Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of reintegration into the community of mental health care users in the Libode district. Methodology: A phenomenological approach was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of reintegration into the community of mental health care users. It describes the feelings experienced by mental health care users concerning their reintegration into the community, and explores barriers to their reintegration into the community. The study was conducted in the Libode mental health clinic in the Libode district. A total of six participants volunteered to participate in the study. The interviews were audio-taped then transcribed. The data were manually analysed using Tesch’s approach of phenomenological analysis. Findings: The results of the study revealed that the participants were not living independent lives following their discharge from the mental health institution. The evidence suggests that the environment is not conducive to meeting the needs of mental health care users. They lack support from families and communities which impacted on them negatively, contributing to the high relapse and readmission rate. This study explores the barriers to their reintegration into the community such as the following: poor medication compliance, lack of vocational skills, unemployment, substance abuse, stigma and discrimination which were the main barriers to their reintegration into the community. The study consequently makes recommendations for practice and policy which can contribute to an improved quality of service delivery.

Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.