A dissertation submitted to the Faculty Of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Of Master Of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University Of Zululand, 2017 / There has been advancement of healing where mainstream western medicine is concerned. Significant progress has been made in this regard, concerning integration as well as motivation of integration of indigenous or traditional healing methods to treat psychological illnesses. Literature has advised that more work is required to ensure that the herbal medicines used to treat patients on traditional medicine conventions are utilized. The main aim of this study was to investigate the conceptualization of trauma by Zulu traditional healers. It objectives being to elicit views on traditional healing of trauma amongst traditional healers within the area of Ozwathini. A methodology of qualitative research design was applied in gathering findings for the study. A semi-structured interview schedule was adopted as a data collection tool. The sample was selected using purposive and snowball sampling techniques under the non-probability methods; the total number of which was 10. The results in the findings gathered during the data collection process indicate that there is no consensus of the definition of trauma amongst the sample of study though one must acknowledge the comprehensiveness presented in the definitions. Variations in the treatment methods included counselling and use of medicinal herbs by the traditional healers during the identification and treatment of trauma. Recommendations of the study being that observations be conducted during the treatment of patients suffering from trauma to identify the exact methods and effects associated with the treatment of trauma by traditional healers.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1997. / Talking about child sexual abuse, hereafter referred to as CSA, makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. It has been defined as "the best kept secret", contributing to the maintenance of silence. For both men and women the prevalence of CSA is high among those seeking help for psychological problems. Theories relating to CSA include investigations into the causes, psychological effects on victims, treatment approaches and preventative strategies. Research in this area in a South African context is limited and in view of the fact that child abuse has reached staggering proportions in rural areas, it is important to investigate this phenomenon. Furthermore, it is understood that in KwaZulu-Natal traditional healers have multi-dimensional functions in traditional Zulu culture, with eighty percent of Zulu people consulting them before coming to modem healers. Conversely, there are instances where traditional and modern healers co-operate in areas of illness and health. The aim of this research therefore is exploratory in nature, seeking to understand and advance knowledge of CSA. The level of co-operation between the two systems where CSA is concerned is also investigated, with special contextual reference to South Africa in general and traditional KwaZulu Natal in particular. This research is a phenomenological explication of traditional healers’ views per se. In addition it indicates that to a limited degree, modern and traditional systems co-operate in the treatment of CSA in rural KwaZulu Natal.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand in partial fulfilment for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Psychology, South Africa, 1984. / The present study has investigated the role of dreams for Zulu indigenous practitioners. This role is two-fold (i) significance of dreams in the personal lives of the Zulu indigeoous practitioners; for example, how dreams function to set the foundation for an individual's fate, how dreams establish a direct relationship between the dreamer and certain supernatural forces and beings that are considered to have an independent existence, and how the individual, in turn, acquires a creative, sacred power, (ii) significance of patients' dreams, in so far as the indigenous practitioners can make analyses of such dreams in order to effect a client's diagnosis; and also the indigenous practitioners' methods of such dreams' analyses. Subjects that were selected for the present study were Zulu indigenous practitioners from Ngoye/Dlangezwa districts who used dreams in their diagnotic and treatment methods. There were three categories of such practitioners, namely, the izangoma izinyanga, and abathandazi. The content of their dreams was analyzed by the technique of content analysis which involved classifying dream elements into three basic categories of natural, supernatural indigenous Zulu, and supernatural Christian religious. The procedure of data collection involved initial visits to each indigenous practitioner in order to establish rapport; and subsequent visits involved the actual collection of data. To achieve the latter, a list of questions that were structured in the form of a questionnaire was used. In addition, a structured dream by a confederate patient was taken to each indigenous practitioner for analysis. Analysis of this dream was judged by three independent judges (Clinical psychologists) in order to ascertain if there was any inter-practitioner consistency regarding the theme of analyses. Major results were that dreams have an important role to play in the personal lives of these indigenous practitioners, and that such dreams are supernaturally orientated, in the sense that they always involved a dreamer's encounter with a supernatural being usually the grandmother or grandfather, or a religious deity. Further, the indigenous practitioners were found to be consistent in their analyses of confederate patient's dream, as judged by three independent raters- The study also indicated that there is an urgent need of research to investigate the role of dreams for indigenous practitioners in depth. For example, it could be hypothesised that patients1 dreams might conceivably be analyzed in terms of individual symbols personally significant to the individual practitioner.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2010 a decade of indigenous knowledge systems, there has been an increase in the studies on the role of African traditional healers in describing mental illness and its treatment. Studies have pointed to the relevance of traditional healing in primary health care in many developing countries. The aim of the present study was to explore the conceptualisation and treatment of mental illness by Zezuru Shona traditional healers in Goromonzi District in Zimbabwe. A qualitative research design, and in particular, the phenomenological method was used in the present study. Ten Shona traditional healers were selected through purposive and snowball sampling and requested to participate in the study. