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@article{189284,
        author = {C.J. SONOWAL},
        title = {A Global Synthesis of Indigenous Mental Health Paradigms Beyond the Biomedical Model},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {7},
        pages = {5070-5077},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=189284},
        abstract = {This review offers a comprehensive synthesis of Indigenous mental health paradigms, presenting a self-contained ontology that is distinct from the Western biomedical model. Through a systematic narrative review informed by Critical Indigenous Theory, the author analyzed 40 studies encompassing diverse Indigenous communities worldwide. Findings elucidate that Indigenous concepts of health are fundamentally rooted in relational ontologies, defined as a state of complete balance and harmony among the individual, community, land, and spirit world. Aetiologies of suffering are consistently traced to spiritual and supernatural causation, historical and intergenerational trauma, and profound disconnection from culture and land. Distress is communicated through somatic, spiritual, and social idioms, rather than through clinical taxonomies. Healing pathways are designed to restore relational balance, centring on the role of Elders, traditional healers, and community-led initiatives, where "community is medicine." Crucially, factors such as cultural connectedness, spirituality, and intergenerational solidarity have been empirically demonstrated to be protective against mental illness and foster resilience. The study concludes that these endogenous knowledge systems form a coherent and valid framework for understanding mental health. Validating these paradigms is essential for decolonising mental health practice, informing culturally sovereign services, and effectively supporting the well-being of Indigenous peoples globally.},
        keywords = {Cultural Connectedness, Decolonising Mental Health, Historical Trauma, Indigenous Mental Health, Relational Ontology, Traditional Healing A Global Synthesis of Indigenous Mental Health Paradigms Beyond the Biomedical Model},
        month = {December},
        }