A case study of GADRA’s community-engaged praxis for educational transformation
- Authors: Msomi, Nqobile Nomonde
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Non-governmental organizations South Africa , Community psychology , Afrocentrism , Foucauldian discourse analysis , Education South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Msomi, Nqobile Nomonde
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Non-governmental organizations South Africa , Community psychology , Afrocentrism , Foucauldian discourse analysis , Education South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa
- 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
- Full Text:
- 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: Black lives matter movement , Social movements South Africa , Race in mass media South Africa , Frames (Sociology) , Race discrimination South Africa
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Manyike, Lerato Gladys
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Black lives matter movement , Social movements South Africa , Race in mass media South Africa , Frames (Sociology) , Race discrimination South Africa
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
A formative evaluation and critical analysis of an alcohol and pregnancy intervention in the Eastern Cape of South Africa
- Authors: Graham, Nicola Susan Jearey
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders South Africa Eastern Cape , Foucauldian discourse analysis , Conversation analysis , Women Social conditions South Africa Eastern Cape , Sex role South Africa Eastern Cape , Cultural hegemony
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432541 , vital:72879 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432541
- Description: Some communities in South Africa have the highest documented rates of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in the world. Interventions to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy are crucial, but evaluations of such interventions are sparse. Formative evaluations are indicated to assist in the development of interventions. Harmful alcohol consumption during pregnancy is undergirded by a range of social injustices, including those imposed by colonisation and patriarchy; a feminist, decolonial approach to evaluations is, therefore, important. A research project, consisting of three arms, examined alcohol use during pregnancy in an under-resourced urban area of the Eastern Cape, and this research was one of those arms. An intervention was being rolled out in this area and I gathered a range of data from it. I engaged in a formative evaluation of it, and I reflect on the difficulties that I encountered in this endeavour. In the bulk of this thesis, I examine the power apparatuses and technologies that were used during the intervention to discursively position pregnant women. My analysis was guided by Foucauldian and post-Foucauldian theories, using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis and simplified Conversation Analysis (CA). Power apparatuses of coloniality, patriarchy, and pastoral power were used in the intervention to construct positions for pregnant women who drink alcohol as ignorant children, sinners, criminals, or “Mommies”. The foetus was constructed as a precious, vulnerable baby, while the person with FASD was constructed as the defiled Other, responsible for societal dissolution. The intervention used various disciplinary techniques to exhort women to follow their dictates. Women were generally compliant with being positioned as ignorant children, which absolved them from any blame for pre-natal drinking. However, some resistance was evident. I then introduce an ethics of care and justice, and I argue that pregnant/newly parenting women need to be positioned within such an ethics, which acknowledges both the universal resources that they require for reproductive freedoms, as well as their particular care needs. I highlight the few times when women were positioned in this way in the data, and I look at how the common positions could be altered or expanded to promote such an ethics. I conclude by arguing that alcohol use during pregnancy cannot be separated from the larger context of the cultural hegemony of alcohol use in some communities, and the social injustices that potentiate this use. I provide suggestions for country-wide policies and interventions, as well as specific FASD prevention programmes, and I argue that a feminist decolonising approach, within an ethics of care and justice, should guide interventions at all levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Graham, Nicola Susan Jearey
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders South Africa Eastern Cape , Foucauldian discourse analysis , Conversation analysis , Women Social conditions South Africa Eastern Cape , Sex role South Africa Eastern Cape , Cultural hegemony
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432541 , vital:72879 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432541
- Description: Some communities in South Africa have the highest documented rates of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in the world. Interventions to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy are crucial, but evaluations of such interventions are sparse. Formative evaluations are indicated to assist in the development of interventions. Harmful alcohol consumption during pregnancy is undergirded by a range of social injustices, including those imposed by colonisation and patriarchy; a feminist, decolonial approach to evaluations is, therefore, important. A research project, consisting of three arms, examined alcohol use during pregnancy in an under-resourced urban area of the Eastern Cape, and this research was one of those arms. An intervention was being rolled out in this area and I gathered a range of data from it. I engaged in a formative evaluation of it, and I reflect on the difficulties that I encountered in this endeavour. In the bulk of this thesis, I examine the power apparatuses and technologies that were used during the intervention to discursively position pregnant women. My analysis was guided by Foucauldian and post-Foucauldian theories, using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis and simplified Conversation Analysis (CA). Power apparatuses of coloniality, patriarchy, and pastoral power were used in the intervention to construct positions for pregnant women who drink alcohol as ignorant children, sinners, criminals, or “Mommies”. The foetus was constructed as a precious, vulnerable baby, while the person with FASD was constructed as the defiled Other, responsible for societal dissolution. The intervention used various disciplinary techniques to exhort women to follow their dictates. Women were generally compliant with being positioned as ignorant children, which absolved them from any blame for pre-natal drinking. However, some resistance was evident. I then introduce an ethics of care and justice, and I argue that pregnant/newly parenting women need to be positioned within such an ethics, which acknowledges both the universal resources that they require for reproductive freedoms, as well as their particular care needs. I highlight the few times when women were positioned in this way in the data, and I look at how the common positions could be altered or expanded to promote such an ethics. I conclude by arguing that alcohol use during pregnancy cannot be separated from the larger context of the cultural hegemony of alcohol use in some communities, and the social injustices that potentiate this use. I provide suggestions for country-wide policies and interventions, as well as specific FASD prevention programmes, and I argue that a feminist decolonising approach, within an ethics of care and justice, should guide interventions at all levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- 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
