L'Information Psychiatrique
MENUBody, suffering and relationships with others in the African culture Volume 94, issue 1, Janvier 2018
- Key words: traditional society, psychosomatic disorder, body, psychic trauma, interpersonal relationship, mental health, culture, care management, Africa, Congo
- DOI : 10.1684/ipe.2018.1738
- Page(s) : 33-40
- Published in: 2018
Based on a descriptive analysis of four clinical cases with medically unexplained symptoms at Brazzaville University teaching hospital, the authors of this article wanted to examine the link between body, suffering and relationship with others in African communities. The study showed that patients had developed somatic symptoms with no organic base with the waning of a psychic trauma or existential stress. Neither they nor their families had any awareness of the link between their symptoms and the trauma or stress. They attributed their pains to evil spells cast by malicious people from their families, professional and social environment or ancestral spirits, requiring traditional support by performing rites. This attitude reflects the “family” character of the social organization. Clinicians who cared for them were less oriented towards psychological investigations due to the lack of awareness regarding mental health. The authors propose to take into account the psychological problems encountered by patients during their care and advocate for an integrative approach in which the role of the family is an important key resource.
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