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Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943
Racial discrimination in mental health treatment in South Africa was well established by the 1890's. This study shows this discrimination was perpetuated through to the 1930's and 1940's. By means of a thorough review of racial and psychiatric literature pertaining to the period, this dissertation p...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Psychology
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613302169796608 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Carver, Megan |
| author2 | Swartz, Sally |
| author_browse | Carver, Megan Swartz, Sally |
| author_facet | Swartz, Sally Carver, Megan |
| author_sort | Carver, Megan |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Racial discrimination in mental health treatment in South Africa was well established by the 1890's. This study shows this discrimination was perpetuated through to the 1930's and 1940's. By means of a thorough review of racial and psychiatric literature pertaining to the period, this dissertation provides a rich context in to which to place the psychiatric practice of Valkenberg Mental Hospital for the period 1933-1943. Archival research was used to investigate official hospital records of, and case records for, Valkenberg for the years 1933; 1936; 1939; 1942 and 1943. Content analysis was used to analyse the case records and identify any discrimination across diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, criminal activity of patients, deaths in patients, and readmittance. Invidual case histories were also analyzed to ascertain psychiatric practice at a more individual level. Results showed that racial discrimination was still prevalent in the psychiatric practice of Valkenberg for the period. In Valkenberg 'non-European' patients received poorer care, were given inferior therapeutic treatment and often denied access to various effective treatments. European patients on the other hand superior care and had access to all the new and effective physical methods of treatment. Non-European patients were also subject to the racist attitudes of doctors and nurses, which in turn affected the level of care they received. The records also reveal the psychiatrists of the period not only purported the racist doctrines, they were involved in theories and studies that helped justify and confirm them. (154-163 pages missing). |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8035 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:59.204Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Department of Psychology |
| publisherStr | Department of Psychology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8035 Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 Carver, Megan Swartz, Sally Psychological Research Racial discrimination in mental health treatment in South Africa was well established by the 1890's. This study shows this discrimination was perpetuated through to the 1930's and 1940's. By means of a thorough review of racial and psychiatric literature pertaining to the period, this dissertation provides a rich context in to which to place the psychiatric practice of Valkenberg Mental Hospital for the period 1933-1943. Archival research was used to investigate official hospital records of, and case records for, Valkenberg for the years 1933; 1936; 1939; 1942 and 1943. Content analysis was used to analyse the case records and identify any discrimination across diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, criminal activity of patients, deaths in patients, and readmittance. Invidual case histories were also analyzed to ascertain psychiatric practice at a more individual level. Results showed that racial discrimination was still prevalent in the psychiatric practice of Valkenberg for the period. In Valkenberg 'non-European' patients received poorer care, were given inferior therapeutic treatment and often denied access to various effective treatments. European patients on the other hand superior care and had access to all the new and effective physical methods of treatment. Non-European patients were also subject to the racist attitudes of doctors and nurses, which in turn affected the level of care they received. The records also reveal the psychiatrists of the period not only purported the racist doctrines, they were involved in theories and studies that helped justify and confirm them. (154-163 pages missing). 2014-10-03T12:50:29Z 2014-10-03T12:50:29Z 2005 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8035 eng application/pdf Department of Psychology Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Psychological Research Carver, Megan Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 |
| title_full | Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 |
| title_fullStr | Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 |
| title_short | Racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at Valkenberg Mental Hospital, 1933-1943 |
| title_sort | racial discrimination in psychiatric treatment at valkenberg mental hospital 1933 1943 |
| topic | Psychological Research |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8035 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carvermegan racialdiscriminationinpsychiatrictreatmentatvalkenbergmentalhospital19331943 |