- Full Text:
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
A systematic review of mental health care access in disadvantaged communities in South Africa
- Authors: Dube, Nkosingiphile Zama
- Date: 2025-04-25
- Subjects: Mental health services South Africa , Rural mental health services South Africa , Social psychiatry South Africa , Healers South Africa , Help-seeking , Systematic reviews (Medical research)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/478295 , vital:78174
- Description: Background: Access to mental healthcare in disadvantaged rural communities in South Africa faces numerous challenges, particularly due to cultural beliefs that impact help-seeking behaviours. Systematic reviews provide critical insights into the barriers and facilitators of healthcare access in such contexts. This review aims to evaluate the available literature on mental healthcare access in rural South African communities, with a specific focus on the influence of cultural beliefs on help-seeking behaviours. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, to identify studies published between 2010 and 2023. Studies were included if they examined barriers to mental healthcare access in rural South African settings and involved culturally relevant factors. Screening, selection, and appraisal of studies were carried out using PRISMA guidelines, with data extracted and synthesized through qualitative thematic analysis. Results: A total of 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. Key findings identified barriers such as financial constraints, scarcity of mental health facilities, stigma, long distances to services, language barriers, and cultural beliefs. Cultural practices, such as attributing mental distress to witchcraft or ancestral displeasure, were found to influence perceptions of mental health and discourage professional intervention, with traditional healers and community elders frequently being the preferred resource. Some community members, despite limited knowledge, utilized smartphones for mental health applications, while others relied on traditional practices and community support networks. Conclusion: This review underscores the need for a culturally sensitive, integrated approach to mental healthcare in rural South Africa, blending traditional and modern practices. Recommendations include conducting rural needs assessments, fostering collaboration between mental health practitioners and traditional healers, and enhancing teacher training. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2025
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04-25
- Authors: Dube, Nkosingiphile Zama
- Date: 2025-04-25
- Subjects: Mental health services South Africa , Rural mental health services South Africa , Social psychiatry South Africa , Healers South Africa , Help-seeking , Systematic reviews (Medical research)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/478295 , vital:78174
- Description: Background: Access to mental healthcare in disadvantaged rural communities in South Africa faces numerous challenges, particularly due to cultural beliefs that impact help-seeking behaviours. Systematic reviews provide critical insights into the barriers and facilitators of healthcare access in such contexts. This review aims to evaluate the available literature on mental healthcare access in rural South African communities, with a specific focus on the influence of cultural beliefs on help-seeking behaviours. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, to identify studies published between 2010 and 2023. Studies were included if they examined barriers to mental healthcare access in rural South African settings and involved culturally relevant factors. Screening, selection, and appraisal of studies were carried out using PRISMA guidelines, with data extracted and synthesized through qualitative thematic analysis. Results: A total of 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. Key findings identified barriers such as financial constraints, scarcity of mental health facilities, stigma, long distances to services, language barriers, and cultural beliefs. Cultural practices, such as attributing mental distress to witchcraft or ancestral displeasure, were found to influence perceptions of mental health and discourage professional intervention, with traditional healers and community elders frequently being the preferred resource. Some community members, despite limited knowledge, utilized smartphones for mental health applications, while others relied on traditional practices and community support networks. Conclusion: This review underscores the need for a culturally sensitive, integrated approach to mental healthcare in rural South Africa, blending traditional and modern practices. Recommendations include conducting rural needs assessments, fostering collaboration between mental health practitioners and traditional healers, and enhancing teacher training. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2025
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04-25
Academic distress & disordered eating in students during the Covid-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study at a South African university
- Authors: Du Toit, Mae
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Influence , Eating disorders , College students Attitudes , College students Mental health , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192626 , vital:45244
- Description: University students are at risk for reduced mental wellbeing, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and among the most common problems experienced are academic distress and eating concerns. Through a stress-coping model lens, a link between academic distress and disordered eating in student populations appears possible but has not previously been explored. The present study examines this relationship in a South African undergraduate sample. Data were collected during the Covid-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional, correlational survey design and the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS). The results of a multiple regression analysis indicate that academic distress most strongly predicts eating concerns, followed by the demographic variables of female gender and black racial identification. This novel finding suggests that academic institutions should consider the broader academic environment as point of intervention for the prevention and treatment of disordered eating in students. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Du Toit, Mae
