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A case study of GADRA’s community-engaged praxis for educational transformation

  • Authors: Msomi, Nqobile Nomonde
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/464864 , vital:76552 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/464864
  • Description: Although South Africa has achieved considerable steps in development over the last thirty years, post-apartheid South Africa is characterised by widespread poverty, high unemployment and systemic inequality. According to the country’s National Planning Commission, education is central to achieving the overarching democratic goals of eliminating poverty and reducing inequality. This positions education as an important site for the liberation and well-being of our country’s majority. This case study takes a community psychology perspective on education; more specifically the education-development nexus wherein Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are centrally positioned. NGOs are contentiously positioned in the development discourse. Nonetheless, they have played a key role with regards to siding with the poor, the excluded, persistently marginalised and oppressed majority and to bringing about social justice, following South Africa’s colonial and apartheid histories, as well as in the current democratic dispensation. This study situates a local NGO, GADRA Education, within the country’s socio-political and educational landscape. Founded in the 1950s and located in Makhanda, it has been operating in the rural Eastern Cape province for more than sixty years. In the present-day, GADRA Education positions itself at the centre of a dense network of education institutions in Makhanda, including Rhodes University, and collaborates with a number of education stakeholders in the small city. The case study consisted of two consecutive phases: a Foucauldian discourse analysis of GADRA’s annual reports between 2012 and 2021, followed by individual narrative interviews with 13 organisational members. An Africa(n)-centred community psychology orientation, revealed counter-discourse to the national “crisis in education” discourse surrounding the NGO. The discourse of crisis produced the legitimation for GADRA Education’s continued existence, action and embeddedness in Makhanda. The discourse of transformation informed their modes of support across primary, secondary and higher education. The discourse of access and participation constructed the NGO as a bridge and link between phases of education. The discourse of collaborative partnerships enabled solidarity between state and non-state actors towards educational change. Finally, the discourse of development positioned development at a grassroots level. These constellations formed GADRA Education’s counter-discourse, which produced the Organisation’s apparatus of resistance, formulated as situated praxis. The 5 organisational members’ narratives revealed the apparatus’s impacts on the subjectivities of youth in Makhanda in engendering hope and driving educational change in the city. In contrast to conceptions of education NGOs who work in the public schooling sector making little progress in dismantling educational inequity, this study illustrates the techniques of resistance leveraged, in the context of collaborative partnerships, by the local NGO. These techniques have wider applicability for education-development practitioners concerned with transformative change in their educational locales. It illustrates the principles and modes by which NGOs can operate in solidarity with the persistently marginalised majority, and thus contribute to shaping our imagined educational futures. I argue that psychology is a useful site to think about justice. Critical psychological theory can enable a deeper understanding of practice that contributes to impactful community organisation, intervention and resistance in the country’s education sector. The operationalisation of the values and principles of community psychology can make important contributions at the nexus of theory and practice in working towards educational, and ultimately social, change. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

A content analysis of the framing and representation of Black Lives Matter protests by South African mainstream media

  • Authors: Manyike, Lerato Gladys
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465799 , vital:76654
  • Description: This study conducted a detailed analysis of 277 headlines using content analysis, focusing on how News24 portrays racial protests, particularly within the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. It explored News24's coverage of BLM protests from March to December 2020, uncovering various framing strategies and language nuances in news headlines. The research aimed to identify thematic frames, linguistic patterns, and overall media framing of BLM protests. The findings highlighted different framing strategies, including legitimising, conflict, and delegitimizing frames, along with the impact of descriptive language on audience perceptions. The study concluded that media framing is dynamic, responding to evolving events and public discourse, and provided recommendations for media transparency, diversity in newsrooms, media literacy, and ethical reporting. Future research suggestions include comparative analyses, audience reception studies, and policy impact assessments to deepen understanding and inform strategic interventions in media representations and public discourse on racial justice. Overall, the study contributes valuable insights into media framing practices and their impact on societal perceptions of racial justice issues. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

A scoping review on problematic Internet use and Substance Use Disorder among men

