{"title":"Investigating the influence of expressive writing exercises on the working memory of middle adolescents and young adults in South Africa","authors":"Jonita Swart, Chris Janeke","doi":"10.1177/00812463211043450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211043450","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the influence of expressive writing on the working memory capacity of middle adolescents (learners 15–17 years old) and young adults (students 18–24 years old) in the South African context. The assumption underlying the research was that expressive writing about a stressful event would reduce unwanted thoughts and the resultant demand on cognitive resources, thereby increasing working memory capacity. Two experiments were conducted involving a sample of 28 school learners and a sample of 38 university students. In each experiment, the participants were assigned to three writing conditions: a factual event for the control group and either just a stressful event, or a solution to a stressful event, for the two experimental groups. It was postulated that the solution-focused group would gain the most from the expressive writing tasks. Working memory capacity assessments were conducted before and after the expressive writing intervention and again about 14 weeks later to test for a long-term effect on working memory capacity. A positive effect was found regarding the working memory capacity of the students, but there was no statistically significant improvement in the working memory capacity of the learners. Furthermore, although the results of the student groups did indicate that an expressive writing intervention may enhance working memory capacity, this effect was not mostly restricted to the solution-focused experimental groups as was hypothesised. Instead, the results suggested that expressive writing exercises may have had a positive effect on the memory performance of all three groups.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"227 - 237"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45997429","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}
{"title":"Post-traumatic stress disorder among rural widows in Nsukka: risk factors and wellbeing domains","authors":"Valentine C Ezeh","doi":"10.1177/00812463211040378","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211040378","url":null,"abstract":"Losing a spouse to death is recognized as the most adverse life event that may increase the risk of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychopathology with studies demonstrating that widows experienced more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms than their non-widowed counterparts. Although the adverse effect of post-traumatic stress disorder may be stronger for widows in rural areas, the existing literature has shown the need for greater research on post-traumatic stress disorder experiences among vulnerable Igbo rural widows in Nsukka, South Eastern Nigeria. Against this backdrop, this study examined factors that predict post-traumatic stress disorder and the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on the wellbeing domains of Igbo rural widows. Among the 177 participants, partner intimacy (β = .300, p < .001), cause of husband’s death (sudden vs. anticipated) (β = .183, p < .01), perceived social support (β = –.300, p < .001), number of surviving children at the time of husband’s death (β = .210, p < .01), and age of last child as at the time of husband’s death (β = .355, p < .01) all significantly predicted post-traumatic stress disorder. Domains of wellbeing most negatively affected by post-traumatic stress disorder included general life satisfaction (66.10%), family relationship (62.71%), and overall functioning (61.02%). The findings suggest that post-traumatic stress disorder among Igbo rural widows is a serious health concern that requires mental health professionals identifying high-risk rural widows early for intervention and developing programs aimed at educating and training rural community members on post-traumatic stress disorder and where to seek help on onset.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"202 - 213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45277921","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}
{"title":"The prevalence of hope, subjective well-being, and psychopathology among trauma survivors at community-based clinics in Gauteng","authors":"Jolize Joubert, T. Guse, David Maree","doi":"10.1177/00812463211040380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211040380","url":null,"abstract":"This study examined the prevalence of hope and subjective well-being as well as symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among trauma survivors at community-based clinics in Gauteng. We further explored traumatic events and help-seeking behaviour in this context. Using a cross-sectional survey design, we collected demographic information and administered questionnaires measuring hope, well-being, depression, and post-traumatic stress. The sample comprised 120 adults, of whom the majority were Black females. Results showed that participants experienced low levels of hope, positive affect, and life satisfaction as well as high levels of negative affect, depression, and post-traumatic stress. In addition, the majority of participants experienced multiple traumatic events in the past 5 years, which had a negative impact on their well-being. However, receiving professional help and being able to cope in the aftermath of trauma may contribute towards higher levels of well-being and fewer psychopathological symptoms. Our findings thus highlighted the need for effective therapeutic interventions among trauma survivors.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"214 - 226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41712970","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}
D. U. Onu, L. E. Ugwu, Nneoma G Onyedire, Evelyn Ebele Nnadozie, J. I. Nwufo
