Mental health care in Mamelodi : disadvantaged geographical positioning in a South African township

• Author: Linda Marie Eskell Blokland
• DOI: 10.10520/EJC166196
• Published date: 01 January 2014
• Date: 01 January 2014
• Pages: 175-188

175

Mental health care in Mamelodi:

Disadvantaged geographical positioning in

a South African township

Linda Marie Eskell Blokland

Clin Psych, PhD

Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria

OPSOMMING

Geestesgesondheidsorg in Mamelodi: Benadeelde Geografiese Posisionering

in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse Township

Hierdie artikel fokus op die huidige geestelike gesondheidsorglandskap in

Suid-Afrika binne die konteks van die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet, sowel as

die Wet op Geestesgesondheidsorg en die Millennium Ontwikkelings-

doelwitte vir Afrika. Teen hierdie agtergrond bespreek dit die werk wat

gedoen word by die Itsoseng Gemeenskapskliniek in Mamelodi, ’n siel-

kunde dienspunt. Alternatiewe benaderings tot werk gedoen met

kwesbare kinders word in die besonder aangebied en oor gereflekteer in

terme van om moontlikhede uit te wys om die tekort aan hulpbronne aan

te spreek vir voldoende en effektiewe geestesgesondheidsorg in die

huidige Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidsorg konteks. Die kliniek neem ’n

sistemiese benadering tot dienslewering aan wat dikwels versorgers sowel

as kinders in behandelingsplanne insluit. Met verloop van tyd het die

kliniekpersoneel bevind dat verskeie groepwerkmetodes, wat nie-verbale

behandelings betrek, effektief is. Die doeltreffendheid van hierdie

behandelingsmetodes word tans ondersoek deur 'n deurlopende waglys-

studie uit kommer oor die baie kinders wat op die waglys sit vir tot 8

maande.

1 Introduction

This article focuses on the mental health care landscape in South Africa

at present within the context of the South African constitution as well as

the Mental Health Care Act and the Millennium Development Goals for

Africa. Against this backdrop it discusses the work done at the Itsoseng

Community Clinic in Mamelodi, a psychology service outlet. In particular

alternative approaches to work done with vulnerable children are

presented and reflected on in terms of indicating possibilities to address

the shortage of resources for adequate and effective mental health care

in the current South African health care context. The clinic takes a

systemic approach to service delivery often including caretakers as well

as children in treatment plans. Over time, the clinic staff has found that

various group work modes, involving non-verbal treatments, are

effective. The effectiveness of these treatment modes are currently being

explored through an ongoing wait-list study out of concern for the many

children sitting on the waiting list for up to eight months.