Lay Opinions & Knowledge of Dikgopheng Community about Mental Illness

In preparation for the launch of the Flemish Interuniversity Council-Institutional Cooperation (VLIR-IUC) in 2010, the Development Facilitation and Training Institute (DevFTI), University of Limpopo, conducted a scoping exercise with community members in villages within Dikgale in the Limpopo Province. The purpose of the exercise was to identify both the assets within the community - as well as the challenges being experienced in the area. During discussions with leaders of the Community Based Organisations (CBOs) it became apparent that mental health related issues were an emerging issue of concern - with special emphasis placed on the levels of stigma that existed towards mental illness in the area. It is against this backdrop that the researcher was motivated to conduct a study with the aim of finding out the opinions and knowledge of the lay people about mental illness in Dikgopheng community, situated within the broader Dikgale area, in Polokwane Local Municipality in the Limpopo Province. The study used a quantitative descriptive survey research design in which participants answered questions administered through questionnaires.