{"title":"Post-traumatic growth mediates the relationship between valences of trauma centralisation and health-related quality of life","authors":"D. U. Onu, L. E. Ugwu, Nneoma G Onyedire, Evelyn Ebele Nnadozie, J. I. Nwufo","doi":"10.1177/00812463211037628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211037628","url":null,"abstract":"Emotions arising from health-related trauma can be complex (as positive and negative feelings are possible) and can influence the way patients perceive themselves and the world. Health outcomes can also be affected by the valence of emotions. We hypothesised that post-traumatic growth is the mediating link between the valences of event centrality and health-related quality of life among people living with HIV. Three hundred (male = 194 and female = 106; mean age = 35.30 years) people living with HIV in Nigeria completed measures of relevant variables. Mediation analysis was performed using path analysis and structural equation modelling. Results showed that post-traumatic growth mediated the association between positive event centrality and health-related quality of life in the physical health symptoms and treatment impact domains. Post-traumatic growth also mediated the association between negative event centrality and health-related quality of life in the physical health symptom and relationship domains. In light of these findings, it might be concluded that fostering post-traumatic growth among people living with HIV by clinicians could be helpful in enhancing the health-related quality of life of people living with HIV.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"189 - 201"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46604521","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}
{"title":"The role of fortitude, loneliness, and depression in the association between risk perception of contracting COVID-19 and life satisfaction: serial mediation analysis","authors":"A. Padmanabhanunni, T. Pretorius","doi":"10.1177/00812463211037811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211037811","url":null,"abstract":"Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has been found to have a negative impact on both physical wellbeing and mental health. Increased risk perception of contracting the virus has been associated with adverse psychological outcomes and reduced life satisfaction. However, susceptibility to psychological distress is influenced by personality-related characteristics. This study focuses on fortitude as a potential protective factor. The aim of this study is to investigate the parallel and serial mediating roles of fortitude, loneliness, and depression in the relationship between risk perception and life satisfaction. The participants were young adults (N = 337) who have completed five self-report questionnaires: University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Fortitude Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and COVID-19 Risk Perception Scale. Descriptive statistics were generated, and structural equation modelling was used to examine the parallel and serial mediating roles of loneliness, depression, and fortitude. Positive associations were found between risk perception and loneliness and depression, and fortitude was found to mediate the relationship between risk perception and life satisfaction, between loneliness and life satisfaction, and between depression and life satisfaction. The overall serial mediation was also found to be significant, thereby supporting the hypothesis that those who perceive themselves to be at a risk of contracting COVID-19 have higher loneliness scores, which in turn is associated with higher depression scores. These findings confirm that fortitude is a salient protective factor and suggest that improving the perception of the ability to manage the risk of infection can enhance psychological wellbeing.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"112 - 121"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43947259","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}
{"title":"Posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress in Rwandan refugees living in Zambia","authors":"Victor Mwanamwambwa, B. Pillay","doi":"10.1177/00812463211031812","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211031812","url":null,"abstract":"The present study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress among Rwandan refugees living in the townships of Lusaka, Zambia. Refugees are often exposed to trauma and violence which leads to a wide range of psychological distress and mental disorders. Two hundred and sixty-seven refugees participated in the study. The sample consisted of older and younger adult refugees, 128 (47.9%) males and 139 (52.1%) females, from Lusaka. The Impact of Event Scale–Revised and the General Health Questionnaire-28 were administered to all participants. The study found that a significant number of participants reported posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress. About 76.8% endorsed posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. In addition, 31.8% reported somatic symptoms, 36.7% anxiety or insomnia, 27.3% social dysfunction, and 22.8% severe depression. Lower education (p < .01), larger family size (p < .001), lack of financial support (p < .05), and being unemployed (p < .001) were positively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress. Intervention strategies aimed at improving the lives of refugees should be ongoing and must encompass a well-articulated, structured refugee policy that emphasizes mental health and psychological needs.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"175 - 188"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00812463211031812","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47104448","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}
{"title":"Quantifying the psychosocial outcomes of outdoor adventure education for adolescent learners in a South African setting","authors":"J. Blaine, Jacqui Akhurst","doi":"10.1177/00812463211029024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211029024","url":null,"abstract":"This aim of this study is to contribute to the existing literature on the psychosocial outcomes of outdoor adventure education. In doing so, it explores the relationship between Journey, a school-based programme and life effectiveness skills, emotional literacy, and resilience for adolescents in a South African setting. Employing a pre–post quasi-experimental design, a purposive convenience sample of 144 Grade 10 learners was recruited for this study. Results of the three measures demonstrated that, after participating in Journey, there were statistically significant increases in self-reports of life effectiveness and resilience, but not of emotional literacy. The importance of the unique contribution of this study to international and South African outdoor adventure education research is discussed, with recommendations for future research and considerations of the practical implications of the findings for programme design.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"161 - 174"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47321446","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}
