Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.1177/00812463231218002
P. Haine, Duane D. Booysen, Charles Young
Counselling psychology in South Africa has recently emerged from a tumultuous period, stemming from regulatory efforts in 2011, which negatively impacted on the profession’s status and viability. While the definition and scope of counselling psychology arguably demonstrate improvements in aligning with global practices, concerns persist surrounding the work opportunities and professional experiences of counselling psychologists, particularly those in the early stages of their careers. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the professional experiences of early career counselling psychologists in South Africa. The pool of participants were 10 early career counselling psychologists (females = 7, males = 3, period in service = 1–10 years). The participants completed semi-structured interviews on their early career professional experiences, as well as the meanings they attributed to these experiences. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the data revealed three group experiential themes: (1) the complexity of finding and securing work; (2) navigating an array of personal, professional, and systemic challenges; and (3) self-acquiring support. The findings suggest that despite the unique and valuable skills and knowledge counselling psychologists possess, the participants struggled to successfully transition into the workforce, resulting in feelings of anxiety, frustration, and professional disillusionment. The findings indicate enhanced support is needed at various levels to address the needs and bolster the wellbeing, utilisation, and retention of counselling psychologists in their transition into the South African workforce.
{"title":"‘Crushed all over again’: the professional experiences of early career counselling psychologists in South Africa","authors":"P. Haine, Duane D. Booysen, Charles Young","doi":"10.1177/00812463231218002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231218002","url":null,"abstract":"Counselling psychology in South Africa has recently emerged from a tumultuous period, stemming from regulatory efforts in 2011, which negatively impacted on the profession’s status and viability. While the definition and scope of counselling psychology arguably demonstrate improvements in aligning with global practices, concerns persist surrounding the work opportunities and professional experiences of counselling psychologists, particularly those in the early stages of their careers. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the professional experiences of early career counselling psychologists in South Africa. The pool of participants were 10 early career counselling psychologists (females = 7, males = 3, period in service = 1–10 years). The participants completed semi-structured interviews on their early career professional experiences, as well as the meanings they attributed to these experiences. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the data revealed three group experiential themes: (1) the complexity of finding and securing work; (2) navigating an array of personal, professional, and systemic challenges; and (3) self-acquiring support. The findings suggest that despite the unique and valuable skills and knowledge counselling psychologists possess, the participants struggled to successfully transition into the workforce, resulting in feelings of anxiety, frustration, and professional disillusionment. The findings indicate enhanced support is needed at various levels to address the needs and bolster the wellbeing, utilisation, and retention of counselling psychologists in their transition into the South African workforce.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"24 29","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139147865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-29DOI: 10.1177/00812463231219932
Khelsey Fraser, Hannah Lukic, Koketso Nelly Mamabolo, Amy-Jean Viljoen, Shannen Ferreira, Xolisa Gwadiso, Sinesipho Jenkins, Warona Mateane, Munene Nkuna, T. Adonis, Maria Florence, S. Isaacs, Kyle Jackson
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.
{"title":"Exploring primary mental health care nurses’ perceptions of the post-treatment needs of women admitted for psychiatric treatment","authors":"Khelsey Fraser, Hannah Lukic, Koketso Nelly Mamabolo, Amy-Jean Viljoen, Shannen Ferreira, Xolisa Gwadiso, Sinesipho Jenkins, Warona Mateane, Munene Nkuna, T. Adonis, Maria Florence, S. Isaacs, Kyle Jackson","doi":"10.1177/00812463231219932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231219932","url":null,"abstract":"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.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"85 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139147186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-30DOI: 10.1177/00812463231207363
Candice R Leith, Nicholas Munro
Gender is a fundamental element of social life but is premised on the notions of socially and culturally constructed differences which are almost always hierarchical in nature, imbued with power(lessness), and reinforced by binary thinking. Sport is one domain where gendered hierarchies, power struggles, and binaries have been most notable. CrossFit is a relatively new sport which is said to offer women a space for alternative gender performances. This article draws on autophotographical and photo-elicitation interview data generated with 13 women CrossFitters. Informed by feminist poststructuralism and using reflexive thematic analysis, the researchers generated two paradoxical themes which illustrate the ways in which women CrossFitters can transgress but also inadvertently reinforce gendered boundaries. We present and interrogate the themes of bodies, bruises, and blisters, and the struggle for/of the feminine/muscular body as paradoxical processes for women CrossFitters. These paradoxical processes permit women CrossFitters to experiment with performances of both femininity and masculinity that could be transformational and non-gendered and allow these women to transgress normative bodily ideals and gendered norms.
