First-year psychology students' understanding of traditional healing and treatment of mental illness
Date
2022-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Mental illness has shown high prevalence in local South African communities, however, the lack of knowledge and understanding of mental illness has an impact on the treatments that patients choose. Research shows that most individuals understand mental illness and define mental illness somatically and as resulting from biological causes (Memon et al., 2016), whereas there are other reasons for developing mental illness. Although patients consult psychologists and psychiatrists there is still a high number of individuals that consult traditional healers for the treatment of mental disorders (Zingela, 2019). Culture, beliefs, and the value placed on traditional healers results in continued consultation with traditional healers. A shared understanding of culture can help address barriers related to resistance due help-seeking behaviour (Zhou et al., 2021). The objective of the study is to explore first-year psychology students' understanding of mental illness and treatments. The data was collected using phenomenological interviews with ten first year psychology students registered with the University of the Witwatersrand, aged 18 and above. Semi-structured and open-ended interviews were conducted virtually using the Zoom meeting platform and lasted about 45 minutes to one hour. The data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The following themes were identified from the collected data: (1) understanding of mental illness (2) Healing of mental illness (3) role of traditional healers (4) reasons for consulting with traditional healer (5) The role of indigenous South African Cultural Understanding of mental illness (6) African cosmology and mental illness (7) challenges to understanding mental illness. The results presented various understandings of mental illness and treatments. Participants have identified culture, beliefs and several challenges as having an impact on access to mental healthcare services, therefore, it is noteworthy to have future interventions that consider a culturally accommodative and comprehensive framework for understanding mental illness.
Description
Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Arts Research Psychology, at the Faculty of Humanities, in the School of Human and Community Development, by coursework at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in 2022.
Keywords
Culture, Mental illness, Traditional healing, Traditional healer, Understanding, UCTD
Citation
Mkansi, Akani Patience. (2022). First-year psychology students' understanding of traditional healing and treatment of mental illness. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38985