Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26359753›Full record

ReviewThe lancet. Psychiatry2015

The role of global traditional and complementary systems of medicine in the treatment of mental health disorders.

Oye Gureje, Gareth Nortje, Victor Makanjuola, Bibilola D Oladeji, Soraya Seedat, Rachel Jenkins

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in The lancet. Psychiatry, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 121 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
121citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

121 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  8. A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Cultural and Contextual Factors on Autism Across the Globe.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2020
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  13. Real-world comprehensive care of people living with schizophrenia: recommendations across different settings and clinical stages.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2026
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  16. What does the profile of psychosis in Africa tell us?Neuropsychiatrie : Klinik, Diagnostik, Therapie und Rehabilitation : Organ der Gesellschaft Osterreichischer Nervenarzte und Psychiater · 2026
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61 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Oye GurejeDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic address: ogureje@comui.edu.ng.
Gareth NortjeDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Victor MakanjuolaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Bibilola D OladejiDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Soraya SeedatDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Rachel JenkinsHealth Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK.

Funding

Research Component - Partnerships for Mental Health Development in Sub-Saharan Africa U19MH098718 · NIMH · COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN · PI GUREJE, OYEWUSI · 2012 to 2016
$2.6M
NIMH NIH HHS U19 MH098718
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Traditional and complementary systems of medicine include a broad range of practices, which are commonly embedded in cultural milieus and reflect community beliefs, experiences, religion, and spirituality. Two major components of this system are discernible: complementary alternative medicine and traditional medicine, with different clientele and correlates of patronage. Evidence from around the world suggests that a traditional or complementary system of medicine is commonly used by a large number of people with mental illness. Practitioners of traditional medicine in low-income and middle-income countries fill a major gap in mental health service delivery. Although some overlap exists in the diagnostic approaches of traditional and complementary systems of medicine and conventional biomedicine, some major differences exist, largely in the understanding of the nature and cause of mental disorders. Treatments used by providers of traditional and complementary systems of medicine, especially traditional and faith healers in low-income and middle-income countries, might sometimes fail to meet widespread understandings of human rights and humane care. Nevertheless, collaborative engagement between traditional and complementary systems of medicine and conventional biomedicine might be possible in the care of people with mental illness. The best model to bring about that collaboration will need to be established by the needs of the extant mental health system in a country. Research is needed to provide an empirical basis for the feasibility of such collaboration, to clearly delineate its boundaries, and to test its effectiveness in bringing about improved patient outcomes.

Indexed as

Complementary TherapiesGlobal HealthMedicine, TraditionalHumansMental Disorders

Identifiers

PMID26359753
PMCPMC4456435

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.