{"title":"Bodies, bruises, and blisters, and the struggle for/of the feminine/muscular body: the ways in which women CrossFitters transgress gendered boundaries","authors":"Candice R Leith, Nicholas Munro","doi":"10.1177/00812463231207363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231207363","url":null,"abstract":"Gender is a fundamental element of social life but is premised on the notions of socially and culturally constructed differences which are almost always hierarchical in nature, imbued with power(lessness), and reinforced by binary thinking. Sport is one domain where gendered hierarchies, power struggles, and binaries have been most notable. CrossFit is a relatively new sport which is said to offer women a space for alternative gender performances. This article draws on autophotographical and photo-elicitation interview data generated with 13 women CrossFitters. Informed by feminist poststructuralism and using reflexive thematic analysis, the researchers generated two paradoxical themes which illustrate the ways in which women CrossFitters can transgress but also inadvertently reinforce gendered boundaries. We present and interrogate the themes of bodies, bruises, and blisters, and the struggle for/of the feminine/muscular body as paradoxical processes for women CrossFitters. These paradoxical processes permit women CrossFitters to experiment with performances of both femininity and masculinity that could be transformational and non-gendered and allow these women to transgress normative bodily ideals and gendered norms.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"72 6","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136104730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-30DOI: 10.1177/00812463231207511
Pascal Richardson, Michelle Andipatin
Obstetric research in sub-Saharan Africa largely focuses on the material, physical, and psychosocial aspects of pregnancy and childbirth in relation to mothers. This research aimed to address a research gap in terms of fathers’ experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, particularly in the context of a medically high-risk pregnancy. Specifically, this article focuses on fathers’ interactions with the healthcare system and healthcare professionals throughout the antenatal and neonatal periods. This study was exploratory and qualitative in nature. Eight fathers whose partners had experienced at least one medically high-risk pregnancy participated in semi-structured interviews that were examined using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The findings indicate that fathers’ experiences vacillated between healthcare providers being supportive and informative versus them being uncompassionate and not conveying adequate information. Importantly, the distinctions were largely attributed to the type of healthcare facility (i.e. public or private) that was attended. This research offers recommendations to healthcare workers to enhance fathers’ experiences during pregnancy and childbirth, especially in potentially traumatic situations.
{"title":"South African fathers’ experiences with healthcare providers during their partners’ medically high-risk pregnancy and childbirth","authors":"Pascal Richardson, Michelle Andipatin","doi":"10.1177/00812463231207511","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231207511","url":null,"abstract":"Obstetric research in sub-Saharan Africa largely focuses on the material, physical, and psychosocial aspects of pregnancy and childbirth in relation to mothers. This research aimed to address a research gap in terms of fathers’ experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, particularly in the context of a medically high-risk pregnancy. Specifically, this article focuses on fathers’ interactions with the healthcare system and healthcare professionals throughout the antenatal and neonatal periods. This study was exploratory and qualitative in nature. Eight fathers whose partners had experienced at least one medically high-risk pregnancy participated in semi-structured interviews that were examined using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The findings indicate that fathers’ experiences vacillated between healthcare providers being supportive and informative versus them being uncompassionate and not conveying adequate information. Importantly, the distinctions were largely attributed to the type of healthcare facility (i.e. public or private) that was attended. This research offers recommendations to healthcare workers to enhance fathers’ experiences during pregnancy and childbirth, especially in potentially traumatic situations.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"37 5","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136104474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-30DOI: 10.1177/00812463231199960
Itumeleng P Khumalo, Sahaya G Selvam, Angelina Wilson Fadiji
Religious commitment is a prominent feature in the lives of many students in Africa. The present study investigated the well-being correlates (emotional well-being, social contribution, and depression) of religious commitment, and compared them across sex. A cross-sectional sample of 471 students from South Africa and Kenya (men = 244; women = 227; with an average age of 22.8 years) completed the Religious Commitment Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, Social Well-being Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Short-Form. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to estimate direct effects of religious commitment on emotional well-being, social contribution and depression, and comparison across sex. The results showed significant direct effects, attesting to the association of religious commitment with higher emotional well-being and social contribution, and lower depression, with no significant sex differences. In addition to insight into positive and negative intra- and interpersonal well-being correlates of religious commitment, the absence of sex differences shows uniformity in how religious commitment is related to well-being for male and female students.
