The main aim of this study was to determine the effects on Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) of implementing a set of highly structured social skills training (SST) modules and to examine some SST adherence factors. The SST modules were designed by Liberman and co-workers to train social and independent living skills to SMIs. Patients' and case managers' interviews were used to assess the efficacy of the SST. A random control group design was used, 56 patients and 7 group leaders participated. This study found that SST modules are viable and clinically practical in a community mental health setting. Internal locus of control, difficulty with adherence, and satisfaction with SST format were significant contributors to SST adherence, which in turn facilitated positive patient outcomes. The results indicate that SMI patients in reasonable remission of their most acute symptoms can indeed adhere to SST and were able to benefit from SST. Issues related to SST dissemination are discussed. The long term goal of this study is to design a clinically efficacious and cost effective comprehensive treatment for SMIs that would enhance the quality care of SMIs.

This qualitative interview study explored the responses of child participants and their primary caregivers to the experience of completing a multi-stage screening process designed to identify depressed youth. Participants were sixteen girls ages 9 to 11 and caregivers of twelve of the girls. The child participants selected for this study were those who reported symptoms of a depressive disorder at the initial stages of screening without receiving diagnosis of a depressive disorder at the final stage of screening. Qualitative interviews were completed separately with child participants and their caregivers using a semi-structured interview format. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze interview transcripts and generate an integrated explanation of child and caregiver responses to depression screening and assessment (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Results of this study indicate that depression screening and assessment serves the function of creating a forum for the child perspective by raising the child‘s emotional state and concerns to the attention of both the child and the parent. The child participants in this study reported experiencing emotional distress or a sense of burden prior to the first stage of screening. A process of reflecting on their emotions, beliefs, and stressors began as child participants completed screening questionnaires, followed by a sense of relief or improved mood in response to talking with interviewers during a brief interview. The forum for the child perspective expanded as parents received interviewer feedback about child emotions and concerns and began to assess the information in light of their own observations and situational factors. The extent to which parent and child maintained the forum for the child perspective through sustained communication about the child‘s emotions and concerns influenced the type and intensity of interventions subsequently introduced by parents. The chief means through which depression screening affected the child participants was through enhancing their understanding of themselves, promoting positive coping processes, facilitating parent/child communication, and influencing parent perceptions and the parenting agenda. / text

Traditional healers have a different understanding of psychological illnesses to the western paradigm as well as a different way of diagnosing and treating psychological illnesses. Aims and Objectives. This study’s aim is to examine how traditional healers understand the causes of mental illness mainly focusing on amafufunyana and how this understanding informs treatments methods. Method. This has been done based on hermeneutic phenomenology by drawing from the lived experience of traditional healers through a focus group interview. Results. Upon analysis of the data it becomes clear that traditional healers understand the aetiology of amafufunyana to be supernatural forces. Amafufunyana present in overt and covert symptoms and the diagnostic process entails connecting with the ancestors for their guidance and confirmation of diagnosis, as well as guidance on which imithi to use. The treatment process is congruent with the diagnostic process as it also entails guidance from the ancestors on which imithi to use. Other valuable aspects of traditional healing were brought forward while conducting this study. The aspect of protection from the ancestors was emphasised. It became evident in the analysis of this study that the rituals that are performed in order to appease the ancestors facilitate the connection to the ancestors and through maintaining this connect one can be protected from an array of illnesses and misfortunes. Recommendations. It is recommended that recommended that more studies are conducted with traditional healers in order to give them an opportunity to elaborate on their lived experience of healing, as it was observed that a majority of literature speak on behalf of traditional healers.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / The role of indigenous healers in managing various conditions of ill-health has been studied and debated. Studies have revealed that the majority of the population in South Africa use traditional health care to treat various mental conditions. Studies have also revealed that traditional medicine plays an important role in primary health care in many countries. The aim of the study was to explore Swati traditional healers’ conceptualization of the causes and treatment methods of mental illness in Kanyamazane Township in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. A phenomenological research method was used in the present study. Ten (10) traditional healers, six (6) female and four (4) male, who were selected through purposive sampling method participated in the study. Semi structured personal interviews were conducted with the traditional healers. The interviews were conducted in siSwati and later translated to English. The main themes that emerged were grouped under the following 3 main topics: conceptualisation and types of mental illness; causes of mental illness; and, treatment of mental illness. The traditional healers identified and described a number of mental illnesses that could be identified by their behavioural symptoms and thought disruptions. These include: depressive conditions, addictions, psychotic illnesses, adjustment disorders and genetic mental illnesses. Mental illness was perceived to be caused by a number of factors that, among others, include the following: supernatural powers such as witchcraft, spirit possession, intrusion of objects, evil mechanisation, improper use of traditional medicine, disregarding ancestors and cultural customs as well invitation by ancestors to become a traditional healer, substance abuse, genetic predisposition, life stressors, social conditions, and injuries to the head, Cleansing the patient of evil spirits through washing, steaming, induced vomiting, casting out evil and herbal medication were some of the methods that were found to be commonly used to treat mental illness. The study found that the theory underlying traditional healing is essentially similar, and that traditional healers utilise a culturally coherent and holistic approach in dealing with health and illness.

