Page 62 - JCBP-2-2

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Cultural coping for PTSD among amaXhosa

can compromise the survivor’s well-being, posing a threat Participants perceived traumatic experiences as being
to their psychological, emotional, and physical health, caused by spiritual factors, aligning with beliefs common
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prolonging the symptoms of PTSD. in African cultures. 16-18 Coping strategies included
Christian religious practices, consultation with a sangoma
3.7. Key findings from interviews and FGDs (traditional healer), and social support. Notably, while
The gathered data has revealed the significant reliance of both interviewees and FGD participants engaged in
amaXhosa participants on culturally informed practices culturally informed practices, Christian religious beliefs
for addressing PTSD symptoms. Both the interview and were more prominent among interviewees. This difference
FGD participants understood traumatic symptoms from could be attributed to the nature of questions asked during
a spiritual viewpoint with emphasis on the dead spirit. the interviews compared to FGDs.
While some individuals explained their symptoms as The study’s findings support existing literature 19-21 on
naturally occurring and expected to disappear after a the role of Christian religious practices in treating PTSD
period of time, they nevertheless adhered to practices symptoms. Participants believed that prayers facilitated
specific to their culture. A summary of the main findings communication with a higher power and helped cope
drawn from the interviews and FGDs is presented in with emotional distress. Similarly, the consultation with
Table 2.
a sangoma and engagement in indigenous rituals were
4. Discussion considered effective coping strategies. The high regard
for traditional healers among amaXhosa participants
The study explored culturally informed treatment aligns with previous research indicating a preference for
strategies for PTSD adopted by amaXhosa participants in traditional healing over biomedical treatments in African
the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The research contexts. 10,22
question addressed in this study is “How do culturally
informed coping strategies influence the treatment of Social support emerged as another culturally informed
PTSD symptoms amongst members of the amaXhosa treatment strategy, consistent with universal practices.
culture in Gqeberha, South Africa?” The findings from Family and friends provided care, financial support,
interviews and FGDs revealed common interpretations of encouragement, and advice, facilitating the healing
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PTSD symptoms and demonstrated culturally informed process. Importantly, participants combined multiple
coping strategies. beliefs and practices, considering them a holistic approach
to treatment. This integration of beliefs and practices
reflects the cultural influence on coping strategies for
Table 2. Summary of findings from the interviews and FGDs PTSD.

Interviews FGDs The findings of this study align with previous
research, 3,4,9,10 highlighting the role of culturally informed
(i) Perception of traumatic (i) Perception of trauma symptoms
symptoms coping strategies in treating PTSD symptoms. The study
(a) Natural and expected (a) Spirits (i.e., black clouds corroborates the perceived effectiveness of Christian
and spirit of the dead) religious practices, traditional healing, and social support
(b) Spiritual causes (i.e., in African contexts. However, the emphasis on integrating
ancestral spirits and spirits multiple beliefs and practices distinguishes this study,
of the dead) emphasizing the holistic nature of treatment among
(ii) Coping with Symptoms of (ii) Coping with symptoms of amaXhosa participants.
PTSDs PTSDs The study’s limitations include its purely qualitative
(a) Christian religious (a) Consulting a sangoma nature, non-probability sampling, small and non-
practices (i.e., prayers) representative sampling size, and potential participant
(b) Culturally informed (b) Social support biases. The inclusion of university students for interviews
practices (i.e., impepho)
(c) Social support and FGDs may limit generalizability. In addition, the study
did not fully evaluate the protective effects of psychotherapy
(iii) Various complementary and counseling interventions, warranting further research.
practices
(a) Merging Christian religious The study provides valuable insights into culturally
and culturally informed practices informed coping strategies for PTSD among amaXhosa
Abbreviations: PTSD: Posttraumatic stress disorder; FGD: Focus group participants. The findings highlight the significance of
discussion. integrating multiple beliefs and practices in treatment

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcbp.2889