{"title":"The well-being correlates of religious commitment amongst South African and Kenyan students","authors":"Itumeleng P Khumalo, Sahaya G Selvam, Angelina Wilson Fadiji","doi":"10.1177/00812463231199960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231199960","url":null,"abstract":"Religious commitment is a prominent feature in the lives of many students in Africa. The present study investigated the well-being correlates (emotional well-being, social contribution, and depression) of religious commitment, and compared them across sex. A cross-sectional sample of 471 students from South Africa and Kenya (men = 244; women = 227; with an average age of 22.8 years) completed the Religious Commitment Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire, Social Well-being Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Short-Form. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to estimate direct effects of religious commitment on emotional well-being, social contribution and depression, and comparison across sex. The results showed significant direct effects, attesting to the association of religious commitment with higher emotional well-being and social contribution, and lower depression, with no significant sex differences. In addition to insight into positive and negative intra- and interpersonal well-being correlates of religious commitment, the absence of sex differences shows uniformity in how religious commitment is related to well-being for male and female students.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"93 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136280514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-07DOI: 10.1177/00812463231198059
David Blackbeard, Colleen Aldous
The relationship between sources of acute pain and its persistence as chronic pain is complex, involving multiple systems that include emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal functioning. This study explored the lived experiences of male patients ( N = 14) at an interdisciplinary chronic pain clinic and is based on two major themes: (1) the journey to chronic pain; and (2) experiences within treatment settings. The purpose of the study was to investigate the lived experiences of men living with chronic pain conditions in relation to masculine identity in their everyday contexts. Interview material was collected in 2019 from 14 male patients at a chronic pain clinic using a life-world interviewing approach. Participant validation interviews took place to verify the findings. Team data analysis, thematic network diagrams, and tabulations were used for thematic analysis of transcripts and interview data. The narratives included distress, losses, adjustment, and other psychosocial sequelae linked to the meaning of living with chronic pain in relation to masculine identity and ageing. The men experienced the chronic pain clinic to be supportive and helpful, although with significant challenges of access and treatment, which they associated with having to adjust and adapt. The affective, cognitive, and social components were highly relevant in the participants’ accounts and therefore crucial considerations for the effective, contextualized, and responsive management of chronic pain among persons living with chronic pain.
{"title":"Interviewing older men at an interdisciplinary pain clinic: the journey to chronic pain and treatment experience","authors":"David Blackbeard, Colleen Aldous","doi":"10.1177/00812463231198059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231198059","url":null,"abstract":"The relationship between sources of acute pain and its persistence as chronic pain is complex, involving multiple systems that include emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal functioning. This study explored the lived experiences of male patients ( N = 14) at an interdisciplinary chronic pain clinic and is based on two major themes: (1) the journey to chronic pain; and (2) experiences within treatment settings. The purpose of the study was to investigate the lived experiences of men living with chronic pain conditions in relation to masculine identity in their everyday contexts. Interview material was collected in 2019 from 14 male patients at a chronic pain clinic using a life-world interviewing approach. Participant validation interviews took place to verify the findings. Team data analysis, thematic network diagrams, and tabulations were used for thematic analysis of transcripts and interview data. The narratives included distress, losses, adjustment, and other psychosocial sequelae linked to the meaning of living with chronic pain in relation to masculine identity and ageing. The men experienced the chronic pain clinic to be supportive and helpful, although with significant challenges of access and treatment, which they associated with having to adjust and adapt. The affective, cognitive, and social components were highly relevant in the participants’ accounts and therefore crucial considerations for the effective, contextualized, and responsive management of chronic pain among persons living with chronic pain.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45899646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-06DOI: 10.1177/00812463231196297
Kyle Jackson, B. Faroa, Nicolaas Adriaan Augustyn, A. Padmanabhanunni
Students’ reasons for attending university are likely to impact their participation, academic engagement, and learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ motivations for attending a South African university and its association with specific socio-demographic factors. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were undergraduate students ( N = 220) who completed a socio-demographic survey and the Student Motivations for Attending University Questionnaire-Revised scale. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and analysis of variance were used to determine associations between the study variables. The reasons for attending university were significantly related to racial identity, student generational status, parental educational status, and family characteristics. Students in their first and second years of study were motivated to attend university to prove their self-worth. Students who identified as Black as well as those coming from a single- or double-parent household and students whose parents had a school-level education were more likely to attend university to help their families. The findings suggest that students are motivated beyond the immediate benefits of employment and personal earnings and that the upliftment of their families is a central reason for attending university. For universities striving to connect with their students, understanding students’ motivational orientation can inform intervention efforts aimed at enhancing retention and throughput.