Thesis ( M.A. (Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / The role of indigenous healers in managing various conditions of ill-health has been studied and debated. Studies have revealed that the majority of the population in South Africa use traditional health care to treat various mental conditions. Studies have also revealed that traditional medicine plays an important role in primary health care in many countries. The aim of the study was to explore Swati traditional healers’ conceptualization of the causes and treatment methods of mental illness in Kanyamazane Township in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. A phenomenological research method was used in the present study. Ten (10) traditional healers, six (6) female and four (4) male, who were selected through purposive sampling method participated in the study. Semi structured personal interviews were conducted with the traditional healers. The interviews were conducted in siSwati and later translated to English. The main themes that emerged were grouped under the following 3 main topics: conceptualisation and types of mental illness; causes of mental illness; and, treatment of mental illness. The traditional healers identified and described a number of mental illnesses that could be identified by their behavioural symptoms and thought disruptions. These include: depressive conditions, addictions, psychotic illnesses, adjustment disorders and genetic mental illnesses. Mental illness was perceived to be caused by a number of factors that, among others, include the following: supernatural powers such as witchcraft, spirit possession, intrusion of objects, evil mechanisation, improper use of traditional medicine, disregarding ancestors and cultural customs as well invitation by ancestors to become a traditional healer, substance abuse, genetic predisposition, life stressors, social conditions, and injuries to the head, Cleansing the patient of evil spirits through washing, steaming, induced vomiting, casting out evil and herbal medication were some of the methods that were found to be commonly used to treat mental illness. The study found that the theory underlying traditional healing is essentially similar, and that traditional healers utilise a culturally coherent and holistic approach in dealing with health and illness.

