Cultural conceptions of a bereavement-related illness in a South African indigenous community

Abstract

This study explored cultural conceptions of a bereavement-related illness among elderly (aged 34–85yrs) Northern Sotho-speaking people in Limpopo province. The participants (n = 14, females = 50%, mean age = 59 years, SD: 13.7 years) were purposively selected and interviewed using in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using Hycner’s adapted phenomenological method. Three themes emerged from the analysis: debilitating and life-threatening symptoms of the illness; aetiology explained by ritual taboo violations; and management of the illness through ritual cleansing. The cleansing process incorporates the administration of traditional herbs. The findings suggest bereavement-related illness in an African cultural community to be explained by their cultural concept of distress understandings.