  • Authors: Adolph, Miché Tania
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Internet addiction , Substance abuse , Men Mental health , Scoping review protocol , Compulsive behavior Sex differences
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465788 , vital:76653
  • Description: Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) interact in complex ways that influence the current mental health landscape. Concurrently, the advent of the digital era has presented new difficulties, one of which is the emergence of problematic internet use as a significant issue that negatively impacts mental health. The increasing popularity of internet use has led to an increasing number of reports highlighting the potential negative consequences of overuse, such as substance use. Thus, the study aimed to synthesise literature on problematic internet use and substance use disorder, including the way in which they affect men, given that prior research has predominantly focused on women. The methods employed follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) which is largely based on a PRISMA statement and checklist, the JBI methodological guidance, and other approaches for undertaking scoping reviews. A total of 16 studies were eligible for final review, and the themes identified from the reviewed studies were obtained using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. An analysis of the articles showed a large focus on gender differences in addiction patterns, vulnerability to problematic internet use across age groups, associations between substance use and behavioural addictions, problematic internet use and mental health disorders, the psychological consequences of problematic internet use and substance use disorders, and the various risk factors associated with the development of problematic internet use and substance use disorder. A clear understanding and conceptualisation of this behavioural addiction is vital, including the development and utilisation of appropriate and validated diagnostic and screening tools to measure its presence and, in turn, address it as an emerging mental health disorder. Focus should be given to the assessment of problematic internet use by distinguishing the two different forms, namely the generalised and specific forms of problematic internet use. Additionally, given that there were very few to no qualitative studies conducted on the topic of problematic internet use, much less addressing the possible association with substance use disorder, an assessment of the individual’s experience, especially that of men, is lacking. Future research could therefore aim to incorporate more qualitative studies to address the above. Further research is also needed to clarify the nature of the relationship between problematic internet use and substance use disorder for the purpose of establishing possible causality, including the neurobiological substrates involved. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Determining the relationship between perceptions of HIV susceptibility and HIV status of women who have sex with women

  • Authors: Zuccarini, Aimee Frances
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465859 , vital:76660
  • Description: Background: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) who have sex with women (WSW) are at potential risk for HIV, contradicting the common belief that WSW have low HIV susceptibility, a misperception persists despite evidence to refute it. Objective: This study examined the relationship between perceived HIV susceptibility and actual HIV status among South African AGYW WSW, focusing on those reporting at least one same-sex sexual experience, using data from the DREAMS Evaluation survey. Methods/Design: An archival study employing the Expanded Health Beliefs Model (EHBM) analysed secondary de-identified data from the DREAMS Evaluation Survey with a multistage stratified cluster sampling design. The sample comprised 18,296 AGYW aged 12-24 across four districts in South Africa, including 1,362 identified as WSW. ANOVA was conducted using SPSS 28 to explore the relationship between perceived HIV susceptibility and actual HIV status. Results: WSW’s perceived HIV susceptibility was low (38.5%) to very low (25%), while HIV prevalence in this sample/group was 15.9%. No significant relationship was found between perceived HIV susceptibility and actual HIV status (p = 0.126). Conclusions: WSW do not perceive themselves as being susceptible to contracting HIV despite the high prevalence of the virus in this group. Public health interventions should focus on raising awareness about risk factors, such as low use of barrier protection, substance use, and other behaviours highlighted in the literature, to better inform and protect this population. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Examining the direct and indirect effect that individual and contextual risk factors have in predicting substance abuse

  • Authors: Fouten, Elron Steve
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/467006 , vital:76806 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/467006
  • Description: Substance abuse levels in South Africa have continued to rise, with the age of first experimentation with drugs reported as being 10 years. Several studies have shown that substance abuse has an adverse impact on users, their families and their communities, resulting in a number of social, psychological and economic struggles. Moreover, substance abuse places an increased psychological, social and financial burden on the individual and the family, as it has been related to the destabilisation of the nuclear and extended family units, permeating every area of life and affecting the very social fabric of society. This study therefore endeavoured to determine which of the individual and contextual risk factors measured by the South African Substance Use Contextual Risk Instrument (SASUCRI) best predicts substance abuse in a sample of self-identified substance abusers. Additionally, the study sought to determine the magnitude, strength and direction of the interaction of the individual and contextual risk factors in predicting substance abuse. The specific aims of the study were: 1) to build a theoretical model that best approximates the identified and measured individual and contextual factors associated with substance abuse, 2) to use structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the adequacy of the model’s fit to the data that have been collected, 3) to use SEM to statistically determine which of the perceived individual or contextual factors best predict substance abuse, and 4) to use SEM to statistically determine which combination of perceived individual and contextual factors best predict substance abuse. To achieve these aims, the study applied SEM to data collected from individuals seeking either inpatient or outpatient treatment for substance abuse in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa, respectively. The purpose of SEM is to a priori specify a theoretical causal model consisting of a set of predicted covariances between variables, and then test whether it is plausible when compared to the observed data. The appropriateness of performing SEM exists in its ability and suitability to examine the nature and magnitude of postulated dependence relationships, while simultaneously assessing the direct and indirect relations of the variables. The theoretical causal model that was tested contained latent and manifest variables that were identified as risk factors for substance abuse. The causal model was informed by Bronfenbrenner’s (1977a, 1986) ecological systems theory (EST) and was specified to approximate the different systems of the theory. Data for the study were collected using the relatively newly developed and validated SASUCRI. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the SASUCRI was a reliable and valid instrument to use with this population, and that the results of the structural model can be interpreted with confidence. The fit statistics, for the normal theory and related bootstrap latent path SEM, all indicate that the model is an excellent fit to the data CMIN/DF = 2.82, NFI = .946, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .04., thus achieving the study’s objective. The normal theory analysis of the paths in the diagram identified the microsystem, “Access/proximity to drugs” (APTD) and “Concerns for future” (CFF) as significant predictors of substance abuse, whereas the bootstrap analysis of the paths identified the macrosystem, APTD and CFF as significant predictors of substance abuse. This study identified 10 risk profiles that interact in the prediction of substance abuse; these are: individuals with low self-efficacy (SE) who perceive their family as lacking or having low intra-family communication, who lack positive peer support, who perceive criminal behaviours as normal, who feel a strong need to fit in, who are less religious, who have easy access to drugs, who lack a sense of community traditions and belonging, who see public displays of substance use (SU) as normal, and who lack concern for the future, are at 59% greater risk of substance abuse. Though micro level factors (low SE, lack of or low intra-family communication, and a lack of positive peer support) and meso-level factors (normalisation of criminal activity, a strong need to fit in, and being less religious) does not significantly predict abuse, they significantly interact with external factors in predicting substance abuse. Thus, it is only when they interact with factors located in the other systems (exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem) that they become significant predictors of substance abuse. Conversely, exosystem (easy access to drugs), macrosystem (lack of a sense of community traditions and belonging, commonplace public displays of SU), and chronosystem factors (lack of concern for the future), independently are significant predictors of substance abuse. These findings carry significant public health implications by challenging the prevailing focus on individual-based interventions. Recognising that the drivers of substance abuse extend beyond individual factors, this study therefore advocates for interventions that address the broader systems contributing to the issue. This has the potential to inform more effective and holistic public health strategies. Finally, this study emphasises the need for comprehensive strategies that span different systems, acknowledging the role of family, community and societal factors. This call for complex interventions aligns with the ecological systems perspective, advocating for a paradigm shift in how we address SU by considering the broader environmental influences that contribute to the problem. In summary, this study not only contributes to the academic understanding of SU, but also has practical implications for public health policies and interventions. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Investigating the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and attention skills in children living with HIV

