Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC International Health and Human Rights
Published in: BMC International Health and Human Rights 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Barriers to the participation of people with psychosocial disability in mental health policy development in South Africa: a qualitative study of perspectives of policy makers, professionals, religious leaders and academics

Authors: Sharon Kleintjes, Crick Lund, Leslie Swartz

Published in: BMC International Health and Human Rights | Issue 1/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

This paper outlines stakeholder views on environmental barriers that prevent people who live with psychosocial disability from participating in mental health policy development in South Africa.

Method

Fifty-six semi-structured interviews with national, provincial and local South African mental health stakeholders were conducted between August 2006 and August 2009. Respondents included public sector policy makers, professional regulatory council representatives, and representatives from non-profit organisations (NPOs), disabled people’s organisations (DPOs), mental health interest groups, religious organisations, professional associations, universities and research institutions.

Results

Respondents identified three main environmental barriers to participation in policy development: (a) stigmatization and low priority of mental health, (b) poverty, and (c) ineffective recovery and community supports.

Conclusion

A number of attitudes, practices and structures undermine the equal participation of South Africans with psychosocial disability in society. A human rights paradigm and multi-system approach is required to enable full social engagement by people with psychosocial disability, including their involvement in policy development.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
BasicNeeds:Community mental health practice. Seven essential features for scaling up in lowand middle-income countries. 2009, Bangalore: BasicNeeds,
2.
Chan KKL, Chiu MYL: The politics of citizenship formation: political participation of mental health service users in Hong Kong. Asian J Soc Sci. 2007, 35: 195-215. 10.1163/156853107X203432.CrossRef
3.
Funk M, Drew N, Freeman M, Faydi E: Mental Health and Development Report. 2010, Geneva: World Health Organisation
4.
United Nations: Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. 2006, Geneva: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
5.
McDaid S: An equality of condition framework for user involvement in mental health policy and planning: evidence from participatory action research. Disabil Soc. 2009, 24 (4): 461-474. 10.1080/09687590902879064.CrossRef
6.
7.
Devi N, Bickenbach J, Stucki G: Moving towards substituted or supported decision-making? Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Eur J Disabil Res. 2011, 5: 249-264. 10.1016/j.alter.2011.07.002.CrossRef
8.
Drake RE, Deegan PE: Shared decision making is an ethical imperative. Psychiatr Serv. 2009, 60: 8-
9.
Gable L, Gostin LO: Global mental health: changing norms, constant rights. Georgetown J Int Aff. 2008, 9: 83-92.
10.
Lewis L: Introduction: Mental health and human rights: social policy and sociological perspectives. Soc Pol Soc. 2009, 8 (2): 211-214. 10.1017/S1474746408004739.CrossRef
11.
Minkowitz T: No-Force Advocacy by Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. 2006, Wellington: Mental Health Commission
12.
Bassman R: Whose reality is it anyway? consumers/survivors/Ex-patients Can speak for themselves. J Humanist Psychol. 2001, 41: 11-10.1177/0022167801414002.CrossRef
13.
Campbell P: Changing the mental health system – a survivor’s view. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2006, 13: 578-580. 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2006.00983.x.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Chamberlin J: On our own: Patient controlled alternatives to the mental health system. 1978, New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc
15.
Chamberlin J: Rehabilitating ourselves: The psychiatric survivor movement. Int J Ment Heal. 1995, 24: 39-46.CrossRef
16.
Adame AL, Leitner LM: Breaking out of the mainstream: the evolution of peer support alternatives to the mental health system. Ethical Human Psychol Psychiatr. 2008, 10 (3): 146-162. 10.1891/1559-4343.10.3.146.CrossRef
17.
Anthony WA: Recovery from mental illness: The guiding vision of the mental health service system in the 1990s. Psychosoc Rehabil J. 1993, 16 (4): 11-23.CrossRef
18.
Bennetts W, Cross W, Bloomer M: Understanding consumer participation in mental health: Issues of power and change. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2011, 20 (3): 155-164. 10.1111/j.1447-0349.2010.00719.x.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Davidson L, Todora J, Lawless MS, O’ Connell M, Rowe M: A practical guide to recovery oriented practice: Tools for transforming mental health care. 2009, New York: Oxford University Press
20.
Farkas M: The vision of recovery today: what it is and what it means for services. World Psychiatry. 2007, 5 (2): 4-10.
21.
World Health Organisation: The World Health Report 2001. Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. 2001, Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2001-
22.
Tritter JQ: Revolution or evolution: the challenges of conceptualizing patient and public involvement in a consumerist world. Health Expect. 2009, 12: 275-287. 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2009.00564.x.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Campbell P: The role of users of psychiatric services in service development-influence, not power. Psychiatr Bull. 2001, 25: 87-88. 10.1192/pb.25.3.87.CrossRef
