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Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.

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Main Author: Pillay, Deveshani
Other Authors: Kagee, Ashraf
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author Pillay, Deveshani
author2 Kagee, Ashraf
author_browse Kagee, Ashraf
Pillay, Deveshani
author_facet Kagee, Ashraf
Pillay, Deveshani
author_sort Pillay, Deveshani
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134368
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:48.703Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134368 Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study Pillay, Deveshani Kagee, Ashraf Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Pillay, D. 2025. Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/c573cb20-8604-417f-8d85-30ecf19d9bac Despite the high prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in South Africa and the availability of effective treatment options, mental health services are underutilized. Individuals living with MDD delay or avoid seeking help for a variety of reasons. In South Africa, there is little research on the barriers and facilitators that women face when seeking treatment for MDD. This study examined the facilitators and barriers that women experience when seeking treatment for MDD in South Africa. The methodology used was exploratory qualitative research, with semi-structured interviews and convenience sampling. The study included 13 women living with MDD from various provinces across the country. The study was conceptualised using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) as the theoretical foundation. Five main themes and nine subthemes were identified and analysed using thematic analysis. At the microsystem level, attitudinal factors such as a low perceived need for help and the side effects of medication were identified as barriers to treatment. At the mesosystem level, partner support and children were the most significant facilitators of treatment, while external family structures and employment support were highlighted as barriers. At the exosystem level, participants reported access and cost of healthcare services as barriers to treatment, while facilitators included support from healthcare experts and a combined treatment plan of pharmacology and psychotherapy. The stigma associated with MDD emerged as the most significant barrier at the macrosystem level. Furthermore, the participants stated that in order to overcome the treatment barriers of MDD, mental health care services in both public and private facilities should be improved, as should education and awareness of mental health literacy in various social structures. The study's findings revealed that individuals' decisions to seek treatment were influenced and shaped by personal beliefs, support from their partners, children, and healthcare professionals, as well as institutional and structural factors such as health care services and stigmatization of mental health disorders. This study's findings may help address the gap in local literature and contribute to future research on treatment barriers for MDD in South Africa. Masters 2025-11-17T09:11:05Z 2025-11-17T09:11:05Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134368 en Stellenbosch University 146 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Pillay, Deveshani
Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study
title Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study
title_full Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study
title_fullStr Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study
title_short Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to seeking treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among women in South Africa: A qualitative study
title_sort exploring the barriers and facilitators to seeking treatment for major depressive disorder mdd among women in south africa a qualitative study
url https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134368
work_keys_str_mv AT pillaydeveshani exploringthebarriersandfacilitatorstoseekingtreatmentformajordepressivedisordermddamongwomeninsouthafricaaqualitativestudy

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