  • Authors: Ngomane, Sibongile
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465821 , vital:76656
  • Description: Background: While persons living with HIV (PWH) have benefited from significant advances in antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, neurocognitive deficits sequent HIV, remain elevated in this population. Notwithstanding HIV, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been implicated in compromised neurocognitive outcomes in children living with HIV. There however, continues to be a dearth of research, investigating the intertwined nature of HIV, ACEs, and neurocognition in pediatric and adolescent HIV. Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between ACEs (High vs Low) and attention outcomes, in children and adolescents, living with HIV, a residing at HIV care shelters in South Africa. Methods: A non-experimental quantitative research design, inclusive of 42 participants (n = 22 males; n = 20 females), was employed to answer the research questions pertinent to the study. Measures of neurocognition were assessed using the NEPSY-II. Adverse childhood experiences were assessed using the ACE CYW-Qs. Independent Sample t-test and Hierarchical regression analysis were conducted to answer research goals, using jamovi 2.3.21 statistical software. Results: The study found that participants who reported a high number of ACEs also performed poorly on attention measures. There were inconclusive findings on the effect of biological sex and age, on attention outcomes. Conclusion: Higher levels of childhood adversities are associated with poorer outcomes in attention scores among children living with HIV. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Post migration factors associated with elevated symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety, among refugees in Cape Town

  • Authors: Mujuru, Agnes
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465810 , vital:76655
  • Description: There has been a heavy influx of refugees in South Africa due to wars, conflicts, political persecution, and economic recessions around the world. As a result, South Africa hosts the highest number of African refugees, who are susceptible to mental health problems because of their exposure to war, violence, and post migration stressors. The current study assessed post migration predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety symptoms among refugees in Cape Town South Africa. A cross-sectional survey of refugees from war- and conflict-torn countries settled in Cape Town was conducted between February and May 2023. Study participants (N = 147) were selected using respondent driven sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire made up of the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Post- Migration Difficulties Checklist (PMLDs), to assess PTSD, depression, anxiety and PMLDs, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the questionnaire data. The prevalence of PTSD, anxiety and depression symptoms was 26.5%, 33.3% and 33.3%, respectively. Regression analyses identified discrimination, poor access to health services, and poor access to food as the major predictors of common mental disorders among refugees. The document-seeking process, unemployment stress, language difficulties, not getting help with welfare, fears of being sent home and isolation, were also associated with symptoms of mental health conditions. These results suggest that psychological distress symptoms are highly elevated among refugees and are associated with post-migration stressors. Mental health interventions for refugees should not only address psychological difficulties but also consider the socio-economic needs of refugees. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

