Mexican Traditional Medicine Practitioner Process in Mental Health Healing

This presentation will examine the Mexican Traditional Medicine (MTM) practitioner use of traditional healing remedies in the care of Mexican-Americans with mental health ailments. The research question to be answered is: “What is the process for MTM practitioners who treat Mexican-Americans with mental health ailments?” Initial desciptions of these practitioner interactions in mental health was completed by Kiev in the 1960s, however, no current qualitative studies have addressed these practitioner treatments of mental health ailments. In general, MTM is intended to balance mind, body and spirit. Several recent studies have addressed the general benefits of Mexican Traditional Medicine. Across current case studies, however, the practice related to the full spectrum of mental health ailments is not described. Research of the MTM process for diagnosing and treating mental health ailments, as well as discerning progressive signs of change is needed. This study will interview these practitioners to describe substantive data of this practice. Themes developed in areas of practitioner preparation, diagnosis, treatment, evaluation and "mental health" as a concept will be discussed. This research develops an understanding of the MTM process in treating mental health ailments in the Mexican-American vulnerable population. The World Health Organization, Healthy People 2020 and Healthy Borders 2020 emphasize the need to address cultural mental health issues and to utilize indigenous traditional practitioners to address the growing mental health issues affecting the world's cultures. Nursing, at the forefront of culturally competent care and treatment for minorities utilizing bio-psycho-social models make nurses uniquely able to generate this research.