Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10539/37990

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 66

Mental Health Problems and Perceived Barriers in Seeking Psychological Help: A Survey of Students at the University of the Witwatersrand
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022-09) Ngcobo, Zinhle Penelope; Jithoo, Vinitha
Aim: The study examined help-seeking behaviours and attitudes among students at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The goal was to investigate students' referred sources of help while they were experiencing psychological distress, as well as the perceived barriers to getting psychological care. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as the theoretical framework, which attempted to discover whether the HBM variables predict formal help-seeking among students. Methods: The data was acquired from a suitable sample of 165 students using a cross-sectional survey design. A demographic questionnaire, a list of different sources of assistance, the Health Beliefs about Mental Illness (HBMI) instrument, the Barriers to Care Evaluation (BACE) scale, and the Barriers to Help Seeking (BHSS) scale were all included in the survey. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 27) was used to analyse the data. Results: The findings revealed that only one-third (33.3%) of the students preferred seeking help from a mental health professional. The most important barriers identified were students preferring to deal with psychological issues on their own as they perceived symptoms not to be serious enough to warrant professional intervention; stress and anxiety were considered a normal part of life, and many students were unaware of helping resources and how to access them. The logistic regression analysis indicated that only the perceived benefits made a unique statistically significant contribution to the model, recording an odds ratio of 2.99. The results revealed that the odds of seeking formal help are about 3 times greater for students who perceive seeking formal help as beneficial compared to those who perceive formal help-seeking as not beneficial (OR 2.99; 95% CI: 1.45-6.20; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Understanding barriers to psychological help-seeking is imperative to ensuring early access to psychological services and improving mental well-being. Therefore, the current findings suggest that strategies and initiatives such as psycho-educational programs and awareness campaigns highlighting the availability and purpose of psychological services on campuses, as well as the benefits of utilizing psychological services, are necessary. This would make psychological services more desirable to students, thereby reducing the identified barriers.
An exploration of the Lived Mental Health Experiences of psychologists working in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Harvey, Zena; Laher, Sumaya
The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted mental health in South Africa, exacerbating the existing mental healthcare treatment gap. Psychologists working at public institutions have been at the forefront of providing mental health care to the public during the crisis. However, psychologists themselves may be considered a vulnerable group at risk of developing adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, burnout and vicarious traumatisation due to the nature of their profession. This vulnerability may have been further amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The well-being of psychologists is integral to ensuring high quality patient care and to the overall management of pandemic and other disease outbreaks. There remains a significant dearth in the available literature examining the lived mental health experiences of psychologists, especially those working in the public sector. This study aims to address this pertinent gap by investigating the lived mental health experiences of ten psychologists employed in South African public institutions, amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews comprising sixteen questions were conducted with each psychologist. The following five overarching themes emerged from an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): ‘The personal effects of COVID-19 on psychologists’, ‘Changes to therapy During COVID-19’, ‘Experiences of COVID-19 exposure in public hospitals’, ‘Coping Mechanisms’ and ‘Survivor Guilt: Privilege during the pandemic’. A discussion of the abovementioned findings highlighted the importance of addressing, prioritising and monitoring the psychological wellbeing of these public sector-psychologists, during pandemic and other disease outbreaks to increase their support structures.
