Schizophrenia among Sesotho speakers in South Africa

RESUMO

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical presentation of schizophrenia among Sesotho speakers. Method: A sample of 100 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia was evaluated using the Psychiatric Interview Questionnaire. Results: Core symptoms of schizophrenia among Sesotho speakers do not differ significantly from other cultures. However; the content of psychological symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations is strongly affected by cultural variables. Somatic symptoms such as headaches; palpitations; dizziness and excessive sweating were prevalent among the Sesothospeaking participants suffering from schizophrenia. Conclusion: In South Africa; as is the case throughout the African continent; health professionals are still trained in Western models; especially DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10. Certain changes should be made to these models to account for cultural differences that were found in this research