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Patient and Family Experiences of Psychiatric Services and African Indigenous Healers

University of Cape Town, South Africa

Brian Robertson

University of Cape Town, South Africa

The experiences and satisfaction of African psychiatric patients and their families with services rendered by indigenous healers and psychiatric facilities were explored in Cape Town, South Africa. Illness conceptualization and its impact on satisfaction were also investigated. Sixty-two African patients and their families were interviewed using an adapted version of Weiss’s Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC). While respondents were satisfied with herbalists and faith healers, they reported negative experiences with diviners. Respondents expressed less dissatisfaction with psychiatric services than was expected. The study provides further evidence that indigenous names are used as explanatory categories which include the consideration of psychosocial and other explanations, and that the use of indigenous names does not preclude satisfaction with conventional psychiatric services.

Key Words: Black African psychiatric patients • illness conceptualization • indigenous healers • psychiatric services • service satisfaction

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