A groundbreaking new study published in American Psychologist is challenging established conceptions of mental health care, arguing that time-honored Indigenous healing practices—centered on rituals, storytelling, and ancestral wisdom—offer powerful alternatives to the predominantly Western psychiatric model. The transnational team behind the study calls for a radical “decolonial turn” in psychology, urging global mental health systems to embrace Indigenous cosmologies, ceremonies, and community knowledge as vital resources, not mere curiosities (madinamerica.com).
The significance of this research for Thai readers lies not only in its global implications but in the resonance with the Kingdom’s own traditions of healing, spirituality, and communal care. Thailand, a nation with deeply rooted practices of spiritual healing—from the rituals performed by village shamans to Buddhist meditation and temple stays—already lives at the intersection of tradition and modernity in mental health. As rates of psychological distress rise in Thailand and across the world, the study’s findings open urgent conversations about whether importing Western models alone is sufficient—or even appropriate—for Thai communities.
The authors of the American Psychologist article, an international collective of psychologists and anthropologists, argue that contemporary psychology has long relegated Indigenous healing to the realm of “placebo” or “local belief,” failing to recognize its nuanced impact across body, mind, society, politics, and spirituality. They point out that the act of diagnosing and treating mental suffering is always filtered through cultural lenses: “Healing practices map distressing experiences and afflictions onto metaphoric representations drawn from culturally authorized narratives and ontologies,” the authors write, describing how these traditions empower individuals through ritual and metaphorical transformation.
Instead of viewing mental disorders as purely medical phenomena to be solved by pharmaceuticals or fixed diagnostic labels, Indigenous healing often sees distress as occurring within communal, spiritual, and relational worlds. Rituals, communal storytelling, and connection with ancestors become not only methods of healing but frameworks for making sense of suffering and fostering resilience. The study documents examples ranging from Andean community ceremonies to East African art therapies, each embedded within distinct cultural logics and customs.
An especially powerful insight from the study is the layered effect of symbolic intervention through ritual: these healing acts do not simply offer comfort, but catalyze physiological, psychological, social, political, and spiritual changes. Modern research—including neurobiological studies—has begun to validate the effectiveness of symbolic, community-driven interventions, which can alter stress responses, foster social bonds, and reinforce identity (PubMed). These dynamics have long been practiced in Southeast Asia, where Buddhist blessing ceremonies, amulet rituals, and the use of traditional herbal medicines remain widespread.
Experts in Thailand’s own medical community have echoed similar calls for integrating traditional and modern approaches. A senior psychiatrist from a prominent Bangkok hospital noted at a recent WHO seminar, “Western psychiatry offers tools, but it cannot replace the social and spiritual roots of healing found in Thai culture. We must respect village wisdom and work with monks, shamans, and families, not against them.” A Ministry of Public Health policy advisor similarly stressed the importance of cultural context in designing mental health interventions, pointing to successful pilot programs that link hospitals with temple-based mindfulness retreats (WHO Thailand).
The scholarly paper also issues a sharp critique: contemporary psychological paradigms too often impose imported frameworks upon Indigenous realities, disregarding the harm of colonial, one-size-fits-all solutions. Historically in Thailand, psychiatry was introduced through the influence of Western-educated elites and foreign advisors, sometimes at odds with rural practices. The tension between biomedical and traditional paradigms persists at community level, where consultation with spirit mediums and lay healers is sometimes dismissed by urban professionals as “superstition”—yet remains indispensable for millions.
In global terms, the researchers urge mental health systems to create space for Indigenous actors and community leaders, investing in the preservation and revival of traditional knowledge. This supports what they describe as “culturally grounded systems of coping, help, and healing” that reflect the lived realities of diverse societies. In Thailand, this could mean greater support for integrating Buddhist chaplains, village sages, or respected elders into mental health teams; or redesigning services to be less clinical and more community-driven, as has been piloted in parts of Isan and Northern Thailand (Bangkok Post).
Culturally, the Thai notion of “sabai jai” (peaceful heart) reflects a holistic understanding: emotional balance arises not only from the self, but from harmonious relationships with family, neighbors, monks, and even the unseen world. Rituals such as “bai sri su kwan” (soul-calling ceremony) and merit-making for the dead are practiced alongside psychiatric counseling and medication in many communities. This pluralism is echoed in other Southeast Asian cultures and mirrors Indigenous approaches highlighted in the international study.
From a policy perspective, the implications are profound. As Thailand finalizes its 13th National Health Development Plan, calls for strengthening community involvement, training traditional healers, and scaling up culturally sensitive interventions are growing louder. Mental health crises—exacerbated by economic stress, migration, social media pressures, and lingering Covid-19 trauma—demand solutions that are locally resonant and sustainable (Thai Public Health Ministry). The authors of the American Psychologist article advise caution against reliance on “imported” clinical blueprints and standardized therapies: what works for an urban patient in London may not translate for a rice farmer in Lampang.
Looking ahead, the blending of Indigenous wisdom and scientific innovation may be the key to a more inclusive mental health system. Recent pilot programs in Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani, where therapists, monks, and community volunteers collaborate, have demonstrated better engagement and outcomes than purely hospital-based care (Thai PBS World). Internationally, initiatives like the WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme have begun to endorse localized, flexible responses, aiming to empower communities to define and deliver their own support (WHO).
Thai readers can take practical action at both personal and societal levels. At home, reconnecting with family rituals, supporting loved ones through shared storytelling, or consulting community elders for guidance can supplement clinical support. At the societal level, calls for policymakers to recognize and fund traditional healing, provide cross-cultural training for health professionals, and elevate the status of local wisdom remain critical. Embracing rather than discarding the diversity of Thailand’s healing traditions may offer the most promising path to true mental wellbeing in a rapidly changing world.
In sum, the latest international research reinforces a lesson long known in the Kingdom: there is no single solution to suffering. Health, like happiness, is woven from many threads. To heal as individuals and as a society, Thailand must continue honoring its roots—while remaining open to the best insights of the wider world.