Deciphering the family members’ experiences on 72-h assessment admission in rural Vhembe district public hospitals in South Africa

Background: Admission of an individual for a 72-h assessment for mental problems is a critical period for evaluating an individual’s mental health and determining the need for further treatment. Family members play a pivotal role during the care, treatment and rehabilitation (CTR) of an individual subjected to 72-h assessments. Aim: The study aimed to describe the experiences of family members during a 72-h assessment admission. Setting: Purposive sampling was used to select 16 family members from two selected public general hospitals in the Vhembe district, Limpopo province. Methods: A qualitative approach was employed using explorative, descriptive and contextual designs. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews from 10 family members who were purposively selected. Tesch’s open coding method was employed to analyse the obtained qualitative data. Results: Family members shared varied negative lived experiences of the 72-h assessment admission of mental healthcare users (MHCUs), which compromises their quality of life. These experiences were based on the CTR of MHCUs. Three themes emerged from data analysis, namely, narratives related to the care provision practices of MHCU during the 72-h assessment period, narratives related to structural constraints, and narratives related to post-72-h assessment referral to another hospital logistics. Conclusion: The study concludes that the experiences of family members regarding the 72-h assessment admission in public hospitals call for attention to some measures to be put in place to address their diverse needs. Contribution: This article contributes to the body of knowledge regarding family members’ experiences of 72-h assessment admission regarding the kind of support needed by family members. The article further provides insights into the experiences of family members.