Alternative forms of mental healing / Arts and Covid-19 Mental Health

Curator: Maura Cranny Ntow

The COVID-19 pandemic had a psychological impact globally. This impact resulted from the difficulty making sense of the nature of the virus, difficulty coping with the disruption to daily life, and the fear of getting infected with its consequences on the self or loved ones. Individuals devised different coping strategies during this period.

Both physical and psychological health prevention strategies were employed to minimize the likelihood of getting infected, to reduce the risk of death, and to cope mentally. As hospitals were mostly focused on severe cases of COVID-19 infection, people from different societies turned to the use of non-traditional methods of healing for both physical and mental health challenges. The question hence is: when access to (mental) health care was limited; when the usual strategies of dealing with stress did not seem to help anymore; and when stories about the pandemic did not seem to make any more sense, what alternative forms of coping were employed in different countries and what purpose did these serve for people?

This database seeks to answer the above concerns. The purpose is to produce a compilation of scientific and literary texts as well as artistic works from five different countries that described either alternative healing practices, artistic engagements, or non-Western forms of mental care and well-being. The database focuses on Ghana, Nigeria, China, Columbia, and Russia. It reports the different strategies for dealing with mental distress and symptoms of depression and anxiety, ways of preventing or minimising the psychological impact of the pandemic, and ways of dealing with the many COVID-19 restriction regulations.

In the database, there is literature from China with scientific work showing the efficacy of Chinese Traditional Medicine (CTM) based on its ideology of disease onset and origin of mental distress. CTM practices such acupoint (qigong) and babuanjin and their effectiveness in relieving psychological distress as well as providing social wellness are reported. In addition, the use of folk art alongside other artistic works such as music, drama, and dance, in response to the Chinese government’s advocacy for intangible cultural heritage in coping with the pandemic is also presented. These artistic representations are similar to some of the activities in Colombia, Ghana, and Nigeria.

In the Latin American nation, Colombia, the use of artwork and exhibitions as crisis response strategies was presented. These artworks and exhibitions were also observed by a psychologist investigator whose narration is incorporated into the database to provide a first-hand account of such activities and their outcome in the period of the pandemic.

Also, in Ghana and Nigeria, cartoons, songs, murals, comedy and textile designs played different but relevant roles in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. They served as media for creating awareness, creating humor, as a means for memorialising as well as a way of depicting the socio-economic situations and political issues of the country, especially Nigeria. Ironically, the artistic work from the Ghanaian setting was not just for psychological coping but also to create fear in a population that did not perceive the COVID-19 infection to be deadly enough to adhere to restrictions. Another irony in the Ghanaian situation was in relation to religious or spiritual coping. While spirituality was found to contribute to posttraumatic growth leading government authorities  to access support from spiritual leaders, COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings minimised the ability of nationals to fully access and benefit from such coping. Reports on this can be found in the database.

Linked with the idea of spirituality, data from Russia covered reports about historical coping with pandemic through the invocation of ghosts for companionship to deal with the boredom of isolation. In addition, the use of folk remedies to prevent oneself from getting infected was also discussed as it assisted in curbing the fear and anxiety of the pandemic.

Russia

In Russia, the COVID-19 pandemic was characterised by high levels of uncertainty and political instability. The outbreak of the pandemic in January 2020 encouraged new forms of spirituality, alternative healing practices, and the use of ‘magic’ and ‘folk medicine’ to prevent and cope with the pandemic. Various esotericists and witches became “prophets”, acting as the saviors of humanity. The Russian media contained numerous references to magical rituals, esotericism, witchcraft, occultism, astrology, divination, and parapsychology, as well as bits of advice regarding the consumption of certain preventive and ‘virus killing’ food products (garlic, lime, honey, ginger, vodka, etc.). From January 2020 till August 2021, a Russian-language independent online platform Arzamas likewise published a series of articles by Russian historians and anthropologists, who drew on historical cases of uses of magic and alternative theories in therapeutic practice and healing as a way to deal with the pandemic and social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. This way of talking about ‘alternative’ ways of dealing with infectious diseases in the past became a way of dealing with fear and uncertainty and talking about the pandemic.

See abstracts and keywords for the articles covering Russia (pdf).

  1. How to call a ghost. Arzamaz, March 2020. (in Russian) [Виктория Малютина-Лукашина Как вызвать духа. Идеальная компания во время самоизоляции — призрак. Дух точно не заразен, зато может рассказать что-нибудь интересное. Вместе с Музеем современного искусства «Гараж») 30 МАРТА 2020] V. Maliutina-Lukashina, March 2020. 

  2. How to battle sickness (in Russian) [Екатерина Маркина. Как победить болезнь, E. Markina, April 2020.

  3. The role of spirituality and spiritual abilities in the context of modern challenges (in Russian) [К.П. Алексеенко. Роль духовности и духовных способностей в условиях современных вызовов. In: СПОСОБНОСТИ И МЕНТАЛЬНЫЕ РЕСУРСЫ ЧЕЛОВЕКА В МИРЕ ГЛОБАЛЬНЫХ ПЕРЕМЕН, red. А. Л. Журавлёв, М. А. Холодная, П. А. Сабадош] pp. 854-863. Alekseenko, K.P. (2020).
     