Pandemic parenting: Stories of ordinary experiences in an extraordinary time
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-07) Yarde-Leavett, Claire Emma; Haynes-Rolando, Hayley
The study sought to give voice to parents of children who display ADHD traits including hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness during the covid-19 pandemic. The aim was to explore their experiences of parenting during this unprecedented time in history. Qualitative data were gathered through narrative interviews from ten parents (seven mothers and three fathers) from middle-class backgrounds, living in Johannesburg. Photo elicitation was used as a tool to gather parents’ stories and reflections of their pandemic parenting experiences in a creative, self-directed manner. The qualitative data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis that generated four key themes: (1) Adjusting to an upside-down world; (2) Experiences of wearing too many hats; (3) Parents’ (re)views of how their children’s ADHD traits affected their learning at home; (4) Covid, a mixed bag of losses and treasures. A social constructionist lens for data analysis allowed for the exploration of how the covid-19 pandemic disrupted discourses and systems that shape parents’ embodied experiences. Possibilities for new understandings of parents and as well as their children who display ADHD traits were considered. The findings can help to deepen our understanding of middle-class family life, challenge gendered relations, reconsider children's play and learning, transform schooling practices, foster meaningful parent-teacher interactions, encourage community-building, and prompt a re-evaluation of our understanding of "disorderly" children and their unique learning needs. By embracing these insights, we can pave the way for more inclusive and effective approaches to supporting families and children in navigating the complexities of education and well-being in times of crisis.
A case study of homeless women living on the streets of Braamfontein, Johannesburg
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Msimango, Thando Dimakatso; Gerrand, Priscilla
Homelessness is a global concern. Several factors that trigger homelessness, such as natural disasters and wars, poor education, poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence and mental illness, have frequently been identified. South Africa has seen an increase in the number of people living on the streets of its major cities. This has culminated in the initiation of different research studies looking into the phenomenon of homelessness. However, there seems to be a gap in the studies looking at the plight of homeless women within the Braamfontein area of Johannesburg. Therefore, this study explored the experiences of homeless women living on the streets of Braamfontein and is based on a constructivist paradigm. The study adopted a qualitative approach, and a single case study design was adopted. Snowball sampling was used to select 13 participants who met the selection criteria. A semi-structured interview guide was used as a research tool, and one-on-one-in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Thematic analysis was also used to analyse the data. The study can contribute to developing and enhancing gender-specific intervention programmes earmarked for women living on the streets of Braamfontein in Johannesburg. It is hoped that the study might also initiate debates around the subject matter. Recommendations are made for future research.
Parental Perception of the Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Psychosocial and Cognitive Development
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-05) Chopdat, Habeebah; Schutte, Enid
COVID-19 caused a myriad of global problems. This study aimed to establish whether the COVID-19 pandemic and the preventative measures that occurred as a result thereof had an impact on the cognitive and psychosocial development of 6–13-year-old learners in South Africa as per parental perception (N=31). A mixed methods research design was used, and the data collection occurred through an electronic survey consisting of specifically designed Likert scale items to collect numerical data, along with open-ended questions which were posed to collect qualitative data. The data was analysed by means of t-tests and a one-way ANOVA for the quantitative data analysis, whilst a thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The t-tests and one-way ANOVA showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the cognitive and psychosocial abilities of children across gender (p>0.05), school type (p> 0.05), and the amount of school missed (p> 0.05). Certain themes emerged through the qualitative analysis including both positive and negative themes relating to the learning situation during the lockdown; behavioural changes were also evident in some of the sample; however, others did not report any differences compared to pre-COVID-19. Additionally, children were reported to have worries and concerns over the pandemic as well as the effects thereof. This study contributes to understanding the long-term effects that the measures associated with a global pandemic have on children. As per this study, it appeared that children’s development amidst a pandemic was not impacted by their socioeconomic status however, due to certain limitations of this study, including the sample recruited not being an accurate representation of the socioeconomic divide in South Africa, further studies are required.
