Review by Choice Review
Modern psychiatry in Africa is a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to European colonization, medicine men or religious leaders were responsible for the psychic health of the community and treated individual maladies. The colonists considered mental illness a threat to society; the infirmed were detained and confined in asylums where treatment was often questionable. In the 1950s the first institution offering modern psychiatric treatment wherein African culture and realities were considered was developed and served as a model for subsequent psychiatric projects in Africa. Today, most African people rely on traditional methods or a combination of Western and traditional treatments for psychiatric disease. This bibliography presents more than 900 clearly written entries which include books, articles, and area studies that consider the various types of psychotherapy available on the African continent. However, materials come from relatively few areas and many authors appear repeatedly. Arranged in a single alphabet, the bibliography has a very brief glossary, and two indexes: subject, and geographic and ethnic group. Useful to those seeking to initiate research, as well as those involved in ethnopsychiatric research. C. Snelling; Chicago State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review