Cultural Aspect of Schizophrenia in Indonesia
Cultural Aspects include beliefs, values, behaviors, norms and social customs of people in Indonesia and how those things affect the treatment of people with schizophrenia.
​
Evidence indicates that the culture of Indonesia affects the treatment of those with schizophrenia in the following major ways:
1.) Religious beliefs
2.) Historical Roots of the Schizophrenia & the Stigma attached
3.) Overall lack of knowledge about mental health
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
Despite the diversity in types of communities in Indonesia, the most recognized culture is the Muslim culture. The Muslim culture practices the Islamic religion. (Cunningham, 2017) The Islamic people believe in the prophet Muhammad and follow the text of the Qur'an. They follow five main branches of this religion: one God, routine praying at specific times throughout the day, religious tax, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage which includes making the trip to mecca at least one in their lifetime. (Muslims- International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2016)
​
The people of Indonesia often believe that Schizophrenia is caused by stress, black magic, or the possession by evil spirits. Because of this belief the people do not often go to a medical doctor. Not only due to the lack of access to psychiatrists in the area, but because they will see a faith healer, shamans, or even a medium to be rid them of the evil spirits that is causing the schizophrenic episodes. (Cunningham, 2017) Sometimes these practices of healing include jumping in and out of the mud several times to release the demons. (Viet, 2013)
​
A specific spirit believed by the Islamic people is "jinn." Jinn is a creature depicted in Islamic mythology. Jinn is described as a devilish invisible creature made up of smokeless fire. He is a creature that is known to harm humans or even drive them mad. Many Islamic families will blame the hallucinations that come along with schizophrenia on Jinn. (Gholipour, 2014)
​
HISTORICAL ROOTS AND STIGMA
One main belief on culture in Indonesia is the value they place on what others think of you and your family. This is the main reason the treatment of schizophrenia is more so a shunning of the person involved because they don't want others to see the family member suffering. They basically lock the mental health patient away, this can be in their own back yard or sometimes in state run organizations. (Schonhardt, 2011)
​
The stigma attached to mental illness in Indonesia is that the person with the mental illness is "crazy" and "possessed". The family and their surrounding neighbors don't want to see that, so they will lock the family member away. (Viet, 2013)
​
The person can also be chained up and sent away even if the neighbors claim them to be crazy with not much proof. (Viet, 2013) This relates to the importance of what others think of you and your family. Instead of the family sticking up for the health of the one with the mental illness they will just lock them up or sent them away because their neighbors say they should be.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
A huge deficit the people of Indonesia face is lack of knowledge of mental health. Many families are unaware that there are modern day treatments of schizophrenia. (Natahadirbrata, 2013) They don't know what many people in modernized countries live with schizophrenia and manage to live a normal lifestyle. There are medications that can help with the schizophrenic episodes and hallucinations.
​
There is a lack of knowledge about mental health that leads to the poor treatment of those with mental health diseases. For some families the logical choice to to lock up the family member and even declare them dead. (Viet, 2013)
ETHICS & CULTURE
Ethics has to do with the rightness and wrongness or justice of actions. two ethical imperatives involve "first, do no harm" and "second, do good".
​
Ethical issues related to culture and Schizophrenia in Indonesia are:
1.) Overall treatment
2.) Depriving the person of medical healing services
OVERALL TREATMENT
DEPRIVATION OF MEDICAL HEALING
Another ethical problem with the treatment of those with schizophrenia in Indonesia is that schizophrenia is a mental health condition that is easily manage able with the right therapy and medication. By locking these people up their own families are depriving them of proper medical treatment and causing more medical problems.
Most people once unshackled by their families or government officials are never fully recovered from the traumatic experiences. Some reports show victims unable to speak, and suffering from muscle atrophy. (Natahdirbrata, 2013). This proves that this treatment solution believed by the culture of Indonesia is not doing good and is doing a lot of harm.
The overall treatment of those with schizophrenia is the main ethical problem. The mentally ill community member is usually what is called "shackled". This consists of chaining, or locking up the person in a small room or up against something like a tree or a fence. The person is deprived of food and is expected to execute all bodily functions in this area. People can be chained up from anywhere between months to years. (Lomas, 2016)
There isn't much logic behind this unethical treatment, which is the problem. These conditions usually don't help the person with their schizophrenia its a means of not having to deal with the person. Through this type of treatment they are causing more harm than good to the one suffering from schizophrenia.
SOURCES
Cunningham , C. E. (n.d.). Indonesia. Retrieved October 09, 2017, from http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-
It/Indonesia.html
Indonesian Culture by World Culture Festival (WCF). (2016, February 29). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPRE3CtN6N4
"Muslims." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. . Retrieved October 08, 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/muslims
Working to Help Indonesians Understand Schizophrenia. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2017, from http://jakartaglobe.id/features/working-to-help-indonesians-understand-schizophrenia/
Viet, S. (2013, August 1). A Life with Schizophrenia in Indonesia. "Im not Cursed". Retrieved October 09, 2017, from http://www.rug.nl/research/globalisation-studies-groningen/news/schizophrenia
(n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2017, from http://global-disease-burden.healthgrove.com/l/58122/Schizophrenia-in-Indonesia
Schonhardt, S. (2011, September 1). Indonesia: Mentally ill still live in chains. Retrieved October 09, 2017, from https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-09-13/indonesia-mentally-ill-still-live-chains
Natahadibrata, N. (2013, August 1). Schizophrenic patients go untreated. Retrieved October 09, 2017, from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/08/01/schizophrenic-patients-go-untreated.html
(n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.google.com/search?q=indonesian%2Bflag&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxw5b4oPbWAhVI4GMKHQuwCMYQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=734#imgrc=sLJnd-yUvAWGVM:
Lomas , C. (2016, March 23). Indonesias mentally ill abused and stigmatized | Asia | DW | 23.03.2016. Retrieved October 09, 2017, from http://www.dw.com/en/indonesias-mentally-ill-abused-and-stigmatized/a-19135569
Gholipour, B. (2014, August 15). Supernatural Jinn Seen as Cause of Mental Illness Among Muslims. Retrieved October 09, 2017, from https://www.livescience.com/47394-supernatural-jinn-mental-illness-islam.html
Widianto, S. (2016, April 14). Pasung Is the Indonesian Practice of Shackling and Imprisoning the Mentally Ill. Retrieved October 09, 2017, from https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/nnknx8/pasung-indonesian-shackling-imprisoning-suffering-mental-illness-schizophrenia
INDONESIAN CULTURE VIDEO
