African Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of their Role in Identification, Referral, and Intervention Relating to Mental Health Care for Learners
| dc.contributor.author | Abrahams, Caylen | |
| dc.contributor.co-supervisor | Coetzee, Bronwynè | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Eagle, Gillian | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-07-29T14:19:13Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-07-29T14:19:13Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-03 | |
| dc.department | Department of Clinical Psychology | |
| dc.department | Department of Psychology | |
| dc.description | A research report submitted at the Faculty of Humanities, at the School of Human and Community Development, to the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, in 2023. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Untreated mental health conditions can negatively impact a child’s development and future. Early identification, and management of mental health problems (MHPs) is therefore important for children. This research study aimed to understand and explore teachers’ experiences and perceptions in relation to the identification and provision of mental health aid for primary school learners. The study entailed interviewing 23 primary school teachers from a school in the Western Cape, South Africa located in a low-income community. Semi-structured individual interviews were designed to explore teachers’ experiences and views was recorded and transcribed. The data generated from the interviews was analysed by means of thematic analysis using the computer aided programme, ATLAS.ti v 8. The findings indicated that although teachers struggled to make use of diagnostic terms to describe mental health conditions in their learners, they were able to identify symptoms and behaviours that they associated with poor mental health and to consider possible contributing factors. Acting out and aggressive type behaviours were more easily identified as problematic than behaviours that were less overt. Teachers described frequent experiences of compromised learner mental health, even in the young population with whom they interacted. Teachers saw their role as circumscribed in intervening in relation to MHPs, describing multiple barriers in this regard, including a lack of mental health training, time constraints, large classroom sizes, and academic and pedagogical demands. For this reason, although many teachers were willing to receive additional training and play a more prominent role in mental health aid, their preference was to refer learners and to make use of their school-based mental health services (SBMHS). Teachers noted the efficacy of the SBMHS in aiding their learners but also offered some critical observations about the scale of delivery of services and optimal interfacing between teachers and mental health aid providers. | |
| dc.description.submitter | MM2024 | |
| dc.faculty | Faculty of Humanities | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Abrahams, Caylen. (2023). African Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of their Role in Identification, Referral, and Intervention Relating to Mental Health Care for Learners. [Master's dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/39891 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10539/39891 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.rights | ©2023 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. | |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.school | School of Human and Community Development | |
| dc.subject | Child mental health | |
| dc.subject | School-based mental health | |
| dc.subject | Teacher attitudes | |
| dc.subject | Behavioural problems | |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.subject.other | SDG-3: Good health and well-being | |
| dc.title | African Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of their Role in Identification, Referral, and Intervention Relating to Mental Health Care for Learners | |
| dc.type | Dissertation |