Depression among Sesotho speakers in Mangaung, South Africa

Abstract

Objective: Depression will be the most common mental disorder by 2020, and it is also expected to be the second leading cause of disability, after cardiac diseases. Moreover, depression is likely to be a major public health burden in the future. This study
evaluates the influences of culture on the symptoms of depression among Sesotho speakers. Method: An evaluation of a sample of 100 participants diagnosed with depression was conducted, using the Psychiatric Interview Questionnaire. Results: It was
found that depression among Sesotho speakers is manifested in three areas: somatic symptoms, perceptual disturbances and disturbances of the thought processes. Conclusion: Since it has become clear, on the basis of the investigation, that depression
is a culturally diverse phenomenon, the authors also recommend that research in this regard should be conducted from a multidisciplinary perspective, so that other paradigms, including those of sociology and anthropology, can also be included.

African Psychiatry Review Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp. 35-43