Masters Degrees (Clinical Psychology)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/12892

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A content analysis of child neglect in the international journal, child abuse & neglect (2013-2022).
(2023) Richards, Lynne Althea.; Collings, Steven John.
Introduction: Child neglect has disastrous consequences for the normal development of a child; however, child neglect has purportedly been overlooked in the extant literature (Tingberg & Nilsson, 2020; Wolock & Horowitz, 1984). Objectives: This study seeks to summarise the research conducted on child neglect in the international journal, Child Abuse & Neglect published between 2013 to 2022. Furthermore, it seeks to provide an overview of published empirical research conducted on child neglect in relation to other forms of child maltreatment, highlighting trends concerning the research methodology and sample. Method: A content analysis of the publications on child neglect in the international journal, Child Abuse & Neglect (2013-2022) was conducted using Krippendorf’s (2018) method. Krippendorf’s alpha was assessed to be a=0.92, p < .001, indicating high interrater reliability. Findings:While no significant relationship was found between the types of child maltreatment that were studied, child neglect was consistently assessed the least. Contrarily, child ‘physical and emotional neglect’ was assessed the most. The increased assessment of child physical and emotional neglect aligned with the predominant use of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACEQ), which are both used to assess physical and emotional neglect. Child neglect studies published in the international journal Child Abuse & Neglect (2013-2022) predominantly used cross-sectional designs and convenience samples. Moreover, these studies predominantly assessed samples in high-income countries. Conclusions: The current study suggests that the ‘neglect of neglect’ remains an issue in the literature. There is an increasing need for a universal and culturally sensitive definition from which to develop a suitable measure of child neglect. Moreover, research in low- and middle-income countries is essential to investigate the proposed relationship between poverty and neglect.
A critical thematic analysis of discourses of gender, sexuality, and relationships at play in the South African grade 9 sexual education life orientation.
(2023) Michaelides, Julia.; Frizelle, Kerry Lyn.; Reuben, Shanya.
The need for thorough and effective sexuality education for youth in South Africa is necessitated owing to the disproportionate rate at which the youth is affected by human immunodeficiency virus, sexually transmitted infections, and the high teenage pregnancy rate. The primary aim of comprehensive sexuality education and the scripted lesson plans (curriculum) provided by the Department of Basic Education is to assist learners in understanding concepts, content, and values around healthy sexual behaviour and sexuality. However, the fundamental discourses are not always understood in the same way by all learners. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the discourses and how they are constructed relating to gender, sexuality, and relationships featured in the Sexual Education Life Orientation curriculum for Grade 9 learners in South Africa. The study explored the discourses through a critical thematic analysis. After a critical analysis of the curriculum, four main themes emerged in the data. The themes illustrate the potential for improvement in sexuality education to be more inclusive of non-normative genders, sexualities, and relationships and to consider the lack of information on sexual pleasure and desire.
An exploration of young women’s menstrual experiences in the African context: a scoping review.
(2023) Pillay, Lorelle.; Valjee, Sachet Rabindranath.
Introduction: Limited research has been conducted on menstrual experiences and the impact of menstrual experiences on young women in the African context. Growing bodies of research show that young women experience menstruation negatively due to lack of knowledge and adequate resources within low- and middle-income countries. The research that currently exists around the topic of menstruation is mostly quantitative and the in-depth narratives of young women’s menstrual experiences are only minutely explored. It was found that socio-cultural beliefs and practices play a role in influencing certain negative menstrual experiences and perceptions of menstruation. This study aims to examine and map the impact of menstrual experiences on young women in Africa as well as the socio-cultural influences on menstrual experiences. Method and analysis: This study was conducted by means of a scoping review. Data was extracted from multiple databases on EBSCOHost. The process of data extraction was presented in the form of a PRISMA Flow diagram. A total of 15 articles were included in the present study. Results and Discussion: It was found that young women’s experiences of menstruation in Africa have mostly been negative and that these experiences were attributed to a lack of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in their respective environments, the misinformation about menstruation and menstruating females portrayed by cultural norms and the lack of education around menstruation and menstrual processes. The major themes identified from the thematic analysis were 1) The impact of menstrual experiences amongst young women in Africa and 2) The socio-cultural influences on menstrual experiences. The sub-themes identified in relation to the impact of menstrual experiences included 1) Attendance, 2) Mental distress, and 3) Lack of sanitary facilities. The sub-themes identified in relation to socio-cultural influences on menstrual experiences included 1) Lack of menstrual knowledge, and 2) Concealment. Conclusion and recommendations: Two overarching themes were identified during the process of analysis and were divided into a total of 5 sub4 themes. There exists a need for future research to focus on intervention, exploring qualitative research and expanding research in different countries within the African context.