The acceptability of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Primary Care (PE-PC) for the treatment of PTSD in a low resourced community in the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Leboho, Lerato
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466191 , vital:76706
  • Description: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a global mental health concern, especially in low- resourced communities that are characterised by limited access to health professionals, limited healthcare infrastructure, and limited access to evidence-based mental healthcare at primary care level. Over the last decade, several psychological trauma-focused therapies (TFTs), such as prolonged exposure therapy (PE) have been developed to treat PTSD. In the context of the existing literature, studies done in HICs have explored the implementation and acceptability of prolonged exposure therapy at primary care level (PE-PC) as a first-line treatment for PTSD. Contrary to this, there is little to no implementation studies done to date that have examined the acceptability of empirically supported treatments (ESTs), such as PE in low-resourced countries, such as South Africa. Using the Implementation Science framework, ten participants were recruited to be interviewed, using semi-structured interviews, about their experiences and perceptions of PE-PC as a treatment for PTSD, and to also share their experiences of living with PTSD. The interview data was analysed using the reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) method to determine whether PE-PC is an acceptable treatment for PTSD that can be administered at community level and highlights the importance of integrating mental health within primary healthcare practice. Based on the analysis four superordinate themes were identified, namely, lack and absence of social support; factors preventing trauma survivors from accessing EBTs; lack of knowledge regarding mental health literacy, and adaptation of a brief trauma-focused therapy in a low-resource community. The evidence this study shows that some of the factors that hinder the acceptability of trauma-focused therapies (TFTs) at community level, include stigma and discrimination, the absence of social support, limited resources, and inadequate knowledge on mental health and illness. Therefore, it makes sense of the urgency to implement evidence-based treatments (EBTs) in LMICs. Findings of this thesis suggest that (a) PE-PC should be adopted at community level, and that (b) PE-PC is an acceptable treatment for PTSD in low-resourced communities. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

The effects of Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) on mental health: the case of Shezongo Community of Kafue National Park (KNP), Zambia

  • Authors: Smith, Loryn Janine
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465843 , vital:76658
  • Description: Background: Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a bi-directional relationship affecting man and wild animals. Both species suffer extreme consequences, including encroachment of man into wildlife habitats and the destruction of crops and livestock by wildlife foraging for food sources. HWC is particularly prominent in Game Management Areas (GMAs), situated as buffer zones around national parks. Subsequent conflict between man and wildlife leads to not only physical harm but also psychological distress, exacerbating the consequences for mental health. Objectives: A mixed methods design was used to investigate the effects of HWC on mental health. The study aimed to determine the hidden nature of HWC within a population residing in a GMA region in Kafue National Park, Zambia. Methods: Forty-two participants took part in this study, representing a diverse range of demographic characteristics. Of these, 40 participants completed quantitative measures investigating the effect of HWC on mental health. Additionally, eight participants participated in interviews on the nature of mental health in the context of HWC. Some interview participants also completed the quantitative measures, while others did not. Thematic analysis guided qualitative investigations, while Chi-Square Analyses and Fisher’s Exact Test were used to investigate the association between HWC and mental health. Results and Conclusions: The study found an association between HWC and heightened psychological distress in rural communities residing in GMA areas. Further research is required to improve the symbiotic relationship between man and wildlife, considering the consequences of HWC on human well-being and mental health. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Togetherness, care and exclusion: adolescents’ experiences of living with a disabled sibling in a South African context

  • Authors: Foote, Tamlyn Lou-Ann
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466995 , vital:76805 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466995
  • Description: The importance of the sibling relationship in an individual’s life has been established, and various aspects of siblingship have been studied. Recently researchers have begun to explore what it means to be a sibling and how siblingship is embodied. Where disability is present in the siblingship, however, there is very little literature, particularly in the Global South. This cross-cultural, cross-language, Interpretative Phenomenological study explores how isiXhosa speaking adolescent non-disabled people, living in a socio-economically disadvantaged context in South Africa, experience their lives in relation to their disabled sibling. Through the use of semi-structured interviews and photo-production with 9 isi-xhosa speaking adolescents from a disadvantaged socio-economic context in South Africa, three master themes emerged. Firstly, non-disabled siblings (NDSs) experienced togetherness in their relationships with their disabled brothers/sisters. In their experiences of togetherness, where reciprocity was prominent, they felt a sense of we-ness. In these instances, disability did not play a central role in their relationships. Secondly, NDSs living in disadvantaged socio-economic contexts experienced care in different ways. Some experienced wanting to care and some experienced having to care for their disabled brother or sister. Where care was voluntary it was experienced as an act of love, contributing to their self-esteem or a family value. Where care was experienced as obligatory, NDSs felt lonely and unsupported, and this contributed to ambivalent feelings toward their disabled sibling. Finally, NDSs experienced themselves as outsiders. Experiences of being an outsider sometimes occurred because of their socio-economic status, and sometimes because of experienced stigma related to their sibling’s disability. In both instances this contributed to feelings of inadequacy and exclusion. To overcome these feelings, NDSs focused on becoming successful, wealthy or famous. These findings have important implications in terms of how NDSs may be supported. Furthermore, this study has important methodological implications for using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in a cross-cultural, cross-language context. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Towards a valid Afrikaans-translation of the CASr-SF: a linguistic and cultural transfer

