Explanatory Models and Help-Seeking Behavior: Pathways to Psychiatric Care Among Patients Admitted for Depression in Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
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Date
2007
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Qualitative health research
Abstract
In this article, the authors present findings from a qualitative study exploring how people diagnosed with depression
conceptualize their condition and how their conceptualization shaped their efforts to seek help. They used an interview
guide based on an explanatory model framework for data collection. Four major themes emerged from the
analysis: (a) somatization, social meaning of illness, and help seeking; (b) meaning and perceived consequences of
illness; (c) How did I get here? Making sense of psychiatric admission; and (d) variations in the causal attribution
and the role of significant others in help seeking. Somatization of emotional problems, variations in causal attribution
between patients and their significant others, the nature of the available health care system, and burden of infectious
disease complicate access to care. These findings suggest the need to raise the awareness of primary care
providers on how to recognize and help people with depression appropriately in this setting.
Description
Keywords
Depression, Explanatory model, Pathway to care, Help seeking, Qualitative research
Citation
Okello, E. S., & Neema, S. (2007). Explanatory models and help-seeking behavior: pathways to psychiatric care among patients admitted for depression in Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. Qualitative health research, 17(1), 14-25. 10.1177/1049732306296433