Research Publications

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The direct effect of basic need services, and social support on positive mental health among institutionalized children: the mediating role of psychological capital
(Springer, 2024) Melese, Adane K; Pedro, Athena; Somhlaba, Nceba Z
Previous research in Ethiopia mainly contemplated studying children’s mental distress and the negative effects of orphanages. However, there is a dearth of documented evidence on how positive psychological resources, social support, basic needs services, and mental health impact the well-being of children in childcare institutions and how care centers can benefit vulnerable children. This study aimed to investigate the direct impact of perceived social support (PSS), basic need services (BNS), and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) on the mental health of children in childcare settings. Additionally, the study sought to explore the mediating role of PsyCap between PSS, BNS, and children’s positive mental health (PMH). A total of 420 institutionalized Ethiopian children, comprising 187 females and 233 males, were selected by using a stratified multistage random sampling approach. Validated and standardized measures of psychological well-being (PWB), PsyCap, BNS, and PSS were employed to collect data from the study participants. The findings from the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that BNS and PsyCap directly and significantly predicted the PMH of children. Moreover, both BNS and PSS exhibited a positive and significant effect on the higher-order PsyCap construct. Although PSS did not directly influence positive mental health, it indirectly predicted mental health outcomes through the presence of PsyCap. Furthermore, PsyCap played a mediating role between BNS and positive mental health outcomes. It is recommended that future research replicate and expand upon the current study’s findings to gain insights into the positive mental health of institutionalized children.
Scoping review protocol exploring the relationship between food insecurity, mental health and diet intake among adolescents across the globe
(BMJ Publishing Group, 2023) Nkwanyana, Akhona; Florence, Maria; Swart, Elizabeth Catherina
Studies, exploring the effect of food insecurity on physical and mental health, have shown that food insecurity is associated with lower self-reports of physical and mental health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has increased leading to higher risks of poor mental health. Despite evidence of the negative implications of food insecurity on mental health, there is a paucity of research on these variables for adolescents specifically. The current evidence shows there is a gap in adolescent centred research linking mental health and food insecurity globally. Adolescence is a crucial period of development where habits, nutritional inadequacies linked to food insecurity and mental health problems formed due to these inadequacies can be conveyed into adulthood. The aim of this study is to systematically scope the literature exploring the relationship between mental health, food (in) security and/or diet intake of adolescents
Exploring the role of race in social cohesion in two rural communities of South Africa
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2023) Van Staden, Maria; Khaile, Fundiswa; Roman, Nicolette Vanessa
Globally, race and social cohesion in urban areas have received significant research focus. However, it may appear that scholars have not paid adequate attention to the role of race as a facilitator or barrier to social cohesion in rural areas. Thus, the aim of the study was to explore the role of race as a facilitator of, or barrier to, social cohesion in two South African rural communities, namely, Lambert’s Bay, Western Cape, and Philippolis, Free State Province. The study uses some of the tenets of critical race theory to interrogate the issues of race in South African rural communities. A qualitative research design was utilised to gather in-depth knowledge of the participants’ views. Nineteen participants participated in the face-to-face interviews conducted with the stakeholders and parents of both communities under study. The data was analysed thematically and five themes were identified, presented and discussed in the results: (1) Experiences of other racialised groups, (2) Experiences of immigrants, (3) Race as a factor influencing cohesion, (4) Experiences of racial discrimination, and (5) Fear of marginalisation and exclusion.
Scoping review protocol exploring the relationship between food insecurity, mental health and diet intake among adolescents across the globe
(BMJ, 2023) Nkwanyana, Akhona; Florence, Maria; Swart, Elizabeth Catherina
Introduction Studies, exploring the effect of food insecurity on physical and mental health, have shown that food insecurity is associated with lower self-reports of physical and mental health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has increased leading to higher risks of poor mental health. Despite evidence of the negative implications of food insecurity on mental health, there is a paucity of research on these variables for adolescents specifically. The current evidence shows there is a gap in adolescent centred research linking mental health and food insecurity globally. Adolescence is a crucial period of development where habits, nutritional inadequacies linked to food insecurity and mental health problems formed due to these inadequacies can be conveyed into adulthood. The aim of this study is to systematically scope the literature exploring the relationship between mental health, food (in)security and/or diet intake of adolescents. Methods This review will be guided by Arksey and O'Malley's extended framework. The search strategy was developed by two of the authors and will be used to search literature from January 2012 to December 2022 in PubMed, Academic search complete, PsychARTICLES, Google, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of science core collection. Searching published and unpublished literature will be done in the chosen databases. References used in included literature will be reviewed for additional studies/sources. Articles will be assessed for eligibility by two reviewers, and any discrepancies reviewed by a third reviewer. The inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used for screening. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram will be used to document the selection process. A narrative summary and descriptive analysis will be used to summarise and report the extracted data. Ethics and dissemination Approval for this study has been granted by the University of the Western Cape Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BM21/8/3). Strict measures will be followed to ensure methodological rigour.
