Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway University Hospital of North Norway. randallno@yahoo.com
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to learn more about the extent of, and factors related to, the use of traditional and complementary healing modalities among Simi psychiatric patients. STUDY DESIGN: A quantitative survey among psychiatric patients in Finnmark and Nord-Troms, Norway. RESULTS: A total of 186 S?mi and Norwegian patients responded to the survey, a response rate of 48%. Of these, 43 had a strong S?mi cultural affiliation. Use of traditional and complementary treatment modalities was significantly higher within the S?mi group. Factors related to use differed between S?mi and Norwegian groups. S?mi users were found to give greater importance to religion and spirituality in dealing with illness than S?mi patients who had not used these treatments. They were also found to be less satisfied with central aspects of their psychiatric treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found several differences in factors related to the use of traditional and complementary treatments between S?mi and Norwegian psychiatric patient groups. S?mi users were found to give greater importance to religion and spirituality and were less satisfied with the public psychiatric services than S?mi patients who had not used traditional or complementary treatments. The study implies that finding ways to include different aspects of traditional healing within the health services to the S?mi community should be given consideration.