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Influence , Eating disorders , College students Attitudes , College students Mental health , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192626 , vital:45244
- Description: University students are at risk for reduced mental wellbeing, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and among the most common problems experienced are academic distress and eating concerns. Through a stress-coping model lens, a link between academic distress and disordered eating in student populations appears possible but has not previously been explored. The present study examines this relationship in a South African undergraduate sample. Data were collected during the Covid-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional, correlational survey design and the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS). The results of a multiple regression analysis indicate that academic distress most strongly predicts eating concerns, followed by the demographic variables of female gender and black racial identification. This novel finding suggests that academic institutions should consider the broader academic environment as point of intervention for the prevention and treatment of disordered eating in students. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Action Research reflecting the process of a collaborative, multi-theoretical group intervention with foster parents of children affected by childhood trauma
- Authors: Cahill, Susan Mary
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Foster parents Ireland , Foster home care Ireland , Attachment theory , Psychic trauma in children , Group psychotherapy , Parenting stress
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432297 , vital:72859 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432297
- Description: Children are received into the Care of the State in the Republic of Ireland due to chronic or acute maltreatment in their families of origin. Maltreatment may include neglect; physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; exposure to domestic violence; or a combination of these. Resulting emotional and behavioural consequences may be challenging to foster parents who might experience stress, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue or burnout, which along with the child’s emotional and behavioural difficulties can result in placement breakdown. After reviewing the literature on fostering internationally and in Ireland, this study sought to determine the types and level of stress in a sample of foster parents and the types of challenging emotional and behavioural difficulties of their fostered children. Results revealed that foster parents found fostering stressful; factors included biological parents; organisational issues; and the child’s behaviour. According to the foster parents, nearly 60% of the foster children in this sample were showing high levels of emotional and behavioural distress. These difficulties differed according to age and gender. Adolescent Girls and Young Boys (5 – 11 years) were reported as having the most difficulties, including symptoms of behavioural and Conduct Disorder (CD). Symptoms associated with CD were reported in at least 40% of every age and gender category of children over five years. Further, this study outlines the development, facilitation and outcomes of a small group psychoeducational-reflective foster parenting Course, involving six separate groups of parents (n=38) each meeting for eight sessions. In this Course, foster children were conceptualised from a bio-psycho-social-ecological viewpoint, utilising theoretical concepts from Prenatal Development, Attachment and Trauma, pertaining to vulnerable children to illustrate the cumulative effects of adversities. Time for discussion and reflection on the material was structured into the Course. This combination of knowledge, practical skills, reflection and support for parents aimed to promote healing relationship-based practices for the child within their foster home. This multi-faceted study was grounded in Community Psychology, using mixed methods to gather data during action research processes, to reflect the different components of an action cycle. Ideas and modifications to the Course based on feedback from the foster parent participants’ experiences have been included. It is recommended that the Course be provided to other foster parents and audiences such as social workers, teachers and solicitors. Furthermore, suggestions are made regarding assessment, diagnosis and interventions for foster children and parents, based on a multidisciplinary consultancy model. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Cahill, Susan Mary
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Foster parents Ireland , Foster home care Ireland , Attachment theory , Psychic trauma in children , Group psychotherapy , Parenting stress
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432297 , vital:72859 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432297
- Description: Children are received into the Care of the State in the Republic of Ireland due to chronic or acute maltreatment in their families of origin. Maltreatment may include neglect; physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; exposure to domestic violence; or a combination of these. Resulting emotional and behavioural consequences may be challenging to foster parents who might experience stress, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue or burnout, which along with the child’s emotional and behavioural difficulties can result in placement breakdown. After reviewing the literature on fostering internationally and in Ireland, this study sought to determine the types and level of stress in a sample of foster parents and the types of challenging emotional and behavioural difficulties of their fostered children. Results revealed that foster parents found fostering stressful; factors included biological parents; organisational issues; and the child’s behaviour. According to the foster parents, nearly 60% of the foster children in this sample were showing high levels of emotional and behavioural distress. These difficulties differed according to age and gender. Adolescent Girls and Young Boys (5 – 11 years) were reported as having the most difficulties, including symptoms of behavioural and Conduct Disorder (CD). Symptoms associated with CD were reported in at least 40% of every age and gender category of children over five years. Further, this study outlines the development, facilitation and outcomes of a small group psychoeducational-reflective foster parenting Course, involving six separate groups of parents (n=38) each meeting for eight sessions. In this Course, foster children were conceptualised from a bio-psycho-social-ecological viewpoint, utilising theoretical concepts from Prenatal Development, Attachment and Trauma, pertaining to vulnerable children to illustrate the cumulative effects of adversities. Time for discussion and reflection on the material was structured into the Course. This combination of knowledge, practical skills, reflection and support for parents aimed to promote healing relationship-based practices for the child within their foster home. This multi-faceted study was grounded in Community Psychology, using mixed methods to gather data during action research processes, to reflect the different components of an action cycle. Ideas and modifications to the Course based on feedback from the foster parent participants’ experiences have been included. It is recommended that the Course be provided to other foster parents and audiences such as social workers, teachers and solicitors. Furthermore, suggestions are made regarding assessment, diagnosis and interventions for foster children and parents, based on a multidisciplinary consultancy model. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Alcohol-related harm in relation to demographic factors: a longitudinal analysis of South African university students