{"title":"What motivates South African students to attend university? A cross-sectional study on motivational orientation","authors":"Kyle Jackson, B. Faroa, Nicolaas Adriaan Augustyn, A. Padmanabhanunni","doi":"10.1177/00812463231196297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231196297","url":null,"abstract":"Students’ reasons for attending university are likely to impact their participation, academic engagement, and learning outcomes. This study aims to investigate undergraduate students’ motivations for attending a South African university and its association with specific socio-demographic factors. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were undergraduate students ( N = 220) who completed a socio-demographic survey and the Student Motivations for Attending University Questionnaire-Revised scale. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and analysis of variance were used to determine associations between the study variables. The reasons for attending university were significantly related to racial identity, student generational status, parental educational status, and family characteristics. Students in their first and second years of study were motivated to attend university to prove their self-worth. Students who identified as Black as well as those coming from a single- or double-parent household and students whose parents had a school-level education were more likely to attend university to help their families. The findings suggest that students are motivated beyond the immediate benefits of employment and personal earnings and that the upliftment of their families is a central reason for attending university. For universities striving to connect with their students, understanding students’ motivational orientation can inform intervention efforts aimed at enhancing retention and throughput.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46025327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-31DOI: 10.1177/00812463231193167
Sibongile Mpongwana-Ncetani, R. Roomaney, A. Lachman
Kangaroo mother care has been recognized as an intervention to improve preterm birth outcomes by the World Health Organization. Kangaroo mother care requires high user engagement and consists of continuous skin-to-skin contact between the mother and infant and exclusive breastfeeding. We conducted a qualitative study of Xhosa women ( n = 10) practicing Kangaroo mother care in a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. All interviews were conducted in isiXhosa, audio-recorded, and transcribed. The transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) Kangaroo mother care, a beneficial but foreign concept; (2) distress in the Kangaroo mother care ward; (3) the missing umbilical cord: cultural experiences of mothers in the Kangaroo mother care ward; and (4) the Kangaroo mother care village: interpersonal relations in the ward. Our study showed that cultural practices still pose a challenge to fully accepting Kangaroo mother care. We suggest more studies on cultural sensitivity to encourage acceptance of interventions that affect culturally diverse groups.
{"title":"Experiences of Xhosa women providing Kangaroo mother care in a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa","authors":"Sibongile Mpongwana-Ncetani, R. Roomaney, A. Lachman","doi":"10.1177/00812463231193167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231193167","url":null,"abstract":"Kangaroo mother care has been recognized as an intervention to improve preterm birth outcomes by the World Health Organization. Kangaroo mother care requires high user engagement and consists of continuous skin-to-skin contact between the mother and infant and exclusive breastfeeding. We conducted a qualitative study of Xhosa women ( n = 10) practicing Kangaroo mother care in a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. All interviews were conducted in isiXhosa, audio-recorded, and transcribed. The transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) Kangaroo mother care, a beneficial but foreign concept; (2) distress in the Kangaroo mother care ward; (3) the missing umbilical cord: cultural experiences of mothers in the Kangaroo mother care ward; and (4) the Kangaroo mother care village: interpersonal relations in the ward. Our study showed that cultural practices still pose a challenge to fully accepting Kangaroo mother care. We suggest more studies on cultural sensitivity to encourage acceptance of interventions that affect culturally diverse groups.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46592588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-05DOI: 10.1177/00812463231191437
Charlene Purdy, R. Roomaney
There is a growing trend worldwide to offer fertility preservation to newly diagnosed cancer patients, but little research exploring the experience of fertility preservation among this population exists. Our aim was to explore fertility preservation among female cancer survivors in South Africa. We conducted interviews with 10 women who received fertility preservation at fertility clinics in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Interviews lasted between 38 and 76 min and were audio recorded, transcribed, and then entered into ATLAS.ti. We analysed the interviews using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed, namely (1) entering fertility preservation: motivation and risk, (2) an emotional rollercoaster, (3) needing more information, and (4) a costly source of hope. Participants reflected on choosing between cancer treatment and delaying the cancer treatment to accommodate for fertility preservation, with the importance of biological motherhood reported as a key factor. Both the cancer diagnosis and hormones taken as part of treatment resulted in participants feeling highly emotional. Participants expressed a need for more information on fertility preservation. Finally, even though the process was costly, participants reported that it was a worthwhile endeavour as it instilled in them a sense of hope. Our findings indicate that there is a need to increase awareness of fertility preservation in South Africa. Moreover, considering the pressure that patients are under, their emotional states, and their lack of adequate information, it is important for healthcare professionals to pay careful attention to the needs of patients throughout the process and provide patients with referrals to psychological services when needed. Our findings also indicate gaps in the informed consent process between patients and healthcare professionals that must be addressed by the latter.
