A research report submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree Master of Arts in Social and Psychological Research by Coursework and Research Report (PSYC7022) in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand, February 2017 / The lifetime prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), as reported for South Africa, is 9.7%. However, significant cultural differences occur in the clinical presentation of MDD which are connected to notions of religion, social principles and norms of relationships. With this in mind, this study explores the extent to which Hindu community members’ knowledge of MDD, their beliefs about the aetiology of MDD and their attitudes towards people with MDD impacted their perceptions on the care and management of MDD as well as their help seeking behaviours. The study also explored the extent to which Hindu religious identity mediates or moderates the relationship between aetiology, knowledge and attitudes towards MDD and the care and management of MDD and help seeking behaviour. A questionnaire consisting of a demographics section, a religious identity scale, a MDD knowledge, attitudes and practices scale and the attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help scale was completed by a convenience sample of 264 Hindus from Johannesburg and surrounding areas. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. Participants in this study had a moderate religious identity and generally positive attitudes towards MDD. This sample believed that stress was the main cause of MDD and that talking to their friends, family and their general practitioner would be the most beneficial in terms of care and management of MDD. Participants also had positive attitudes towards seeking professional help. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted with the attitudes towards professional help seeking as well as all the care and management factors as the dependent variables and religious identity, knowledge of MDD, attitudes towards MDD and all four aetiological factors of MDD as the independent variables. These analyses yielded varying results. Following these analyses, religious identity was explored as both a potential mediator and moderator variable between attitudes towards MDD and help seeking behaviours. These results are discussed within the broader debates on depression and its manifestation across cultures. / XL2018

The ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has caused sustained trauma on a number of levels and stressors that could easily have debilitating consequences on the mental health of Congolese citizens. The literature further reveals that immigration brings with it a host of additional stressors. The stress related to immigration, an appreciation of diverse cultural understandings of mental health, the burdens and costs of adequate mental health policy and provisioning within developing countries, are concepts that are not well understood nor fully documented. The present study explored the cultural understanding and help-seeking behaviours of Congolese immigrants in South Africa. The purpose of the study was to understand the ways in which Congolese cope with stressors related to immigration. Using SocialIdentity Theory as a partial conceptual framework, the role of acculturation processes in their understanding and help-seeking behaviours regarding mental health challenges, were examined. A platform for participants to suggest suitable ways of responding to improving the management of mental challenges in their community was provided. A qualitative approach, based on Participatory Action Research (PAR) and content analysis to explore the emerging narratives, was used with a Gauteng-based sample to gather the accounts of the lived experiences of Congolese immigrants. A snowball sampling technique enabled twenty-seven respondents to participate in one paired conversation and five focus groups. The emerging findings are critically discussed aligned to the six categories of inquiry structured by the interview schedule, namely, coping strategies since immigration, the understanding of mental health challenges, the possible impact of being immersed in the South African culture, perceptions of mental challenges and persons affected within the Congolese community, the preferred help-seeking behaviours regarding mental health challenges and, finally, their recommendations for improving the management of mental health challenges. The layered meta-analysis of the data consisted of interrogating the thematic categories, then conducting an analytical review aligned to both the pertinent research aim and objectives, as well as related theoretical positions and research findings. v | P a g e The key research question underpinning this study was formulated as follows: “Will immigrating from the DRC to South Africa change the understanding and help-seeking behaviours of Congolese?” The study drew on the processes of acculturation from Social Identity Theory to examine these processes. Participants reported experiencing the effects of acculturation but in different ways. Patterns of assimilation, separation and integration were found. The study therefore served to contribute to our understanding of the effects of acculturation with regard to the cultural understanding and help-seeking behaviours of Congolese immigrants in South Africa regarding mental health. Most significantly, the assumption of high levels of trauma and stress within this vulnerable community were unfounded. Rich and complex survival strategies have emerged requiring refinement of our knowledge about migrant communities. The strengths and relative weaknesses of the study are shared as well as a set of recommendations for future research in this domain. / Psychology / M. Sc.(Psychology)