- Authors: Chakabuda, Tatenda
- Date: 2025-04-04
- Subjects: College students Alcohol use South Africa , College students Social conditions , Alcoholism Age factors , Alcoholism Sex differences , Drinking of alcoholic beverages Social aspects South Africa , Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480139 , vital:78400
- Description: Introduction: Substance abuse, particularly alcohol abuse, has been widely studied. Due to its nature as a legal substance, the negative effects of alcohol are seemingly undermined. However, studies over time have constantly shown that despite being legal, alcohol has detrimental effects that should not be ignored. The consequences of alcohol can be divided into two broad categories: short-term and long-term. Short-term effects include blackouts, poor decision-making, engaging in unsafe sexual practices, and vandalism. On the other end, long-term effects include physiological harm and declining neurocognitive capacity. These and many other forms of harm have been studied, mainly in diagnosed alcoholic populations. Overtime, the population of interest in terms of alcohol-related harm broadened and it increasingly became evident that university students are susceptible to alcohol-related harm and alcohol use disorders due to their drinking patterns. Student drinking patterns involving binge drinking, pre-drinking, and drinking games are common due to the fact that in university, young adults have less supervision and more freedom. University students are also in an environment where excessive alcohol use is normalised, which makes them prone to alcohol-harm. However, it is important to note that different demographics are predisposed to alcohol-harm differently. Gender, age, racial and socio-economic differences are some factors that have been proven to differentiate individuals’ likelihood of experiencing alcohol-related harm. Unfortunately, the differences across these different demographics within a South African university population are yet to be adequately explored. A large percentage of existing literature on demographic differences in the experience of alcohol harm in university cohorts has been largely amongst Western student populations. Methods: The present longitudinal study aimed to rectify this research gap by providing an evidence-based outcome analysis of demographic differences in the experience of alcohol-related harm in a South African student population. Data were collected using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) over a three-year period (2015, 2016 & 2017) from the same Rhodes University student cohort. Demographic data in the form of age, race, gender, and socio-economic status was analysed to study alcohol-related harm. Results: Data indicated that male students did not significantly experience greater alcohol-related harm compared to female students (p > 0.05). Similarly, white students did not experience significantly more alcohol-related harm compared to non-white students (p > 0.05). Findings further indicated that younger students experienced significantly greater alcohol-related harm in comparison to older students (p < 0.05). Lastly, students from a higher socio-economic background did not experience significantly greater alcohol-induced harm when compared to those from a lower socioeconomic status background (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Differences by age could be related to early brain development being linked to greater risk-taking, resulting in greater alcohol-related harm. Moreover, the absence of guardians may place younger student populations at greater risk for unhealthy drinking patterns, which may result in alcohol-related harm. Findings from the study suggest a greater need for interventions to target younger student populations. Future studies should explore why younger students are at greater risk for alcohol-related harm and seek to develop interventions that are more effective for this population. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2025
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04-04
- Authors: Chakabuda, Tatenda
- Date: 2025-04-04
- Subjects: College students Alcohol use South Africa , College students Social conditions , Alcoholism Age factors , Alcoholism Sex differences , Drinking of alcoholic beverages Social aspects South Africa , Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480139 , vital:78400
- Description: Introduction: Substance abuse, particularly alcohol abuse, has been widely studied. Due to its nature as a legal substance, the negative effects of alcohol are seemingly undermined. However, studies over time have constantly shown that despite being legal, alcohol has detrimental effects that should not be ignored. The consequences of alcohol can be divided into two broad categories: short-term and long-term. Short-term effects include blackouts, poor decision-making, engaging in unsafe sexual practices, and vandalism. On the other end, long-term effects include physiological harm and declining neurocognitive capacity. These and many other forms of harm have been studied, mainly in diagnosed alcoholic populations. Overtime, the population of interest in terms of alcohol-related harm broadened and it increasingly became evident that university students are susceptible to alcohol-related harm and alcohol use disorders due to their drinking patterns. Student drinking patterns involving binge drinking, pre-drinking, and drinking games are common due to the fact that in university, young adults have less supervision and more freedom. University students are also in an environment where excessive alcohol use is normalised, which makes them prone to alcohol-harm. However, it is important to note that different demographics are predisposed to alcohol-harm differently. Gender, age, racial and socio-economic differences are some factors that have been proven to differentiate individuals’ likelihood of experiencing alcohol-related harm. Unfortunately, the differences across these different demographics within a South African university population are yet to be adequately explored. A large percentage of existing literature on demographic differences in the experience of alcohol harm in university cohorts has been largely amongst Western student populations. Methods: The present longitudinal study aimed to rectify this research gap by providing