Exploring the mental health and well-being experiences of high school learners during covid-19 in Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark
Date
2023-06
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is an acute infection that affects people. The World Health Organization declared it a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and an international public health emergency on January 30, 2020. Residents of Sebokeng in South Africa suffered throughout the lockdown stages brought by COVID-19, finding it difficult to maintain a regular way of life in the face of the unique circumstances due to a shortage of money and business closures. The pandemic caused unimaginable disruptions in many aspects of society, including interruptions for learners in the classroom. It presented high school learners with challenges that increased their likelihood of developing mental health issues. Thus, the study aimed to explore high school learners' experiences of mental health and well-being during COVID-19 in Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark. Against this background, the objective of the study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of high school learners in Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark during COVID-19 and, explore the perceived influence of the pandemic on learners' mental health and well-being. The study used semi-structured one-on-one interviews to gather data. The framework for analysing and comprehending the results of my research was provided by the social context perspective, a subset of the ecological systems theory method. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The key themes and subthemes that emerged from the data are presented in this study, along with the research findings. The impact of COVID-19 on the learner's mental health will be investigated initially. The impact of COVID-19 on participants' academic progress, financial losses as a result of COVID-19, and overall COVID-19 experiences are then explored. Therefore, there has never been a more ideal time to investigate how learners' COVID-19 experiences may have affected their mental health. This study provides some insight into the use of support treatments for mental health issues.
Description
A research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Arts in Social Work, in the School of Human and Community Development, at the Faculty of Humanities, in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg , in 2023.
Keywords
Mental health, Well-being, COVID-19 Pandemic, Learners, Schools, COVID-19 lockdown, International public health emergency
Citation
Nkomo, Andile Prudence. (2023). Exploring the mental health and well-being experiences of high school learners during covid-19 in Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38988