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Mental Illness Among Bhutanese Shamans in Nepal
Abstract
Despite efforts to promote traditional medicine, allopathic practitioners often look with distrust at traditional practices. Shamans in particular are often regarded with ambivalence and have been considered mentally ill people. We tested the hypothesis that shamanism is an expression of psychopathology. In the Bhutanese refugee community in Nepal, a community with a high number of shamans, we surveyed a representative community sample of 810 adults and assessed ICD-10 mental disorders through structured diagnostic interviews. Approximately 7% of male refugees and 0.5% of female refugees reported being shamans. After controlling for demographic differences, the shamans did not differ from the comparison group in terms of 12-month and lifetime ICD-10 severe depressive episode, specific phobia, persistent somatoform pain, posttraumatic stress, generalized anxiety, or dissociative disorders. This first-ever, community-based, psychiatric epidemiological survey among shamans indicated no evidence that shamanism is an expression of psychopathology. The study's finding may assist in rectifying shamans' reputation, which has been tainted by past speculation of psychopathology.
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Self-reported shamans (N = 42) did not differ significantly from other Bhutanese refugees (N = 532) over the past 12 months and lifetime in terms of major depressive episode, specific phobia, persistent somatoform pain, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, or dissociative disorders.
“The results indicated that these self-reported shamans (N = 42) did not differ significantly from the other Bhutanese refugees (N = 532) over the past 12 months and lifetime in terms of major depressive episode, specific phobia, persistent somatoform pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, or dissociative disorders [16].”
From Scoping review on shamanistic trances practices (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
The absence of neurophysiological signs tends to invalidate certain hypotheses that shamanic trance is a neurotic or psychotic state.
“which tends to invalidate certain hypotheses that shamanic trance is a neurotic or psychotic state [16].”
From Scoping review on shamanistic trances practices (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
Studies tend to invalidate any presence of psychiatric pathologies among shamans.
“studies tend to invalidate any presence of psychiatric pathologies among shamans [16, 51, 60, 62, 75, 76, 78–80, 82].”
From Scoping review on shamanistic trances practices (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
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Research works printed but not linked: 11
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- Krippner, 2002, Conflicting perspectives on shamans and shamanism: Points and counterpoints., Am Psychol, 57, 962, 10.1037/0003-066X.57.11.962 · DOI
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Blackmore, R., Boyle, J. A., Fazel, M., Ranasinha, S., Gray, K. M., Fitzgerald, G., Misso, M., & Gibson-Helm, M. (2020) · PLOS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003337 · Cited by 949
Moreira-Almeida, A., & Cardeña, E. (2011) · Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria · doi:10.1590/s1516-44462011000500004 · Cited by 80
Self-citationScoping review on shamanistic trances practices
Marie, N., Lafon, Y., Bicego, A., Grégoire, C., Rousseaux, F., Bioy, A., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., & Gosseries, O. (2024) · BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies · doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04678-w · Cited by 21
“…42) did not differ significantly from the other Bhutanese refugees ( N = 532) over the past 12 months and lifetime in terms of major depressive episode, specific phobia, persistent somatoform pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, or dissociative disorders [16].”
BackgroundA participatory research study to explore the healing potential of children’s anomalous experiences
Thomas, D. (2022) · EXPLORE · doi:10.1016/j.explore.2021.08.012 · Cited by 11
Metadata
- Authors
- van Ommeren, M., Komproe, I., Cardeña, E., Thapa, S. B., Prasain, D., de Jong, J. T. V. M., & Sharma, B.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- van Ommeren, Mark
- Komproe, Ivan
- de Jong, Joop T. V. M.
- Venue
- Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease
- Published
- 2004-04
- Volume
- 192
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 313-317
- ISSN
- 0022-3018 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2051909308
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- shamanism, Bhutanese refugees, mental illness, psychopathology, traditional medicine, stigma, depressive episodes, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatoform pain, dissociative disorders, specific phobia
- MeSH terms
- Mental Disorders, Bhutan, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nepal, Population Surveillance, Refugees, Severity of Illness Index, Shamanism, International Classification of Diseases
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