Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Mental illness is one of the major health challenges that significantly contribute to the
global burden of diseases worldwide. Several studies reveal that mental illness often
triggers or prompts people to embark on some help-seeking pathways in order to
ameliorate their condition. These help-seeking pathways are often not linear routes, but
rather recursive and complex. The aim of the study was to explore the pathways followed
by caregivers of mentally ill persons seeking mental health care services in Sinthumule Kutama area. The objectives of the study were: a) to examine the experiences of
caregivers in caring for persons suffering from mental illness; b) to explore pathways that
caregivers often engage in when they are seeking treatment options for mentally ill
patients before and/or after they have been diagnosed with their condition; and, c) to find
out whether or not caregivers make use of other forms of management in addition to the
formal treatment interventions that they may receive from the health care facilities.
A qualitative approach was followed; and participants were selected through a snowball
sampling method. The sample comprised twelve participants (female=11; Male=1)
residing in and around the Sinthumule-Kutama District area, Limpopo Province. The
participants’ ages ranged from 24 to 88 years. The data was collected using in-depth,
semi-structured individual interviews and analysed using interpretative phenomenological
analysis (IPA). The following themes emerged from the study: a) the perceived causes of
the mental illness; b) the pathways followed in the management of mental illness; and c)
the use of alternative forms of management interventions.
The findings of this study revealed that the participants hold different perceptions and
beliefs about the probable causes of mental illness. Secondly, the study further revealed
that the participants visited a number of alternative management agencies to seek
treatment for their mentally ill family members. Thirdly, the pathways that were followed
were influenced by several factors such as the perceived cause of the illness, religious or
cultural beliefs, severity of symptoms and/or advice from general practitioners and school
teachers. This clearly suggests that participants have made use of more than one service
provider to seek help for their family members. The path either started with the formal
setting, then moved to the informal setting and vice versa. For instance, as soon as individuals with mental illness are discharged from the hospital, the caregivers consulted
with other alternative service providers mainly to enhance the treatment they have
received for protection from evil forces. The results suggest that help-seeking behaviour
and the pathways chosen in the management of mental illness are largely influenced by
socio-cultural factors and beliefs about the causes of the disease.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ul/oai:ulspace.ul.ac.za:10386/3436 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Ratombo, Faith |
| Contributors | Nkoana, S. E., Sodi, T. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 91 leaves |
| Relation |
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