Research Articles (Psychology)

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Skills and competencies in health data analytics for health professionals: a scoping review protocol
(BMJ Publishing Group, 2023) Nkwanyana, Akhona; Mathews, Verona; Zachary, Iris; Bhayani, Vishwa
Introduction Healthcare data analytics is a methodological approach to the systematic analysis of health data, and it provides opportunities for healthcare professionals to improve health system management, patient engagement, budgeting, planning and performing evidence-based decision-making. Literature suggests that certain skills and/or competencies for health professionals working with big data in health care would be required. A review of the skills and competencies in health data analytics required by health professionals is needed to support the development or re-engineering of curriculum for health professionals to ensure they develop the abilities to make evidence-based decisions that ultimately can lead to the effective and efficient functioning of a healthcare system. Methods Using Arksey and O'Malley's framework, this study will review literature published in English from January 2012 to December 2022. The database search includes Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, and MEDLINE via EBSCOhost, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Taylor and Francis. The reference lists of key studies will be searched to identify additional appropriate studies to include. The review will be conducted using an inclusion and exclusion criteria. Iterative processes will be involved at the various stages of search strategy piloting, screening and data extraction. Articles will be reviewed through a two-step process (title and abstract, and full-text review) by at least two reviewers.
Despite good intentions: The elusiveness of social justice in health and physical education curricula across different contexts
(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2024) Gerdin, Göran; Kitching, Ansie; Lundin, Katarina
This paper draws on critical discourse analysis to examine how health and physical education (HPE) curricula from Sweden, Norway, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand may influence possibilities for the enactment of social justice in schools. The findings highlight the presence of social justice intentions across the five curricula as related to embodied movement experiences, social cohesion, and activism. That said, the findings simultaneously suggest that the language used to orient teaching towards social justice objectives is often elusive. In this paper, we contend that despite the presence of social justice intentions in these five HPE curricula, the articulation and function of the language within the curriculum documents do not necessarily support the enactment of this in practice. To conclude, we therefore suggest that more work is needed to ensure that curricula and other supporting artefacts and resources can better support both teachers’ practice and students’ learning in raising awareness of, and addressing, social justice outcomes in HPE.
Establishing reliability and construct validity for the revised emotional social screening tool for school readiness (E3SR-R)
(South African Journal Of Education, 2024) Koopman Lauren; Munnik Erica; Wagener, Emma
School readiness assessments in South Africa still predominantly focus on the assessment of cognitive skills. The Emotional Social Screening Tool for School Readiness (E3SR) was developed to bridge the perceived gap in assessing emotional-social skills as a domain of school readiness. An emerging body of research reports exists on the psychometric properties and factor structure of the E3SR. An initial validation study recommended a 6-factor solution instead of the theoretical 9-factor model that was proposed in the development of the E3SR. The E3SR (Revised) was also reduced in length. We report here on a pilot study of which the aim was to establish the reliability and construct validity of the E3SR (Revised). A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from 9 pre-schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Pre-school teachers (n = 24) constituted the respondent group who completed the E3SR (Revised) screening questionnaires on Grade R learners (n = 394). Analysis was conducted on 321 completed screening questionnaires. With the data analysis we aimed to: a) summarise sample characteristics of teachers and children; b) establish reliability estimates; and c) establish construct validity and confirming the factor structure
Service providers’ perceptions of substitute addictions in the Western Cape, South Africa
(SAGE Publications Inc., 2024) Sinclair, Louise Deborah; Florence, Maria; Savahl, Shazly
Globally little is known regarding substance use service providers’ perceptions of substitute behaviours and this significant gap could hinder service provision and recovery outcomes. Semi-structured 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.
Leveraging adversity during pandemics: the role of adaptive cognitive appraisals of self and others in mental health outcomes among students
(SAGE Publications Inc., 2024) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone B; Isaacs, Serena Ann
Researchers have paid limited attention to the role of adaptive cognitive appraisals in conferring resilience. In this study, we demonstrate the influence of positive appraisals of problem-solving ability and social support on mental health outcomes. A random sample of students at a university in South Africa (n = 322) participated in the study. They completed the perceived stress scale, the multidimensional scale of perceived social support, the problem-solving inventory, the Beck hopelessness scale, and the satisfaction with life scale. Mediation analysis found that problem-solving appraisal and social support jointly and separately mediated the effects of perceived stress on hopelessness. The combined effect of social support and problem-solving appraisal on life satisfaction was significant; however, only social support was found to mediate the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction. The findings indicate that adaptive appraisals of self and others are potential sources of resilience that can buffer individuals from the adverse impact of stressful life events.
