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Plant use by the q’eqchi’ maya of belize in ethnopsychiatry and neurological pathology

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Abstract

Plant Use by the Q’eqchi’ Maya of Belize in Ethnopsychiatry and Neurological Pathology. Economic Botany 59(4):326–336, 2005. Neurological and mental health disorders are extremely debilitating, and sufferers in developing countries often rely on traditional practitioners for these medical needs. Few studies have focused on botanical remedies used in this context, although these offer interesting treatment alternatives. The present study investigated plant use for the treatment of neurological and mental health disorders by Q'eqchi' Maya healers of southern Belize. We found that these healers generally recognize and treat epilepsy/seizures, headache, madness, fright (susto), depression, numbness, insomnia, and stress with herbal remedies. Quantitative analyses showed that there is selection for the use of certain species and botanical families, namely for species of the Pteridophyta division and for plants from the Piperaceae family. This study denotes the importance and selectivity of plant use by Q'eqchi' healers of southern Belize for the treatment of neurological and mental conditions and points to a possible underrepresentation of these disorders in the ethnobotanical literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Natalie Bourbonnas-Spear, Rosalie Awad & John Thor Arnason

  2. Belize Indigenous Training Institute, Punta Gorda, Toledo District, Belize

    Pedro Maquin & Victor Cal

  3. Herbario Juvenal Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica

    Pablo Sanchez Vindas & Luis Poveda

Authors
  1. Natalie Bourbonnas-Spear
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  2. Rosalie Awad
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  3. Pedro Maquin
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  4. Victor Cal
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  5. Pablo Sanchez Vindas
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  6. Luis Poveda
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  7. John Thor Arnason
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Correspondence to John Thor Arnason.

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Bourbonnas-Spear, N., Awad, R., Maquin, P. et al. Plant use by the q’eqchi’ maya of belize in ethnopsychiatry and neurological pathology. Econ Bot 59, 326–336 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2005)059[0326:PUBTQM]2.0.CO;2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2005)059[0326:PUBTQM]2.0.CO;2

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