Lay opinions and knowledge of Dikgopheng Community about mental illness in Polokwane Municipality

Abstract

In preparation for the launch of the Flemish Interuniversity Council-Institutional Cooperation (VLIR-IUC) in 2010, the Development Facilitation and Training Institute (DevFTI), University of Limpopo, conducted a scoping exercise with community members in villages within Dikgale in the Limpopo Province. The purpose of the exercise was to identify both the assets within the community — as well as the challenges being experienced in the area. During discussions with leaders of the Community Based Organisations (CBOs) it became apparent that mental health related issues were an emerging issue of concern — with special emphasis placed on the levels of stigma that existed towards mental illness in the area. It is against this backdrop that the researcher was motivated to conduct a study with the aim of finding out the opinions and knowledge of the lay people about mental illness in Dikgopheng community, situated within the broader Dikgale area, in Polokwane Local Municipality in the Limpopo Province. The study used a quantitative descriptive survey research design in which participants answered questions administered through questionnaires. A random sampling strategy was used to secure a representative sample size of 249 respondents out of the total population of 700. IBM’s Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows (SPSS version 20) was used to analyse the descriptive statistics. Inconclusive results were found about formal knowledge of the psychosocial risk factors associated with the onset of mental illness. In contradistinction, patterns of cultural associations linked to the onset of mental illness were significant. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of the community (75.1%) of the community members were found to have ‘stigmatisation’ opinions about people with mental illness. Due to the lack of the psychosocial knowledge about risk factors and the onset of mental illness, it is recommended (i) that there is a need for education and training to raise awareness about risk factors associated with the onset of mental illness and (ii) that further qualitative research be undertaken to explore issues relating to mental illness and stigma in more depth in the area that specifically focuses on ameliorative measures that address stigma that could be implemented within the community.