Deinstitutionalising the mentally ill in rural areas: A case study of the official caregiver

Abstract

Following political transformation in 1994 and in the light of fiscal planning and severe budget cuts by the state, South Africa is stepping up efforts to deinstitutionalise mentally ill patients and rationalise psychiatric services. In order to reduce expenditures, patients are often discharged from psychiatric hospitals back to their families and communities. Families are expected to take care of these patients without receiving the necessary training and support for this task. It is especially families living in poor rural areas that experience caregiving as a severe burden. Based on information obtained through employing a qualitative methodology, the aim of the paper is to demonstrate and highlight the plight of caregivers of the mentally ill within poor rural areas in South Africa. It does this through an exploration of the role and responsibilities of caregivers living in the Fort Beaufort district in the Eastern Cape Province. It also examines possible ways to empower these caregivers and the role that communities should and can play in such empowerment efforts.