Exploring primary mental health care nurses’ perceptions of the post-treatment needs of women admitted for psychiatric treatment
(SAGE Publications Inc., 2024) Fraser, Khelsey; Lukic, Hannah; Mamabolo, Koketso Nelly
Primary mental health care nurses are an essential workforce that provide necessary inpatient psychiatric treatment. Continuity of care has become a significant aspect of the provision of mental health services. However, caring for South African healthcare users comes with challenges, including difficulties accompanying the provision of care for acutely ill patients with complex mental health problems. Therefore, this study explored the perceptions and experiences of primary mental healthcare nurses concerning the continuity of care required in post-inpatient psychiatric treatment for mental health users from low-income communities in the Western Cape. Through undertaking a study using a qualitative exploratory design and purposive sampling technique, and in which nine primary mental healthcare nurses from two psychiatric hospitals in the Western Cape were interviewed, the researchers were able to obtain a deeper understanding of the participants’ experiences. Four themes were identified during the reflexive thematic analysis namely: the roles and responsibilities of primary mental healthcare nurses, the lack of support within the current continuity-of-care system, barriers to continuity of care for women patients, and suggested improvements for quality of mental healthcare. It was evident that both women patients and primary mental healthcare nurses experienced various forms of marginalisation, discrimination, and gendered oppression. This intersectionality accentuates systemic issues within the current public healthcare system and highlights the stigmatisation of mental illness, especially among women. Overall, primary mental healthcare nurses have a plethora of roles and responsibilities within the primary healthcare sector, which hinder their ability to provide mental health services to women patients. Their reports highlight the needs of a specific patient population that first need to translate into changes that will assist in improving their roles as primary mental healthcare nurses. Their shared experiences of a lack of support from South Africa’s healthcare system were the focal points of this study.
Fear of Covid-19 and PTSD: the protective function of problem-solving appraisals in mental health
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone Brian
The COVID-19 pandemic was experienced by many people as a major traumatic event, and it contributed to high levels of fear, anxiety, and PTSD. Negative cognitive appraisals have been consistently implicated in the onset and maintenance of psychological distress, but there is far less research on the protective role of adaptive appraisals in mental health outcomes. The current study aimed to address this gap by investigating the role of problem-solving appraisals in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and PTSD. Participants were students (n = 322) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Problem-Solving Inventory, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and the five-item short version of the trait scale of the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants had a mean age of 26 years (±10.2; range 17–63). The results revealed that problem-solving appraisal mediated the effects of fear of COVID-19 on all the dimensions of PTSD. However, moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the mediation effect was moderated by anxiety. In this regard, the indirect effects of fear of COVID-19 on PTSD were only significant for respondents with low anxiety levels. Our findings suggest that intervention efforts need to focus on identifying and actively targeting maladaptive appraisals of the problem-solving ability as well as addressing anxiety-related symptoms that may impede coping.
Some sound, some fury, signifying very little: frantz fanon and psychological scholarship in South Africa
(SAGE, 2024) Laubscher, Leswin
Frantz Fanon has been an inspirational staple to a political, social, and economic understanding of South Africa for nearly 50 years. How, though, has South African psychology wrestled with, and appropriated, Fanon over the course of this time span? A review and analysis of all published references to Fanon in the South African Journal of Psychology, over a period of 40+ years, reveal a disappointingly superficial engagement with Fanonian theory, and a glaring neglect of clinical, research, and educational implications of Fanon’s praxis. Recommendations for a recommitted engagement with Fanon’s writings are provided.
Beyond role conflict and ambiguity: A global measure of role stress among South African school teachers
(Fundacion Universitaria Maria Cano, 2023) Padmanabhanunni, Anita; Pretorius, Tyrone Brian
Role stress is linked to reduced work performance, diminished organizational commitment, increased intention to leave a job, and negative physical and mental health effects. Given the significant implications of role stress, researchers have sought to understand and quantify the concept. The Role Conflict and Ambiguity (RCA) scales are widely utilized in job stress research as the predominant measurement tools. They were originally conceptualized as consisting of two independent dimensions: role conflict and role ambiguity. This study advances the validation research of the RCA scales by exploring its dimensionality through Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). South African school teachers responded to the RCA scales, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Teaching Satisfaction Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and MSA were employed for data analysis. The research determined that a second-order model provided the optimal fit, indicating that role ambiguity and role conflict are subordinate dimensions within the overarching construct of role stress. The findings from the CFA and supplementary bifactor indices reinforce the view that the instrument comprises 13 items, which assess a general dimension of role stress along with two sub-dimensions: role conflict and role ambiguity. Such specificity may lead to more effective strategies to mitigate role-related stress, thereby enhancing overall employee well-being, job satisfaction, and organizational productivity.
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.
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.

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