"Exile is a traumatizing horror, a nightmare of terror, a destabilizing drama, a suicidal downer, a dehumanizing outrage, a continuous bondage”: a psychobiography of Hugh Ramapolo Masekela.
(2024) Zimbaye, Sannah Tsatsawane.; Cartwright, Duncan James.
Various studies provide explorations and descriptions of the implications of exile. However, fewer South African studies give a psychobiographical account of the implications of exile on personhood and/or personality development. Psychobiography is qualitative in nature and refers to the systematic, descriptive, and explorative study of the life histories of past or present significant and influential members of society in light of psychological conceptions. The primary aim of this study is to give a psychobiographical account of the implications of exile on Hugh Ramapolo Masekela’s (1939-2018) psychodynamic life. Purposive sampling was used to select Masekela as the psychobiographical subject. His experience of exile for thirty years, extraordinary musical abilities, sociopolitical activism, and rich biographical data make him a suitable subject. Masekela’s musical abilities earned him global recognition as the father of South African jazz music. He employed his music, including live performances, as his political voice against the apartheid regime. The researcher established an analytical matrix to classify data and employed Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to systematically evaluate and extrapolate Masekela’s life history. Erikson’s theory emphasises how historical, social, cultural, and external environmental factors impact an individual’s personality development. The research findings revealed that Masekela’s sociohistorical context, including his early life and the occurrences of his external environment, complicated his identity development and, subsequently, his ability to cope and adapt during exile. Masekela experienced a sense of mistrust in himself and his external environment, exilic trauma, anxiety and personal destabilisation. He also experienced feelings of isolation, loss and inadequacy. Masekela’s experience of exile perpetuated his regression to past psychosocial conflicts, alongside his psychosocial moratorium and identity confusion. Even so, Masekela’s continuing sense of purpose and competence facilitated the development of his career fidelity. Masekela had two significant experiences which led to his catharsis and the eventual resolution of previous psychosocial crises, namely: (a) his return from exile and (b) rehabilitation from substance use. Lastly, this study contributes to South Africa’s progressing field of psychobiography as a methodological approach.
Low socioeconomic status (SES) as a predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents: a scoping review.
(2023) Slabbert, Angelique.; Valjee, Sachet Rabindranath.
Childhood trauma presents potential lifelong consequences for health and well-being. Research indicates that those with low socioeconomic status (SES) are disproportionately exposed to trauma and that childhood victimisation is associated with a higher risk for mental health problems. Existing literature in this field has predominantly focused on quantitative analysis and the adult population. There is a scarcity of research analysing the role low SES plays in the outcome of PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) amongst children and adolescents within a low socioeconomic context. This study aimed to map and comprehensively analyse studies investigating low socioeconomic status as a predicting variable of PTSD among children and adolescents to generate insight and establish areas for future research. The present study was qualitative and utilised Kira’s taxonomy of trauma and assessment theory to support the objectives (Kira, 2001). A scoping review method was used guided by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). The search period was from 2012 to 2022. The search strategy for this scoping review used two electronic platforms, Ebscohost and Wiley, which provided access to the following databases: Academic search complete, APA Psychinfo, APA Psycharticles, Medline, and ERIC. The researcher screened all studies independently, and an external reviewer evaluated eligible articles. Charting the data involved synthesising and interpreting data according to key issues using a table format. Further analysis included descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. Five prominent themes were developed: 1) structural risk/protective factors, 2) stages of development, 3) gender differences, 4) study design, and 5) study outcomes. The findings of this study illustrated a positive relationship between low SES and PTSD by identifying that low SES increased the chance of developing PTSD due to situational factors (early life exposure), negatively impacting he cognitive appraisals of a child. Contextual factors (types of SES indicators), such as parental instability, increased interpersonal violence, and scarce resources, further perpetuate the cycle of poverty and traumatic exposure. The study also identified crucial gaps in the literature, such as the need for qualitative/mixed methods and longitudinal research studies and the need for standardised low SES measures, among others, which could inform future research about the incremental validity of SES measures when determining a complete child or adolescent victimisation profile.
