Caregiving for mental health service users: A study exploring the perceptions of mental health service users and their caregivers in Cape Town, South Africa

Goodman Sibeko; Peter D Milligan; Henk Temmingh; Crick Lund; Dan J Stein; Sumaya Mall

doi:10.1177/0020764016651458

Caregiving for mental health service users: A study exploring the perceptions of mental health service users and their caregivers in Cape Town, South Africa

Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2016 Sep;62(6):512-21. doi: 10.1177/0020764016651458. Epub 2016 Jun 9.

Authors

Goodman Sibeko¹, Peter D Milligan², Henk Temmingh², Crick Lund³, Dan J Stein⁴, Sumaya Mall²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa goodmansibeko@gmail.com.
² Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
³ Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Centre for Global Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

PMID: 27282176
DOI: 10.1177/0020764016651458

Abstract

Background: Our study explores perceptions of the caregiver support for mental health service users (MHSUs) in a low- to middle-income country setting.

Materials: We conducted in-depth individual interviews with 16 MHSUs and their treatment partners/caregivers from a treatment partner and text-message intervention study.

Discussion: Treatment partners/caregivers felt obligated to care for MHSUs, but had a limited understanding of mental illness. They found supporting adherence to treatment difficult due to a number of factors including violence, food insecurity and substance abuse.

Conclusion: Socioeconomic and environmental factors affecting the lives of MHSUs have impact on caregiver relationships with MHSUs in their care.

Keywords: Mental health; adherence; caregiver; caregiving; treatment partner.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Caregivers / psychology*
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Male
Mental Disorders / psychology*
Mental Disorders / therapy
Mental Health Services / statistics & numerical data*
Middle Aged
Qualitative Research
Social Environment*
Socioeconomic Factors*
South Africa
Text Messaging / statistics & numerical data