Narcotics anonymous attendees’ perceptions and experiences of substitute behaviors in the Western Cape, South Africa
(BioMed Central, 2023) Sinclair, Deborah Louise; Sussman, Steve; Savahl, Shazly
Much remains unknown about the dynamics of substitute behaviors during addiction recovery among persons attending recovery support groups. Insight into the nature, motives for, and course of substitute behaviors could help to shape recovery support and harm reduction services. Twenty-three semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 14 males and n = 9 females) were conducted with a convenience sample of Narcotics Anonymous attendees from a number of groups in the Western Cape, South Africa. Participants ranged in age from 22—55 years (M = 39.3, SD = 9.35).
A trait-state model of trust propensity: Evidence from two career transitions
(Frontiers Media, 2019) van der Werff, Lisa; Freeney, Yseult; Lance, Charles E.
Trust propensity is typically conceptualized as a stable, trait-like, exogenous variable. Drawing on the social investment principle of personality change, we argue that trust propensity has situationally specific components and is likely to be less stable during periods of career transition. Using a latent curve-latent state-trait model, we present evidence that suggests that trust propensity has stable (trait) and unstable (state) components during career transition periods and that it has the potential to change over time. Our results are replicated across two, transitional workplace populations during a process of (re)socialization into an organization. In our second study, we also expand our focus to examine correlates of trust propensity and demonstrate the relationship between state and trait trust propensity and cognitive depletion. Our paper significantly extends knowledge of the nature of trust propensity and raises questions about the stability of this construct, one of the core tenets of trust theory.
Teacher burnout in the time of Covid-19: Antecedents and psychological consequences
(MDPI, 2023) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone B.
The important, frontline role of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic has often gone unrecognized, and attention to their mental health and well-being is often only the focus of scholarly research. The unprecedented challenges that teachers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stresses and strains associated with it have severely impacted their psychological well-being. This study examined the predictors and the psychological consequences of burnout. Participants (N = 355) were schoolteachers in South Africa who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Role Orientation Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Centre for Epidemiological Depression Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
An evaluation of a low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy mhealth-supported intervention to reduce loneliness in older people
(MDPI, 2019) Jarvis, Mary Ann; Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Chipps, Jennifer
There is a high prevalence of loneliness among older people, especially in residential care settings. Loneliness is often accompanied by maladaptive cognitions which can a ect the maintenance and establishment of meaningful social connections. This study implemented and evaluated a low-intensity Cognitive Behavior Therapy (LI-CBT) mHealth-supported intervention which targeted maladaptive cognitions in older people ( 60 years) experiencing loneliness. The three-month intervention using WhatsApp was implemented with older people in four inner-city residential care facilities. The intervention included three components: technology acceptance, psycho-education, and individualized positively worded messages addressing maladaptive cognitions. The intervention was evaluated using a randomized control design.
Anxiety in brief: Assessment of the five-item trait scale of the state-trait anxiety inventory in South Africa
(MDPI, 2023) Pretorius, Tyrone B.; Padmanabhanunni, Anita
The current study examined the psychometric properties of a short form of the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of students (n = 322) who completed the five-item version of the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, the nine-item version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. We used classical test theory and item response theory (Rasch and Mokken analyses) to examine the psychometric properties of a previously proposed five-item version of this scale. These approaches confirmed that the five-item measure of anxiety had satisfactory reliability and validity, and also confirmed that the five items comprised a unidimensional scale.
National-level key stakeholders’ perspectives regarding intervention progression and emerging challenges within the national stillbirth reduction response in Uganda
(Public Library of Science, 2023) Ssegujja, Eric; Andipatin, Michelle
Implementation of evidence-based interventions was adopted to respond to the stillbirth burden from the global campaigns. However, new challenges emerge in the process of rolling out such interventions into routine services more so in the context of resource-limited settings. Since the scale-up of policy recommendations to address stillbirth in Uganda, the health system response has seldom been explored. This study was conducted among national-level key stakeholders to elicit their perspectives regarding intervention progression and challenges emerging from the implementation of the national stillbirth reduction strategies in Uganda.