an evidence-based outcome analysis of demographic differences in the experience of alcohol-related harm in a South African student population. Data were collected using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) over a three-year period (2015, 2016 & 2017) from the same Rhodes University student cohort. Demographic data in the form of age, race, gender, and socio-economic status was analysed to study alcohol-related harm. Results: Data indicated that male students did not significantly experience greater alcohol-related harm compared to female students (p > 0.05). Similarly, white students did not experience significantly more alcohol-related harm compared to non-white students (p > 0.05). Findings further indicated that younger students experienced significantly greater alcohol-related harm in comparison to older students (p < 0.05). Lastly, students from a higher socio-economic background did not experience significantly greater alcohol-induced harm when compared to those from a lower socioeconomic status background (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Differences by age could be related to early brain development being linked to greater risk-taking, resulting in greater alcohol-related harm. Moreover, the absence of guardians may place younger student populations at greater risk for unhealthy drinking patterns, which may result in alcohol-related harm. Findings from the study suggest a greater need for interventions to target younger student populations. Future studies should explore why younger students are at greater risk for alcohol-related harm and seek to develop interventions that are more effective for this population. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2025
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04-04
An analysis of womxn’s understanding of South African public health awareness campaigns’ messages on HIV/AIDS using cognitive interviewing
- Authors: Simpo, Hazel
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: HIV infections Risk factors , AIDS (Disease) Risk factors , Womxn , Cognitive interview , Awareness campaign , HIV infections South Africa , AIDS (Disease) South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408738 , vital:70521
- Description: Besides having the most extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment programme, South Africa faces the highest epidemic rate, with womxn and children most affected. Several prevention strategies have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, including free access to print form awareness campaigns that come through pamphlets, posters and billboards. However, most public health sector awareness and educational programmes carry uniform messages that are then carried out in heterogeneous contexts leading to the miscomprehension of the intended messages. This study aimed to explore womxn’s understanding of public health awareness content on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The focus was on examining their interpretation of universal HIV/AIDS awareness messages in their heterogeneous contexts, which might provide obstacles to womxn’s reproductive health and well-being using a reproductive justice framework. This study employed a cognitive interviewing methodology to collect data from the participants to obtain information about how participants understand and perceive knowledge and how they arrive at specific answers or judgements. Twenty-eight (28) womxn aged between 18 and 30 years were purposively sampled for this study from four (4) local healthcare facilities in Makhanda: the Grahamstown Municipality (Anglo-African) Clinic, the Joza Clinic, the Settlers Day Hospital and the Raglan Road Clinic. Thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) was used to analyse the data collected from the study. One global theme emerged from the dataset: Barriers to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The barriers were identified mainly due to social constructions of hegemonic masculinity, individual versus cultural expectations, and outdated awareness content. The findings from the study suggest that almost all the challenges that womxn faced in terms of understanding and interpreting the awareness materials stemmed from structural factors in the South African context. The findings also suggest that cognitive interviewing methodology can be reconceptualised as an endeavour that cuts across a wide range of fields. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Simpo, Hazel
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: HIV infections Risk factors , AIDS (Disease) Risk factors , Womxn , Cognitive interview , Awareness campaign , HIV infections South Africa , AIDS (Disease) South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408738 , vital:70521
- Description: Besides having the most extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment programme, South Africa faces the highest epidemic rate, with womxn and children most affected. Several prevention strategies have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, including free access to print form awareness campaigns that come through pamphlets, posters and billboards. However, most public health sector awareness and educational programmes carry uniform messages that are then carried out in heterogeneous contexts leading to the miscomprehension of the intended messages. This study aimed to explore womxn’s understanding of public health awareness content on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The focus was on examining their interpretation of universal HIV/AIDS awareness messages in their heterogeneous contexts, which might provide obstacles to womxn’s reproductive health and well-being using a reproductive justice framework. This study employed a cognitive interviewing methodology to collect data from the participants to obtain information about how participants understand and perceive knowledge and how they arrive at specific answers or judgements. Twenty-eight (28) womxn aged between 18 and 30 years were purposively sampled for this study from four (4) local healthcare facilities in Makhanda: the Grahamstown Municipality (Anglo-African) Clinic, the Joza Clinic, the Settlers Day Hospital and the Raglan Road Clinic. Thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) was used to analyse the data collected from the study. One global theme emerged from the dataset: Barriers to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The barriers were identified mainly due to social constructions of hegemonic masculinity, individual versus cultural expectations, and outdated awareness content. The findings from the study suggest that almost all the challenges that womxn faced in terms of understanding and interpreting the awareness materials stemmed from structural factors in the South African context. The findings also suggest that cognitive interviewing methodology can be reconceptualised as an endeavour that cuts across a wide range of fields. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Attitudes and achievement in statistics: a meta-analytic and functional near-infrared spectroscopy approach
- Authors: Wagenaar, Emma Kate