  • Authors: Steyn, Constanze
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465854 , vital:76659
  • Description: Globally, and especially in South Africa, we face the reality of linguistic and cultural variation within one nation. Our nation is intricately woven from rich cultural and linguistic threads to create a complex tapestry. It is a beautiful privilege that is, however, not without its obstacles. We often do not have access to psychometric tools that “speak” the language of the respondent that we intend to assess. It is, and should, however, be, our goal to adapt and translate assessments to allow individuals to convey their experience in their language of comfort. This is crucial for psychological assessments' fairness, reliability, validity, and utility. Intimate partner violence (IPV) severely impacts mental health worldwide. An alarming correlation has been found between exposure to IPV and the development of mental health difficulties. In South Africa, IPV is considered a significant public health issue. Even though South Africa has a population of approximately 60,9 million, of whom an estimated 10.6% are Afrikaans-speaking, there is currently no measure exploring the experiences of IPV available in Afrikaans. Having psychological assessments available in Afrikaans is essential in evaluating the psychological experiences of people seeking mental health services in Afrikaans. The Composite Abuse Scale (Revised) – Short Form (CASr-SF) is a self-report questionnaire that measures experiences of IPV across three domains: physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. This study aimed to develop a meaningful and relevant Afrikaans translation of the CASr-SF to improve the linguistic accessibility of the measure and afford more ease to Afrikaans-speaking individuals in sharing experiences of abuse. This study followed a four-step translation design, including forward- and backtranslation, a committee approach, and qualitative piloting through cognitive interviews. Participants in this study included four independent translators who were approached by the researcher directly, according to their respective areas of expertise – linguistics and psychology. In addition, three participants were sourced from the target population through snowball sampling to partake in cognitive interviews as a confirmatory step and to potentially substantiate, expand on, and review results gathered during the first three steps of the translation design. The researcher ii compared, collated, and analysed the data to identify problematic items. The translation team then discussed these items to refine the translation, and items were corrected to develop the final translation of the Composite Abuse Scale (Revised) – Short Form in Afrikaans. The translation is now ready for quantitative piloting, which is currently underway to establish its psychometric properties. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

Trainee psychologists’ experiences of providing psychosocial support to educators during COVID-19 in South Africa

  • Authors: Simonse, Allison
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465831 , vital:76657
  • Description: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the school going population in South Africa and Educators in the country were faced with several mental health challenges as a result. These mental health concerns coupled with the reality of living within the confines of a pandemic resulted in the need for psychosocial support. This resulted in formulation of workshops based on the needs of Educators, to be delivered via online means by Rhodes University postgraduate students in 2020 studying towards their Masters in Counselling Psychology. This study makes use of a case study approach to explore and examine the experiences of three of these students, so as to ascertain the implications of working online with groups amidst pandemic conditions. It explores how professional practice and the deployment of Community Psychologies have taken place during this period. Experiences encompassing the personal and professional development that occurred as part of engaging with Community-Based Service Learning during COVID–19 have been collected through the Single Question Inducing Narrative methodology, so as to enable the postgraduate student voice in the context of pandemic conditions to be added to the available literature, in an effort to position the application of Community Psychology critically within the South African context. It is hoped that the data generated from this study might assist in future programme planning and intervention, so as to encourage training standards to remain responsive to the times, whilst seeking insight into how value-laden praxis can be achieved through work at the intersections between theory and practice. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

“I pulled it out”: a discursive exploration of narrated accounts on decision-making and power differentials in the prescription and use of long-acting reversible contraceptives

