Communalistic use of psychoactive plants as a bridge between traditional healing practices and Western medicine: A new path for the Global Mental Health movement
The paper argues that communal traditional rituals involving psychoactive plants should be recognised, protected and integrated as complementary, community-level mental health interventions within the Global Mental Health movement because they foster social engagement, respect local meaning-making and are relatively affordable. The authors further contend that biomedical explanations and recent clinical trials support their therapeutic potential, so international practitioners and advocates should consider these practices alongside conventional treatments.
Authors
- Gonzalo Ona
- José Carlos Bouso
Published
Abstract
The Global Mental Health (GMH) movement aims to provide urgently needed treatment to those with mental illness, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Due to the complexity of providing mental health services to people from various cultures, there is much debate among GMH advocates regarding the best way to proceed. While biomedical interventions offer some degree of help, complementary approaches should focus on the social/community aspects. Many cultures conduct traditional rituals involving the communal use of psychoactive plants. We propose that these practices should be respected, protected, and promoted as valuable tools with regard to mental health care at the community level. The traditional use of psychoactive plants promotes community engagement and participation, and they are relatively affordable. Furthermore, the worldviews and meaning-making systems of local population are respected. The medical systems surrounding the use of psychoactive plants can be explained in biomedical terms, and many recently published clinical trials have demonstrated their therapeutic potential. Psychoactive plants and associated rituals offer potential benefits as complementary aspects of mental health services. They should be considered as such by international practitioners and advocates of the GMH movement.
Research Summary of 'Communalistic use of psychoactive plants as a bridge between traditional healing practices and Western medicine: A new path for the Global Mental Health movement'
Introduction
The paper situates itself within debates about the Global Mental Health (GMH) movement, which seeks to expand access to evidence- and human rights-based treatments for people with mental disorders, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ona and colleagues note longstanding criticisms of GMH: its predominantly biomedical orientation, potential medicalisation, limited cross-cultural validity of diagnostic categories, and the tendency for Western interventions to marginalise traditional healing practices. The authors highlight that traditional rituals involving communal use of psychoactive plants have organised medical systems and social functions but have often been stigmatised or constrained by drug policy. Against this background, the article aims to offer a theoretical argument for recognising, protecting, and promoting traditional communal uses of psychoactive plants as complementary components of mental health care. Drawing on recent clinical and preclinical findings in the psychedelic field and the authors' own prior publications and fieldwork, the paper proposes that these communal practices can strengthen community engagement, respect local worldviews, and potentially be integrated with biomedical approaches in GMH efforts. The discussion is presented as timely given renewed interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies in high-income countries and persistent treatment gaps globally.
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Study Details
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- APA Citation
Ona, G., Berrada, A., & Bouso, J. C. (2022). Communalistic use of psychoactive plants as a bridge between traditional healing practices and Western medicine: A new path for the Global Mental Health movement. Transcultural Psychiatry, 59(5), 638-651. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634615211038416
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