Understanding reasons for treatment defaulting among mental health patients at a district hospital in Mossel Bay, South Africa

Abstract

The number of patients who received a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor within the Mossel Bay Sub-District in the last four years (2020 – 2023) ranged from 2500 – 3500 annually. In 2020, the number of patients on mental health treatment within the Sub-District was 3510, and it decreased to 2500 in 2023, mostly because of treatment defaults. This statistic shows that there is a significant need for intervention in the mental health sphere within the Mossel Bay District. Treatment default by mental health care users is a challenge in the Mossel Bay area and this study sought to understand the reasons for treatment defaulting at Mossel Bay Hospital, Western Cape Province, South Africa.