Background: Domestic homicide (killing of a person aged 16 or older by a family member or a current or former partner) accounts for 50% - 70% of homicides perpetrated by offenders with mental illness. Despite these statistics, surprisingly little is currently known about the characteristics of domestic homicides perpetrated by those with severe mental illness. To the best of our knowledge, domestic homicide in the context of severe mental illness has not been researched in South Africa. Objective: To investigate domestic homicides by offenders with severe mental illness referred to the Forensic Mental Health Service at Valkenberg Hospital for forensic psychiatric observation. Methods: A five-year retrospective folder review was conducted to obtain data on the characteristics of offenders and victims, as well as the circumstances surrounding the homicide. Results: The majority of the offenders in our sample were young (mean age of 31), single, unemployed males who were known to mental health care services. Substance use disorders and non-adherence to medication were common. Psychotic disorders were the most prevalent diagnoses. The majority of victims were male and a significant minority of the domestic homicides were parricides (28.6%). The incident took place at the victim's residence or the victim and perpetrator's shared residence in most cases. Stabbing was the most common method used. Almost half of the perpetrators were psychotic when the incident took place and 60% of these were first episode psychoses. In spite of the high prevalence of substance use disorders (66.7%), only 23.8% of the sample reported that they were intoxicated when they committed the offence. Conclusions: The majority of our sample was known to mental health care services. This implies that there were potential missed opportunities to prevent these lethal assaults. Our research identified treatment adherence, comorbid substance use disorders and aggressive treatment of first episode psychosis as a possible focus of future interventions in order to prevent domestic homicides due to mental illness.

Over the past decade, calls to address the increasing burden of mental, neurological and substance-use (MNS) disorders and to include mental health care as an essential component of universal health coverage (UHC) have attracted mounting interest from governments. With the inclusion of mental health in the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) there is now a global policy commitment to invest in mental health as a health, humanitarian and development priority. Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as South Africa, contemplating mental health system scale-up embedded into wider SDG- and UHC-related health-sector transformations, must address a number of key mental health financing policy considerations for attaining population-based improvements in mental health. Despite ongoing transformations in the South African health sector, there has been an implicit neglect of the integration of mental health services into general health service development. This has been driven in part by a lack of locally-derived evidence in several areas, including: the economic basis for investing in mental health, the current resourcing of the mental health system, opportunities for improved efficiency and equity, and how reforms may be structured and paid for in light of the country's ongoing efforts to implement a National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. This thesis therefore attempts to address these gaps and aims to generate new knowledge on the economic costs, impacts and financing strategies for mental health in South Africa. This aim is achieved by fulfilling the following research objectives: 1. To examine the impact of social, national and community-based health insurance on health care utilization for MNS disorders in low- and middle-income countries. 2. To examine the policy context, strategic needs, barriers and opportunities for sustainable financing for mental health in South Africa. 3. To quantify public health system expenditure on mental health services, by service level and province, and to document and evaluate the resources and constraints of the mental health system in South Africa. 4. To examine the household economic costs and levels of financial risk protection associated with depression symptoms in South Africa. In the first part, the systematic review reports on the impact of social, national and community based health insurance on health care utilization for MNS disorders in LMICs, published until October 2018. As a secondary goal, the systematic review identifies whether there are any specific lessons that can be learnt from existing approaches to integrate mental health care into financing reforms towards universal health coverage. In the second part, a qualitative examination of the policy context, strategic needs, barriers and opportunities for sustainable financing for mental health in South Africa was conducted through a situational analysis that was complimented with a synthesis of key stakeholder consultations. The findings provide recommendations for how scaled-up mental health services can best be paid for in a way that is feasible, fair and appropriate within the fiscal constraints and structures of the country. In the third part, the thesis then empirically quantified public health system expenditure on mental health services, by service-level and province for the 2016/17 financial year, and documented and evaluated the resources and constraints of existing mental health investments in South Africa through a national survey; achieving one of the highest sample sizes of any costing study conducted for mental health in LMICs. In the fourth and final part, a household survey study was conducted to determine the level of financial protection for persons living with depression symptoms in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda health district of South Africa, which is serving as a pilot site for the NHI. The household economic factors associated with increased depression symptom severity on a continuum are reported; and demonstrate that financial risk protection efforts are needed across this continuum. The thesis concludes by synthesizing findings towards an improved understanding of the key lessons that can be learned from other LMICs toward sustainable financing for mental health; the economic burden of inadequate mental health care to households in South Africa; and the efficiency of existing mental health investments and inequities in resourcing and access. Through this lens, and borrowing from the experiences of other LMICs, recommendations for key priorities for health service and financing reforms towards the scaled-up delivery of mental health services in South Africa are generated. The thesis is presented as papers embedded in a narrative that includes an introduction and synthesis discussion. Four papers (3 published and 1 under review) form the basis of the results chapters.

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Includes bibliographical references. / This study documents hearing parents' experiences of the impact of deafness on raising their deaf children during the preschool years. It focuses on their experience of health services for their child. The study population of 20 children was drawn from parents with children under 6 years of age diagnosed with moderate to profound loss of hearing at the Developmental Ciinic, Red Cross Chiidren’s Hospital, Rondebosch; Cape Town. Data was collected from 2 sources, namely a semi-structured interview, which was analysed for themes, and a questionnaire, which measures parental stress, communication difficuities, and experience of professional support.