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Statistics Study and teaching , fNIRS , Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , Learning, Psychology of , Academic achievement
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
- Authors: Wagenaar, Emma Kate
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Statistics Study and teaching , fNIRS , Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex , Learning, Psychology of , Academic achievement
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
Conceptualising mental distress from an African psychology paradigm: using an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the views of traditional healers
- Nabo-Bazana, Sandisiwe Sifanelwe
- Authors: Nabo-Bazana, Sandisiwe Sifanelwe
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Healers South Africa , Traditional healer , Mental distress , Black psychology , Afrocentrism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406213 , vital:70249
- Description: With South Africa's long history of colonialism and racial oppression, there are still services in the country that many South Africans cannot relate to, including psychology. Research shows that many South Africans experience and are affected by mental distress due to several factors, including poverty, unemployment, and traumatic experiences. Managing and treating such distress has always been challenging for most South Africans. Some debates question the relevance of psychological services from the West in a South African context. This study explores other approaches to psychology that look beyond the Biopsychosocial model when dealing with certain types of disorders in an African context. African psychology, or the Afrocentric approach, looks at what is beneath the surface, not just the presenting problem. Mainstream psychology strives to be universal and applicable to all. However, African psychology disagrees with this notion. African psychology perceives human beings as strongly influenced by social and cultural influences. The focus of this approach includes the spiritual realm and the attached meanings. There is evidence for the need to merge Traditional and Western medicine. The research methodology for this study is qualitative, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. IPA allows for a critical engagement with the ways in which participants construct their reality. The researcher carried out semi-structured interviews to enable participants, all traditional healers (3 female and 2 male), to narrate their experiences dealing with mentally distressed clients. The accounts of these traditional healers were analysed focusing on people who have experienced mental distress. From the analysis and synthesis of the themes, findings illustrate how traditional healers conceptualise and construct mental distress from an African Psychology paradigm. An emerging core theme was the importance of the divine call and its influence on the chosen treatments. More studies are needed to illustrate the potential for collaboration between African Traditional healing and EuroAmerican healing practices, to provide holistic services to people in need. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Nabo-Bazana, Sandisiwe Sifanelwe
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Healers South Africa , Traditional healer , Mental distress , Black psychology , Afrocentrism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406213 , vital:70249
- Description: With South Africa's long history of colonialism and racial oppression, there are still services in the country that many South Africans cannot relate to, including psychology. Research shows that many South Africans experience and are affected by mental distress due to several factors, including poverty, unemployment, and traumatic experiences. Managing and treating such distress has always been challenging for most South Africans. Some debates question the relevance of psychological services from the West in a South African context. This study explores other approaches to psychology that look beyond the Biopsychosocial model when dealing with certain types of disorders in an African context. African psychology, or the Afrocentric approach, looks at what is beneath the surface, not just the presenting problem. Mainstream psychology strives to be universal and applicable to all. However, African psychology disagrees with this notion. African psychology perceives human beings as strongly influenced by social and cultural influences. The focus of this approach includes the spiritual realm and the attached meanings. There is evidence for the need to merge Traditional and Western medicine. The research methodology for this study is qualitative, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. IPA allows for a critical engagement with the ways in which participants construct their reality. The researcher carried out semi-structured interviews to enable participants, all traditional healers (3 female and 2 male), to narrate their experiences dealing with mentally distressed clients. The accounts of these traditional healers were analysed focusing on people who have experienced mental distress. From the analysis and synthesis of the themes, findings illustrate how traditional healers conceptualise and construct mental distress from an African Psychology paradigm. An emerging core theme was the importance of the divine call and its influence on the chosen treatments. More studies are needed to illustrate the potential for collaboration between African Traditional healing and EuroAmerican healing practices, to provide holistic services to people in need. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Contextualising job satisfaction amongst lowest paid support staff in a Higher Education institution
- Madito, Gotlannamang Moloiesi Boipelo
- Authors: Madito, Gotlannamang Moloiesi Boipelo
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405984 , vital:70225
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be relased in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Contextualising job satisfaction amongst lowest paid support staff in a Higher Education institution
- Authors: Madito, Gotlannamang Moloiesi Boipelo
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405984 , vital:70225
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be relased in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Current psychological distress and coping strategies reported by university staff in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Authors: Sekese, Deneo Nande
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Clinical health psychology , Salutogenesis , Distress (Psychology) , Adjustment (Psychology) , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Influence , College teachers , Sense of coherence
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425045 , vital:72204