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using Hycner’s phenomenological explicitation process. Five major themes related to the traiditonal healers’ conceptualisation on mental illness were identified. These are: a). Types/characteristics of mental illness; b). Causes of mental illness; c). Diagnosis and treatment of mental illness; d). Challenges faced by traditional healers; and, e). Facilitating factors in the work of traditional healers. The study further revealed that there are a number of illnesses that are are not mental illness but could be closely associated with mental illness. These are epilepsy (pfari), locking (kusungwa) and sexual dysfunctions. Culture was found to play a central role in the traditional healers’ conceptualisation and treatment of mental illness. In this regard, spirituality was found to be a critical factor in the work of traditional healers in diagnosing, interpreting, treating and preventing mental illness and the associated conditions of ill health. These results were discussed in the context of indigenous knowledge systems and mental illness. The study is concluded by recommending the need to have a holistic understanding of mental illness and associated conditions.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Botany)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / Traditional medicine plays a major role in the primary health care of many people residing in rural areas. People in these areas still consult traditional healers who utilise plants as medicine. Medicinal plants have come under increasing pressure due to a number of factors, which have resulted in the decline of certain species, extinction in others, and a general decrease in biodiversity of high use areas of South Africa, Blouberg Mountain included. To date there has been a lack of information on how traditional healers utilise the Blouberg Mountain with respect to amounts and species removed, or where the most important collecting sites are located. Thus, no conservation strategy exists for the Blouberg Mountain to ensure sustainable management of its natural resources. Furthermore, there is a perception amongst elders of this area that, as with indigenous knowledge around the world, the knowledge centered around Blouberg’s medicinal plants is declining, and little formal documentation of that knowledge has taken place. Consequently, this study investigated aspects related to medicinal plant use such as collection, patterns of collection, legislation, storage and packaging of medicinal plants by traditional healers around Blouberg Mountain. These were documented via a semi-structured questionnaire and a data collection sheet. Furthermore, traditional harvesting methods employed by traditional healers, and in situ conservation issues related to species removal from the mountain were investigated. Data was collected between September 2010 and September 2011. Sixteen villages in close proximity to the mountain, and 32 healers (two per village) were selected. In addition 16 consulting rooms were sampled (one per village) in order to gather information on the number of species collected from the mountain and stored in the consulting rooms. The 16 most used (indicated by village traditional healers) collection tracks, (one per village surrounding Blouberg Mountain), were travelled with traditional healers to record botanical and vernacular names of the medicinal plants, vegetation type, habitat, parts used, harvesting method, replacement value of plant species and perceived rarity of collected material. A Garmin GPS was used to record waypoints for the beginning and end of each track. Co-ordinates were logged automatically every 10 m. A map using Quantum GIS software to capture the position of the healers’ collection tracks, overlaid with topographical and vegetation information, and protected area information of the Blouberg Mountain, was generated. Geographic Information System software was used to geo-process the collection tracks of the healers with respect to where medicinal plants were collected relative to the various vegetation types. This gave information on vegetation types important to healers. The majority of traditional healers were females. Most of them had no formal education, with only a minority reaching secondary school. Due to their low level of literacy they tended to shy away from sources of written information, with the result that none of the questioned healers had any knowledge of the various national or provincial environmental legislations. The majority of them see between 15 and 20 patients per month. Most of the healers had more than 30 years of experience in traditional healing. The study found 64 plant species commonly used for medicinal purposes. Most of them were harvested for their roots and bark. According to the healers, Boophane disticha and Hypoxis hemerocallidea are declining in Blouberg Mountain, with Warburgia salutaris, endangered in South Africa, not perceived as rare or declining. However, a number of plant species recorded in the Red Data List as of least concern, or not threatened, are seen as rare by the healers. These include Clivia caulescens, Erythrina lysistemon, Lannea schweinfurthii and Maerua juncea. No exotic species were documented from the surveyed tracks. However, two naturalised exotics were collected from the mountain, namely Cassytha filiformis and Corchorus tridens. Cocculus hirsutus, a naturalised exotic and Abrus precatorius, an exotic species were found in one of the consulting rooms. Dichrostachys cinerea, Philenoptera violacea and Tarchonanthus camphoratus, which are indicators of bush encroachment, were identified on selected tracks. Tracks on which indicators of bush encroachment are present should be investigated more thoroughly to ascertain the extent and severity of such a threat. vii Investigations into healers’ collection tracks showed that the Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld vegetation type is the most heavily utilised of the five vegetation types around Blouberg Mountain. This vegetation type is vulnerable to human population densities as most species were collected from it, therefore it should be conserved and managed if possible as it is targeted for plant species of medicinal value. The most travelled tracks were found in the Catha-Faurea Wooded Grassland community. Solutions to the problems of over harvesting of medicinal plants require local innovations and the full participation of traditional healers in resource management initiatives. The development of medicinal plant nurseries together with propagation of key species will be a crucial management tool, as this will reduce over harvesting of natural resources from the wild. In conclusion, it was found that although most species utilised around Blouberg Mountain are abundant and not threatened, healers are nevertheless concerned about dwindling medicinal plant supplies. They would welcome conservation initiatives and the use of GIS maps would be useful in prioritising conservation areas.