Souls, spirituality, and scholars: a scoping review of Islamic models of the self.
(2023) Essop, Fatima Zahrah.; Valjee, Sachet Rabindranath.
The increased globalisation of our world has created a heightened awareness of the multiplicity of human experience. Consequently, there is a need for the field of psychology to adapt and cater to this diversity. Moreover, the provision of culturally sensitive forms of psychology increases its relevance and utility to those who may not always benefit from a conventional Western approach. As a rapidly emerging discipline, the field of Islamic Psychology (IP) aims to understand and assist clients from an Islamic point of view. Despite its growing influence, a variety of obstacles hinder its trajectory, including a lack of uniformity in the field. This study therefore aimed to analyse studies focused on Islamic models of self, viewing explanations of human nature as the essential starting point in any field, to discern the defining characteristics of studies in this field, map similarities and potential differences between the studies, and gain a comprehensive view of the Islamic model of self, with the aim of providing a comprehensive starting point or reference for further studies in this field. This study employed Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) scoping review protocol and incorporated a mixed methods approach to analyse the data. Eleven electronic databases were utilised in the search strategy. These included studies conducted between 1970 to 2022. All studies were screened by the researcher. The 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria were charted in a table according to their defining characteristics. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics thematic analysis. Five main themes were identified: (1) Relationship with Allah; (2) Organisation, meaning, and nature of the self and its components in the Quran: metaphysical vs material; (3) Roles, relationships, and results: contribution of each component to the struggle between good and bad; (4) Winning the battle is not winning the war: stages of self and spiritual goodness; and (5) Tying it together: the theory as a whole. When considering the general nature of human beings, the purpose of human existence, and conceptualisations of behaviour, the content of the studies analysed was largely found to be consistent. However, differences existed when considering details such as definitions, understanding of the exact roles and processes undertaken by each component in the model of self, and depth of knowledge covered by each study. It was also discovered that the studies on their own did not always provide a comprehensive view of human nature but required supplementation by other studies to provide necessary detail. A synthesis of this information would thus be beneficial to the field, as was undertaken by this review, in providing a more comprehensive understanding of models of self. This study, however, was limited by language restrictions, article access due to funds or publication permissions, and the author’s own knowledge and level of understanding of Islamic terms and concepts. It is thus recommended that future studies include researchers from different language backgrounds and levels of expertise, so that a more comprehensive synthesis may be obtained.
The experiences of caregiving and the coping strategies of informal caregivers of people with major neurocognitive disorders.
(2023) Manyathi, Londeka Miranda.; Mfene, Xoli Precious.
Caregivers of people with major neurocognitive disorders (MNCD) experience considerable burden, which might lead to psychological difficulties. As a result of their caregiving experiences, it is important for caregivers to develop positive coping skills. This study aimed to explore the experiences and coping strategies of informal caregivers of people living with major neurocognitive disorders. Further, this study was conducted to establish if there are any support programmes available for informal caregivers of individuals with severe neurocognitive impairments. A mixed methods research approach was adopted. Nine informal caregivers were sampled through a non-probability purposive technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and psychometric scales on caregiver depression, burden, and coping. Further, data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Psychometric scales were scored and interpreted based on their interpretive manual. The findings suggest that informal caregivers of persons with major neurocognitive disorders endorsed more negative than positive experiences. However, they seemed to cope with the caregiving situation. More active coping strategies, such as acceptance and building resilience, mediate the negative experiences. Informal caregivers reported the availability of respite and psychosocial interventions such as those offered by the Bessie Makatini Foundation. In conclusion, it was recommended that while addressing caregiver needs and creating support interventions, support programs like those conducted by the Bessie Makatini Foundation should consider the various family dynamics.

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Clinical Psychology) by SDG "SDG4"