Automatic Racial Assumptions: Investigating the Relationship Between Implicit Racial Bias and Experiences of Affective Reactions to Racialized Others in a South African Population
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Gomes, Stash Briano; Besharati, Sahba
Background: There is evidence to suggest that one’s social context is critical in shaping the automatic affective responses that one has to their own and other racial groups. However, to date, research into explicit and implicit racial biases has largely investigated this phenomenon in predominantly White populations within the global North. Furthermore, while there is evidence to suggest that people possess a tacit awareness of their implicit racial biases, a study is yet to demonstrate a direct link between self-reported experiences of one’s own biases and implicit measures of bias. This may be due problems inherit with existing self-report measures of bias, which focus on beliefs and attitudes regarding race, rather than asking individuals to reflect on their own affective experiences regarding their interactions with people of their own and other races. Aims and Methods: Using an ex post facto correlational design, this study investigated the relationship between implicit racial bias, explicit affective responses to racial groups and consciously held beliefs and attitudes about racial groups, and whether there were any between-group differences across any of these variables within a sample of self-identified Black (N = 25) and White (N = 20) South African adults. Data was collected using an adapted version of the Racial Implicit Association Test (IAT) for use in the South African context and a novel self-report scale that measures both explicit Attitudinal and Affective Racial Bias (AARB), with both measures investigating White- and Black-directed racial biases. Results and Discussion: This study demonstrates significant between-group differences in explicit, but not implicit, measures of racial bias based on self-identified race in this sample. Providing evidence for the distinction between attitudinal and affective forms of explicit racial bias and suggesting that the direct comparison between biases directed towards Black and White racial groups may not be appropriate in diverse settings, given that there is only a relationship between these two forms of racial bias with the White identified participants, but no direct relationship between these biases were found within the sample of Black identified participants. Finally, the results of this study suggest that self-report measures of affective racial bias may demonstrate a stronger correlation with implicit biases as measure by the IAT than traditional measures of attitudinal bias.
Experiences, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Educators in a Special School in a Township in Gauteng Province, During Covid-19
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10) Sibyeng, Puseletso Lydia; Watermeyer, Jennifer; Pretorius, Edmarie
The COVID-19 pandemic created fear and frustration, it introduced uncertainty into major aspects of society including schools. Within a short period, the pandemic brought major changes within the school's context. Face-to-face teaching was discontinued, and online teaching was introduced. This restriction was put in place to manage the spread of the virus. Educators found themselves working on a rotational schedule or providing services online as the pandemic instilled fear and anxiety among them. The study aims to explore educators' experiences in a special school in a township in Gauteng Province during COVID-19. The study adopted a qualitative approach and a phenomenological research design. A sample of 15 educators from the Special School in Soshanguve Block R township in Gauteng Province, South Africa was purposively sampled. An interview guide with open-ended questions was developed by the researcher and guided the collection of data during semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The study intended to gain an in-depth understanding of how educators managed to cope with the pandemic regardless of the impact and frustrations experienced, and how their well-being was affected by the pandemic. Findings revealed that COVID-19 affected educators personally and professionally. They were compelled to adjust and adopt new ways of teaching during COVID-19 so that they complied with the national lockdown restriction rules and regulations during the pandemic. Most of the educators shared similar experiences of teaching during those times. They had to resort to new ways of teaching which worked for them and their school so that learners continued learning, and they adopted healthy distractions, as a way of distracting themselves from all the news about the pandemic that spread on the television and on social media which mostly lead them to be depressed and instilled fear amongst them. Recommendations made were that an establishment of a post-pandemic support committee can be put in place, as educators needed to be supported and advised on how to move forward and recover from the pandemic, and necessary engagements with other stakeholders in offering intense therapy to educators who taught during the time of COVID-19 as the impact of the pandemic will be felt for years to come.
A Phenomenological Analysis of the Experiences of Black Female Volunteer Lay Counsellors from Marginalised Backgrounds in Gauteng!