  • Authors: Ndabula, Yanela
  • Date: 2024-10-11
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/467017 , vital:76807 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/467017
  • Description: Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC), viz., intrauterine devices, subdermal implants, and injectable contraceptives, are highly effective, long-term birth control methods that limit user action. Alongside the decrease in fertility rates achieved through their mass provision has been their coerced or non-consented administration to marginalised women. These highly effective yet provider-controlled and thus imposable contraceptives have been associated with problematic classed, raced, ageist, and ableist promotions. A critical lens that inquires into their endorsement within clinical practice is thus necessary. The bulk of literature evidencing reproductive injustices in relation to fertility control through LARC technologies emanates from the US and UK contexts. Not much research on the South African context has explored how contraceptive decision-making within clinical interactions shapes LARC uptake despite usage increasing through the years. Using a poststructural, postcolonial feminist framework alongside a reproductive justice stance, this study explores health providers’ and contraceptive users’ narrations of the prescription and usage of LARC technologies alongside how such talk emplots women who use, continue, or discontinue using these contraceptive technologies. In addition, the power relations (re)produced in the participants’ talk that maintain or constrain coloniality and reproductive justice with implications for certain people’s reproductive choices/rights were explored. To do so, I used data from 72 semi-structured interviews with contraceptive users (51) and healthcare providers (21). A combination of stratified purposive, convenient, and snowball sampling was used to sample the providers and users of LARC recruited within a city, town, and village. To elicit stories about healthcare providers’ and LARC users’ narrative emplotments in the prescription and usage decisions about LARC, semi-structured interviewing was used. The questions asked were open-ended and loosely structured around LARC technologies, the decisions that cohere around them, and the makers of those decisions. In analysing the data, I fused Parker's (1992) criteria for locating discourses with Barker’s (2017) method for determining the potential for emplotment into narratives. Findings suggest that participants framed contraceptive usage as either a personal, imposed, or shared decision. In personal decisions, the feminisation of contraceptive use emerged, with study, work, and relationship stability statuses requiring participants to solely and prudently self-discipline towards contraceptive uptake so as to match usage with reproduction desire. When decisions were imposed (subtly or openly), a passive role was assumed as female guardians (mothers, grandmothers, or aunts) recommended, pushed, and coerced health users (particularly young women) towards uptake. While the contraceptive users themselves were placed on the margins in decision-making, resisting the imposed decisions was difficult since participants’ “risk” of pregnancy was reportedly foregrounded. Shared decisions pointed to less one-sided accounts of decision-making. These decisions were enacted in relationships and were neither siloed nor imposed. Here, sexual partners, parents, or healthcare providers dialogically negotiated contraceptive uptake, and the possibilities for non-use were availed. Data from healthcare providers showed that non-use for young and postpartum women was not an option. In addition, healthcare providers either formed alliances with the LARC users themselves or concerned parents to support or push for contraceptive provision. Supportive alliances enabled secret uptake or ongoing contraceptive usage among some contraceptive users, thus resisting pronatalism or one-sided intentions for childbearing within intimate partnerships. These healthcare providers emplotted themselves as empowering contraceptive users. Alliances that pushed for contraceptive uptake were formed with guardians/parents upon menarche or in case the of rape. In overriding consent within these alliances, healthcare providers avoided being rendered responsible or blameworthy for early pregnancies in the face of the constructed risk used to emplot young women. This over-commitment to providing contraceptives has differing implications for women’s sexual agency and sexual health interventions. The data also describe decisions to use contraception as expert-led, patient-led, or collaborative decisions between health users and healthcare providers. Through the information and decision-making was expert-led micro-narrative, a medical discourse constituting use as a necessity and non-use as a risk emerged. A patient autonomy and a my body, my choice discourse informed the information and decision-making was patient-led micro-narrative; here, healthcare providers were either detached or excluded from decision-making as health users assumed more active roles in their own contraceptive care decisions. In collaborative decisions, both parties negotiated (non)use, with LARC users providing their embodied experiences and healthcare providers availing medical knowledge in reaching decisions. The study argues for a reproductive justice framework to underpin the signifier “fertility control”, showing how the threat of degeneration informs responses to reproduction by iii identifying and amplifying deficiency and negative outcomes while masking positive outcomes among certain women. It then creates a fertile ground for the re-engineering and recentring of colonialist thinking and its product, the restraining of the agency of fertile beings it renders “less developed”. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-10-11

A systematic literature review of the current approaches to dream work: global and local trends

  • Authors: Feris, Eric-John Ricardo
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Dreams , Dream interpretation , Dreams Psychological aspects , Local and indigenous knowledge systems , Healers , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435440 , vital:73157
  • Description: Dreaming is an inherent and universal aspect of human existence that offers a profound window into the realms of consciousness and cognition. It has captivated the human imagination for centuries, prompting various methods and theories to decipher its significance. Global research underscores the enduring importance of dreams in psychotherapy, expressed through diverse methodologies, techniques, and theoretical models. Curiously, within the South African context, a cultural landscape rich in traditional healing, there exists a noticeable lack of research concerning the utilisation of dreams in therapy. This systematic literature dove into 30 articles which remained after applying the systematic literature review strict inclusion and exclusion criteria of the literature searches. From these articles, the review delved into the multifaceted world of dream work, investigated prevailing approaches and themes both on a global scale and within the South African context, and addressed three key research questions: (1) What themes can be identified from a review of current approaches to dream work globally? (2) What themes can be identified from a review of current approaches to dream work locally? (3) What are the practical implications for working with dreams according to global and local themes? A thematic analysis of the literature identified three overarching themes: (1) Psychological approaches to dream work, (2) Psychiatric and medical approaches to dream work, and (3) Socio-cultural approaches to dreams. These findings highlight the necessity of recognising cultural nuances and, underscores the importance of developing a flexible, culturally sensitive framework for dream work, and advocates for the adaptation of global dream work methodologies into culturally specific approaches, fostering psychotherapeutic benefits tailored to the South African context. The research serves as a stepping stone to further investigation into the techniques and approaches of dream work in South Africa, ultimately contributing to the broader field of dream analysis. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04

Attitudes and achievement in statistics: a meta-analytic and functional near-infrared spectroscopy approach

