Department of Psychology

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A qualitative exploration of the dimensions of family resilience in a rural community on the West Coast
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Twigg, Jennifer; Florence, Maria; Isaacs, Serena
Historically, families living in disenfranchised communities were viewed as being dysfunctional. This view led to the perpetuation of the challenges and adverse situations faced by these families. It is important to view the family holistically rather than just to focus on the risk factors and/or the dysfunctional nature of the family. This study endeavoured to explore how the family functions and copes with the challenges they face. The aim of the study was to qualitatively explore the dimensions of family resilience as perceived by families in a rural community on the West Coast, South Africa. Family resilience theory was used as the theoretical framework for the research study. Three family resilience dimensions were explored. These dimensions are family belief systems, family organisation and resources, and family communication patterns. Participants were selected by means of nonprobability sampling. The local NGO in collaboration with the researcher identified the participants. The participants were homogenous in terms of being parents who participated in a parent support programme and were from the same community. Six semi-structured, oneon- one interviews were conducted as the data collection method. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged, in congruence with the theoretical framework. These themes were the family's belief system, their organisational patterns when faced with adversity, as well as the communication patterns of the family. The participants all reported that their strong sense of faith was used as coping mechanisms through their adversities. They had varying reports on how their family organised themselves and how they communicated. Some participants reported that living in a small community could at times be challenging, especially when sharing adversities as they feared community gossip, which then acted as a barrier to seeking help. The researcher adhered to the ethics requirements of the study in terms of confidentiality, provided the participants with informed consent forms and informed them of their rights as participants. Participants were free to discontinue the research process at any point without prejudice.
A qualitative study on adolescents’ perceptions and understandings of flourishing in the Western Cape, South Africa
(Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2024-08-22) Witten, Heidi; Savahl, Shazly; Adams, Sabirah
Adolescence is a transitional period characterised by puberty, physical growth, and the capacity to complete life tasks. During this period, adolescents are faced with various challenges in completing various life tasks. Flourishing is defined as a state in which an individual functions optimally, and has a good level of well-being in all aspects of their life. Previous studies on adolescent flourishing have focused on measuring flourishing quantitatively, which suggests a need for further research that qualitatively explores adolescent flourishing. In this study we use the conceptualisation of flourishing that encompasses hedonia and eudaimonia. It is crucial to position adolescents at the core of research endeavours, to gain insight into the unique factors, values, and goals that contribute to their flourishing. The overall aim of the study is to explore adolescents’ understandings and perceptions of flourishing in the Western Cape, South Africa. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of adolescents’ perceptions and understanding of flourishing. The interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s theoretical thematic analysis. We found two overarching thematic categories: 1) Understanding flourishing and 2) Factors that promote flourishing. The study findings emphasise the significance of balance in different aspects of life such as mental health, self-reflection, and self-expression to support adolescents in developing their own sense of flourishing and to understand their own experiences. The central role of relationships as a support structure for adolescents was found to be significant as the participants were able to identify what is needed through these relationships, which could promote their own flourishing. Future empirical research should endeavour to include both hedonic and eudaimonic traditions in exploring adolescent flourishing.
A scoping review of the trauma interventions for children in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Lukic, Hannah; Isaacs, Serena
For many South African children, exposure to many traumatic events and experiences, such as maltreatment, physical and sexual abuse, and community violence, is commonplace in their daily lives. Despite this, there is a scarcity of research that explores the nuances of the South African trauma landscape, as well as the interventions which are implemented to address it. This scoping review aimed to address both gaps by providing an outline of the unique characteristics of childhood trauma in South Africa and a synthesis of the interventions implemented to date. The search terms that were utilised to do so, were: trauma AND intervention OR treatment OR therapy OR “randomised controlled trial” AND child OR adolescent OR teenager OR youth AND “South Africa” OR “South African”. The electronic databases consulted for this review were EBSCOhost Web (Academic Search Complete, APA PsychArticles, CINHL Plus with Full Text, ERIC, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition and MEDLINE) and PubMed. This search yielded 2165 outputs, of which 19 were included in this review and subject to quantitative and narrative analysis. This study found that three distinct descriptors were used to describe childhood trauma in South Africa, namely: an exceptionally high prevalence of trauma, poly-victimisation and the inherently ongoing nature of trauma exposure. Each of these presented unique complexities for treatment. Of the interventions reviewed in this study, art and play therapies emerged as the most commonly utilised treatment approach, followed by trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy (TF-CBT). While this study provides an overview of existing South African literature, it also aims to encourage future research in this field by highlighting its scarcity.
