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Views of mental illness and mental health care in Thailand: a report of an ethnographic study
Author(s) -
BURNARD P.,
NAIYAPATANA W.,
LLOYD G.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1365-2850
pISSN - 1351-0126
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2006.01028.x
Subject(s) - mental health , karma , buddhism , mental illness , ethnography , conversation , mentally ill , psychology , nursing , participant observation , health care , psychiatry , medicine , sociology , social science , philosophy , theology , communication , anthropology , economics , economic growth
This paper reports some of the findings of an ethnographic study carried out in Thailand over a 2‐year period. Interviews were conducted with three clinical nurses, three student nurses, 14 nurse educators, one psychiatrist, one Buddhist monk and two lay people ( n = 24) about their views of mental health and mental health care in Thailand. Data (comprising field notes and interview transcripts) were analysed with the aid of Atlas.ti. Data were also collected through observation and conversation. This paper reports only the findings from the interviews. Findings emerged under the following headings: Causes of mental illness; Status of the mentally ill; Karma; Merit making; Kwan ; Treatment and care; Reasons for becoming a mental health nurse. A range of causes, including the effects of ghosts and spirits, were identified under the first heading. The stigma of mental illness was noted under the second. Karma and merit making are Buddhist concepts and were discussed by many respondents as was the animist concept of kwan . Treatment and care seemed to include both ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ approaches. These findings are discussed and some tentative ‘rules’ that appear to exist within the culture are mooted. The study is descriptive in nature and the findings cannot be generalized; however, it is hoped that they go some way to illuminate aspects of Thai culture as they relate to the mental health and mental health nursing fields.