  4. “We Live in the Country of the Victorious Kafka” 1: Witchcraft and Magic in Present-Day Russia. Khristoforova, Olga. 2023. 
     
  5. The Phenomenon of God’s Abandonment in Clinical Psychiatry. Psychiatry (Moscow) (Psikhiatriya). 2023;21(6):17–30. (In Russ.). Alekseeva A.G., Vladimirova T.V., Gedevani E.V., Kopeyko G.I., Borisova O.A. 

  6. Vodka, Soda and Garlic: “Folk” Medicines Against Fears. Ur-ban Folklore and Anthropology. Vol. III. No. 1—2. P. 224—260. (In Russ.). Гаврилова М. В. Водка, сода и чеснок: «народные» лекарства против страхов. Фольклор и антропология города. 2020. Т. III. No 1—2. С. 224—260. // Gavrilova, M.V. (2020).

Nigeria and Ghana, West Africa

See abstracts and keywords for the articles covering Nigeria and Ghana (pdf).

Nigeria

In Nigeria, humour is believed to be a significant coping mechanism in the face of suffering and distress and this, according to the literature, was present in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the peak periods. The articles compiled here provide an array of artistic strategies employed by Nigerians in dealing with the pandemic. Cartoons, memes, comedy, music, pictures, videos, and skits were the different productions used to reduce boredom and anxiety (both in the artists and the public) during the pandemic. The outputs also gave voice to artists to express displeasure about and even ridicule public officials. In short, arts served to maintain social and psychological balance for Nigerians in time of the pandemic and so it could be said that behind the smile of some Nigerians may be suffering.

  1. Suffering and smiling: Nigerians’ humorous response to the coronavirus pandemic. Ali, A (2022).

  2. Linguistic and Literary Analyses of Selected Cartoons on the Novel COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria. Asiru, H. and Bello, A S. (2020)

  3. Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic: awareness and survival through the arts. Interdisciplinary Journal of Economics and Business Law; Vol. 12, Issue Special Issue. Adewumi, K. C. (2023).

  4. Artibiotics: Examining the Roles of Two Art-forms in Supporting Covid-19 Public Health Measures in Lagos. Nweke, F. E. (2021).

  5. The Use of Comic Musical Skits to Overcome Fear and Anxiety during the Outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria. Hemispheres: Studies on Cultures & Societies, 36. Mustafa, L. J. (2021).

  6. “A Linguistic and Literary Analyses Study of Selected Cartoons on the Novel COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria.” African Identities, vol. 21, no. 4, 2023, pp. 679–702. Tunde Asiru, Hameed, and Shamsuddeen Bello. 

Ghana

The four articles compiled here describe the different ways Ghanaians managed during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce fear, uncertainties, and the discomfort of isolation. The use of religious coping which has, for many years been employed by the people of Ghana was in this period, not as available as the government at the time had banned all forms of public gathering, including religious activities. Artistic engagements in the form of cartoons, short skits, murals, and even textile prints were used to educate about the pandemic, alleviate fear and anxiety among the public as well as create humour and memories of the era.

  1. Religion and the state in an episodic moment of COVID-19 in Ghana. Prempeh, C. (2021).

  2. Colonial Virus”: COVID-19, creative arts and public health communication in Ghana. de-Graft Aikins, A., &  Akoi-Jackson, B. (2020).

  3. ‘What’s Up, Fellow Deadly Diseases?’ Creative Arts and Communicating COVID-19 in Ghana. In Communicating COVID-19: Media, Trust, and Public Engagement (pp. 261-283). Cham: Springer International Publishing. de-Graft Aikins, A. (2024).

  4. Humour and coronavirus: coping with the pandemic in Ghana. Comedy Studies, 12(2), 139-146. Adjei Arthur, S. (2021).

Hong Kong, China

This selection of articles highlights the role of healing modalities from traditional Chinese medicine, self-cultivation practices, as well as folk art as rich resources for mental health interventions amidst the pandemic. Approaches such as acupoint therapy or qigong (qi energy manipulation) are incorporated into psychological intervention programmes to release (shifang) negative emotions, alleviate stress, and enhance social adaptability (shehui shiyingli). Alongside these practices, theoretical principles from Chinese medicine, such as “preventive treatment of disease” (zhi wei bing,) are incorporated into psychological counselling as means to mitigate psychological crises in vulnerable (and politically suspect) groups, such as college students. Meanwhile, intangible cultural heritage is reimagined as a form of “art therapy” (yishu lyiliao) that promotes politicized harmony and wellbeing by bridging the “fight against the pandemic” and mental health.

See abstracts and keywords for the articles covering Hong Kong (pdf).

  1. “The Effects of the Acupoint Emotional Release Method on the Psychological Stress of Frontline Nurses Fighting the Pandemic” (弹穴位情绪释放法对抗击疫情一线护士心理压力的影响). Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture 39(5): 526-529. ZENG Manping, LI Xizhen, and OU Lifang. 2020.