A systematic review of digital mental health interventions for students during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Universty of the Western Cape, 2024) Kader, Zainab; Padmanabhanunni, Anita
Students are vulnerable to mental health conditions, due to the pressures associated with tertiary learning. Disruptions in the academic processes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic added to the pressure, which raised concern for students’ mental health, and the development of digital interventions to address their needs. Several digital interventions have come into existence, since the onset of the pandemic in 2019. Therefore, this current study was aimed at systematically reviewing existing digital mental health interventions for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a RE-AIM Framework, to evaluate their properties, and determine their efficacy. Consequently, the researcher employed a systematic review methodology to identify English, peer reviewed studies, published between January 2020 and April 2023, and focused on digital mental health interventions for students during the COVID 19 pandemic. Seven databases were accessed, namely, (1) Academic Search Complete, (2) Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, (3) Medline, (4) APA PsycArticles, (5) SosIndex with full text, (6) Sabinet and (7) PubMed. The following three levels of review were utilised to determine relevance and inclusion: (1) title screening; (2) abstract screening; and (3) full texts screening. Full text articles were critically appraised, using the RE-AIM appraisal tool. Eleven studies were deemed eligible for this current study.
A systematic review of recent interventions for women who misuse alcohol
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Samuels, Michelle; Munnik, Erica
The use and misuse of alcohol among women has become a major public health concern globally. Interventions that assist women to overcome the various challenges they face, is therefore of vital importance. A systematic review methodology was used that drew on quantitative studies. Filtration was done in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews (PRISMA) guidelines, combining title and abstract searches through identified University of the Western Cape library databases such as ScienceDirect, PsycARTICLES (Ebscohost), SA ePublications (Sabinet) Academic Search Complete, MasterFILE Premier, SocINDEX, MEDLINE, and PubMed. Title searches resulted in the identification of 247 articles based on the combination of keywords. Among these, 26 articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria and were included for abstract review. During the screening phase, 19 articles were excluded. Subsequently, seven articles were deemed eligible to proceed to the appraisal phase using the Smith, Franciscus, Swartbooi (SFS) critical appraisal tool designed for intervention studies. All articles successfully achieved a threshold score of 61%, allowing them to progress to the summation phase. Summation was done by means of narrative synthesis; synthesising information extracted from the primary studies make for relevant, meaningful contributions that extend beyond the original study. All ethical principles pertaining to systematic reviews were adhered to.
Abused women's understandings of intimate partner violence and the link to intimate femicide
(Institute for qualitative research, 2016) Dekel, Bianca; Andipatin, Michelle
In this article, we explore how women survivors of intimate partner violence understand the abuse they endured and the possible link to intimate femicide. This is a qualitative study based on a feminist poststructuralist perspective. Seven South African women, aged 23 to 50 years, with a history of different manifestations of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) participated in open-ended interviews. The data was analyzed by means of discourse analysis. In their explanations, the women constructed gendered identities, which reflected contradictory and ambiguous subjective experiences. The women's understandings were filtered through the particular social context in which their abusive experiences occurred. The findings highlighted that contemplating femicide was too threatening, and consequently participants drew on discourses of femininity, romantic love, and others to justify their remaining in their violence-ridden relationships. It emphasizes the need for additional engagement in women's understandings of intimate femicide, as women who live in abusive relationships have largely been consigned to the periphery.
Adherence to anti-retroviral treatment: Perceptions of challenges and experiences among people living with aids
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) SaIi, Lungelo; Mwaba, S
New antiretroviral therapy has given hope to HIV-infected people, but the medication requires strict optimal adherence if suppression of HIV is to be maintained. Successful long-term treatment of HIV/AIDS requires at least 95o/o adherence to ARV medication in order to prevent emergence of drug-resistant HIV variants that lead to regimen failure and limit options of future therapy. Barriers to successful adherence to medication include patient-related, provider-related, regimen-related, disease-related, and systems related factors. This study focused on the understanding of participants' perceptions of challenges and solution to adherence to antiretroviral medication. In-depth interviews, using semi-structured schedules, were conducted with 10 HIV positive males and females between 18 and 30 years old, and on ARV treatment at a clinic in Crossroads. From the qualitative data, study deracinated a number of patients' perceptions of challenges and experiences they face in their battle with HIV/AIDS. These include patients' self-efficacy to take doses as prescribed, beliefs about taking medication, knowledge about HIV, counselling and education, denial, lack of food and hunger, stigma, perceived social support, side-effects, patient satisfaction, privacy and confidentiality, the challenge of alcohol, depression, and relation to health providers. The findings of the study indicate that effective adherence to medication requires long-term commitment and easy access to medication and HIV/AIDS education programmes to minimize the stigma of the disease. An important implication of the study is that programmes that identify and address barriers to adherence should be aligned with professionals who provide clinical care. The study further recommends that a longitudinal study that tracks adherence for some time, together with evaluations should be performed to identify lapses in adherence, treatment failure, non-adherence, and reduced quality of life for HIV positive people.
