{"id":4957,"date":"2025-06-19T22:23:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T22:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ijssass.com\/journal\/dreams-as-a-diagnostic-and-treatment-tool-in-mental-health-care-practice-by-traditional-healthcare-practitioners-an-afrocentric-perspective\/"},"modified":"2025-06-20T03:20:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T03:20:45","slug":"dreams-as-a-diagnostic-and-treatment-tool-in-mental-health-care-practice-by-traditional-healthcare-practitioners-an-afrocentric-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ijssass.com\/journal\/dreams-as-a-diagnostic-and-treatment-tool-in-mental-health-care-practice-by-traditional-healthcare-practitioners-an-afrocentric-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreams as a Diagnostic and Treatment Tool in Mental Health Care Practice by Traditional Healthcare Practitioners: An Afrocentric Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This article was originally published as: <strong>Dreams as a Diagnostic and Treatment Tool in Mental Health Care Practice by Traditional Healthcare Practitioners: An Afrocentric Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Original Article Link: <a href='https:\/\/journals.dut.ac.za\/index.php\/ajims\/article\/view\/1322' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Read Original Article<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Download PDF: <a href='https:\/\/journals.dut.ac.za\/index.php\/ajims\/article\/view\/1322\/1065' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Click Here to Download PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Abstract<\/h2>\n<p>In sub-Saharan Africa dreams are often used to forecast future events and believed to be a conduit between the natural and supernatural dimensions of the social world. However, the role of dreams in the area of traditional healthcare practice in an African setting is mostly under-researched. This article presents an embryonic conceptual model of dreams within the diagnostic and treatment process in mental healthcare practice from an Afrocentric perspective. Evidence from semi-structured interviews with traditional healthcare practitioners (THPs) were analysed using a qualitative cultural lens is provided which reveals the role of dreams within traditional diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Specifically, THPs often rely on God and their ancestors to convey messages to the practitioner which, in turn, influence the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. The mediating factor for the use of dreams by THPs in the diagnostic and treatment process is conceptualized as a form of symbolic interpretation. These findings are relevant within the sub-Saharan African context because as many as 80% of Africans consult with THPs and so an indigenous mental healthcare diagnostic and treatment model may serve to complement the current armamentarium of treatment regimens.<\/p>\n<h2>Authors<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Nare Masola (Sefako Makgato Health Sciences University, South Africa)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Keywords<\/h2>\n<p>culture, diagnostic tools, dreams, symbolic interpretation<\/p>\n<h2>References<\/h2>\n<p>References not available for this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article was originally published as: Dreams as a Diagnostic and Treatment Tool in Mental Health Care Practice by Traditional&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[2153,1297,1298,1299,1300],"class_list":["post-4957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-ajims","tag-culture","tag-diagnostic-tools","tag-dreams","tag-symbolic-interpretation","wpcat-124-id"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - 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