychiatric patients consult Traditional Healers (THs) prior to seeing mental health professionals. Data from the UAE on the pattern of consulting THs is limited. Aims: To investigate patterns and factors for visiting THs in psychiatric patients in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients attending the adult psychiatry clinic, Maudsley Health, Abu Dhabi. We assessed 214 patients for the pattern and possible factors for contact with THs on their pathway to psychiatric care. Results: There were 58 males and 156 females. Most (43.5%) had a depressive disorder. Prior to consulting a mental health professional, 28% had seen a TH, of whom 36.7% had only one visit and 60% had seen only one TH. Advice from a friend or family member was the commonest reason for consulting THs (81.7%). Envy was the commonest explanation given by THs for symptoms (26.7%). Female gender and having a high school education or less significantly predicted contact with THs. Conclusions: Almost a third of our sample consulted THs prior to seeking psychiatric care. Closer collaboration with THs could help bridge the gap with psychiatrists to avoid delays in patients accessing psychiatric care, however caution is needed to mitigate the possible negative effects of such a collaboration.

Suggested Citation

  • Shaden Adel & Karim Abdel Aziz & Dina El Tabei & Noha Adel Mahfouz & Dina Aly El-Gabry, 2023. "Patterns and factors associated with consulting traditional healers on the care pathway of psychiatric patients in the United Arab Emirates," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(5), pages 1202-1212, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:69:y:2023:i:5:p:1202-1212
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640231154824
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231154824
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640231154824?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mona Ibrahim Awaad & Nesreen Mohsen Ibrahim & Rehab Mohamed Naguib & Sherien Ahmed Khalil & Mahmoud Elhabiby & Zainab Khaled Mohamed, 2020. "Role of traditional healers in the pathway to care of patients with schizophrenia in Egypt," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(4), pages 382-388, June.
    2. Tarek Okasha & Mahmoud M Elhabiby & Nesreen Mohsen & Hussein Sharaf & Zeinab Elnagar, 2021. "Role of traditional healers in the pathway of service for a sample of obsessive compulsive disorder patients in Egypt," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(6), pages 643-650, September.
    3. Mohamed Omar Salem & Bader Saleh & Said Yousef & Sufyan Sabri, 2009. "Help-Seeking Behaviour of Patients Attending the Psychiatric Service in a Sample of United Arab Emirates Population," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 55(2), pages 141-148, March.
    4. S.M. Razali & M.A.M. Najib, 2000. "Help-Seeking Pathways Among Malay Psychiatric Patients," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 46(4), pages 281-289, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mona Ibrahim Awaad & Nesreen Mohsen Ibrahim & Rehab Mohamed Naguib & Sherien Ahmed Khalil & Mahmoud Elhabiby & Zainab Khaled Mohamed, 2020. "Role of traditional healers in the pathway to care of patients with schizophrenia in Egypt," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(4), pages 382-388, June.
    2. Michael Galvin & William Byansi & Lesley Chiwaye & Zoleka Luvuno & Aneesa Moolla, 2023. "Pathways to care among patients with mental illness at two psychiatric facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(8), pages 2059-2067, December.
    3. Mohd Izzuddin Hairol & Sha’ari Ahmad & Sharanjeet Sharanjeet-Kaur & Lei Hum Wee & Fauziah Abdullah & Mahadir Ahmad, 2021. "Incidence and predictors of postpartum depression among postpartum mothers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A cross-sectional study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-12, November.
    4. Jeroen W. Knipscheer & Rolf J. Kleber, 2005. "Help-Seeking Behaviour Regarding Mental Health Problems of Mediterranean Migrants in the Netherlands: Familiarity with Care, Consultation Attitude and Use of Services," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 51(4), pages 372-382, December.
    5. Tarek Assad & Tarek Okasha & Hisham Ramy & Tamer Goueli & Hanan El-Shinnawy & Mohamed Nasr & Heba Fathy & Dalia Enaba & Dina Ibrahim & Mahmoud Elhabiby & Nesreen Mohsen & Sherien Khalil & Mohamed Fekr, 2015. "Role of traditional healers in the pathway to care of patients with bipolar disorder in Egypt," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(6), pages 583-590, September.
    6. Picholas Kian Ann Phoa & Asrenee Ab Razak & Hue San Kuay & Anis Kausar Ghazali & Azriani Ab Rahman & Maruzairi Husain & Raishan Shafini Bakar & Firdaus Abdul Gani, 2023. "Predictors of Mental Health Literacy among Parents, Guardians, and Teachers of Adolescents in West Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-13, January.
    7. Anitha Jeyagurunathan & Edimansyah Abdin & Saleha Shafie & Peizhi Wang & Sherilyn Chang & Hui Lin Ong & Restria Fauziana Abdul Rahman & Vathsala Sagayadevan & Ellaisha Samari & Yi Chian Chua & Janhavi, 2018. "Pathways to care among psychiatric outpatients in a tertiary mental health institution in Singapore," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 64(6), pages 554-562, September.
    8. Tarek Okasha & Nivert Zaki & Marwa Abd El Meguid & Marwa El-Missiry & Walaa Sabry & Mostafa Kamel Ismaeil & Samar M Fouad, 2016. "Duration of untreated psychosis in an Egyptian sample: Sociodemographic and clinical variables," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(7), pages 661-671, November.
    9. Wendy Diana Shoesmith & Awang Faisal Bin Awang Borhanuddin & Pauline Yong Pau Lin & Ahmad Faris Abdullah & Norhayati Nordin & Beena Giridharan & Dawn Forman & Sue Fyfe, 2018. "Reactions to symptoms of mental disorder and help seeking in Sabah, Malaysia," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 64(1), pages 49-55, February.
    10. Alean Al-Krenawi & John R. Graham & Yasmin Z. Dean & Nada Eltaiba, 2004. "Cross-National Study of Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Help: Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Arabs in Israel," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 50(2), pages 102-114, June.
    11. Irene Chung, 2010. "Changes in the Sociocultural Reality of Chinese Immigrants: Challenges and Opportunities in Help-Seeking Behaviour," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 56(4), pages 436-447, July.
    12. Tarek Okasha & Mahmoud M Elhabiby & Nesreen Mohsen & Hussein Sharaf & Zeinab Elnagar, 2021. "Role of traditional healers in the pathway of service for a sample of obsessive compulsive disorder patients in Egypt," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(6), pages 643-650, September.
    13. Harris K Chilale & Ndumanene Devlin Silungwe & Saulos Gondwe & Charles Masulani-Mwale, 2017. "Clients and carers perception of mental illness and factors that influence help-seeking: Where they go first and why," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 63(5), pages 418-425, August.
    14. Monica Zolezzi & Maha Alamri & Shahd Shaar & Daniel Rainkie, 2018. "Stigma associated with mental illness and its treatment in the Arab culture: A systematic review," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 64(6), pages 597-609, September.
    15. Kristian L Toftegaard & Lea Nørgreen Gustafsson & Richard Uwakwe & Ulla A Andersen & Thomas Becker & Graziella Giacometti Bickel & Bernhard Bork & Joachim Cordes & Karel Frasch & Bent Ascanius Jacobs, 2015. "Where are patients who have co-occurring mental and physical diseases located?," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(5), pages 456-464, August.
    16. Ahmed M Sewilam & Annie MM Watson & Ahmed M Kassem & Sue Clifton & Margaret C McDonald & Rebecca Lipski & Smita Deshpande & Hader Mansour & Vishwajit L Nimgaonkar, 2015. "Suggested avenues to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the Middle East," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(2), pages 111-120, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:69:y:2023:i:5:p:1202-1212. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.