Exploring the Illness Perception and Treatment Seeking Behaviour

This thesis explores illness perceptions and health seeking behaviour among Congolese migrants living in Johannesburg. The inquiry is focused on the main research questions: what are the perceptions and understanding of illness of Congolese migrants and what alternative ways of help seeking behaviour they use in responding to their illnesses? More specifically, through case study and attending to migrants perceptions of the causes of their illnesses, findings of this study show that past experiences of violence in the DRC and their challenging living conditions such as unemployment, difficulty to access housing and to satisfy their basic needs and those of their children, as well as alienation in the host country in South Africa affect their current health situations.