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Naidoo, Sherwyn; Patel, Ruby
Within the South African context, Volunteer Lay Counsellors (VLCs) play a vital role in providing mental health care. Whilst Black female VLCs from marginalised backgrounds play an essential role in providing these services, there is a paucity of research in understanding their experiences. This study utilised a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of Black female VLCs from marginalised backgrounds in Gauteng. The researcher used non-probability purposive convenience sampling to recruit four participants who volunteered at a non-profit organisation (NPO) in Gauteng. The study collected data through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Insight was provided by this research into participants’ experiences of counselling from a position of their intersectionality to those who embody different intersectional identities. This was done by locating the research within the work of intersectional theorists Crenshaw (1989, 1991), McCall (2005), Tamale (2020), and Petsko and colleagues (2022). In keeping with this, the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method allowed for an in-depth exploration of participants’ unique experiences through double hermeneutic interpretations. The themes illustrated that participants were motivated by the desperate need for access to mental healthcare in their socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. In addition, volunteering satisfied the prospects of fulfilling their career aspirations lost because of their subjection to gendered, racialised, and class oppression. Thirdly, themes highlighted how clients’ race, class, and gender impacted participants’ counselling experiences. Lastly, themes highlighted the psychological impact of counselling on participants and how helpful coping mechanisms developed from the survival of intersectional oppression and organisational training and support helped mitigate these psychological consequences. The provided understanding of participants’ experiences is essential for both praxis and policy within the area of VLC in South Africa.
Gender-Based Violence: Lived experiences of female students at the University of the Witwatersrand
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Kgolane, Serole Joy; Langa, Malose
This research aimed to explore experiences of Gender based violence (GBV) among female students at the University of the Witwatersrand. It sought to ascertain how these experiences unfolded as well as the impact they have had on the students. Intersectionality theory was applied as the theoretical framework to observe the impact of overlapping identities on the students’ experiences of GBV. The study consisted of seven female participants who were selected using a volunteer sampling method. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the transcribed interviews and derive themes from the collected data. Four themes in total were identified: power relations, internal experience, normalization of GBV, and help-seeking. The objectives of the study were used to guide the analysis of the themes. The findings showed that students face stalking, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse perpetrated mostly by fellow male students. Moreover, influences of hegemonic masculinity and gendered power imbalances played a role in the perpetration of violence against the female students. Furthermore, the findings indicate that these experiences had adverse effects on the mental well-being of the students and led the students to adopt various coping strategies while often failing to engage in help-seeking behaviour.
A Narrative Inquiry into the Sense of Belonging, Alienation and Exclusion of Immigrant Students
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Mpata, Sarah; Graham, Tanya
South Africa is still perceived as a critical higher education destination in Africa, as evidenced by the influx of student migration from neighbouring countries and sub-regions post-apartheid. However, despite possessing diverse knowledge and skills that have the potential to add value to the knowledge production of the country, region and around the globe, many immigrant students still face an array of psychosocial challenges when they come to South Africa to study. This study was crafted through Narrative Inquiry and Critical Race theoretical lenses to explore and understand the experiences of 6 postgraduate immigrant students from DRC, Malawi and Zimbabwe currently studying at the University of the Witwatersrand to identify how these experiences have facilitated or hindered a sense of belonging. The study intends to further contribute to the existing body of knowledge to help improve the lives and well-being of students in culturally diverse communities. A convenient purposive sample drew from a pool of immigrant students fitting the diversity and context of the study. The findings revealed a general impression of diverse experiences from immigrant students. However, many similarities identified in the elements of institutional discrimination, xenophobia and Afrophobia remain significant barriers to the success of immigrant students belonging, primarily manifesting through cultural and language barriers, individual differences in adaptation, social support and diversity inclusion initiatives, access to psychological support and counselling, Racism, Xenophobia and Afrophobia, prejudice and discrimination. Some participants also experienced language barriers and challenges related to institutional support based on how the immigrant student came into the country or was admitted into the institution vis a vis self-sponsorship, government-sponsored, or university scholarship and immigration status also revealed how individuals felt a sense of belonging or excluded. The study concludes that addressing these issues will help improve immigrant students' psychological well-being in their learning environment.
