Medicinal Plants Used in Management of Various Mental Illnesses in Goma City, Democratic Republic of Congo

Many mentally ill people in Goma city, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), seek treatment from Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) that utilize medicinal plants (MPs) in management of various ailments. The study aimed to document the MPs used locally to manage mental illnesses (MIs). An in-depth ethnobotanical survey including 43 respondents selected using snow ball method and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires was conducted in Goma city, in DRC, from May to September 2021. Voucher specimens were collected from the study area and identified at Makerere University Herbarium (MHU). Data were analyzed using ethnobotanical parameters, frequency index, Rahman’s similarity index (RSI) and non-parametric tests as well as Spearman correlation coefficient. A total of 30 plant species, represented amongst 29 genera and 19 families were reportedly used to treat MIs. Of these 63.33% were reported for anxiety, 36.67% for psychosis and 30% for depression. Most abundant taxa were reported for three families including Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Solanaceae. Among MPs used in Goma city, the two priority plant species for anxiety were Euphorbia abyssinica and Cleome gynandra L. While, the two priority plant species for depression were Conyza sumatrensis and Emilia coccinea. High similarity (RSI = 77.42%) was observed in the use of common species for MIs between THPs from both Goma and Karisimbi communes. Results prove that local people of Goma city use MPs species against MIs that could be further studied for pharmacological effectiveness and safety.