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent disruptions brought about by the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, provide an unfortunate but useful opportunity to explore employee wellness in response to a crisis, within the Higher Education context. COVID-19 lockdowns meant that university students could no longer access conventional learning through physical attendance at lectures. In response, university staff had to contend with a number of changes to their work environment. These included adapting teaching, learning, and assessment methods to an online platform, which led to changes in job roles, expectations, and increased workload for both academic and support staff. The focus of this research was to explore correlations between the current psychological distress that university employees are experiencing and their recalled coping strategies and sense of coherence in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method approach using a survey design was used. Surveys were completed by 171 university academic and support staff using the SA CORE-10 and BRIEF Cope, as well as qualitative questions. Results demonstrated that higher levels of current psychological distress correlated positively with avoidant coping strategies, particularly in academic staff as opposed to support staff, while more adaptive coping strategies tracked with a sense of coherence. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Sekese, Deneo Nande
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Clinical health psychology , Salutogenesis , Distress (Psychology) , Adjustment (Psychology) , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Influence , College teachers , Sense of coherence
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425045 , vital:72204
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent disruptions brought about by the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, provide an unfortunate but useful opportunity to explore employee wellness in response to a crisis, within the Higher Education context. COVID-19 lockdowns meant that university students could no longer access conventional learning through physical attendance at lectures. In response, university staff had to contend with a number of changes to their work environment. These included adapting teaching, learning, and assessment methods to an online platform, which led to changes in job roles, expectations, and increased workload for both academic and support staff. The focus of this research was to explore correlations between the current psychological distress that university employees are experiencing and their recalled coping strategies and sense of coherence in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method approach using a survey design was used. Surveys were completed by 171 university academic and support staff using the SA CORE-10 and BRIEF Cope, as well as qualitative questions. Results demonstrated that higher levels of current psychological distress correlated positively with avoidant coping strategies, particularly in academic staff as opposed to support staff, while more adaptive coping strategies tracked with a sense of coherence. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
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: Teenage girls Attitudes , Young women Attitudes , Women who have sex with women , Stigma (Social psychology) , Informed consent (Medical law) , HIV infections Susceptibility
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Zuccarini, Aimee Frances
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Teenage girls Attitudes , Young women Attitudes , Women who have sex with women , Stigma (Social psychology) , Informed consent (Medical law) , HIV infections Susceptibility
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Developing and exploring a career education programme for disadvantaged FET-phase learners in the northern areas of Gqeberha: a developmental-contextual approach
- Human, Antoinette Charlotte Lucy
- Authors: Human, Antoinette Charlotte Lucy
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Vocational education South Africa Gqeberha , Disadvantaged students , Life skills Study and teaching (Secondary) South Africa , Curriculum change South Africa , Context effects (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432333 , vital:72862 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432333
- Description: Career development theory and assessments in South Africa have often been unscientifically applied to traditionally disadvantaged individuals, with little consideration of the diverse contexts of indigenous groups in the country. Assessment measures were not suited to the needs of learners from resource-constrained environments, nor could learners from these communities access these due to the associated financial costs. Recent research developments (using more holistic approaches) suggest that career counselling in South Africa should move towards better contextualized approaches to understanding and informing career development. Follow-up research projects show the value of such approaches with youth. Postmodern career development theories and models recognise that career counselling and development should focus on supporting individuals in constructing their careers from their own experiences within their environments, particularly for learners from disadvantaged communities whose career decisions and career development are inextricably influenced by their environments. The present study therefore employed the Developmental-Contextual Framework (DCF) to explore the perspectives of FET-phase Life Orientation (LO) educators on the LO curriculum (LO CAPS) for careers and career choices; as well as contextual factors influencing the career development of disadvantaged learners in public schools. The overall aim of the study was to co-construct and explore a customised career education programme, alongside LO educators, and determine whether FET-phase learners from disadvantaged public schools could benefit from such a programme. The DCF emphasises the dynamic relationship between an individual and the environment and the influences thereof on career development. The study draws from previous South African studies with disadvantaged learners and students that acknowledged the applicability of the DCF in the design of career programmes. This framework acknowledges the embeddedness of the individual in their proximal and distal environments and the role of these environments in the career decisionmaking of learners. The study was conducted in disadvantaged secondary schools in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, with LO educators in the FET-phase and the LO subject advisor at District level. At the initial interview stage the sample consisted of 9 participants and reduced to 6 participants in the focus group stage. The study underlined the impact of various contextual factors on career decision-making and the inclusion of these in career education programmes, particularly when working with learners from disadvantaged environments. Furthermore, the study illustrated that the career education of FET-phase learners in public high schools is lacking in many ways and that LO educators are not adequately trained to teach careers topics and therefore lack skills to support learners with their career development needs. The lack of, as well as poor and outdated career resources, impact negatively on the career education of learners in many public schools. Underpinned by Action Research, over a series of seven focus group meetings, an applicable and relevant programme of career-related activities based on the DCF was planned and evaluated by educators. The cumulative data were thematically analysed and the study revealed that the customised programme could potentially address the career development needs of learners from disadvantaged public schools, if educators are adequately trained to apply it. Recommendations are made for further piloting and implementation. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Human, Antoinette Charlotte Lucy