24.
Munro K, Ross MK, Reid M: User involvement in mental health: time to face up to the challenges of meaningful involvement?. Int J Ment Heal Promot. 2006, 8: 37-44.CrossRef
25.
Nelson G, Ochocka J, Janzen R, Trainor J: A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: part 1- Literature review and overview of the study. J Community Psychol. 2006, 34 (3): 247-260. 10.1002/jcop.20097.CrossRef
26.
McDaid D, Knapp M, Raja S: Barriers in the mind: promoting an economic case for mental health in low and middle-income countries. World Psychiatr. 2008, 7 (2): 79-86.CrossRef
27.
Kleintjes S, Lund C, Swartz L, Flisher AJ: Mental health care user participation in mental health policy development and implementation in South Africa. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2010, 22 (6): 568-577. 10.3109/09540261.2010.536153.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Draper CE, Lund C, Kleintjes S, Funk M, Omar M, Flisher AJ, and the MHaPP Research Programme Consortium: Mental health policy in South Africa: development process and content. Health Policy Plan. 2009, 24: 342-356. 10.1093/heapol/czp027.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Kleintjes S, Lund C, Swartz L: South African mental health care service user views on priorities for supporting recovery: implications for policy and service development. Disabil Rehabil. 2012, 34 (26): 2272-2280. 10.3109/09638288.2012.681005.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Lund C, Petersen I, Kleintjes S, Bhana A: Mental health services in south Africa: taking stock. Afr J Psychiatry. 2012, 15 (6): 402-405.CrossRef
31.
Flisher AJ, Lund CM, Banda M, Bhana A, Doku V, Drew N, Kigozi FN, Knapp M, Omar M, Petersen I, Green A: Mental health policy development and implementation in four African countries. J Health Psychol. 2007, 12 (3): 505-516. 10.1177/1359105307076237.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Ritchie J, Spencer L: Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research. Analysing qualitative data. Edited by: Bryman A, Burgess R. 1994, London: Routledge, 173-194.CrossRef
33.
Ssebunnya J, Kigozi F, Lund C, Kizza D, Okello E: Stakeholder perceptions of mental health stigma and poverty in Uganda. BMC Int Health Hum Right. 2009, 9 (5): 1-9. 10.1186/1472-698X-9-5.
34.
Thornicroft G: Shunned: Discrimination against people with mental illness. 2006, London: Oxford University Press
35.
Bird P, Omar M, Doku V, Lund C, Nsereko JR, Mwanza J, and the Mental Health and Poverty Research Programme Consortium: Increasing the priority of mental health in Africa: findings from qualitative research in Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Health Policy Plan. 2011, 26: 357-365. 10.1093/heapol/czq078.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Skeen S, Kleintjes S, Lund C, Petersen I, Bhana A, Flisher AJ: Mental health is everybody’s business’: Roles for an intersectoral approach in South Africa. International Review of Psychiatry. 2010, 22 (6): 611-623. 10.3109/09540261.2010.535510.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Wallerstein N: Empowerment to reduce health disparities. Scand J Public Health. 2002, 30: 72-77.CrossRef
38.
Masterson S, Owen S: Mental health service user’s social and individual empowerment: Using theories of power to elucidate far-reaching strategies. J Ment Health. 2006, 15 (1): 19-34. 10.1080/09638230500512714.CrossRef
39.
Spandler H, Calton T: Psychosis and human rights: conflicts in mental health policy and practice. Social Policy & Society. 2009, 8 (2): 245-256. 10.1017/S1474746408004764.CrossRef
40.
Commonwealth of Australia: Fourth National Mental Health Plan: An agenda for collaborative government action in Mental Health 2009-2014. 2009, Canberra: Australian Government
41.
Government of Ireland: A Vision for Change. 2006, Dublin: Government of Ireland Publications Office
42.
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. 2003, Washington DC: Department of Health and Human Services
43.
Burns JK: Mental health and inequity: a human rights approach to inequality, discrimination, and mental disability. Health Hum Rights. 2009, 11 (2): 19-31.PubMed
Metadata
Title
Barriers to the participation of people with psychosocial disability in mental health policy development in South Africa: a qualitative study of perspectives of policy makers, professionals, religious leaders and academics
Authors
Sharon Kleintjes
Crick Lund
Leslie Swartz
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC International Health and Human Rights / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1472-698X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-698X-13-17

Other articles of this Issue 1/2013

BMC International Health and Human Rights 1/2013 Go to the issue

Research article

Coping with uncertainty during healthcare-seeking in Lao PDR

Research article

Prevalence and risk factors of depression in childhood and adolescence as seen in 4 districts of north-eastern Uganda

Research article

Gender norms and economic empowerment intervention to reduce intimate partner violence against women in rural Côte d’Ivoire: a randomized controlled pilot study

Research article

Measuring governance at health facility level: developing and validation of simple governance tool in Zambia

Research article

Falling through the cracks: a qualitative study of HIV risks among women who use drugs and alcohol in Northeast India

Correspondence

Housing equity for health equity: a rights-based approach to the control of Lassa fever in post-war Sierra Leone