Thesis (M.A. (African Languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / Refer to document

ABSTRACT Better health and the general medicalisation process is important for human being to survive and therefore any attempt to deal with human body maintenance, safe and secure measures are highly required by any human. In trying to improve human health, different approaches have been applied; one of them is to incorporate different medical system in order to ensure effectiveness of treatments. However, it has been not easy to incorporate two different medical patterns in some regions due to different reasons. Eventually the situation has created the gap between traditional healer and biomedical healer. This study was intentionally conducted to examine and explore factors behind the gap that has been the main barriers to many people in the health sector in Tanzania. In attempting to investigate, a case study design was applied, and quantitative approach was taken into consideration where a questionnaire was the main tool that was used for data collection from a sample of 200 people of Mkinga districts in Tanzania. Ultimately, the study came up with results that can be used in this thesis to argue that the gap between THPs and BHPs can be due to less recognition of THPs by government and BHPs, but also poor organization among THPs themselves. Hence it advices the government to recognize THPs and their work officially in the region, training to be provided to THPs as well encouraging and fostering cooperation among healers. / <p>This thesis can be used by any of authorised user from any univeristy for academic use only.</p>

A questionnaire survey was conducted in five different villages in Mpumalanga Province. Hundred and fifty traditional healers were interviewed. The aim of the survey was to record and document indigenous knowledge held by the traditional healers on wild ginger and eight other popular plants used by them. The healing properties of wild ginger as perceived by traditional healers, ranged from healing coughs, colds, flu, hysteria, malaria and menstrual disorder, to protection against lightning. Majority (77%) said that there was no difference in medicinal value between cultivated and those grown in the wild. The majority of the traditional healers (72%) said they would appreciate proper training on how to domesticate these plants. Traditional healers do not have professional knowledge and skills to produce theses medicinal plants. Therefore training is crucial to impart these skills. The income category of traditional healers ranged from less than R200 to a maximum of R3000. Traditional healers received as few as 1 to 5 patients per day. The consultation cost ranged from R20 to more than R95. People who gathered plants for traditional healers ranged from 1 to 10 depending on the popularity of the traditional healer and the size of his/ her surgery. An experiment was carried out at Johannesburg Center for the disabled (JOCOD), Lenasia, South of Johannesburg, in a plastic tunnel and under a shade net. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of using a tunnel or a shade net on the yield of rhizome and to determine the effect of different harvesting periods on rhizome yield of wild ginger. The treatments were four in number, namely; two growing structures (tunnel and shade net) and two harvesting periods. On the effect of harvesting periods on yield, although there was no significant differences in the number of enlarged roots harvested between the first harvesting period and the second harvesting period, the number of roots tended to be higher during the first harvesting period compared to the second harvesting period. There was a significant difference in the number of rhizomes between the first and the second harvesting periods. On the effect of growth structure on yield of wild ginger, the number of enlarged roots was significantly higher from plants grown in a tunnel compared with those grown in a shade net. There was a significant difference in rhizome circumference between plants grown in a plastic tunnel and those grown in a shade net. There were interactions between the harvesting date and growth structure for fresh enlarged root mass. Fresh mass of enlarged roots of wild ginger was greater during the first harvesting date than during the second harvesting date for plants grown in a plastic tunnel. For small scale or resource poor farmers, herbalists and traditional healers who wish to grow wild ginger under protection, it is better to grow wild ginger in a plastic tunnel than under a shade net, probably because wild ginger performs well in warm conditions. The plastic tunnels have a tendency of maintaining warm temperatures during winter months. Early harvesting of wild ginger at the end of June 28/06 than harvesting in September. This could be because wild ginger grows rapidly throughout the summer season and in winter, the growth rate drops (dormant stage) making early winter the right time to harvest. