All in good faith? An ethno-historical analysis of local faith actors’ involvement in the delivery of mental health interventions in northern Uganda

Storer, Liz and Torre, Costanza (2023) All in good faith? An ethno-historical analysis of local faith actors’ involvement in the delivery of mental health interventions in northern Uganda. Transcultural Psychiatry, 60 (3). 508 - 520. ISSN 1363-4615

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Abstract

Faith actors have become increasingly significant in the field of global mental health, through their inclusion in the delivery of psychosocial support in humanitarian settings. This inclusion remains empirically underexplored. We explore historical and contemporary activities of local faith actors in responding to mental disquiet in northern Uganda. Given pre-existing roles, we question what it means when humanitarians draw on faith actors to deliver mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in conflict-affected settings. We argue for a recognition of faith actors as agents operating within a therapeutic marketplace, which on occasion links suffering to social inequality and exclusion. We show, moreover, that the formal inclusion of Christian actors within MHPSS may not equate to the enforcement of rights-based values at the core of international ideas of protection.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://journals.sagepub.com/home/TPS
Additional Information:	© 2023 The Authors
Divisions:	?? FLIA ??
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion
Date Deposited:	05 Jan 2023 13:45
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2024 03:30
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/117723

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