Indigenous mental health frameworks gain recognition in national psychology discourse
Original framing: “Arunachal researcher brings indigenous mental health perspectives to national psychology platform” — bing news
Dr. Ete’s research reflects a growing movement to reclaim indigenous knowledge systems in mental health, which have long been dismissed or appropriated by colonial and post-colonial institutions. Indigenous frameworks emphasize relational and ecological well-being, offering a holistic alternative to Western diagnostic models.
Dr. Leeyir Ete’s work is a microcosm of a larger struggle to decolonize mental health systems and restore indigenous epistemologies to their rightful place.
By integrating indigenous frameworks into national psychology discourse, we can move beyond the limitations of Western diagnostic models and embrace a more holistic understanding of mental health. This requires not only academic recognition but also structural changes in funding, policy, and institutional representation. The future of mental health care depends on recognizing the validity and efficacy of indigenous knowledge systems, which have long been dismissed as primitive or unscientific. Only through such systemic transformation can we achieve equitable and culturally responsive mental health care for all.