Defending the African philosophy of ubuntu and its place in clinical social work practice in mental health: The biopsychosocial and ecological systems perspectives

2021/04/27 by Robert K. Chigangaidze · 1 citation
Health Professions · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Sciences · #African cultural and philosophical studies #Biopsychosocial model #Clinical Practice #Clinical social work #Community Health and Development #Ecological psychology #Medicine #Mental health #Nursing #Political science #Psychiatry #Psychological intervention #Psychology #Psychotherapist #Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology #Social psychology #Social work #Sociology

paper · doi:10.1080/15332985.2021.1910894

openalex publication_date 2021/04/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/12

Abstract

While other scholars argue that there seems to be a disjuncture when it comes to applying ubuntu in clinical social work, the impetus of this discourse is to reflect on ubuntu as a philosophy applicable to clinical social work interventions in mental health. Assuming that clinical social work is based on the biopsychosocial and ecological models, it explores how ubuntu is relevant in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of behavioral, emotional, and mental disorders. The article calls for the adoption of ubuntu philosophy to the theoretical framework of clinical social work practice in mental health.

Citations

• Benefits of Allocentrism for the Subjective Well-Being of African Americans
• Social determinants of mental health
• Defining Forgiveness: Christian Clergy and General Population Perspectives
• The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine
• An exposition of humanistic- existential social work in light of ubuntu philosophy: Towards theorizing ubuntu in social work practice
• Building bridges across knowledge systems: Ubuntu and participative research paradigms in Bantu communities
• What isUbuntu,? Different Interpretations among South Africans of African Descent

Cited by

• Ubuntu philosophy [wikipedia]

Related

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• Ubuntu and its potential impact on the international social work profession
• An exposition of humanistic- existential social work in light of ubuntu philosophy: Towards theorizing ubuntu in social work practice
• Understanding Ubuntu and its contribution to social work education in Africa and other regions of the world
• Reconsidering Ubuntu: On the educational potential of a particular ethic of care