Adolescent substance use: The development and validation of a measure of perceived individual and contextual factors
(2014) Florence, Maria Ann; Mwaba, K; Koch, S.E
The purpose of the study was to gather validity evidence for a South African developed instrument designed to measure individual and contextual factors associated with adolescent substance use in low socio-economic status communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Studies report high rates of substance use in these communities. This possibly points towards the impact of typical post-apartheid contextual factors on the development of adolescent substance use. The South African Substance Use Contextual Risk Questionnaire (SASUCRQ) measures adolescents’ subjective experiences of their own psycho-social and their communities’ functioning.
Adolescents' perceptions and attitudes about violence on television
(University of the Western Cape, 2001) Taylor, Ashley; Ahmed, Rashid
The idea that television contributes to aggressive behaviour, and the argument that violence on television on may instigate aggressive behaviour, has been a heavily debated issue for many years. Most of the research done however , has been done in the area of the role that television violence has on influencing behaviour, rather than on how people who the behaviour is impacting on, perceive the violence television. The aim of this study was to look at perceptions and attitudes adolescents have towards the violence that they exposed to on television. The present research aimed to find out what adolescents regarded as violence' what their attitudes, perceptions and knowledge was surrounding violence on television, whether they thought that television violence affected their interpersonal behaviour, and what solutions and strategies they imagined would be successful in combating violent behaviour. This study was done with a convenient sample comprising 25 adolescents who took part in four focus groups comprising 8 participants in 2 groups 9 in 1 group' and 7 in the other group. The participants were provided with a vignette depicting a violent incident and discussion was facilitated around what their perceptions were with regards to the vignette and televised violence. The data was then analysed through a process of thematic content analysis to identify the themes that gave an understanding of the participants belief television violence and perceptions with regards to television violence. Several possibilities emerged as explanations for the perceived limited effect television violence had on adolescents among, these being their ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. The other primary reason that participants gave for the limited effect that television violence had on them was the fact that they were exposed to violence in their Iives on a daily basis, and that this has minimised the effect that television violence has furthermore the findings revealed that they saw violence as being primarily physical and that the main solution for them was individual responsibility and how the person perceives and interprets what they see. The main reason violence was seen as being primarily physical seemed to be the "graphicness" of violence that participants could see as opposed to more 'abstract' emotional or psychological violence which they could not see. To counteract violence, participants felt that the main solution lies in the individual taking responsibility foe his /her actions.
Adolescents’ perceptions of health and well-being: Influences of urban contemporary music
(National Inquiry Services Centre, 2016) Swartbooi, Cindy; Savahl, Shazly; Isobell, Deborah; Khan, Gadija; Wagenaa, Cassandra
The study aimed to explore adolescents’ perceptions of how urban contemporary music influences health and well-being among them. Data on health and well-being effects of music consumption were gathered from a convenience sample of 16 participants (male = 50%, females = 50%) between the ages of 15 and 17 in a series of two focus group interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggest the adolescents to perceive both positive and negative influences of contemporary music on their health and well-being. Positive influences included emotional well-being and sense of social belongingness. Negative influences included promotion of risky behaviours, including substance use, misogyny, sexual behaviour and violence. The findings suggest that urban contemporary music serves as a tool of normalisation as well as a catalyst for encouraging risky behaviour in adolescence.
Adolescents’ perceptions of the ‘substance use violence nexus’: a South African perspective
(Taylor & Francis, 2016) Khan, Gadija; Savahl, Shazly; Isaacs, Serena
The aim of the study was to explore adolescents’ perceptions of substance use as a contributing factor to community violence by employing a conceptual framework proposed by Goldstein. Data were collected from a sample of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 16 years by means of focus group interviews. Theoretical thematic analysis was used to analyse and interpret the findings. The participants’ perceptions indicated that substance use and withdrawal symptoms induce physiological and behavioural modifications resulting in aggression and violence. The findings also suggest that participants believed that substance users frequently commit property and violent interpersonal crimes such as theft, robbery, assault and murder to procure their substances. Further, the adolescents’ perceived violence to be rooted within gang culture as well as the involvement in shared markets for illicit substance trading.