Exploring attitudes, aetiology and help-seeking behaviours for Mental illness in the community of Diepsloot
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-02) Mkhize, Sandile Dionne; Laher, Sumaya
Mental illness is a serious nation-wide health concern, with many individuals suffering from mental disorders. This study explored the attitudes of Diepsloot community members towards mental illness, their beliefs about the aetiology of mental illness and their help-seeking behaviours. Further the study explored whether attitudes and aetiology beliefs predict help-seeking behaviours in Diepsloot community members. Furthermore, issues of stigma and poverty were explored as factors contributing to understanding of and help-seeking behaviours for mental illnesses. A convenience sample of 154 community members in Diepsloot completed a questionnaire consisting of a demographics section, the Living Standards Measure, the Public Perceptions of Mental Illness questionnaire and two open ended questions asking about the factors that contribute to mental illness and the kind of advice the participants would give to a person who has mental illness. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses. The open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The results indicated that the participants had more neutral attitudes towards mental illness overall but an item-by-item analysis of the attitudes scale indicated negative attitudes. The participants perceived mental illness to be caused by biological and stress related causes but did identify other causes in their responses to the open ended question. In particular, psychological factors, substance use, social components/aspects in their community, financial challenges, biological influences and cultural influences were all identified. Among the participants, there was an endorsement of help-seeking behaviours that were aligned with western medicine, hospitalization, consulting with family and friends, and religion in both the quantitative and qualitative analyses. Seeking help from traditional healers was less dominant in the responses to the open ended question. The multiple regression results, with regard to predicting attitudes towards mental illness, suggested that the participants had positive attitudes towards mental illness if their level of knowledge was higher. A variety of predictors were revealed regarding the various help-seeking behaviours. An overlap was observed among the stress aetiology and the cultural beliefs aetiology as predictors. These results are discussed within the broader context of access to mental healthcare in South Africa as well as the need for more collaborative interventions.
The Black Homoerotic Oedipus: An Exploratory Multiple-Case Study on the Possible Cross-Cultural Applicability of a Depathologized Psychoanalytic Theory of Male Homosexuality
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-02) Bloomberg, Jonti Joey; Bain, Katherine
Classical psychoanalytic theory famously hypothesises a process in the aetiology of male homosexuality whereby a boy identifies with his mother and takes himself as a love-object. In addition to acknowledging that there may be various mechanisms in the development of a homosexual disposition, contemporary psychodynamic theoreticians have attempted to distance themselves from this view by emphasizing the primacy of the negative Oedipus complex and the ‘heretical’ possibility of one being able to identify with and lust the same object in the development of a homosexual object choice in adulthood. The present study sought to determine the potential cross-cultural applicability of this aforementioned depathologized psychoanalytic theory of male homosexuality by way of three openly homosexual Black South African men. The study found that aspects of both the classical and depathologized psychoanalytic theories might have cross-cultural applicability. It also brought to the fore the many difficulties and forms of discrimination that Black South African homosexual men face within their communities.
Predictors of COVID-related Risk and Resilience in South African Young Adults
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Benvenuti, Sabrina Lucia; Cockcroft, Kate
The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a lengthy and stressful event for people worldwide, placing increased strain on vulnerable populations. This prompts interest in the field of risk and resilience research. There are several apparent gaps in resilience research such as in the context of a pandemic, and in adult and non-western populations. This research report aimed to identify socio-demographic variables that predict risk and resilience outcomes in young, emerging South African adults, following the COVID-19 pandemic. This study fell into a post-positivist paradigm and used a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, ex-post facto design. Descriptive, correlational and regression analyses were conducted to identify possible socio-demographic predictors of risk and resilience outcomes in this given population. Overall, the sample population exhibited low-moderate levels of depression, and on average displayed high levels of resilience, overall and across individual, relational and contextual resilience Several significant correlations and predictors, although weak, were identified for the outcome variables of depression (risk) and resilience (at individual, relational and contextual levels) including age, gender and education, pandemic-related and perceived stress, loneliness, parental involvement and warmth, childhood and community experiences. Depression was significantly predicted by gender, perceived stress, loneliness, satisfaction with life and parental involvement, where being female, having stronger feelings of loneliness, and dissatisfaction with life predicted higher levels of depression. Furthermore, parental involvement significantly predicted all five outcomes, where high parental involvement predicted low depression and high resilience across all levels. Perceived stress significantly predicted all but one outcome, namely relational resilience. High levels of perceived stress predicted high levels of depression and poor overall, individual, and contextual resilience. All three levels of resilience were significantly predicted by both parents’ level of education and parental involvement, where levels of maternal education predicted better resilience across all domains, while paternal education had the opposite effect. Identifying such predictors can help to better the knowledge base around risk and resilience in the South African, context and in low- and middle-income contexts. Furthermore, this allows for the targeted implementation of tools and interventions to address these outcomes, such as promoting parental involvement, the implementation of targeted stress-management tools, and more female-focused depression interventions.
