Yuta (Shaman) and Community Mental Health on Okinawa

Koichi Naka, Seijun Toguchi, Toshihiro Takaishi, Hiroshi Ishizu and Yuji Sasaki
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Koichi Naka: Department, of Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Seijun Toguchi: Okinawa Christian Junior College
Toshihiro Takaishi: Motobu Kinen Hospital
Hiroshi Ishizu: Department of Mental health, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus
Yuji Sasaki: Tokyo Metropolitan Mental Health Centre

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 1985, vol. 31, issue 4, 267-273

Abstract: This study reports on the relations between the yuta (shaman) and the community mental health activities on Okinawa, Japan. Focus is on the process of initiation of the yuta and its mean ings from the mental health viewpoints,the functions of the yuta in the particular cultural background of the island, and the importance of admitting the existence of the yuta in its relations to the psychiatric treatment in a mental hospital. The discussion is based on the authors' research findings which were obtained mostly through their therapeutic activities and their field studies. The authors' assumption is that each culture has in it a certain social background that is unique in that culture by which a stress or insanity is increased or brought about, but in the same culture there are ways to decrease the stress and to cure the insanity.

Date: 1985
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:31:y:1985:i:4:p:267-273

DOI: 10.1177/002076408503100404

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