Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2002. / Lolu cwaningo luyimizamo yokuveza ukubaluleka kwezinto ezingamagugu esizwe esimpisholo sikaPhunga noMageba . Tzinto ezinjengemvunulo; ukudla kanye nezitsha zesintu. Ucwaningo luveza ukubaluleka kwazo lezi zinto esizweni sonkana. Ukbab isizwe singazithola sesingasahlupheki, sesivule amathuba emisebenzi lapho kuzosizakala khona umphakathi uqobo Iwawo. Umcwaningi ukhuthazwe ukubona sengathi lokhu kuya ngokuya kushabalala esintwini. Lapho abantu abamnyama bebukela phansi okungamagugu kubo. nokwadabuka kukho ngenxa yokufika kwempucuzeko vase Ntshonalanga. Lokhu umcwaningi ukubone kululaza isizwe esimpisholo uma umphakathi uyekelelwa ungakhunjuzwa ngalokhu flina konke lokhu okungamagugu kugcine kushabalale bese izizukulwane eziyolandela zibe seshweni lokungazi ngenqubo nangosikompilo lwamaZulu. Umcwaningi lokhu ukulumbanise nokubaluleka kwakho kwezokuvakasha lapho ebheka khona iqhaza elibanjwe yilezi zinto kwezokuvakasha nasekuthuthukiseni umnotho wesizwe. Kwangagcina lapho lokhu, kuphinde kwaba nomthelela nasekuthuthukisweni kolimi lwesiZulu Kulolu cwaningo umcwaningi ubone kusizakala zonke izinhlobo abantu abesilisa nabesifazane, abadala nabancane ofundile nongafundile kanye nabakhubazeke emzimbeni kodwa emqondweni bebe bephila nezandla zabo zibe zikwazi ukusebenza. Isizwe esimpisholo sizoziqhenya ngalokhu ngoba kuzogcinwa lokhu okungamagugu. kufundiswe ngakho, kuphinde kuvuseleleke amasiko. Nakuba kukhona izinkinga ngokungaxhaswa kwale zizikhungo nguhulumeni. Isahluko sokuqala sikhombisa inhloso yalolu cwaningo, umklamo, inkuthazo okukhuthaze umcwaningi abone kubahilekile ukuba zixhaswe izindawo ezigcina amagugu esizwe ukuze lezi zinto nolwazi lungashabalali ngenxa yokufika, kwezinto zase Ntshonalanga- Lapha kubuye kugqanyiswe izingqalabutho esezake zakuthinta okuphathelene nesihloko emsebenzini yazo elotshwe phansi. Amagama athanda ukuba qatha achaziwe lapha. Isahluko sesibili siveza izindlela umcwaningi azoqhuba ngazo ucwaningo lwakhe. Njengokuthi umcwaningi uxoxisene nabanye abantu abasezikhungweni zokuvakasha, abasezikhungweni ezithengisa lo msebenzi, abantu abasafuiusa kulo msebenzi, abantu ababambelele emasikweni njengabantu bebandla likaShembe. Umcwaningi ubheke nolwazi olulotshwe phansi ngosekwake kwabhalwa ngokuphathelene nalo msebenzi; ethola izimvo ezahlukene kanye nezinkinga ezikhona Umcwaningi lapha ubheke ukwehlukaniswa kwemvunulo, izitsha kanye nokudla kwesintu wase esebheka nemithelela yakho kwezokuvakasha. Isahluko sesithathu sigxile ekuqhakambiseni ukubaluleka kwalezi zinto neqhaza okuUbambile kwezomnotho. Lo msebenzi ubonakala ubalulekile impela ngoba abantu abaswele umsebenzi batholakala sekunemisebenzi sebekwazi nabo ukugcina izidingo zabo. Kwenye inkathi kungekhona ukuthi baphansi komphakathi othile abawusebenzelayo kodwa bezisebenzela bona. Isahluko sesine sigxile ekuvezeni ukuhleleka kwezimpikiswano ezibekwa ngababhali abehlukene. Lapha umcwaningi ubeke izinqinamba noma izinkinga abakhi nabathengisi bemvunulo ababhekana nazo kanye nabapheki nabathengisi bokudla kwesintu bekanye nabenzi naba thengisi bezitsha zesintu. Bakhala ngezakhiwo abakhela kuzo bebuye bathengisele kuzo ukuthi azikho esimweni esihle esizokwazi ukuheha abathengi kumbe abavakashi. Kubekwe nenkinga yokungaxhaswa kwabantu abathanda ukwenza ikhono lokwenza lo msebenzi. Kubhekwa nenqubekela phambili; okungenziwa ukuze izinkinga ezikhona zixazululwe fiithi ugcine ungashabalali nesizwe sibone ukubaluleka kwemvunulo, ukudla kanye nezitsha zesintu. Isahluko sesihlanu siveza isihlaziyo lapho kuhlaziywa khona ucwaningo lomsebenzi wonke. Kuvezwa iqoqa kanye nezincomo ezingalandelwa ukugcina okungamagugu esizwe. Imvunulo izitsha kanye nokudla kubhekwa iqhaza okuhbambile lokhu nemithelela. yakho kwezokuvakasha nasekuthuthukiseni isizwe kwezomnotho. Izincomo zikhuthaza wonke umuntu ompisholo azi ukuthi akabhekile kuhulumeni kuphela ukuze akwazi ukuziphilisa kodwa nave angaba uhulumeni ngokuzakhela amathuba emisebenzi azithuthukise kuphinde kusizakale nomphakathi njengokuthi uhlangane wonke uphinde uthengise imvunulo, izitsha kanye nokudla kwesintu.

While a number of studies have indicated disparities in mental health services use among African-Americans, specific factors that account for within-group disparities have not been thoroughly addressed. Research shows that African-American adolescent males generally are less likely to utilize mental health services and this is especially true among those involved with the juvenile justice system (Hazen, Hough, Landsverk, & Wood, 2004). Previous research indicates that culture is a viable and necessary factor to consider regarding African-Americans' pattern of mental health help-seeking (Cauce et al., 2002). This study utilized a qualitative research design and the Network-Episode Model (NEM) (Pescosolido & Boyer, 1999) as the theoretical framework to examine the influence of culture on the attitudes of African American adolescent males released from juvenile detention facilities to understand their mental health help-seeking. Criterion sampling procedures were utilized to recruit for the study, two groups of African-American adolescent males (n = 54) who initially received services at John Hope Family Renewal Center following their release from juvenile detention. In-depth interviews with participants were conducted and participants' case records were reviewed. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts produced four overarching themes: (1) beliefs about causes of mental health problems, (2) other beliefs about mental health, (3) social barriers - isolation/exclusion, and (4) social network influence on service utilization. Comparisons were made between those youth who used services and those who discontinued service use. Findings revealed that: 1) participants' beliefs about the root causes of mental health problems prevented some from utilizing mental health services, 2) cultural factors partially influenced participants' attitudes and negatively shaped their behaviors towards use of mental health services. Findings also revealed that mental health stigma, ineffective treatment, fear and shame from peers, negative community reaction, and mistrust of mental health providers were important barriers to service utilization. Implications for social work practice, policy, and future research are discussed.