Perceptions and experiences of police officers and social workers within South African Police Service when assisting women who survived sexual violence in Mamelodi, Pretoria
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-05) Bahula, Ikageng Maphale; Nkala-Dlamini, Busisiwe
Many women are often reluctant to disclose cases of sexual violence to healthcare workers, police officers, family members etc. mainly due to the stigma attached. Few studies have been conducted to explore the experiences and perceptions of different role players within South African Police Officers (SAPS) when assisting women who survived sexual violence. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of police officers and social workers within SAPS when assisting women who survived sexual violence. This study adopted a qualitative research approach, specifically a multiple case study design. The feminist poststructuralist theory was employed to guide the study. Three different interview guides were used as the research instrument. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used as the method of data collection. The sample size comprised twenty-five (25) different role players within SAPS in Mamelodi, Pretoria; five (5) client service centre police officers who work at both Mamelodi east and west police stations; ten (10) police officers who work in the special unit addressing sexual violence (FCS) at Mamelodi and ten (10) social workers who assist the survivors of sexual violence at both Mamelodi east and west police stations. The data gathered from the research were analysed using thematic analysis. The perceptions around sexual violence differs. This is influenced by the roles they play, how they have been exposed sexual violence and the school of thoughts. It is important that the service providers are oriented towards the concept and the practice on what sexual violence is. The service providers experience different challenges in different ways. Some challenges can be tackled at the individual level, while other challenges are societal, systematic and structural. Knowledge, attitude and practice of service providers require attention in terms of understanding the legal policies, the protocols and the practices in the sector.
The investigation of intrapsychological processes of primary school teachers with regards to the use of Corporal Punishment: A Case Study
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Arosi, Sinovuyo Luyanda; Mayisela, Simangele
Corporal punishment has been legally abolished and identified as having detrimental effects on the psychological well-being of children. The reconstruction of external events and interpersonal states, such as corporal punishment, into intrapsychological and interpsychological activity, demonstrates the vulnerability of humans. Primary school teachers are instrumental in the development of higher mental functioning and the mental transformation of young children. The current study examined the intrapersonal processes of primary school teachers and their attitudes towards the use of corporal punishment when disciplining learners. A case study design was employed to explore teachers’ views on the abolishment of corporal punishment and the intermental, socio-cultural and cultural-historical mechanisms which inform their preference for corporal punishment. The teachers from a township school in the East of Johannesburg completed a demographic questionnaire and participated in focus group discussions and individual interviews. This qualitative data was collected using audio recordings which were transcribed and thematically analysed. Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach was used to understand the transformation of the human mind using cultural tools, namely, corporal punishment. Through the cultural-historical teachers’ meaning-making regarding the preference of corporal punishment in their context. The findings of this study suggest that the teachers in the case study school use and view corporal punishment through the lens of an internalised good and abusive tool. Though some of the teachers express support for the abolition of corporal punishment, they currently use this discipline measure. The findings present a paradox that represents the internal state of ambivalence that exists within the participants. These findings suggest that this may contribute to the continued use of corporal punishment in the case study school.