African youth constructions of safety: A multi-country photovoice study
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Bawa, Umesh; Shefer, Tamara
In this doctoral dissertation, I examined Mozambican, South African, and Zambian youth explanations of safety, the lack of safety, and danger. I was particularly focused on resisting epistemic violence and supporting youth epistemic agency in this project. The study is situated within a multi-African country Photovoice project and underscores the importance of considering youth constructions of safety within their socio-political contexts and their everyday lived realities, often shaped by unequal globalised power relations, colonial legacies, and contemporary socio-economic dynamics. Through a presentation and analysis of both the unmediated and mediated youth accounts of safety and danger, I highlight how youth may enact epistemic agency and the complexities and fluidity evident in youth knowledge-making processes. Aligned with the tenets of critical psychology, liberatory psychology, and decolonial community psychology, as well as positive youth development and social justice approaches, I represent youth in the study as competent and conscious social and epistemic agents, challenging the view that academia is the singular site of legitimate knowledge production, and that policymaking is the domain solely of adult politicians and decision-makers.
Afrikaans adaptation of the children’s hope scale: Validation and measurement invariance
(Cogent OA, 2020) Savahl, Shazly; Adams, Sabirah; Florence, Maria Ann
The overarching aim of this study was to validate the Afrikaans version of Snyder’s (1997) Children’s Hope Scale in a sample of children from Cape Town, South Africa. Within this process, the study aimed to test the measurement invariance across the English and Afrikaans language versions. The study used a cross-sectional survey design, with a two-stage stratified random sample of 1022 children between the ages of 11- to 12-years-old. We selected the participants from 15 schools located in low and middle socio-economic status communities in the Cape Town Metropole. We used confirmatory factor analysis to analyse the data. The results indicated a good fit for the overall model using the pooled sample (X2 = 35.692; df = 7; p =.00; CFI =.984; RMSEA =.063; SRMR =.023). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis further demonstrated the tenability of metric and scalar invariance.
Aggression-related alcohol expectancies and exposure to community alcohol-related agression among students at the University of the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2012-03-05) Du Toit, Renier; Mwaba, K.
The relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related violence has been firmly established in a wide array of studies concerning various forms of violence including intimate partner violence, domestic violence as well as sexual assault. One factor which has been highlighted as having a moderating effect on the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression is the specific aggression-related alcohol expectancies concerning the effects of alcohol consumption on aggressive behaviour. In light of the prevalence of alcohol-related violence in South African communities it becomes important to examine the specific factors that moderate the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression and violence. The aim of this study was to examine aggressionrelated alcohol expectancies as a moderating factor in the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression and to examine the possible influence of exposure to community alcohol-related aggression in the formulation of aggression-related alcohol expectancies. The main objectives of this were to examine aggression-related alcohol expectancies as well as exposure to community alcohol-related aggression as domains for intervention to prevent alcohol-related violence.
Alcohol consumption amongst young adults living in a low socioeconomic status community in Cape Town
(Society for Personality Research, 2013) Adams, Sabirah; Savahl, Shazly; Isaacs, Serena; Carels, Cassandra Zeta
Our aim was to ascertain the extent of risky alcohol consumption amongst young adults living in a low socioeconomic status community in Cape Town, South Africa. We used a cross-sectional survey design and the street intercept method to administer the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). A key finding in this study was that 54.30% of male and 47.90% of the female participants were alcohol dependent, according to the classification criteria set out in the AUDIT. Our finding necessitates further investigations into alcohol consumption amongst young adults in South Africa. In addition, researchers should endeavor not only to identify, but also to understand, the dynamics of risk and resilience factors so that this information could be used to develop intervention initiatives that could mediate young adults’ initial consumption of alcohol.
Alignment of school discipline with positive behavioural interventions and supports: The case of one disadvantaged urban South African Primary School
(AOSIS, 2021) Gagnon, Joseph Calvin; Sylvester, Frederick J.; Marsh, Kathryn
Positive behavioural interventions and supports (PBIS) is a framework that aligns with the South African Department of Education’s Alternatives to Corporal Punishment.The aim of this study is to provide a snapshot of the extent to which policies and practices in a disadvantaged South African primary school align with PBIS.The study was conducted at a South African primary school with grades kindergarten to Grade 7 in an urban disadvantaged community.