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 334-373).

Rationale: Antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) appears to be a common practice worldwide despite treatment guidelines advising against the practice for most patients in view of lack of evidence and possible risk of harm. Our study aimed to address deficiencies in local and international research by examining the current prevalence of APP in a South African context and investigating a broad range of patient, illness and treatment characteristics that may be associated with the practice. In doing so, we aimed to provide an indication of possible areas to be addressed in order to improve local mental health care practice. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of discharge records using Valkenberg Hospital's electronic patient database. We collected data on patient, illness and treatment characteristics for patients discharged on one or more antipsychotic agent from January to June 2014. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between APP and demographic and clinical variables and prescription patterns were analysed. Results: Discharge records of 565 patients were examined. The prevalence of APP in our study population was 29.03% (95% CI= 25.31%-32.96%). Analysis of demographic and clinical characteristics revealed that age>29, male sex, diagnosis of schizophrenia compared to bipolar and substance-induced disorders, co-morbid intellectual disability, co-morbid substance use, greater number of hospital admissions and high-dose prescribing were significantly associated with APP. While highest rates of APP in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders occurred, APP was also observed in a number of patients with bipolar and substance-induced disorders. Prescription patterns demonstrated the prominent use of first-generation antipsychotics and long acting injectables in APP combinations. Patients receiving APP were significantly more likely to have anticholinergic agents and sodium valproate co-prescribed in their treatment regimen. Discussion: The prevalence of APP found in our study is fairly high in comparison with international rates. Antipsychotic prescription patterns reflect a complex interplay among patient, illness and treatment characteristics of our population. Our findings indicate that patients receiving APP may be those with greater illness severity, complexity, chronicity and treatment resistance, with complicating factors including co-morbid substance use involved. While APP is most common in patients with schizophrenia, antipsychotics may also be used in combination to manage mood and psychotic symptoms in patients with schizoaffective, bipolar and substance-induced disorders. The frequent use of long acting injectables in combinations may suggest concern over compliance in our population. The positive associations of APP with high-dose prescribing and co-prescription of anticholinergic medication contributes to concern over the safety of APP. Conclusion Our study suggests concern over current local practice in that combination antipsychotic agents were prescribed for a number of patients with a range of psychiatric diagnoses without sufficient evidence for efficacy of this practice and at possible cost of increased adverse effects. Additional research is needed examining the practice of APP across diagnoses, focusing on the multiple aspects affecting local practice and various contributing factors that could be targeted for intervention. This would be a positive step towards improving the quality of our service and providing optimal patient management in a resource-limited setting.

Bibliography: leaves 68-75.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 273-287). / Over the last decade, sexual abuse committed by young sexual offenders has increasingly been reported in South Africa. Such offenders are often inappropriately managed by both mental health and related professionals and the justice system. This dissertation describes the process involved in the development and implementation of a diversion programme for young sexual offenders in the local setting by the use of action research. This is preceded by an overview of the concepts of diversion and the characteristics, assessment and management of young sexual offenders. The development and implementation process is presented in stepwise action cycles, highlighting the various action steps that were taken. These are evaluated in the 'observation' and 'reflection' sections of each cycle. Twelve action cycles, spanning a period of 6 years, are described, beginning with the identification that young sexual offenders and their management posed a problem, the development of a diversion programme and the initial pilot studies, through to the formation of SAYSTOP, a multidisciplinary umbrella organisation. Further steps describe the wider implementation of the programme, facilitator training and follow-up studies conducted on young sexual offenders. The multi-disciplinary role played by SAYSTOP in the management of young sexual offenders is discussed and the SAYSTOP diversion programme is compared to guidelines suggested in the literature. The strengths, weaknesses and limitations of both the process and the SAYSTOP diversion programme are discussed in the conclusion, followed by recommendations for future guidelines and policy decisions regarding young sexual offenders. Results indicate that sexual offences committed by youths in South Africa are common and that no intervention programmes exist that aim to rehabilitate these offenders. Professionals from various fields were able to combine their experience and develop a group intervention programme targeting these youths. Following successful administration of this programme to young sexual offenders a manual documenting both the content and objectives of group sessions was developed. Structured workshops with the aim of training future facilitators (probation officers) ensured that the diversion programme was implemented on a regional level in the Western and Eastern Cape. Follow-up studies on young sexual offenders and feedback from facilitators indicated that the core concepts of the programme were understood by participants although several areas were identified that needed to be addressed in more detail. The follow-up studies showed that none of the youths re-offended, although disappointingly only ± 30% of youths could be interviewed. A system whereby young sexual offenders could be managed and followed-up over a longer period within a continuum of care model could not be implemented. Insufficient resources and high staff turnover are identified as key factors that hampered both the development and implementation of the SAYSTOP diversion programme. Although the SAYSTOP diversion programme proved to be successful as a first line of intervention, further refinement of the programme content, development of a continuum of care model and a central management structure involving all role players is necessary for this form of diversion programme to be successful in the future.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) era in the mid-nineties signalled a dramatic change in the long-term outcome of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Many children have shown significant neurologic benefit, and in particular, a decline in the incidence of HIV encephalopathy. As increasing numbers of children have survived into adolescence and early adulthood new challenges have arisen, such as the detection and characterization of milder forms of HIV-associated neurocognitive deficits in children previously thought to be asymptomatic...