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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Concepts of madness in diverse settings: a qualitative study from the INTREPID project

Authors: Alex Cohen, Ramachandran Padmavati, Maia Hibben, Samuel Oyewusi, Sujit John, Oluyomi Esan, Vikram Patel, Helen Weiss, Robin Murray, Gerard Hutchinson, Oye Gureje, Rangaswamy Thara, Craig Morgan

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

In order to facilitate case identification of incident (untreated and recent onset) cases of psychosis and controls in three sites in India, Nigeria and Trinidad, we sought to understand how psychoses (or madness) were conceptualized locally. The evidence we gathered also contributes to a long history of research on concepts of madness in diverse settings.

Methods

We conducted focus group discussions and individual interviews to collect information about how informants in each site make sense of and respond to madness. A coding framework was developed and analyses of transcripts from the FGDs and interviews were conducted.

Results

Analyses suggest the following: a) disturbed behaviors are the primary sign of madness; b) madness is attributed to a wide range of causes; and, c) responses to madness are dictated by cultural and pragmatic factors. These findings are congruent with similar research that has been conducted over the past 50 years.

Conclusions

The INTREPID research suggests that concepts about madness share similar features across diverse settings: a) terms for madness are often derived from a common understanding that involves disruptions in mental processes and capacities; b) madness is recognized mostly by disruptive behaviours or marked declines in functioning; c) causal attributions are varied; and, d) help-seeking is a complex process.
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Metadata
Title
Concepts of madness in diverse settings: a qualitative study from the INTREPID project
Authors
Alex Cohen
Ramachandran Padmavati
Maia Hibben
Samuel Oyewusi
Sujit John
Oluyomi Esan
Vikram Patel
Helen Weiss
Robin Murray
Gerard Hutchinson
Oye Gureje
Rangaswamy Thara
Craig Morgan
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1090-4

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