{"title":"Fertility preservation among women diagnosed with cancer in South Africa","authors":"Charlene Purdy, R. Roomaney","doi":"10.1177/00812463231191437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231191437","url":null,"abstract":"There is a growing trend worldwide to offer fertility preservation to newly diagnosed cancer patients, but little research exploring the experience of fertility preservation among this population exists. Our aim was to explore fertility preservation among female cancer survivors in South Africa. We conducted interviews with 10 women who received fertility preservation at fertility clinics in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Interviews lasted between 38 and 76 min and were audio recorded, transcribed, and then entered into ATLAS.ti. We analysed the interviews using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were constructed, namely (1) entering fertility preservation: motivation and risk, (2) an emotional rollercoaster, (3) needing more information, and (4) a costly source of hope. Participants reflected on choosing between cancer treatment and delaying the cancer treatment to accommodate for fertility preservation, with the importance of biological motherhood reported as a key factor. Both the cancer diagnosis and hormones taken as part of treatment resulted in participants feeling highly emotional. Participants expressed a need for more information on fertility preservation. Finally, even though the process was costly, participants reported that it was a worthwhile endeavour as it instilled in them a sense of hope. Our findings indicate that there is a need to increase awareness of fertility preservation in South Africa. Moreover, considering the pressure that patients are under, their emotional states, and their lack of adequate information, it is important for healthcare professionals to pay careful attention to the needs of patients throughout the process and provide patients with referrals to psychological services when needed. Our findings also indicate gaps in the informed consent process between patients and healthcare professionals that must be addressed by the latter.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42113177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-23DOI: 10.1177/00812463231186340
Kimberley Munsamy, S. Walker, L. McHugh
The psychological processes contributing to emotional distress among university students in South Africa have not been extensively researched. The current study sought to examine the mediating role of repetitive negative thinking on the relationship between experiential avoidance and student emotional distress. A convenience sample of 419 students from a large public university in South Africa participated in this study. The results indicated that experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking positively predict emotional distress. Furthermore, repetitive negative thinking partially mediates the interaction between experiential avoidance and emotional distress. These findings highlight the importance of targeting experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking in the alleviation and management of emotional distress among students in the South African higher education environment.
{"title":"Repetitive negative thinking mediates the relationship between experiential avoidance and emotional distress among South African university students","authors":"Kimberley Munsamy, S. Walker, L. McHugh","doi":"10.1177/00812463231186340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463231186340","url":null,"abstract":"The psychological processes contributing to emotional distress among university students in South Africa have not been extensively researched. The current study sought to examine the mediating role of repetitive negative thinking on the relationship between experiential avoidance and student emotional distress. A convenience sample of 419 students from a large public university in South Africa participated in this study. The results indicated that experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking positively predict emotional distress. Furthermore, repetitive negative thinking partially mediates the interaction between experiential avoidance and emotional distress. These findings highlight the importance of targeting experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking in the alleviation and management of emotional distress among students in the South African higher education environment.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"53 1","pages":"377 - 388"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45780825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}