Abstract:
Though recent South African legislation and policy documents have called for
closer collaboration between Western-trained and traditional health practitioners,
there is little evidence to show that there is a formal collaboration between the two
categories of health care providers. Located within the interpretivist paradigm, and
using an exploratory descriptive design, the researcher sought to explore the
perceptions of Western-trained health practitioners (WTHPs) in Sekhukhune
District (Limpopo Province) towards collaboration between themselves and
traditional health practitioners (THPs) in treating mental illness. Seventeen WTHPs
(males = 07; females = 10) from three hospitals in Sekhukhune District were
selected through purposive sampling and requested to take part in the study. The
sample comprised of five clinical psychologists, five medical officers working in
psychiatric units, and seven psychiatric nurses. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic analysis. Specifically, Renata
Tesch’s eight steps were used to analyse the data.
The following psychological themes emerged from the study: (a) shared goals on
collaboration; (b) a good effect on collaboration is anticipated; (c) managing
interdependence between traditional and Western-trained practitioners; (d)
proposed ideal structures of governance to govern the collaboration; (e)
recommended legislations and policies on collaboration; (f) suggested factors that
may foster collaboration; (g) proposed factors that hinder collaboration; and, (h)
referral systems that exist in the health care. The findings suggest that some
WTHPs are willing to collaborate with THPs, especially if proper guidelines for
collaboration could be provided by the government. Some recommendations on an
ideal structure of governance and legislation on collaboration were made by the
WTHPs. The WTHPs highlighted factors that may hinder or facilitate closer
collaboration between themselves and THPs in providing mental health services
to communities.