  • Authors: Wagenaar, Emma Kate
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435490 , vital:73162
  • Description: Statistics anxiety describes the extensive worry and apprehension that students may experience when faced with statistics content as part of their university curriculums. Student’s perfunctory disposition towards statistics has been indicated to negatively affect performance outcomes in statistics courses. Two meta-analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between statistics anxiety and achievement in statistics. The first meta-analysis was inclusive of 22 studies investigating the relationship attitudes towards statistics and achievement, whilst the second meta-analysis focused on the relationship, primary amongst Psychology students. Student’s attitudes towards statistics were measured using the Survey of Attitudes Towards Statistics (SATS), whilst achievement in statistics courses was quantified using different outcome measures. Finding from the meta-analysis were supplemented by cortical mapping of the neural correlates of statistical reasoning using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results from the meta-analysis indicated a small significant relationship between university students’ Affect, r = 0.28, Value, r = 0.22 and Difficulty, r = 0.18, and subsequent achievement in statistics courses. A medium significant relationship between Cognitive Competence, r = 0.31, and achievement was also noted. Findings from the second meta-analysis, indicated a medium, significant relationship between Affect, r = 0.32, and Cognitive Competence, r = 0.35, and achievement. Moreover, a small significant relationship was found between Value, r = 0.24, and Difficulty, r = 0.23, in relation to achievement in statistics courses. Case study analysis of the neural correlates of statistics reasoning revealed varied signal quality findings of cortical mapping of the neural correlates of statistics in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, seed-based correlation analysis indicated cortical activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex paired with diverse prefrontal regions. Recommendations from the study include improvements to the fNIRS research design and the inclusion of larger samples to investigate the cortical mapping of the DLPFC in relation to statistics reasoning and statistics anxiety. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04

Educators’ experiences of psychosocial support workshops during COVID-19 in Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Mabasa, Rendani Mirriam
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435457 , vital:73159
  • Description: There is growing awareness of the value and central role of immediate and long-term mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions, especially during times of crisis such as Covid-19. The World Health Organization has identified the education sector as a crucial intervention site for public mental health promotion. In collaboration with members of the Makhanda education community, the Rhodes University Community Engagement office identified psychosocial support for educators and educational practitioners as a key societal and educational challenge. Focusing specifically on the experiences of educators, this study sought to solicit their experiences of MHPSS workshops in a rural city of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Focus groups with educators and educational practitioners in non-government organisations, care centres and other educational settings who participated in the psychosocial support workshops were conducted. Data was analysed using community psychology’s social action framework. Four broad themes emerged from the data: the responsibilisation of educators during and post-Covid-19, educators’ resilience and support for each other, educators’ mental health promotion through psychosocial support workshops, and top-down intervention strategies that fall short in addressing educators’ and learners’ needs. This study demonstrates the value of university-community partnerships in education settings which are key sites for public mental health promotion. In this study, I advocate psychosocial support as a standard practice available for educational practitioners and show how professional training programmes in higher education can be responsive to societal challenges via collaborative approaches. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04

Identifying the factors that influence parents and caregivers to commit child maltreatment: systematic review

  • Authors: Dipholo, Mamdlalose Emily
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Abusive parents , Child abuse Psychological aspects , Child caregivers , Systematic review , Holistic paradigm
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435421 , vital:73156
  • Description: Child maltreatment, encompassing various forms of abuse and neglect, poses a significant global public health concern. This study provides a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted dimensions of child maltreatment, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. The impact of maltreatment on the developing child is profound, resulting in a range of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, developmental delays, behavioural challenges, and social difficulties. The aim of this study was to comprehensively review and synthesise peer-reviewed research on the factors influencing parents and caregivers in committing child maltreatment. This systematic review identified the multifaceted factors influencing parents and caregivers to engage in child maltreatment. Using a social ecological framework, ten key themes emerged, namely poverty and lack of access to services, intergenerational transmission of abuse, childhood trauma, substance abuse, domestic violence, neighbourhood violence, cultural practices, social factors, children’s individual factors, and caregivers' mental health concerns. Personal history, caregiver’s mental health, substance abuse, poor awareness of self-protection, and gender emerged as significant individual-level contributors. Non biological caregivers and domestic violence were identified as relationship-level factors. At the community level, poverty, lack of access to services, unemployment, and neighbourhood violence were found to impact child maltreatment. Cultural values and the intergenerational transmission of abuse were reported as influential societal-level factors. The study underscores the complex interplay of personal, environmental, and cultural influences in child maltreatment, highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies to address this critical issue. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04

Perceptions of registered counselors’ ability to process clients’ narrated dreams during counselling

