Professional constructions of a 'lay' illness: 'nerves' in a rural 'coloured' community in South Africa.
As part of a larger study, medical practitioners working in Mamre, a 'coloured' village close to Cape Town, South Africa, were interviewed concerning their use of the term 'nerves' in interaction with their patients. Contrary to the initial perception of researchers and some clinicians, the term is not simply a folk category. It does, however, represent a medium through which psychosocial issues are discussed in the clinical encounter. Differences in the usage of the term by different practitioners seemed to indicate different attitudes towards patient care. The data are presented and discussed in the context of debates concerning the development of more accessible and responsive health services in a future South Africa, and the information gleaned has implications for future training of clinicians.
Reynolds
J
J
Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
Swartz
L
L
D001741:Black or African American; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011822:Race Relations; D012424:Rural Population; D012931:Social Environment; D013019:South Africa; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D009626:Terminology as Topic