Perception of the Community regarding the Behaviour of Mental Health Care Users, in Shatale Village, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract

Mental health has become a worldwide concern, particularly for those who live in disadvantaged areas; it is a significant concern in communities where limited resources and social inequalities exacerbate the burden of mental illness. The aim of this study was to explore the perception of the community toward mental health care users. The study was conducted at Shatale village, in Ehlanzeni District in the Mpumalanga Province. The study utilised the qualitative approach, purposefully selected, and the data were collected in their own places using their own language. The sampling procedure used was purposive sampling in which the participants were selected based on specific characteristics relevant to the study. This method was particularly effective as qualitative studies allow researchers to gain in depth insights from individuals who can provide valuable perspective regarding, in this instance, mental health-care users. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather information using voice recorder and field notes, until saturation occurred. Tesch’s open coding steps were used to analyse data. Measures to ensure trustworthiness - credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability - were followed to give a degree of confidence to the data, and the interpretation. Adhering to ethics principles ensured informed consent, confidentiality, non-maleficence and privacy was applied to protect the participants after permission was obtained from necessary authorities. The findings revealed three main themes, which were stigma, culture and traditional beliefs and barriers to social integration. The first theme was stigma with sub-themes of, perceived dangerousness, shame and moral failure, social exclusion and fear of contagion. Theme two was culture and traditional beliefs with sub-themes of supernatural attributions, culture, preference for traditional healers and resistance to biomedical care. Theme three was barriers to social integration with the sub-themes of, limited community acceptance, lack of support system and family burden The study concludes by recommending community mental-health education and improved access to mental health service to reduce stigma and promote acceptance of mental health care.