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Determinants of Help-Seeking Behaviour of Families of Schizophrenic Patients Attending a Teaching Hospital in India: an Indigenous Explanatory Model

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  • Gauranga Banerjee

    (Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, N.R.S. Medical College, Calcutta, India)

  • Suparna Roy

    (Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, N.R.S. Medical College, Calcutta, India)

Abstract

A growing body of data derived from field-surveys indicate that many people with psychiatric disorders seek no professional help in any kind of health facility. These results argue for more research on barriers to help-seeking. The determinants and patterns of help-seeking behaviour of 83 families of schizophrenic patients attending a teaching hospital in India was studied in the context of their indigenous concept of health and illness. While all the families consulted any kind of health facility within two years, over 27% of them took more than five years to report to the referral centre. Those who consulted indigenous healers first took a short time to reach the referral centre. Belief in the supernatural causation of schizophrenia was very common. Most of those who believed in supernatural causation, consulted indigenous healers first and those who identified schizophrenia as a medical problem consulted practitioners of modern medicine. These findings suggest that cultural factors like indigenous belief systems about causes of illness are important determinants of patterns of help-seeking behaviour in schizophrenia.

Suggested Citation

  • Gauranga Banerjee & Suparna Roy, 1998. "Determinants of Help-Seeking Behaviour of Families of Schizophrenic Patients Attending a Teaching Hospital in India: an Indigenous Explanatory Model," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 44(3), pages 199-214, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:44:y:1998:i:3:p:199-214
    DOI: 10.1177/002076409804400306
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tapas Banerjee & G. Banerjee, 1995. "Determinants of Help-Seeking Behaviour in Cases of Epilepsy Attending a Teaching Hospital in India: an Indigenous Explanatory Model," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 41(3), pages 217-230, September.
    2. Bhattacharyya, Deborah P., 1983. "Psychiatric pluralism in Bengal, India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 17(14), pages 947-956, January.
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