25/04/2019
The Picture of Psychosis among the Yorubas of Nigeria
Introduction
Yoruba people are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa, and they speak the Yoruba language. The Yoruba constitute approximately 35 percent of Nigeria’s total population, and around 40 million individuals throughout the region of West Africa (Yoruba People, 2018).
While the majority of the Yoruba live in western Nigeria, there are also substantial indigenous Yoruba communities in Benin, Ghana, Togo and the Caribbean (Yoruba People, 2018).
The Yorubas are the main ethnic group in the states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo, which are subdivisions of Nigeria; they also constitute a sizable proportion of Kwara and Kogi States as well as Edo State in Nigeria (Yoruba People, 2018).
Taxonomy
Classifications based on symptomatic expression
'Were' is a Yoruba word for describing all forms of Psychosis. Its use is known to be derogatory. However, it also affords taxonomy where the various forms of Psychosis can be qualified and described. For instance, “ako were” implies a severe psychosis. The 'ako' part of it connotes male gender. The opposite of this is “abo were”, which implies a milder course of psychosis. Other form of classification includes, “were digbolugi”, which would mean a violent psychotic patient. When psychosis is so mild that the patient is not vagrant and live under the same roof with the relatives and dress decently but has subtle awkward or abnormal behaviours, such patients are referred to as “were alaso”. This stems from the general beliefs among the Yorubas that a typical or severe psychotic patient always walks around naked or half naked. But this type dress well and decently.
Classifications based on aetiology
Jegede (2005) has also discussed the concepts of; “Were Amutorunwa” (Psychosis that one is born with and brought from the world beyond or heaven); “Were Iran” (Psychosis of hereditary origin); and “Were Afise” (Psychosis inflicted on another through supernatural means by a second or third party). These concepts focused on perceived aetiologies of the psychosis (Jegede, 2005).
Also well known among Yorubas is “Were warapa” (Psychosis known to be associated with Epilepsy). This is also a classification based on perceived aetiology.
Yoruba Expressions and Psychosis
Omo ikoko kii ya were bi o ni owo aye ninu (An infant does not express psychotic symptoms except he/she is afflicted by supernatural)
This is a common saying among the Yorubas. However, it has been well documented that language development is tie to onset of psychosis (Crow, 2008). Since, an infant lack language capacity, the possibility of psychosis is nearly impossible with an infant and has no connection with the supernatural.
Were dun wo l'oja, ko se bi l'omo (It may be entertaining to witness the comic of a psychotic patient in the market square, but no one wish the psychotic patient to be his/her relative)
This is to illustrate the fact that psychotic patients are not in touch with reality. So, their utterances arising from their thought process and their actions may be making the market women and men to laugh because the behaviours are probably strange. What is oblivious to a lay man in the market square is the fact that abnormal perceptions and beliefs of such patients gave rise to their odd behaviours. So, the onlookers actually pray to God or any other deity they believe in not to have such a person as relative or be the one to be afflicted with the same condition. Most often times, Yorubas culturally believe that psychosis often arise due to supernatural reasons and they feel the only means of cure is also supernatural (Olugbile et al, 2009; Atilola & Olayiwola, 2013). They believe that other people perceived to be wicked can inflict another person with psychosis (Jegede, 2005).
Pasan ni oko were (A cane has a calming effect on psychotic symptoms)
Yorubas believe that using cane on psychotic patients has a calming effect on psychotic symptoms. It is therefore not uncommon for traditional healers in Yoruba land claiming to be healing psychotic patients to carry so many canes around to beat these patients who are already in humiliating state of being chained to the ground, usually with iron chains quite often. They believe cane is useful in achieving remission especially for the violent psychotic patients (were digbolugi) as earlier described under the taxonomy.
References:
Atilola, O, Olayiwola, F (2013). Frames of mental illness in the Yoruba genre of Nigerian movies: Implications for orthodox mental health care; Transcultural Psychiatry; 50 (3): 442 – 454.
Crow T.J (2008). The 'big bang' theory of the origin of psychosis and the faculty of language; Schizophr Res.;102(1-3):31-52.
Jegede, A.S (2005). The Notion of ‘Were’ in Yoruba Conception of Mental Illness; Nordic Journal of African Studies 14(1): 117–126.
Olugbile O, Zachariah MP, Kuyinu A, Coker A, Ojo O, Isichei B (2009). Yoruba world view and the nature of psychotic illness; Afr J Psychiatry (Johannesbg).;12(2):149-56.
Yoruba People - https://www.cometonigeria.com/about-nigeria/nigerian-people-culture/yoruba-people/ (Accessed 3/10/2018).