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Vocational education South Africa Gqeberha , Disadvantaged students , Life skills Study and teaching (Secondary) South Africa , Curriculum change South Africa , Context effects (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432333 , vital:72862 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432333
- Description: Career development theory and assessments in South Africa have often been unscientifically applied to traditionally disadvantaged individuals, with little consideration of the diverse contexts of indigenous groups in the country. Assessment measures were not suited to the needs of learners from resource-constrained environments, nor could learners from these communities access these due to the associated financial costs. Recent research developments (using more holistic approaches) suggest that career counselling in South Africa should move towards better contextualized approaches to understanding and informing career development. Follow-up research projects show the value of such approaches with youth. Postmodern career development theories and models recognise that career counselling and development should focus on supporting individuals in constructing their careers from their own experiences within their environments, particularly for learners from disadvantaged communities whose career decisions and career development are inextricably influenced by their environments. The present study therefore employed the Developmental-Contextual Framework (DCF) to explore the perspectives of FET-phase Life Orientation (LO) educators on the LO curriculum (LO CAPS) for careers and career choices; as well as contextual factors influencing the career development of disadvantaged learners in public schools. The overall aim of the study was to co-construct and explore a customised career education programme, alongside LO educators, and determine whether FET-phase learners from disadvantaged public schools could benefit from such a programme. The DCF emphasises the dynamic relationship between an individual and the environment and the influences thereof on career development. The study draws from previous South African studies with disadvantaged learners and students that acknowledged the applicability of the DCF in the design of career programmes. This framework acknowledges the embeddedness of the individual in their proximal and distal environments and the role of these environments in the career decisionmaking of learners. The study was conducted in disadvantaged secondary schools in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, with LO educators in the FET-phase and the LO subject advisor at District level. At the initial interview stage the sample consisted of 9 participants and reduced to 6 participants in the focus group stage. The study underlined the impact of various contextual factors on career decision-making and the inclusion of these in career education programmes, particularly when working with learners from disadvantaged environments. Furthermore, the study illustrated that the career education of FET-phase learners in public high schools is lacking in many ways and that LO educators are not adequately trained to teach careers topics and therefore lack skills to support learners with their career development needs. The lack of, as well as poor and outdated career resources, impact negatively on the career education of learners in many public schools. Underpinned by Action Research, over a series of seven focus group meetings, an applicable and relevant programme of career-related activities based on the DCF was planned and evaluated by educators. The cumulative data were thematically analysed and the study revealed that the customised programme could potentially address the career development needs of learners from disadvantaged public schools, if educators are adequately trained to apply it. Recommendations are made for further piloting and implementation. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Don’t let the little man live in your head for free: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of seafarers with reportedly high levels of well-being
- Authors: Brown, Lauren Natalie
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Seafaring life Psychological aspects , Sailors Mental health , Well-being , Phenomenology , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327653 , vital:61140 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327653
- Description: The mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Brown, Lauren Natalie
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Seafaring life Psychological aspects , Sailors Mental health , Well-being , Phenomenology , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327653 , vital:61140 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327653
- Description: The mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Educators’ experiences of psychosocial support workshops during COVID-19 in Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Mabaso, Rendani Mirriam
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Educators Mental health South Africa Eastern Cape , Psychosocial support system , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023 Influence , Community psychology , Service learning
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
- Authors: Mabaso, Rendani Mirriam
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Educators Mental health South Africa Eastern Cape , Psychosocial support system , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023 Influence , Community psychology , Service learning
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
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: Structural equation modeling , Substance abuse South Africa , Ecological Systems Theory , Path analysis (Statistics) , Personality , Confirmatory factor analysis
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Fouten, Elron Steve
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Structural equation modeling , Substance abuse South Africa , Ecological Systems Theory , Path analysis (Statistics) , Personality , Confirmatory factor analysis
- 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
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Exploration of remote work and wellbeing of academics in a South African tertiary institution
- Authors: Chikutu, Michelle
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405963 , vital:70223
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Chikutu, Michelle
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405963 , vital:70223
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14