Factors Influencing Family Decision-Making on Mental Health Care Systems in the Vhembe District, South Africa: Exploring Witchcraft Beliefs and Conflicting Care Practices

Focusing on conflicting care practies and the enduring belief in witchcraft, this study sheds light on the cultural beliefs as obstacles to care of mental health care patients in the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The belief system prevents patients from accepting and adhering to mental health care and receiving proper medical treatment, which ultimately has an impact on their wellbeing. This study pinpoints the factors influencing the maintenance of witchcraft beliefs in the Vhembe District as well as the disparity in care practises. The study was conducted in the Vhembe District, situated in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Vhembe District was selected for its diverse population and representation of both rural and urban locations, providing insight into mental health care differences. Its rich cultural diversity, including beliefs in witchcraft, offers a unique context to understand broader cultural and healthcare challenges in South Africa related to mental health care. To examine the challenges of care practises and the prevalence of witchcraft beliefs in mental health care, carers of service users participated in focus groups and interviews. Insights are thematically analysed, and the data was derived using related theoretical models. The results highlighted the significant role that inconsistent care procedures and deeply ingrained witchcraft beliefs play in impeding immediate access to appropriate mental health care. These elements also play a role in the delays in patients\' compliance with and acceptance of mental health care practises. This study highlighted the impact of competing care practises and witchcraft beliefs and the difficult issues faced by carers of mental health care users in the Vhembe District. This study offered invaluable insights into the complex landscape of conflicting care practises and the impact of witchcraft beliefs on mental health care in the Vhembe District. The study findings revealed how cultural factors obstruct patients from accessing proper mental health care. The findings emphasised the necessity of interventions addressing these challenges and promoting culturally sensitive mental health care practices. Further research could investigate the effectiveness of such interventions and factors the contributing to the persistence of witchcraft beliefs, providing insights for enhancing mental health care across South Africa.