  • Authors: Mpondo, Nontutuzelo
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435468 , vital:73160
  • Description: Research related to South African registered counsellors (RCs) have yet to show how RCs incorporate dreamwork in their counselling sessions. Dreamwork has largely been relegated to the periphery of clinical psychological practice, posing a challenge as clients on other levels of counselling practice bring dream material to mental health practitioners often lacking confidence and competence to respond effectively to this material. Clients' discussion of dreams can be beneficial in the counselling process. However, there appears to be a gap in educational opportunities for practitioners to develop skills and competency in working with dreams. This study's objective was to contribute to the sparse research material in this area. A qualitative research approach with an exploratory design using semi-structured interviews was used to explore and understand the meaning RCs ascribed to their work with dreams and clients. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 5 participants. Social constructionism was used as a theoretical framework for understanding and interpreting the data, and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. This knowledge is geared towards providing insight into what extent university or college curriculum covered content related to dreams, dreamwork, dream theories, and dream models, and to what extent RC's training prepared them to provide essential primary psychological services related to distress arising from dreams. This research highlighted how RCs engaged and perceived their competency with dream material. This study also highlighted that RCs were interested in dreamwork training and believed it would enhance their confidence and effectiveness in working with dream material during their sessions. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04

The feasibility of task-shifting prolonged exposure for Primary Care (PE-PC) for PTSD within a low resource community in the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Shabangu, Princess Noxolo Nonhlanhla
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435479 , vital:73161
  • Description: Although high levels of trauma exposure potentiate an alarming prevalence of PTSD, increasing the need for trauma-focused treatment, the South African health system is unable to care for the population. The South African healthcare system contains a range of systemic and structural inefficiencies, including suboptimal care and shortages of healthcare professionals. PE-PC offers a resource-constrained mental healthcare system solution by integrating an evidence-based intervention (EBI) in primary care settings. Likewise, the present study acknowledges the ratio of mental healthcare professionals to patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). It explores task shifting to expand mental healthcare to primary care settings. The study follows qualitative healthcare design research to explore the experiences and perceptions of the two cohorts of trauma support workers (TSW) from Rhode University and the Joza community in Makhanda. The feasibility of the PE-PC intervention in Makhanda was illustrated through the data obtained from the TSWs' experiences and perceptions of the intervention's utility. The present study presents an essential contribution to the sparse research conducted on treating PTSD in LMIC with shortages in healthcare professionals. The thematic findings look at the trauma support workers (TSWs) role, including some of its challenges, to explore the feasibility of interventions. Some of the themes highlighted unpack the perceived utility of task-shifting in low-resource contexts, the limitations thereof and considerations for future research. Notwithstanding the challenges, the data from the present study indicates that PE-PC can be feasibly task-shifted in low-resource contexts such as Makhanda. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04

The mediating role of generational difference on the relationship between psychological capital, psychological empowerment, organisational support and the wellbeing of South African National Defence Force members

  • Authors: Selepe, Babitsanang Annah
  • Date: 2024-04-04
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435616 , vital:73173 , DOI 10.21504/10962/435616
  • Description: There is a growing concern in understanding the contribution of generational difference (as a mediating variable) and factors that increase soldiers' well-being. This study aimed to determine the relationship between Psychological Capital, Psychological Empowerment and Organisational Support, and well-being. Additionally, it proposes the generational differences as a potential mediating factor among these variables. The study was guided by a positivist philosophy and quantitative research method was employed. The sample for this research consisted of 777 members from both Internal deployed within borders of Free state and those going for external deployment at De-Brug. The results show most respondents were male (78.3%) and 21.7% female. Most respondents were categorised as Gen Y (between 1981 - 1996, 67.0%), followed by Gen X (1965 - 1980, 24.8%) and Gen Z (1997 - 2012, 8.2%). Most respondents were in the SA Army, followed by SAAF and SAMHS and the SA Navy. Spearman’s Correlation and ANOVA analyses were conducted to test the relationship between the variables. The results revealed significant relationships between the variables included in the empirical model. However, Well-being does not have a statistically significant correlation with the mediation variable, generation cohort. Similarly, generation cohorts (X, Y, Z) do not significantly correlate with the predictor variables, Perceived Organisational Support, Psychological Empowerment. However, there is a statistically significant small negative correlation between generation cohort (Age) and Psychological Capital. The multiple regression analysis exhibited a significant overall model fit, indicating that 30% of the variance in employee well-being was accounted for by the predictors. Thus, this research implicates that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would benefit from developing a culture and adopting policies as well as programmes that prioritises psychological well-being above physical prowess. For this reason, the present study is regarded as offering a potentially valuable contribution to the existing body of research in the positive psychology and reveals practical implications and applications within the military context. The study recommends that combat readiness requires prioritising mental health above physical strength. Policymakers should consider psychological factors like psychological capital and psychological 6 empowerment. Training programmes should include Psychological Capital and cognitive resilience. There should also be further research on positive psychology and troops' well-being. These factors can help improve peacekeeping and combat force readiness. Understanding generational variations' mediating effect can inform resilience and training programmes. Military organisations should cultivate confident, capable, and educated leaders to improve military proficiency. , Thesis (PhD) -- Humanities, Psychology, 2024
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  • Date Issued: 2024-04-04
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