South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
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.
Category Archives: South African Journal of Psychology
Editorial
South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
Interviewing older men at an interdisciplinary pain clinic: the journey to chronic pain and treatment experience
South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
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.
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.
What motivates South African students to attend university? A cross-sectional study on motivational orientation
South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
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.
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.
Experiences of Xhosa women providing Kangaroo mother care in a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa
South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
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.
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.
Fertility preservation among women diagnosed with cancer in South Africa
South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
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.
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.
Repetitive negative thinking mediates the relationship between experiential avoidance and emotional distress among South African university students
South African Journal of Psychology, Volume 53, Issue 3, Page 377-388, September 2023.
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.
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.
Perceptions of causes and treatment of mental illness among traditional health practitioners in Johannesburg, South Africa
South African Journal of Psychology, Volume 53, Issue 3, Page 403-415, September 2023.
Mental disorders are among the most poorly treated illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 70%–80% of South Africans consult traditional health practitioners for the treatment of psychological ailments. As traditional health practitioners maintain a strong role in assessing and treating patients with mental illness in this context, this study contributes to the burgeoning research literature on the topic. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 traditional health practitioners in Johannesburg, South Africa, between January and May 2022. Interviews were transcribed and translated into English. The data were managed using NVivo 12 software and thematically analysed. Traditional health practitioners interviewed generally perceived mental illness to be of supernatural causation, either as a result of bewitchment, a calling for patients to become THPs themselves, due to displeased ancestors, or due to natural causes. Traditional health practitioners identified eight primary treatments that they use for treating mental illness. Among these were throwing of bones (tinhlolo) to start communicating with ancestors, steaming (ukufutha) to start a cleansing process, sneezing (umbhemiso) to forcefully dispel the spirit causing the illness, induced vomiting (phalaza), and the administration of laxatives (mahlabekufeni) to remove the spirits poisoning the body as well as animal sacrifice to purge spirits and communicate with ancestors. This is all followed by cutting (ukucaba), which is the final part of the treatment and ensures that the evil spirit cannot return. Due to the ubiquity of traditional health practitioner usage for mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa, it is essential to understand what conceptions traditional health practitioners have of the aetiology of these disorders as well as their modalities for administering treatment.
Mental disorders are among the most poorly treated illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 70%–80% of South Africans consult traditional health practitioners for the treatment of psychological ailments. As traditional health practitioners maintain a strong role in assessing and treating patients with mental illness in this context, this study contributes to the burgeoning research literature on the topic. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 traditional health practitioners in Johannesburg, South Africa, between January and May 2022. Interviews were transcribed and translated into English. The data were managed using NVivo 12 software and thematically analysed. Traditional health practitioners interviewed generally perceived mental illness to be of supernatural causation, either as a result of bewitchment, a calling for patients to become THPs themselves, due to displeased ancestors, or due to natural causes. Traditional health practitioners identified eight primary treatments that they use for treating mental illness. Among these were throwing of bones (tinhlolo) to start communicating with ancestors, steaming (ukufutha) to start a cleansing process, sneezing (umbhemiso) to forcefully dispel the spirit causing the illness, induced vomiting (phalaza), and the administration of laxatives (mahlabekufeni) to remove the spirits poisoning the body as well as animal sacrifice to purge spirits and communicate with ancestors. This is all followed by cutting (ukucaba), which is the final part of the treatment and ensures that the evil spirit cannot return. Due to the ubiquity of traditional health practitioner usage for mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa, it is essential to understand what conceptions traditional health practitioners have of the aetiology of these disorders as well as their modalities for administering treatment.
An exploration of risk factors in a community sample of low socioeconomic status youth in South Africa
South African Journal of Psychology, Volume 53, Issue 3, Page 389-402, September 2023.
