Recognizing Indigenous Knowledge in Mental Health

Mental health systems in South Africa operate largely within Western biomedical models and often fail to reflect how people understand and live with psychological distress. In many communities, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), cultural practices and religious or spiritual life are central to how distress is named, explained and addressed, yet they remain marginal in policy, training and service design. This chapter examines how IKS shape meanings of mental illness, support cultural and spiritual coping, and guide movement across traditional, religious and biomedical care. Drawing on empirical research and African-centred, decolonial perspectives, it explores tensions where community-based knowledge meets institutional mental health logics and identifies two risks in current debates: treating IKS as mere background and treating it as a simple, problem-free alternative. The chapter proposes a stance of critical solidarity and outlines practical directions for policy, training, practice and research to support more equitable engagement with Indigenous Knowledge.