Browsing by Author "Casale, Marisa A.J."

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    Pathways and processes linking social support to health: Development of an exploratory model with South African caregivers
    (SAGE, 2021) Casale, Marisa A.J.
    Despite ample evidence of the protective role of social support for mental and physical health, key gaps remain in our understanding of the pathways and mediating processes explaining these relationships in specific vulnerable populations. The author applies a theoretical framework developed by House et al. to qualitative data, collected with 24 caregivers of children living in HIV-endemic South African communities, to explore potential effects and processes linking social support to health. The data used for this analysis were part of a sequential mixed-methods research study with caregivers of children; previous survey findings (n = 2,477) showed significant associations between more social support and better mental health and self-reported physical health. Results point to multiple pathways and biopsychosocial mediating processes possibly explaining the support–health relationship. The author develops an exploratory model to illustrate these findings, based on the House et al. framework, and discusses implications for research, interventions, and theory.
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    Prospective associations between bullying victimisation, internalised stigma, and mental health in South African adolescents living with HIV
    (Elsevier, 2020) Boyes, E.Mark; Pantelic, Marija; Casale, Marisa A.J.
    Background: Adolescents living with HIV may be at elevated risk of psychological problems, which are correlated with negative health outcomes. In cross-sectional research with HIV-affected adolescents, bullying victimisation and internalised HIV stigma have been associated with poorer psychological health. We extended these findings and tested longitudinal associations between bullying victimisation, internalised stigma, and mental health among adolescents living with HIV. We also tested whether relationships between bullying victimisation and psychological symptoms were mediated by internalised stigma. Method: Adolescents living with HIV (n = 1060, 10–19 years, 55% female), who had ever initiated HIV treatment in 53 public health facilities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, were interviewed and followed up 18 months later (n = 995, 94% retention). Participants completed well-validated measures of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, bullying victimisation, and internalised stigma. Results: After adjusting for baseline mental health and sociodemographic characteristics, baseline internalised stigma prospectively predicted poorer outcomes on all psychological measures.