An exploratory investigation into fathers' perspectives of school readiness
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Meyburgh, Celeste; Munnik, Erica
In recent years, the global focus on Early Child Development (ECD) has delivered mounting evidence of it being one of the most rewarding areas of investment a country can make. A central outcome of quality ECD is to provide sufficient support to enable a child to arrive at Grade 1 ready to learn. Environmental factors impacting on child development and school readiness have thus been under increasing scrutiny. Although studies have delivered evidence of fathers' unique contribution to ECD, fathers' impact on a child's school readiness is often overlooked. The overall aim of this thesis was to report on the findings of the exploratory investigation on fathers' perspectives of school readiness. All relevant ethics principles were observed in the study. The study received ethics clearance from the Senate Research Committee (HS/16/5/41). The study followed an explorative design incorporating qualitative methodologies for data collection and analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of nine fathers residing in Cape Town, who had full parental rights and responsibilities for their child in Grade R. Thematic analysis produced three themes with subthemes. The core findings suggested that first, fathers did not have a good fund of knowledge about school readiness and child development. Personal context and subjective experiences impacted or informed their views and beliefs about school readiness. Second, feedback from teachers and professionals was highly valued and was a primary source of information about their children's school readiness. Third, facilitating school readiness involved different systems and role players of which fathers are important role players. It emerged that in some ways the role of fathers remains undervalued and in others, fathers' ability to participate is diminished due to their fund of knowledge, gendered patterns to child rearing and engagement with school systems.
An exploratory study of the lived experiences of nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19 at a regional hospital in Mbombela local municipality, Mpumalanga province.
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Ngobeni, Merron Kuhle; Padmanabhanunni, Anita
Nurses played an important role in providing first aid care and serving as frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to explore the lived experiences of nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19 at a rural South African hospital. It used a qualitative descriptive research design. Twenty research participants were selected to participate in the study. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data from the participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Ethical approval was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape. Each participant’s written informed consent was obtained. Four keys themes emerged from the study. First, the nurses shared their journey into nursing, with most of them reporting that they pursued the career out of a desire to help others and due to limited career opportunities. Second, the study found that nurses had a fear of contracting COVID-19 and transmitting the virus to their loved ones; they also reported that they experienced fear of community ostracism. Third, the study delved into the impact of the work environment on nurses’ well-being, with most of them reporting experiencing burnout, long working hours and poor working environment. Finally, the study also examined the coping mechanisms used by the nurses and identified collegial support, religious support and avoidant coping.
An investigation into the correlates of family resilience in an impoverished rural community in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) October, Kezia Ruth; Isaacs, Serena
Families in South Africa are faced with manifold hardships that negatively impact the family as a unit. However, there are a variety of protective factors that have been identified as meaningful resources that facilitates healing and growth within a family unit. The study aims to investigate whether age, gender, employment status and level of education significantly predicts family resilience. The study utilised secondary data compromised of (N=656) participants from a low socio-economic rural community in South Africa. Family resilience views the family as a functional system of which provides positive adaption to family members who have experienced stressful events. Walsh's key processes in family resilience is outlined, highlighting a multi-level developmental systems orientation. The study utilised a multiple regression analysis consisting of four predictor variables namely, age, gender, employment status and level of education to assess whether these variables predict high levels of family resilience. The model found that amongst the four predictor variable, only employment status significantly predicted family resilience.
An investigation into the relationship between exposure to violence, resilience and PTSD in a sample of psychology students at the University of the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Nortje, Carla Anne; Ahmed, Rashid
Post-apartheid South Africa has been marked by high levels of trauma resulting from exposure to violence. Many South Africans are therefore at risk for developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Despite a large body of research identifying various protective factors which may influence an individual's response to a traumatic event, a gap in South African research on the relationship between exposure to multiple traumatic experiences, protective factors and the development of PTSD was identified. Therefore, located within the systems theory framework, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics, types of exposure to trauma and resilience associated with the development of posttraumatic stress (PTS) when there are multiple exposures to trauma. A quantitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study on 158 psychology students at the University of the Western Cape was undertaken. Using a non-random, convenience sampling method, data were collected by means of four self-report questionnaires namely; a biographical questionnaire, the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).

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