Fatherhood and high‑risk pregnancy: A scoping review
(Springer, 2023) Jackson, Kyle; Erasmus, Erika; Mabanga, Ntobizodwa
The experience of expectant parenthood is commensurate of relative angst and nervousness albeit one of overall excitement and joy. However, when the pregnancy is regarded as high-risk, this experience changes dramatically for both parents. While literature on high-risk pregnancies is gaining traction, the focus is predominantly on the mother’s experiences and therefore, a paucity exists in exploring the father’s experiences of a high-risk pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the current extent of literature focusing on father’s experiences of a high-risk pregnancy using a scoping review methodology.
Diversity training for health professionals: Preparedness to competently address intellectual disability in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
(SAGE Publications, 2023) Smith, Mario R; Papadakis, Maryam; Munnik, Erica
Diversity training for health professionals in South Africa has traditionally been conceptualized as differences in gender, race or ethnicity, culture and sexual orientation. More recently physical disability and mental illness was included as a dimension. Intellectual disabilities received lip service as a diversity concern. This paper reports on health professionals’ perceptions of the extent to which diversity training prepared them to competently deal with intellectual disabilities. This explorative study included a purposive sample of 18 health care professionals experienced in intellectual disability services. Two focus groups were facilitated over three sessions. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Health professionals felt inadequately prepared to consider intellectual disabilities as a diversity issue. They could not effectively advocate for reasonable accommodation. There was a differential familiarity with issues related to diversity and intellectual disability with profession constituting an additional intersecting dimension of diversity. Health professions did not perceive their diversity training to prepare them to deal competently with intellectual disabilities.
Service providers’ perceptions of substitute addictions in the Western Cape, South Africa
(SAGE Publications, 2023) Sinclair, Deborah Louise; Sussman, Steve; Vantomme, Lize
Globally little is known regarding substance use service providers’ perceptions of substitute behaviours and this significant gap could hinder service provision and recovery outcomes. Semistructured focus group discussions (including 22 service providers across five sites) were conducted in residential treatment facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Service providers recognised substances (e.g. cigarettes and caffeine) and behaviours (e.g. gambling, eating, love, sex, shopping, exercise, and gaming) as potential substitutes. Identified substitute motives included managing cravings; self-medication; filling the experiential void of the primary substance, and time-spending. Concurrent behaviours and addictions were believed to be a key mechanism underlying substitution however, service providers did not uniformly screen for co-occurring behavioural addictions. Substitute behaviours were primarily considered a pathway to relapse and service providers emphasised prevention, detection and family education. To suitably intervene, screening for co-occurring behaviours should be an integral part of the assessment of those presenting for substance use treatment.
Promoting well-being in the face of a pandemic: The role of sense of coherence and ego-resilience in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction
(SAGE Publications, 2023) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone B
COVID-19 has impacted negatively on the lives and academic activities of university students. This has contributed to increasing levels of psychological distress among this population group. Intrinsic and contextual factors can mediate the psychological impact of the pandemic. The study focuses on sense of coherence and ego-resilience as potential protective factors on indices of psychological distress and life satisfaction. Participants were undergraduate students (N = 337) at a South African university who completed six self-report questionnaires, namely, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Ego-Resilience Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. To examine the direct and mediating effects of sense of coherence and ego-resilience on psychological distress, structural equation modeling was used.
Psychotraumatology of the war in Ukraine: The question of the psychological care of victims who are refugees or who remain in Ukraine
(Elsevier Masson, 2023) Stiegler, Nancy; Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone B; Bouchard, Jean-Pierre
The war in Ukraine is a major poly-traumatic event, which leads to massive population displacements. The question of the evaluation and psychological care of psychotraumatized people is an urgent matter. As many countries hosting refugees are well endowed with a good number of psychologists, some of these interested professionals should mobilize themselves and make themselves known to carry out these clinical acts. Priority should be given to trained and experienced psychologists to support victims.
Job satisfaction goes a long way: The mediating role of teaching satisfaction in the relationship between role stress and indices of psychological well-being in the time of Covid-19
(MDPI, 2022) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone Brian
The COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures has resulted in drastic changes in the educational landscape. Teachers had to rapidly adapt to shifts in their work-related roles and responsibilities. This situation likely led to role stress and affected the levels of job satisfaction, mental health and general life satisfaction. In this study, we examined the role of teachers’ job satisfaction in the relationship between role stress and indices of psychological well-being. The participants were South African school teachers (N = 355) who completed the Role Orientation Questionnaire, the Teaching Satisfaction Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. In addition to descriptive statistics and correlations, path analysis was performed to determine the mediating role of teaching satisfaction. Increased levels of teaching satisfaction were associated with decreased levels of depression and anxiety and increased levels of life satisfaction. Teaching satisfaction also mediated the relationship between role conflict, as well as role ambiguity and anxiety. The results indicated that teaching satisfaction is a critical protective factor for teachers.
