Still Standing Inside: A Local Idiom Related to Trauma among Namibian Speakers of Khoekhoegowab

Milena Claudius, Elizabeth N. Shino, Sylvanus Job, Daniel Hofmann and Amber Gayle Thalmayer ()
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Milena Claudius: Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Elizabeth N. Shino: Department of Psychology and Social Work, Faculty of Health Sciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10026, Namibia
Sylvanus Job: Department of Humanities and Arts, Faculty of Education & Human Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek 10026, Namibia
Daniel Hofmann: Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
Amber Gayle Thalmayer: Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-26

Abstract: Euro-centric psychiatric conceptualizations often ignore the interplay of local with universal factors in psychological suffering. Emic, locally focused perspectives can enrich etic knowledge to provide culturally sensitive care and to better elucidate the role of culture in mental illness. This study explored the idiom Tsûsa ǃNaeǃkhais xa hâǃnâ/mâǃnâ/ǂgâǃnâhe hâ (a terrible event has entered a person and remains standing inside), which was understood to relate to experiences of trauma and post-traumatic stress, among speakers of Khoekhoegowab, a southern-African click language. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants from six urban and rural communities in Namibia. Questions probed perceptions of the idiom in terms of etiology, course, and risk and resilience factors from a socio-ecological framework. Five key themes were identified using thematic analysis: origin in a shocking event; intrusive recurrence of memories, “it keeps on coming back”; the close interplay between mental and physical suffering; the importance of active engagement in healing through prayer and acceptance; and the role of the community in both alleviating and amplifying distress. Our findings highlight local norms and strategies for adaptive coping, and the benefits of exploring local idioms to elucidate the braiding together of universal and cultural elements in psychological distress.

Keywords: idioms of distress; trauma; PTSD; Africa; Namibia; cross-cultural psychology; culture; Khoekhoegowab; cultural concepts of distress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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