  2. “Study on Using Baduanjin as an Intervention for Anxiety Experienced by College Students during the Pandemic” (新冠肺炎疫情下八段锦对大学生学业焦虑的干预研究). Compilation of Abstracts from the 2021 National Martial Arts Education and Health Conference and the Symposium on Traditional Ethnic Sports in Campuses: Conference Proceedings of the Chinese Sports Science Society. 27 November. (in Mandarin) LI Yang. 2021.

  3. “‘Fighting the Pandemic with Intangible Cultural Heritage’ in the Western Region: Its Theme and Art Therapy Dimension. Taking Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guangxi Provinces as Examples” (西部地区“非遗抗疫”的主题创作与艺术治疗——以云贵川桂四省区为例). Wise Health 7(30): 99-101. (in Mandarin) BA Shengchao. 2021.

  4. “The Insights from the Concept of ‘Preventive Treatment of Disease’ (lit. ‘Treating Before It Becomes a Disease’) in Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Psychological Work among College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic” (中医“治未病”思想对新冠肺炎疫情下大学生心理工作的启示). Chinese Journal of Social Medicine 37 (06): 585-588. (in Mandarin) GAO Peng, YANG Zi, LIU Mo, LIU Dongqi, SHI Sen, and ZHAO Jianlei. 2020.

Colombia, Latin America

As a Latin American country, Colombia possesses a rich multicultural tradition, resulting not only from the diversity of indigenous peoples – Colombia being the Latin American country with the highest number of identified indigenous ethnicities – but also from centuries of migration from Europe and other parts of the globe. This multiculturalism is manifested in local practices and understandings about care and healing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as expected, this feature of the Colombian culture came to the forefront. Throughout the country, different experiences emerged for the care of children and adults, seeking to promote mental health through diverse practices that challenge and go beyond traditional forms of biomedical and pharmacological care. The articles in this collection aim to showcase some of these experiences that took place throughout the country. The practices reported here resorted to visual arts, storytelling and oral practices that reflect the old traditions of the region.

This collection of articles also dialogues with my own findings from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the country as part of the COVID-19 and Global Mental Health project. Visiting various community-based organizations operating in Colombia, I could perceive that often their work aimed to complement biomedical care not only through the development of artistic activities but also by reflecting on art and the process of artistic production and mental health care from other nuances such as self-care, solidarity, and peer support.

Grisgby Vergara's article (2023) clearly expresses this ambition. Written in the first person, based on his own experience as a psychiatric patient, the author seeks to provide constructive criticism of the consumption of psychotropic drugs, aiming to identify the processes that allow mentally ill individuals to resist and dissent through artistic practice and the cultivation of a spiritual life. It is from this critique that the author seeks to offer some alternatives to address the sequelae left by the Covid-19 pandemic in the field of mental health.

Garzón Saavedra's master's thesis (2022) advances along the same lines, reporting an experience with art therapy in the Caquetá region, southwest Colombia. This locality is known for having been an important center of armed conflict in the country, leaving significant marks on the local population. With the arrival of the pandemic, professionals involved in community psychology practices became concerned about the mental health of young people and resorted to an artistic project to promote psychological well-being among adolescents.

Darío Yepes (2023) assumes a different perspective, looking at artistic production not as a care practice but as an analyzer of the crisis prompted by the pandemic. In this sense, the author seeks to broaden the sense of healing beyond the personal and individual scope and considers the contribution of the art perspective as a response to the crisis context, such as that of the pandemic.

Artistic care practices were also reported in newspaper articles. An article published in El Tiempo reports the experience of a foundation that resorted to an ancient indigenous tradition of oral transmission, through writing and storytelling workshops to support people who lost family members to COVID-19.

See abstracts and keywords for the articles covering Colombia (pdf).

  1. Connected and Medicated: The Artistic Practice in Psychopharmacology Era [Conectados y medicados: la práctica artística en la era del psicofármaco]. Grisgby Vergara, W. (2023). Designio, 5(2). 

  2. Promotion of mental health in boys and girls during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Inspection of Puerto Betania, municipality of San Vicente del Caguán, Caquetá. [Promoción de la salud mental en niños y niñas en tiempos de Pandemia covid-19 en la Inspección de Puerto Betania, municipio de San Vicente del Caguán- Caquetá]. Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia, UNAD. Escuela de Ciencias Sociales, Artes y Humanidades. Maestría en Psicología Comunitaria. Jenny Julieth Garzón Saavedra (2022). Available at: ebarrerar.pdf (unad.edu.co)

  3. Pandemic, Art, and Way(s) of Life: Reflections From Colombia [Pandemia, Arte y sentido(s) de vida: Reflexiones desde Colombia]. Revista de artes visuales, [S.l.], n. 17, p. 1-15. YEPES, Rubén Darío (2023). 

  4. Children from Barranquilla create 'Healing Stories' after the death of relatives due to Covid. [Niños de Barranquilla crean ‘Cuentos que sanan’ tras la muerte de familiares por covid]. El Tiempo, 2023. Available at: