Pub Date : 2022-08-15DOI: 10.1177/00812463221117439
Phenyo Kgaugelo Motswai
Psychology in South Africa continues to develop within the changing socio-historical context. Domains of competence are anticipated to develop over the course of the career of a clinical psychology student and professional. Guidelines from the Health Professions Council of South Africa stipulate that the internship year should be dedicated to developing functional competences. It is also required that students provide psychological services to a wide spectrum of patients to prepare for the mental health care needs of the diverse South African population. This preliminary study set out to describe the nature of practical training completed by clinical psychology students that may aid in the development of functional competence domains. Surveys assessing practical training during Master’s coursework were completed by clinical psychology students (n = 20) during the first week of their internship. Interns placed at 1 Military Hospital for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020 participated in the study, and the completed surveys were examined. Results indicated a variance in the number of patients consulted, the hours spent consulting patients as well as the diversity of patient exposure. Some students reported limited to no practical training in psychological tests, which is a cause for concern. Students also rated their perceived competence in report writing as average, which may reflect socially desirable responses. Study outcomes suggest a need to develop agreement among psychology trainers at various stages of the training process regarding the priority to be placed on different practical training aspects. This may assist in training clinical psychologists who can adequately provide much-needed community-based services.
{"title":"Practical training completed by clinical psychology Master’s students commencing their internship at 1 Military Hospital: a preliminary study","authors":"Phenyo Kgaugelo Motswai","doi":"10.1177/00812463221117439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221117439","url":null,"abstract":"Psychology in South Africa continues to develop within the changing socio-historical context. Domains of competence are anticipated to develop over the course of the career of a clinical psychology student and professional. Guidelines from the Health Professions Council of South Africa stipulate that the internship year should be dedicated to developing functional competences. It is also required that students provide psychological services to a wide spectrum of patients to prepare for the mental health care needs of the diverse South African population. This preliminary study set out to describe the nature of practical training completed by clinical psychology students that may aid in the development of functional competence domains. Surveys assessing practical training during Master’s coursework were completed by clinical psychology students (n = 20) during the first week of their internship. Interns placed at 1 Military Hospital for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020 participated in the study, and the completed surveys were examined. Results indicated a variance in the number of patients consulted, the hours spent consulting patients as well as the diversity of patient exposure. Some students reported limited to no practical training in psychological tests, which is a cause for concern. Students also rated their perceived competence in report writing as average, which may reflect socially desirable responses. Study outcomes suggest a need to develop agreement among psychology trainers at various stages of the training process regarding the priority to be placed on different practical training aspects. This may assist in training clinical psychologists who can adequately provide much-needed community-based services.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41378860","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 : 2022-08-09DOI: 10.1177/00812463221113445
C. Aliche
The beneficial effect of mindfulness in promoting posttraumatic growth has been well established in research, but it remains unclear what psychological mechanisms mediate it. This study examined the mediating roles of positive reappraisal and self-compassion on the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer. A random sample of 550 patients drawn from two medical health care institutions in southeast, Nigeria participated in this study. Results of mediation analysis showed that positive reappraisal and self-compassion independently mediated the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth. These findings underscore the usefulness of mindfulness-based therapies in promoting cognitive emotional processes such as positive reappraisal abilities and self-compassion, which are essential in facilitating posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer.
{"title":"The mediating role of positive reappraisal and self-compassion on the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer","authors":"C. Aliche","doi":"10.1177/00812463221113445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221113445","url":null,"abstract":"The beneficial effect of mindfulness in promoting posttraumatic growth has been well established in research, but it remains unclear what psychological mechanisms mediate it. This study examined the mediating roles of positive reappraisal and self-compassion on the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer. A random sample of 550 patients drawn from two medical health care institutions in southeast, Nigeria participated in this study. Results of mediation analysis showed that positive reappraisal and self-compassion independently mediated the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth. These findings underscore the usefulness of mindfulness-based therapies in promoting cognitive emotional processes such as positive reappraisal abilities and self-compassion, which are essential in facilitating posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41292044","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 : 2022-07-11DOI: 10.1177/00812463221109935
J. Thwala, Indira Pillay
Depression is a significant mental health issue affecting university students, especially those in their first year of study. Unfortunately, much of the research has focused on students in the adolescent stage of development. This study, which is part of a larger project, sought to explore depressive symptoms in older students. We administered the University Student Depression Inventory (USDI) to a sample of 318 undergraduate first-year students between 22 and 54 years at a rural-based university in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The sample comprised mainly women (64.2%). We examined depressive symptom prevalence, gender, rural/urban background, and age effects. The results showed that men and rural students reported significantly more depressive symptoms, with 7.9% of the sample reporting thoughts of suicide and 16.7% questioning whether life is worth living, most or all of the time. Almost one-quarter (24.5%) of the participants stated that they spend more time alone than they did previously, and 17.9% reported loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. Although the participants reported fewer depressive symptoms overall, compared to an earlier study of adolescent university students, the present findings raise concern. Considering that almost one-quarter of the participants reported a loss of interest (which is a critical symptom of depressive illness) and one in six questioning whether life is worth living, the need for active interventions, support and prevention programmes for students at universities is an urgent matter.
{"title":"Adult first-year students’ reports of depressive symptoms at a rural South African university","authors":"J. Thwala, Indira Pillay","doi":"10.1177/00812463221109935","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221109935","url":null,"abstract":"Depression is a significant mental health issue affecting university students, especially those in their first year of study. Unfortunately, much of the research has focused on students in the adolescent stage of development. This study, which is part of a larger project, sought to explore depressive symptoms in older students. We administered the University Student Depression Inventory (USDI) to a sample of 318 undergraduate first-year students between 22 and 54 years at a rural-based university in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The sample comprised mainly women (64.2%). We examined depressive symptom prevalence, gender, rural/urban background, and age effects. The results showed that men and rural students reported significantly more depressive symptoms, with 7.9% of the sample reporting thoughts of suicide and 16.7% questioning whether life is worth living, most or all of the time. Almost one-quarter (24.5%) of the participants stated that they spend more time alone than they did previously, and 17.9% reported loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. Although the participants reported fewer depressive symptoms overall, compared to an earlier study of adolescent university students, the present findings raise concern. Considering that almost one-quarter of the participants reported a loss of interest (which is a critical symptom of depressive illness) and one in six questioning whether life is worth living, the need for active interventions, support and prevention programmes for students at universities is an urgent matter.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41290217","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 : 2022-07-11DOI: 10.1177/00812463221106828
E. B. Siyothula
The process of integrating mental health care into primary health care remains slow in many non-urban areas of low to middle-income countries. The present study explored clinical psychologists’ experiences of working in non-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal to assess the progress of integrating mental health into primary health care. Twenty-nine clinical psychologists participated in this study and provided input on the following areas: clinical psychologists’ preparedness, through training, to work in resource-constrained non-urban areas; availability of mental health resources; and understanding of the clinical psychologists’ role in their work context. Over half (51.7%) of the participants reported that their training did not prepare them to work in resource-constrained non-urban areas and more than two-thirds (72.4%) reported a lack of basic resources needed for optimal mental health care in non-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal. The findings reflect the need for comprehensive training of clinical psychologists to enhance their competency and confidence to work in resource-constrained settings. Furthermore, investment in the promotion of clinical psychology services and more conducive mental health service environments is necessary.
{"title":"Experiences and views of clinical psychologists working in non-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa","authors":"E. B. Siyothula","doi":"10.1177/00812463221106828","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221106828","url":null,"abstract":"The process of integrating mental health care into primary health care remains slow in many non-urban areas of low to middle-income countries. The present study explored clinical psychologists’ experiences of working in non-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal to assess the progress of integrating mental health into primary health care. Twenty-nine clinical psychologists participated in this study and provided input on the following areas: clinical psychologists’ preparedness, through training, to work in resource-constrained non-urban areas; availability of mental health resources; and understanding of the clinical psychologists’ role in their work context. Over half (51.7%) of the participants reported that their training did not prepare them to work in resource-constrained non-urban areas and more than two-thirds (72.4%) reported a lack of basic resources needed for optimal mental health care in non-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal. The findings reflect the need for comprehensive training of clinical psychologists to enhance their competency and confidence to work in resource-constrained settings. Furthermore, investment in the promotion of clinical psychology services and more conducive mental health service environments is necessary.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44078650","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 : 2022-05-30DOI: 10.1177/00812463221093525
Zelda Marthani Truter
Collaborative care for mental health is a strategy that restructures the roles of health care providers, and sectors outside of health care provision, to encourage a team-based approach in dealing with mental illness. Previous research proposed a collaborative care strategy to make mental health care more accessible and culturally appropriate. This study systematically reviewed the available literature to produce a summary of collaborative care in the context of mental health care in South Africa. More specifically, the aims were to document existing efforts towards collaboration and highlight barriers and challenges associated with collaborative care in mental health care in South Africa. This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. South African studies published in English between 2002 and October 2021 were considered for inclusion. Twenty-five studies with heterogeneous study designs were included in this review and analysed using a thematic synthesis approach. Collaborative care models hold promise for closing the mental health treatment gap and providing culturally appropriate mental health care in South Africa. However, despite progress made, several challenges remain in the implementation of collaborative policies. Four main strategies were identified to improve the implementation of collaborative care models in South Africa. These included (1) redirecting resources and improving infrastructure, (2) formalising roles and relationships and improving leadership, (3) improving communication and supervisory structures, and (4) improving training and education. This review offers valuable recommendations for South African mental health care policy that might also be useful for other resource-constrained countries.
{"title":"Collaborative care for mental health in South Africa: a qualitative systematic review","authors":"Zelda Marthani Truter","doi":"10.1177/00812463221093525","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221093525","url":null,"abstract":"Collaborative care for mental health is a strategy that restructures the roles of health care providers, and sectors outside of health care provision, to encourage a team-based approach in dealing with mental illness. Previous research proposed a collaborative care strategy to make mental health care more accessible and culturally appropriate. This study systematically reviewed the available literature to produce a summary of collaborative care in the context of mental health care in South Africa. More specifically, the aims were to document existing efforts towards collaboration and highlight barriers and challenges associated with collaborative care in mental health care in South Africa. This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. South African studies published in English between 2002 and October 2021 were considered for inclusion. Twenty-five studies with heterogeneous study designs were included in this review and analysed using a thematic synthesis approach. Collaborative care models hold promise for closing the mental health treatment gap and providing culturally appropriate mental health care in South Africa. However, despite progress made, several challenges remain in the implementation of collaborative policies. Four main strategies were identified to improve the implementation of collaborative care models in South Africa. These included (1) redirecting resources and improving infrastructure, (2) formalising roles and relationships and improving leadership, (3) improving communication and supervisory structures, and (4) improving training and education. This review offers valuable recommendations for South African mental health care policy that might also be useful for other resource-constrained countries.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46851560","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 : 2022-05-25DOI: 10.1177/00812463221096988
S. R. Pillay
Despite a substantial body of research on Indian sub-culture in South Africa, few studies have explored its intersection with sexual and gender diversity. Similarly, despite growing research on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in South Africa, there are few studies exploring its intersection with local Indian sub-groups. This article presents the results of the first national exploratory survey of the psychosocial experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Africans of Indian descent. A qualitative, online survey was conducted between June 2017 and July 2020. Participants were invited through a mix of purposive and snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics present a demographic profile of who responded to the survey and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data (n = 73; aged 18–60). Most participants were gay males, lesbian women, and bisexual men and women, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng province. Participants’ religious affiliations were mostly Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. Majority reported a postgraduate education and full-time employment. Four psychosocial themes are discussed: Conforming to conservative cultural norms; navigating a double life; troubled inclusion within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities; and the possibilities of hope and acceptance. Findings point to a need for an intersectional understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identity among South Africans of Indian descent, to deepen psychosocial theorization and empirical work on sexual and gender diversity within this historically excluded sub-group.
{"title":"An exploratory survey of the lived experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual South Africans of Indian descent: towards intersectional insights","authors":"S. R. Pillay","doi":"10.1177/00812463221096988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221096988","url":null,"abstract":"Despite a substantial body of research on Indian sub-culture in South Africa, few studies have explored its intersection with sexual and gender diversity. Similarly, despite growing research on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in South Africa, there are few studies exploring its intersection with local Indian sub-groups. This article presents the results of the first national exploratory survey of the psychosocial experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Africans of Indian descent. A qualitative, online survey was conducted between June 2017 and July 2020. Participants were invited through a mix of purposive and snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics present a demographic profile of who responded to the survey and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data (n = 73; aged 18–60). Most participants were gay males, lesbian women, and bisexual men and women, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng province. Participants’ religious affiliations were mostly Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. Majority reported a postgraduate education and full-time employment. Four psychosocial themes are discussed: Conforming to conservative cultural norms; navigating a double life; troubled inclusion within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities; and the possibilities of hope and acceptance. Findings point to a need for an intersectional understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identity among South Africans of Indian descent, to deepen psychosocial theorization and empirical work on sexual and gender diversity within this historically excluded sub-group.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42816120","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 : 2022-05-25DOI: 10.1177/00812463221096807
Nicole Schuitmaker, Pieter Basson, Gert Kruger
South Africa, as a developing country, is characterized by high levels of crime, partner violence, and other traumatic experiences. Exposure to these traumas may lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder or, conversely, post-traumatic growth. Citizens in developing African countries appear to be at risk for the development of insecure attachment styles due to the cumulative effects of socio-economic risk factors. The prevalence of many possible traumatic experiences along with the risk of more insecure attachments set the stage for investigating the impact of insecure attachment on post-traumatic growth. The aim of this study was thus to determine whether two insecure attachment styles, namely anxious and avoidant attachment, were significant predictors of post-traumatic growth. The sample consisted of 233 undergraduate students from a South African university who had experienced a traumatic event. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 33 years (M = 21 years) and were from various ethnic backgrounds (81.5% Black African, 7.7% White, 9% Coloured, and 3.9% Asian/Indian). Two self-report measures were administered via an online survey to assess attachment styles and post-traumatic growth. Results showed that an anxious attachment style was a significant negative predictor of post-traumatic growth. Furthermore, individuals with an avoidant attachment style were significantly less likely to experience post-traumatic growth through relating to others, than along the other domains of post-traumatic growth. The findings contribute by highlighting the importance of considering how insecure attachment styles may impact post-traumatic growth, as this could inform the treatment of trauma victims.
{"title":"Insecure attachment styles as predictors of posttraumatic growth in a South African student sample","authors":"Nicole Schuitmaker, Pieter Basson, Gert Kruger","doi":"10.1177/00812463221096807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221096807","url":null,"abstract":"South Africa, as a developing country, is characterized by high levels of crime, partner violence, and other traumatic experiences. Exposure to these traumas may lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder or, conversely, post-traumatic growth. Citizens in developing African countries appear to be at risk for the development of insecure attachment styles due to the cumulative effects of socio-economic risk factors. The prevalence of many possible traumatic experiences along with the risk of more insecure attachments set the stage for investigating the impact of insecure attachment on post-traumatic growth. The aim of this study was thus to determine whether two insecure attachment styles, namely anxious and avoidant attachment, were significant predictors of post-traumatic growth. The sample consisted of 233 undergraduate students from a South African university who had experienced a traumatic event. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 33 years (M = 21 years) and were from various ethnic backgrounds (81.5% Black African, 7.7% White, 9% Coloured, and 3.9% Asian/Indian). Two self-report measures were administered via an online survey to assess attachment styles and post-traumatic growth. Results showed that an anxious attachment style was a significant negative predictor of post-traumatic growth. Furthermore, individuals with an avoidant attachment style were significantly less likely to experience post-traumatic growth through relating to others, than along the other domains of post-traumatic growth. The findings contribute by highlighting the importance of considering how insecure attachment styles may impact post-traumatic growth, as this could inform the treatment of trauma victims.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49033153","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 : 2022-05-11DOI: 10.1177/00812463221094728
B. Coetzee, Lodewyk Vogel, Susanne Sander, Courtney Field, A. Kagee, R. Roomaney
Health psychology as a discipline has existed for more than four decades and is primarily concerned with research, theory, and practice at the nexus of psychology and health. The discipline is well established across Europe, the United States, and Australia with health psychology societies, postgraduate programmes, conferences, and academic journals dedicated to the discipline in the majority of these countries. However, in South Africa, health psychology remains a broad umbrella term under which psychologists and other health care professionals conduct research. Health psychology is concerned with the biological, social, psychological, contextual, and structural drivers of health and illness, and relies on theory and empirically-driven research to identify and understand important links between health and behaviour. In South Africa, where a large proportion of the population faces multiple co-occurring disease epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, TB, COVID-19, diabetes, and heart disease, there is a need for a uniting sub-discipline like health psychology to focus intervention efforts and to meet the sustainable development goals. The recent re-establishment of a special interest group in health psychology in the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) is an important first step. In this article, and as members of the newly re-established special interest group in health psychology, we call attention to the need to promote health psychology in South Africa. In this article, we describe the paradigmatic traditions and theoretical models that inform the discipline. We then argue why health psychology should be prioritised again and recommend future directions for health psychology in South Africa.
{"title":"Re-visiting the relevance and importance of health psychology in South Africa","authors":"B. Coetzee, Lodewyk Vogel, Susanne Sander, Courtney Field, A. Kagee, R. Roomaney","doi":"10.1177/00812463221094728","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221094728","url":null,"abstract":"Health psychology as a discipline has existed for more than four decades and is primarily concerned with research, theory, and practice at the nexus of psychology and health. The discipline is well established across Europe, the United States, and Australia with health psychology societies, postgraduate programmes, conferences, and academic journals dedicated to the discipline in the majority of these countries. However, in South Africa, health psychology remains a broad umbrella term under which psychologists and other health care professionals conduct research. Health psychology is concerned with the biological, social, psychological, contextual, and structural drivers of health and illness, and relies on theory and empirically-driven research to identify and understand important links between health and behaviour. In South Africa, where a large proportion of the population faces multiple co-occurring disease epidemics, such as HIV/AIDS, TB, COVID-19, diabetes, and heart disease, there is a need for a uniting sub-discipline like health psychology to focus intervention efforts and to meet the sustainable development goals. The recent re-establishment of a special interest group in health psychology in the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) is an important first step. In this article, and as members of the newly re-established special interest group in health psychology, we call attention to the need to promote health psychology in South Africa. In this article, we describe the paradigmatic traditions and theoretical models that inform the discipline. We then argue why health psychology should be prioritised again and recommend future directions for health psychology in South Africa.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43436348","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 : 2022-05-09DOI: 10.1177/00812463221093520
H. Swart, Scott L. Moeschberger, A. Kagee, M. Hewstone
Little is known about whether the benefits of intergroup contact extend to contexts (e.g., a diverse underdeveloped township) likely to prove demanding for improved intergroup relations. There is a need for further research in these contexts on the potential inhibitors of contact (such as diversity and threat) and their effects. Perceived social diversity has been implicated in the deterioration of intergroup relations. This is particularly salient in the context of immigrant relations, where anti-immigrant sentiments are characterized by perceived threat and lower outgroup trust. Diversity can, however, have an indirect positive effect on outgroup attitudes, via intergroup contact, which reliably predicts lower perceived threat and prejudice. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that empathy could mitigate negative attitudes towards immigrants. We investigated the relationship between perceived neighbourhood diversity, cross-group friendships, realistic and symbolic threat, empathic responding, trust, and outgroup orientation within the volatile context of Black (African) South Africans’ relations with African immigrants. Survey data were collected from South Africans (N = 317) living in a township. Structural equation modelling showed that perceived diversity was significantly positively associated with both realistic threat (which was significantly negatively associated with outgroup trust) and cross-group friendships (which was significantly negatively associated with realistic threat). There was a significant indirect association between cross-group friendships and positive orientation towards African immigrants via empathic responding towards African immigrants. These findings suggest that cross-group friendships and empathy might mitigate the negative impact of diversity and threat on attitudes towards immigrants, even in this demanding context.
{"title":"Perceived diversity, threat, and attitudes towards immigrants: the mitigating role of cross-group friendships and empathy","authors":"H. Swart, Scott L. Moeschberger, A. Kagee, M. Hewstone","doi":"10.1177/00812463221093520","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221093520","url":null,"abstract":"Little is known about whether the benefits of intergroup contact extend to contexts (e.g., a diverse underdeveloped township) likely to prove demanding for improved intergroup relations. There is a need for further research in these contexts on the potential inhibitors of contact (such as diversity and threat) and their effects. Perceived social diversity has been implicated in the deterioration of intergroup relations. This is particularly salient in the context of immigrant relations, where anti-immigrant sentiments are characterized by perceived threat and lower outgroup trust. Diversity can, however, have an indirect positive effect on outgroup attitudes, via intergroup contact, which reliably predicts lower perceived threat and prejudice. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that empathy could mitigate negative attitudes towards immigrants. We investigated the relationship between perceived neighbourhood diversity, cross-group friendships, realistic and symbolic threat, empathic responding, trust, and outgroup orientation within the volatile context of Black (African) South Africans’ relations with African immigrants. Survey data were collected from South Africans (N = 317) living in a township. Structural equation modelling showed that perceived diversity was significantly positively associated with both realistic threat (which was significantly negatively associated with outgroup trust) and cross-group friendships (which was significantly negatively associated with realistic threat). There was a significant indirect association between cross-group friendships and positive orientation towards African immigrants via empathic responding towards African immigrants. These findings suggest that cross-group friendships and empathy might mitigate the negative impact of diversity and threat on attitudes towards immigrants, even in this demanding context.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48148294","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 : 2022-05-09DOI: 10.1177/00812463221089539
J. Smith, Christina Ross, Tovhowani Manenzhe, Rabelani Netshiongolwe, Johnda Washington, A. Maphula, K. Ingersoll
The Republic of South Africa has the highest documented fetal alcohol syndrome prevalence globally. In the Limpopo province, little is known about students’ or community members’ knowledge of fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder rates and risk behaviors. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare knowledge about fetal alcohol syndrome and other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the related behaviors such as drinking among University of Venda students and local community residents in villages to inform educational efforts to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome. Participants ( n = 404 ) were from the University of Venda and two villages, Maungani and Ha-Mangilasi, and completed an epidemiological survey about their characteristics, behaviors, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder risks. We analyzed differences between the university students and community residents in fetal alcohol syndrome knowledge and the related risk behaviors. University students have heard of fetal alcohol syndrome (Fisher’s exact test p < .001), have seen warning labels about drinking during pregnancy (Fisher’s exact test p = .003), and were aware that a baby is born with birth defects if diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (Fisher’s exact test p = .03) with more knowledge of fetal alcohol syndrome compared to community residents. Most respondents thought it was unacceptable to drink during pregnancy. Despite this, a substantial number of participants thought it was acceptable to have one drink after pregnancy recognition. There was little knowledge of best practices about alcohol consumption to prepare for pregnancy, or once recognized. We recommend an education campaign to raise awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders across Limpopo, especially in smaller villages, and further research to determine demographic and experiential risk factors to aid in prevention efforts.
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