An Exploratory Study on Time Perspective as a Possible Indicator of Audiological Help-Seeking Behaviours and Intervention Outcomes, in Gauteng South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-05) Araujo, Monica Luisa; Petrocchi-Bartal, Luisa; de Andrade, Victor
Time perspective is a basic psychological construct that is vital in indicating several health-related behaviours. Whilst numerous indicators of audiological help-seeking behaviours and intervention outcomes such as age, perceived severity of hearing loss, gender, and stigma, have been studied, there is a large paucity of research on time perspective within the audiological field. Therefore, time perspective, which is frequently depicted as one of the most powerful influencers on human behaviour, has guided this study by researching whether it may indeed indicate audiological help-seeking behaviours and intervention outcomes. The study set out to explore patient perceptions of the theme of time and the possible impact of time perspective on audiological help seeking behaviours and intervention outcomes. The researcher also explored audiological experiences that may relate to different aspects of time perspective. Finally, participants were asked to provide advice on how audiologists could consider the aspect of time and time perspective within the audiological journey of patients. To address the research aims and objectives, a cross-sectional, qualitative, exploratory research design using inductive and narrative approaches, was implemented at a private practice in the South of Johannesburg. The participants included adults who are hearing aid users and attend the private practice for audiological services. These participants were recruited through purposive, convenience, and maximum variation sampling. Data were obtained through conducting semi-structured interviews and two focus groups. The data was then analysed using the Framework Method. Several important themes and sub-themes emerged, which mainly indicated the perception that different time perspectives, namely, future orientated, present-hedonistic, present-fatalistic, past-negative, or past-positive, influence the audiological help-seeking behaviours and intervention outcomes of individuals in different ways. Due to this, and the perceived important influence of time perspective on audiological behaviours, participants advised the use of a time perspective tool as well as distinct approaches to be used by audiologists, based on the different time perspectives of patients, to ensure the best audiological journey for all. Findings therefore suggested that time perspective may indeed indicate audiological help-seeking behaviours and intervention outcomes. As this study was exploratory in nature, it would be beneficial to study it on a larger scale using quantitative methods. In the interim, it was advised that time perspective should be a psychological construct with which audiologists ought to familiarise themselves.
Explicit Regulation of Positive and Negative Emotion in Pre-Adolescents in a Kenya County
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021-10) Mwangi, Ruth Waitherero; Kasese-Hara, Mambwe
This study addresses a gap in research on how pre-adolescent boys and girls of age 10-12 explicitly regulate their positive and negative emotion as influenced by social-economic environments of peri-urban Kenya. This study took an explanatory sequential approach, employing quantitative and qualitative tools to respond to two research questions. It investigated pre-adolescents’ application of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression strategies, based on their awareness and expression of positive and negative emotion. The quantitative results showed that pre-adolescent boys and girls are aware of, express and apply explicit emotion regulation strategies to both positive and negative emotion experiences similarly. Important socio-economic factors were also identified for further qualitative consideration. The qualitative findings revealed that pre-adolescent boys and girls outwardly express positive and negative emotion. This was shown to be variably influenced by pre-adolescents’ school and family contexts, as well as their interaction with teachers, parents and peers.
“It’s not you that needs to change, it’s the system that needs to change” – The narratives of South African women professionals working with Gender-Based Violence
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Ramlucken, Roxanne; Kiguwa, Peace
Professional South African women who encounter gender-based violence in their field have important and potentially transformational experiences to share on addressing this issue. These professionals have experience and in-depth knowledge of the realities of working with gender-based violence. They can use their expertise to conceptualise and explain this phenomenon. They understand how gender-based violence is presented in society and their recommendations are informed by pragmatic reasoning. This study utilised a qualitative research method to obtain the narratives of these women that work in psychology, community health work, social work, legal work and journalism. This paper used a combination of three theoretical frameworks: narrative theory, post-structural feminist theory and African feminist theory. The synergies between these three theories prioritised the voice of the participants and allowed for a critical engagement with the narratives. The use of multiple professions accounts for the complex and multidimensional elements that contribute to the levels of gender-based violence in South Africa. The findings suggest the cultural acceptance of violence and patriarchal values are ingrained into the fabric of society. Gender-based violence is a systemic issue that prevails through insufficient implementation of legislation and the lack of accountability by official personnel.