Youth in low socioeconomic status communities experience multiple risks which disrupts their emotional, cognitive, and psychological development. In South Africa, there is a tacit acceptance of risk constructs as researched globally. This study examines risk occurrence with the aim of identifying and examining the uniqueness of risks in a community sample of youth. Data were collected from youth and their maternal caregivers through interviews and standardized instruments. Youth from grade 7 and grade 10, 9 to 18 years (M = 13.11; SD = 1.54) were recruited. Sixty-five percent were female. Thirty-five frequent risk factors were identified using a z-test for proportion of means. Five risk factors, namely, low household income, race, English not being the primary home language of the parent, low maternal self-esteem, and low dyadic satisfaction, emerged as significant risks. Other risk factors (e.g., single-parent household), which feature prominently in international studies, did not emerge as significantly present. While risk occurrence in our sample shares commonalities with international trends, our study further highlights how risk is underscored and shaped by South Africa’s socioeconomic and political history. We argue that traditional concepts, like family, race, and language require conceptual review when undertaking research and developing policies and interventions that are relevant to South African communities.
Youth in low socioeconomic status communities experience multiple risks which disrupts their emotional, cognitive, and psychological development. In South Africa, there is a tacit acceptance of risk constructs as researched globally. This study examines risk occurrence with the aim of identifying and examining the uniqueness of risks in a community sample of youth. Data were collected from youth and their maternal caregivers through interviews and standardized instruments. Youth from grade 7 and grade 10, 9 to 18 years (M = 13.11; SD = 1.54) were recruited. Sixty-five percent were female. Thirty-five frequent risk factors were identified using a z-test for proportion of means. Five risk factors, namely, low household income, race, English not being the primary home language of the parent, low maternal self-esteem, and low dyadic satisfaction, emerged as significant risks. Other risk factors (e.g., single-parent household), which feature prominently in international studies, did not emerge as significantly present. While risk occurrence in our sample shares commonalities with international trends, our study further highlights how risk is underscored and shaped by South Africa’s socioeconomic and political history. We argue that traditional concepts, like family, race, and language require conceptual review when undertaking research and developing policies and interventions that are relevant to South African communities.
A systematic exploratory review investigating the relationship between working memory and emotion regulation: implications for working memory training
South African Journal of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
Working memory training (WM-T), as an intervention strategy to improve emotion regulation (ER), has become popular in cognitive psychology. However, it poses many different challenges for researchers, and far-transfer effects on subsequent ER have been debated. This systematic exploratory review investigates how the WM-ER dyad is implicated in WM-T as an intervention strategy for improving ER. Systematic review protocols were followed for the selection of studies investigating the relationship between WM and ER, and WM-T to improve ER. An electronic database search following the PRISMA statement was conducted in which 15 studies were considered eligible. The studies were assessed for quality control using an adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool for quantitative studies. Studies were analysed using the PVO (population, variables, and outcomes) strategy for systematic exploratory reviews. Five studies included psychological disorders and one study used brain imaging. From a neural perspective, the coupling of the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex over the amygdala was involved in the WM-ER dyad. Although there was a lack of evidence of far-transfer effects of WM-T to improve ER, the mechanisms of reward-enhancing effects in WM-T, as well as dopamine release (involved in brain-reward circuitry), should be explored further. This will allow researchers to re-evaluate the direction that the investigation is taking. More concerningly, there is a need for quality control in WM-T studies due to several studies lacking ethical consideration and standardisation. Future WM-T studies must ensure that research is founded on quality evidence.
Working memory training (WM-T), as an intervention strategy to improve emotion regulation (ER), has become popular in cognitive psychology. However, it poses many different challenges for researchers, and far-transfer effects on subsequent ER have been debated. This systematic exploratory review investigates how the WM-ER dyad is implicated in WM-T as an intervention strategy for improving ER. Systematic review protocols were followed for the selection of studies investigating the relationship between WM and ER, and WM-T to improve ER. An electronic database search following the PRISMA statement was conducted in which 15 studies were considered eligible. The studies were assessed for quality control using an adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool for quantitative studies. Studies were analysed using the PVO (population, variables, and outcomes) strategy for systematic exploratory reviews. Five studies included psychological disorders and one study used brain imaging. From a neural perspective, the coupling of the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex over the amygdala was involved in the WM-ER dyad. Although there was a lack of evidence of far-transfer effects of WM-T to improve ER, the mechanisms of reward-enhancing effects in WM-T, as well as dopamine release (involved in brain-reward circuitry), should be explored further. This will allow researchers to re-evaluate the direction that the investigation is taking. More concerningly, there is a need for quality control in WM-T studies due to several studies lacking ethical consideration and standardisation. Future WM-T studies must ensure that research is founded on quality evidence.