Deriving meaning from chaos: the mediating role of the sense of coherence in the serial relationships among fear of Covid-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction
(MDPI, 2022) Pretorius, Tyrone B.; Padmanabhanunni, Anita
The current study focused on the role of the sense of coherence (SOC) in the serial relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. It examined the hypothesis that an SOC would mitigate the impact of the fear of COVID-19 on psychological distress, which in turn would positively impact life satisfaction. Participants were school teachers (N = 355) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the short form of the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. A path analysis confirmed the mediating role of the dimensions of the SOC in the relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Specifically, comprehensibility, meaningfulness, and manageability were found to mediate the associations between the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety, and the fear of COVID-19 and hopelessness, which in turn were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. The findings confirmed that an SOC is an important source of resilience. Interventions that facilitate the re-appraisal of stressors as challenges and enhance the awareness of practical coping strategies can build an SOC and promote mental health.
The Resilience of South African School Teachers in the Time of COVID-19: Coping with Risk of Infection, Loneliness, and Anxiety
(NLM (Medline), 2023) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone
The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an overall increase in the global prevalence of mental health disorders and psychological distress. However, against this backdrop, there was also evidence of adaptation and coping, which suggested the influence of protective factors. The current study aims to extend previous research on the role of protective factors by investigating the health-sustaining and mediating roles of resilience in the relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, loneliness, and anxiety. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of schoolteachers (N = 355) who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the short form of the Connor– Davidson Resilience Scale, the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, through an online link created with Google Forms. The results of path analysis indicated significant negative associations between resilience and both loneliness and anxiety. These results indicate the health-sustaining role of resilience. In addition, resilience mediated the relationships between germ aversion and perceived infectability, on the one hand, and loneliness and anxiety, on the other hand. The findings confirm that resilience can play a substantial role in counteracting the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health.
The role of resilience in the relationship between role stress and psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a crosssectional study
(BMC Psychology, 2023) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone B; Khamisa, Natasha
Background Stress resistance resources, such as social support and resilience, have been found to be important in promoting psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most prior research studies have conceptualized stress resistance resource variables as having a mediating or moderating role. Cooper (2018) proposed a model of the relationship between stress and health which posits that coping resources are always present and not only invoked in the face of adversity. Thus, we hypothesize that coping resources are causally antecedent to stressors and influence well-being indirectly via the stressor. We focused specifically on school teachers due to them being at the frontlines of service provision during the pandemic. Teaching was already identified as a highly stressful profession prior to COVID-19 and disease containment measures placed additional strain on teachers who had to adapt to emergency remote teaching. Aim The current study tests this hypothesis by examining the indirect effects of resilience on indices of psychological health via role stress. Methods Participants (N=355) were teachers who completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, the Role Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. An electronic version of the questionnaires was distributed to teachers via Facebook and to officials from the Department of Education, who assisted with distribution of the electronic link to the survey. Participants were mostly women (76.6%) and mean number of years in the teaching profession was 15.7. Results Structural equation modelling results demonstrated significant direct effects of resilience on life satisfaction, anxiety, and depression, which indicates that resilience is beneficial for psychological health even in the absence of stress. Resilience also had a significant indirect effect on indices of psychological well-being via role ambiguity but not role conflict.
Toward a positive life beyond covid-19: Problem-solving appraisal as a resistance resource in the relationship between stress and well-being in students
(MDPI, 2023) Pretorius, Tyrone B.; Padmanabhanunni, Anita
The COVID-19 pandemic is a major global stressor that has been associated with elevated risk of negative mental health symptoms. As a helping profession, our main task should be identifying factors that may shield individuals from the negative consequences of stress, rather than only focusing on the causes and symptoms of stress. One such factor, identified in the literature, is an individual’s perception of their problem-solving skills. In this study we investigate the role of problem-solving appraisal in the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. Participants were students (n = 322) who completed the Problem Solving Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, the short forms of the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results demonstrate the health-sustaining benefits of problem-solving appraisal, as all dimensions of problem-solving appraisal (problem-solving confidence, approach-avoidance style, and problemsolving control) were directly associated with hopelessness and anxiety.

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