The exploration of self-perception in the educational attainment of high achieving students from a low socioeconomic background in South African
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Sebele, Phemelo Berveley; Besharati, Sahba
Background: The achievement gap between students’ from lower-and-higher socioeconomic backgrounds is a global challenge that continues to widen. Education inequalities persist more widely with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are more likely to drop out of compulsory high school. However, individual characteristic such as resilience, growth-mind and positive self-concept – though largely studied using survey based methods - have been found to lessen the achievement gap. Yet, the influence of such psychological factors, specifically, self-perception as an overarching concept, is poorly understood, especially in low-to-middle income contexts like South Africa. Aim: This study aimed to understand the lived experiences and processes involved in self-perception of high-achieving first year university students from a low-socio-economic background in the low-to-middle income context of South Africa. Methods: An ecological systems theory and phenomenological approach guided this study. Semi-structured interviews, incorporating retrospective (high school) and current (university) questions, were conducted with 12 first-year university students. Findings: The research demonstrated that the lived experiences of self-perception in high achieving students’ that come from a low SES background are both individualised and similar. The findings revealed that validation which was distributed between internal (self-belief) and external (affirmations from external sources) played a significant role in the students’ academic success. Furthermore, the data also demonstrated that the perception of intelligence is largely influenced by what the students’ observe from their different environments. Conclusion: This study adds to our understanding of the role of self-perception in educational inequality which can be used in future school-based, family and wider policy interventions. It further demonstrates the need to understand these complex relationships by drawing on lived experience of students using qualitative approaches.
How Undergraduate Students at the University of Witwatersrand Make Meaning of Non -Disclosure of Suicidal Ideation
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022-07) Mboweni, Ntwanano Harnelly Charmain; Jithoo, Vinitha
The self-concealment of suicidality poses a significant threat to the well-being of university students around the globe. Suicidal concealment greatly exacerbates emotional and psychological distress within this cohort and unabated leads to a suicide death. Suicidality concealment within the university student population presents a perplexing and unique problem to university stakeholders, clinicians, and researchers. University students are in proximity to psychological care that is freely offered on university campuses, and yet more than half of students who contemplate and eventually die by suicide do not take up these services. Even more vexing is that students choose to deny and conceal suicidal distress from intimate support networks. There is an undeniable need to explore the factors that influence students’ decision to conceal suicidal ideation as well as the factors that facilitate disclosure of suicidality within this population. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach the present study explored understanding of concealment concerning suicidal ideation among university students. It focussed on understanding the personal narratives and lived experiences that motivate students to conceal their suicidal thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Focus groups were used to make sense of students’ understanding and meaning making of suicidal thoughts and why talking about suicidal desires is so challenging. The study concluded that suicide and concealment among university students are multifaceted. The reasons for concealing suicidal thoughts reflect both internal motivations, such as feelings of shame, helplessness, feeling isolated, and mental health concerns, and external motivations, such as fear of consequences that may result from telling others. Attitudinal factors, such as being a burden to others, stigma and its consequences, lack of perceived need for help, mistrust, and desire to be self-reliant, emerged more frequently than structural factors, such as lack of access to help. Additionally, several reasons unique to university life, such as academic competence, performance-related anxiety, financial difficulties, and a sense of belonging, emerged. Student voices echoed the need for mental health and suicide literacy programs and greater cohesiveness and a sense of belonging within the university community could encourage greater engagement with emotional distress.

Browse

Recent Submissions