{"title":"Assessing the employability and employment destinations of professional psychology alumni","authors":"J. Senekal, Mario R. Smith","doi":"10.1177/00812463211025466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211025466","url":null,"abstract":"Professional training in psychology typically focuses on competencies and learning outcomes. However, this does not necessarily translate into long-term employability. Graduate tracer studies are recommended for exploring employment destinations and employability. Graduate tracer studies are noted to be of particular use for investigating health professionals’ career paths and examining field-specific issues. The reported study examined the employability and employment destinations of 29 alumni from two psychology Master’s programmes at a South African higher education institution, by incorporating best practices for tracer studies and survey research. Results indicated that 86.2% had secured employment in various fields and sectors, suggesting their skills and training were relevant and transferable. Differential patterns of registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa were reported. Most respondents identified their studies as closely related to their work, and pragmatic reasons were provided by those pursuing work in unrelated fields. Entrepreneurial skills were identified as a gap in their training, that, if included, has the potential to boost employability. Graduate employability was identified to be a complex, non-linear issue. Professional competencies are, therefore, not sufficient for conceptualising employability within the South African context. A broader and more nuanced understanding of employability is needed. Practically, this means that educational processes need to prepare students for securing long-term employment. The tracer study methodology applied in this study may be utilised by other institutions and disciplines to explore key issues of employment and employability in the South African health professions and higher education context.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"11 - 22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00812463211025466","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45888105","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}
{"title":"Can social dominance orientation predict intergroup hostility and aggression in South Africa? Testing the applicability of the SDO7(s) Scale","authors":"S. Gordon","doi":"10.1177/00812463211022492","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211022492","url":null,"abstract":"What role does social dominance orientation theory play in explaining anti-immigrant violence in the South African context? Despite its popularity, studies of intergroup conflict in South Africa have tended to ignore the role of social dominance orientation theory in predicting aggression against minority groups. The article explores this role by examining whether a social dominance orientation can act as a determinant of mass opinion on, and personal engagement in, violence against foreign nationals in a large heterogeneous population. The impact of social dominance orientation will be assessed using the SDO7(s) Scale. Data from the 2018 round of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (N = 2885) was utilised for this study. Rejection of group-based dominance and a preference for outgroup inclusion was found to be quite normative among the general public. Social dominance orientation proves to be a valid correlate of hostility against foreign nationals. The present study demonstrated that a social dominance orientation was positively associated with individual participation in anti-immigrant violence. In addition, the study showed that the SDO7(s) was negatively correlated with both positive contact with foreign nationals and a welcoming predisposition towards this group. The research demonstrates the applicability of the SDO7(s) Scale in a South African context.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"23 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/00812463211022492","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47624584","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}
{"title":"Emotional consequences of hate incidents: experiences of a South African cohort","authors":"Amori Marais, J. Nel, R. Govender","doi":"10.1177/0081246320985343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246320985343","url":null,"abstract":"The consequences of hate incidents are far greater than transgressions without an underlying bias motive. The powerful emotional and psychological effect observed in victims of hate rests in the perpetrator attacking the identity or an unchangeable characteristic of a victim. Within South Africa, these effects are compounded by the country’s legacy of discrimination and oppression; thus, the potential consequences of hate victimisation within this context extend beyond the emotional. This justifies differential retributive and restorative measures following such incidents; however, legislative and policy frameworks to respond to hate victimisation are only in the beginning stages. The scarcity of empirical research on hate incidents and their consequences in South Africa renders this investigation the first of its kind. The researchers aimed to determine the demographic and situational variables that put individuals at a higher risk for experiencing emotional consequences as a result of hate victimisation. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression modelling were used to analyse data (n = 409, Mean Age = 31.5). Results indicate a higher vulnerability of emotional consequences if a victim is exposed to economic consequences, if the offender is known to the victim, and if the victim identifies as Black African. Sex and type of incident (hate crimes, hate speech, and intentional unfair discrimination) showed no significant relationship with emotional consequences. The results enable greater insight into victim experiences of emotional consequences and motivate prioritising psychosocial health care, targeted interventions, and relevant legislative and policy frameworks for victims and communities affected by hate incidents.","PeriodicalId":47237,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Psychology","volume":"52 1","pages":"122 - 134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/0081246320985343","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41838821","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}