Maori and Mental Illness Kodie Rosten 11/17/05 New Zealand s

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Maori and Mental Illness

• Kodie Rosten
• 11/17/05

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New Zealands history of health and the mentally
ill

• After the founding of the colony there were no
  special provisions for the mentally ill. If they
  had no relatives to care for them, or if they
  were too great a problem to their family, they
  were put in prison. They were not treated any
  different than the true criminals.
• It took the Governmental systems a long time to
  make adequate provisions for the mentally ill.
• In 1853, asylums were put in to place in Auckland
  and Wellington, and were largely financed by the
  public. There was definite evidence of unskilled
  medical treatment at the various asylums. Dr.
  Duncan MacGregor was constantly urging
  Governments to increase the accommodations
  available. In 1897, he said that the asylums
  terrible conditions were due to overcrowding.

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Details of the private hospitals, with numbers of
licensed beds on the 31st of March, 1965
http//www.teara.govt.nz/1966/M/MedicalServices/Ho
spitals/en
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More History

• In 1911, the Mental Defectives Act instituted
  that there should be improved classifying of the
  mentally ill and improved methods of treatment.
  The words insane and lunatic were rejected.
• A general attitude towards the mentally ill has
  improved over the years. The present mental
  hospitals have been largely developed and
  restraints are minimal, and there is a major
  emphasis on treatment, rehabilitation, and
  development of abilities and assets. In addition
  to qualified nursing staff, there are
  occupational therapists, social workers, clinical
  psychologists, and recreation officers who have
  been implementing therapeutic services for the
  past 30 years.
• Psychiatric wards have been established in public
  hospitals as part of the general hospital
  services.

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Maori

• A study was done on Maori patients in mental
  hospitals by the department of Health (Foster,
  1962).
• Found that there was an increase of Maori
  entering psychiatric wards.
• A higher proportion of Maoris were diagnosed with
  schizophrenia, manic, or mentally deficient
  disorders than non-Maori patients.
• It is questionable as to why
• More incidents
• More willingness to seek professional help
• Decrease in community tolerance

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Maori

• Doctors and staff of mental wards are
  predominately Pakeha.
• Diagnosis may be misunderstood due to cultural
  differences
• Behavior diagnosis in fitting certain clinical
  syndromes could have another meaning according to
  Maori contexts.
• Maori mortality may be due to environmental
  factors such as poor housing and sanitation,
  overcrowding, and living where there is limited
  medical services.

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Cultural Explanations

• When the cause of illness is not understood or
  the medical treatment was unsuccessful, the
  Maoris diagnose the mate (Maori sickness) to
  mystical causes which is only curable by Maori
  methods.
• The Causes of sickness is either hara
  (wrong-doing) or makutu (sorcery).

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Sorcery

• It has much power and the Maori fear it.
• Talking about it is wrong and evil and can be
  dangerous.
• How to cure it
• Once the creator of the sorcery is found and the
  cause is known sorcery can then be dealt with.
• If the victim has high mana (spiritual power),
  then that will automatically repulse the sorcery.
• Remove themselves to a safe distance for sorcerer
• Consult a Christian Minister or tohunga.
• When countering the opponent, the sorcery will
  return to the creator of it and its illness and
  death will be interpreted as proof of guilt.

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Tohunga

• Widely known as having extra-ordinary knowledge
  and powers to diagnose, heal, or inflict disease
  or illness. They possess clear prophetic and
  healing gifts.
• There are only about 2-3 in most tribal areas.
• They possess their gifts through ancestral lines
  and learn instruction from older Tohungas and
  they also develop their own variations of
  practice.
• They heal by faith in a supreme God

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Continued Tohunga

• They are highly effective in healing mental
  illness
• The doctors know to send the Maori people to the
  Tohunga and the Tohungas know to send Maoris to
  the doctors for purely medical conditions.
• Tohunga is seen as opposing Christian ministers,
  but Maori see them as related.
• They are now seen as psychologists and religious
  counselors with an advantage of speaking Maori
  and sharing their beliefs and values.

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References

• Hicker, R. (2005). Stock Photos. Retrieved
  November 16, 2005, from http//www.hickerphoto.co
  m/catalog.jsp.
• Metge, J. (1967). The Maoris of New Zealand
  Rautahi. London Routledge Kegan Paul.
• Oliver, W. H., Williams, B. R. (Eds.). (1981).
  The Oxford History of New Zealand. New York The
  Oxford University Press.
• McLintock, A. H. (Ed.). (1966). Medical Services
  Hospitals, Mental. Retrieved November 15, 2005,
  from http// www. teara.govt.
• nz/19 66/M/MedicalServices/HospitalsMental/en.
• Pictures of New Zealand. (2000). Retrieved
  November 16, 2005, from http//www.history-nz.org
  /nzpic/pic1.html.
• Royal, T. A. C.(2005, July 11). 'Maori' Te Ara -
  the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved
  November 15, 2005, from http//www.teara
  .govt.nz/NewZealandInBrief/Maori/en