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / Culture affects the way people conceptualise and make meaning in their daily experiences, and in turn influence their decisions to seek solutions to their predicaments. Therefore the definition, causes and treatment of illnesses appear to be perceived in a socio-cultural context. A qualitative study was conducted among the indigenous healers of Moletjie (Capricorn District), Limpopo Province, (South Africa) to explore the treatment of mental illness. Indigenous healers were selected using the purposive sampling after the African Religion/ Culture & Health Forum was consulted and the names of indigenous healers who are members were obtained. 5 males and 5 females were interviewed. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. The following psychological themes emerged from the study: indigenous healers’ notions of mental illness; perceived causes of mental illness; the process of assessment using the divination bones (ditaola); general treatment practices; treatment approaches to psychotic patients; continuous assessment during the treatment process; constant observation of patients during the treatment process; and, treatment procedures that are executed on discharge of the patient. The findings revealed that there are multiple causalities of mental illness and were accounted for by African traditional beliefs. The study revealed that 90% of the indigenous healers admit patients in their homestead during the healing process but the duration differs. The results further revealed that there are two major treatment modalities employed: namely, the use of herbs and ritual performance. The findings emphasize that treatment of mental illness is mainly determined by the perceived causes which emanate from cultural ideologies.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2010 a decade of indigenous knowledge systems, there has been an increase in the studies on the role of African traditional healers in describing mental illness and its treatment. Studies have pointed to the relevance of traditional healing in primary health care in many developing countries. The aim of the present study was to explore the conceptualisation and treatment of mental illness by Zezuru Shona traditional healers in Goromonzi District in Zimbabwe. A qualitative research design, and in particular, the phenomenological method was used in the present study. Ten Shona traditional healers were selected through purposive and snowball sampling and requested to participate in the study. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using Hycner’s phenomenological explicitation process. Five major themes related to the traiditonal healers’ conceptualisation on mental illness were identified. These are: a). Types/characteristics of mental illness; b). Causes of mental illness; c). Diagnosis and treatment of mental illness; d). Challenges faced by traditional healers; and, e). Facilitating factors in the work of traditional healers. The study further revealed that there are a number of illnesses that are are not mental illness but could be closely associated with mental illness. These are epilepsy (pfari), locking (kusungwa) and sexual dysfunctions. Culture was found to play a central role in the traditional healers’ conceptualisation and treatment of mental illness. In this regard, spirituality was found to be a critical factor in the work of traditional healers in diagnosing, interpreting, treating and preventing mental illness and the associated conditions of ill health. These results were discussed in the context of indigenous knowledge systems and mental illness. The study is concluded by recommending the need to have a holistic understanding of mental illness and associated conditions.

The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to psychotropic adherence regimens in clients with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). Medication non-adherence perpetuates the cycle of psychotic episodes, which leads to rehospitalization, incarceration, and homelessness.

Interest in the ability of people to recover from a severe mental illness has a long history. During the 1980s, however, there was a paradigm shift away research driven by clinicians immersed in the quantitative, objective microcosm of anatomy and physiology towards understanding recovery from a consumer perspective. Even so the experiences of consumers has remained relatively unexplored, with the lion's share of research emanating from the United States of America. At the time of writing the proposal for this study in 2000, there was not even one Australian study of a mental health consumer perspective of recovery from severe mental illness reported in the literature. The principal aim of conducting this research was to address this need. The author, therefore, undertook this grounded theory study to: (a) explore what recovery from the effects of a severe mental illness meant to the consumers in Western Australia; (b) identify what consumers of mental health services in Western Australia wanted in their lives; and thus (c) develop a substantive theory of recovery. Fifteen participants diagnosed with either an affective disorder or schizophrenia were each interviewed and the resultant data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Comparative analysis is a long-held method of analysing data in sociology. Analysis is achieved by asking questions such as what, when, where, how, of the data and comparing similarities and differences with the various concepts within and across sets of data. The findings revealed that the basic social psychological problem (BSPP) for participants was LOSS. In order to address this problem, participants engaged in the basic social process (BSP) of OVERCOMING LOSS. The BSP is a title given to the central theme that emerges from the data and illustrates that a social process occurs overtime. The BSP emerged as a process comprising three phases: First Recuperation, second Moving Forward and third Getting Back. The analysis further revealed that the participants viewed recovery as either

This purpose of this dissertation was to examine the attitudes of retirees toward mental illness treatment. Secondary data from the Survey Research Center at the University of North Texas was utilized for this study. The focus was on the influence that gender, income, education, race/ethnicity, personal experience, fear, goodwill, and social control might have had on retirees' attitudes toward mental illness treatment. An n = 225 was selected out of the existing data to serve as the sample population. Binary logistic regression was utilized to analyze the data. Results indicated that the obtained significant findings were consistent with existing literature.