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Horticulture))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Four plant species traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes by South African traditional healers and herbalists were investigated for hypoglycaemic activity. Species included Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) Cabrera, Pteronia divaricata (P.J. Bergius) Less Elaeodendron transvaalense (Burtt Davy) R.H. Archer and Euclea undulata Thunb var. myrtina (Burch.) Hiern. Acetone and ethanol plant extracts were prepared and tested in vitro, for glucose utilization, at concentrations of 12.5 µg/ml on three cell lines namely; Murine C2C12 myocytes, Chang liver cells and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Metformin, at a concentration of 1 µM (0.166 µg/ml) was used as positive control for hepatic cells and insulin at a concentration 1 µM (5.7 µg/ml) for myocytes and preadipocytes. Toxicity tests were done for all extracts on preadipocytes and hepatic cells, but not on myocytes as these cells were exposed to the extract for only a short period (1 hour) during the hypoglycaemic bioassay. Preadipocytes and hepatic cells were exposed to the plant extracts for 48 hours. The four plant extracts were further investigated for hypoglycaemic activity by evaluating inhibiting effects on carbohydrate-hydrolising enzymes alpha-glycosidase and alpha-amylase. In vitro hypoglycaemic analysis revealed that acetone and ethanol plant extracts of S. pinnata, E. undulata and E. transvaalense, displayed hypoglycaemic activity in one or more of the various cell lines, whereas, P. divaricata showed no hypoglycaemic activity. The best results were obtained with the ethanol and acetone extracts of S. pinnata in preadipocytes with a glucose uptake of 148.2% and 79.6% respectively, above control (100%). However, about 50% preadipocytes survived on exposure to the extracts of S. pinnata at 12.5 µg/ml indicating significant cytotoxicity. Glucose uptake of 63.3% was observed by the ethanol extract of S. pinnata on hepatic cells. E. transvaalense showed hypoglycaemic activity on preadipocytes exhibiting glucose uptake of 38.6% above control 100%. Glucose uptake of 62.2 % were obtained by the E. undulata extract in C2C12 myocytes, with 100% cell viability. E. undulata scored a +3 and was chosen for further analysis. Antidiabetic activity and toxicity of the plant extracts were taken into consideration when scoring was applied. Alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase results indicated that P. divaricata extract inhibited alpha-glucosidase (IC50 31.22 µg/ml) whereas E. undulata (IC50 2.80 µg/ml) and E. transvaalense (IC50 1.12 µg/ml) extracts inhibited alpha-amylase. Results obtained indicated that all four plant extracts tested have the ability to lower blood glucose levels to some extent and in different manners and therefore corroborate the ethnomedicinal use of these four species in the treatment of diabetes. Phytochemical studies of a crude acetone extract of the root bark of E. undulata var. myrtina produced a new á-amyrin-3O-β-(5-hydroxy) ferulic acid compound (1), and three known compounds; betulin (2), lupeol (3) and epicatechin (4). The chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic means. In vitro assays on C2C12 myocytes revealed that (2) (21.4%) and (4) (166.3%) were active in lowering blood glucose levels whereas (1) (IC50 4.79 µg/ml) and to a lesser extent (4) (IC50 5.86 µg/ml) and (3) (IC50 6.27 µg/ml) inhibited alpha-glucosidase. These results indicated that the crude, E. undulata acetone extract does contain compounds that display hypoglycaemic activity. The hypoglycaemic activity of four plant species including E. undulata, and the four isolated purified compounds, are reported for the first time. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Plant Science / unrestricted

From a psychological perspective there seems to be scant knowledge regarding the perceptions and beliefs of black traditional healers in South Africa about mental wellness and, consequently, also about mental illness. The aim of this qualitative study is to encapsulate the beliefs of black traditional healers in terms of four major areas, namely, definitions of mental wellness, definitions of mental illness, causes of mental illness, and approaches to promoting mental wellness. A convenience sample of black traditional healers was selected to participate in this study. Most of the participants practice in the greater Gauteng region and hold a monthly gathering in the Hammanskraal area where most of the research was conducted. There were no specific requirements in terms of age, gender, or field of specialisation. A total of 37 black traditional healers participated. A questionnaire was used to gather information on the beliefs and perceptions of the participants about mental wellness. The participants completed the questionnaires, after which the data was collected, and then analysed by means of thematic analysis. After the data had been analysed and transcribed it was returned to the participants for them to ascertain whether the interpretations were correct. The data that was interpreted showed that the black traditional healers participating in this study have very poorly developed definitions of mental wellness, as well as inadequate knowledge about Western mental health workers. The unique definition of mental illness as perceived by black traditional healers gave rise to new insights. During the research it emerged that there was a pressing need for proper training for black traditional healers in terms of what mental wellness actually is, and the functions of Western mental health workers. Also to the flipside it provides very important insights as to how mental wellness, mental illness and the management or promotion of these are perceived and approached by the black traditional healers participating in this study. / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted