Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development
Health professions academics experience additional profession-related stressors that negatively a... more Health professions academics experience additional profession-related stressors that negatively affect health and performance outcomes. Understanding these stressors in the context of the institution where the health professions academic is employed was recommended. Historically disadvantaged institutions reportedly experience additional stressors, such as resource constraints, which may further affect occupational stress. In the study, we examined the relationship between sources of occupational stress and coping strategies among health professions academics. An online survey was conducted with 51 health professions academics employed at a historically disadvantaged institution. A demographic questionnaire, the Sources of Work Stress Inventory and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory were used for data collection. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlations. The findings indicated that the respondents experienced moderate levels of...
The International Test Commission (ITC) established guidelines for test adaptations. The ITC enco... more The International Test Commission (ITC) established guidelines for test adaptations. The ITC encourages the adaptation of locally developed measures with proven validity. A good quality translation process ensures that the same meaning is conveyed from the source to the target language. Through test adaptation, researchers focus on cultural differences between the source and the target language to maintain linguistic equivalence. Research involving adaptation has systematically failed to report on the rigour of the translation process and to make translation part of the empirical process. The ITC guidelines are generally referred to; however, the assessment of the quality of translations and the process of establishing linguistic equivalence remain an important research focus. This study reports on the development of the Quality of Translation and Linguistic Equivalence Checklist (QTLC). The construction of the QTLC was based on ITC guidelines. The QTLC consists of two sections, tra...
Retention of postgraduate students is a complex problem at higher education institutions. To addr... more Retention of postgraduate students is a complex problem at higher education institutions. To address this concern, various forms of academic support are offered by higher education institutions to nurture and develop the pipeline of postgraduate students. The support provided to postgraduate students tends to emphasize academic support at times at the expense of psychosocial or non-academic support. Non-cognitive skills were underscored as integral to determining academic and employment outcomes and thus, may need to be investigated more. This manuscript reports on an attempt to filter and consolidate the literature reporting on interventions for postgraduate students that include the development of non-cognitive skills. A systematic review was conducted, because it enabled rigorous and replicable process of consolidating literature. Covidence software was used as a digital platform for the systematic review. The review was conducted at four levels as per the PRISMA guideline namely...
Diversity training for health professionals in South Africa has traditionally been conceptualized... more Diversity training for health professionals in South Africa has traditionally been conceptualized as differences in gender, race or ethnicity, culture and sexual orientation. More recently physical disability and mental illness was included as a dimension. Intellectual disabilities received lip service as a diversity concern. This paper reports on health professionals' perceptions of the extent to which diversity training prepared them to competently deal with intellectual disabilities. This explorative study included a purposive sample of 18 health care professionals experienced in intellectual disability services. Two focus groups were facilitated over three sessions. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Health professionals felt inadequately prepared to consider intellectual disabilities as a diversity issue. They could not effectively advocate for reasonable accommodation. There was a differential familiarity with issues related to diversity and intellectual disability wi...
ABSTRACT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa implemented a strict stay-at-home ord... more ABSTRACT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa implemented a strict stay-at-home order. The mental health effects of the pandemic and related containment measures are minimally documented in this region. This study examines the association between COVID-19 related stressors and mental health during a strict stay-at-home order in South Africa. A total of 860 self-selected participants residing in the Western Cape province completed an online survey from 20–31 May 2020. This sample consisted mainly of higher socioeconomic and higher educated segments of the population. Structural equation modelling was used to assess how sociodemographic factors, membership of vulnerable groups and COVID-19 related stressors were associated with PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) scores. 46.0% and 47.2% of participants met the diagnostic threshold of anxiety and depressive disorder, respectively. Considerable daily life repercussions were linked to these scores. Among these participants, less than 20% consulted a formal practitioner and this was 12% for participants without a pre-existing mental health condition. Distress related to containment measures and distress about being infected were significantly associated with more anxiety and depressive symptoms. Having a pre-existing mental health condition was associated with poorer mental health, but being an active health worker was not. Younger age, being female, and living in a non-rural area were associated with poorer mental health. Our findings suggest a considerable mental health impact of this pandemic and related containment measures, but low attendance of mental health services. The accessibility to tailored mental health support is essential under these circumstances, especially for vulnerable groups.
Professional training in psychology typically focuses on competencies and learning outcomes. Howe... more 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...
Background: Validation of an instrument consist of three main types: content, criterion and const... more Background: Validation of an instrument consist of three main types: content, criterion and construct. Content validity needs to be determined in order for an instrument to be acceptable for use, validity establishes the fact that an instrument measures exactly what it proposes to measure. The Return-to-work assessment scale (RAS) was developed to measure three aspects of return to work: (Personal factors and/or issues, work issues and contextual factors) in 2021.Objective: To report on the processes followed in establishing the face and content validity of the RAS.Method: Twenty participants took part in our study, they were selected purposively and conveniently from a pool of professionals and post stroke survivors. The Delphi survey technique was used to arrive at consensus and professional opinion on the items included in the RAS. Consensus was sought on the items, domains and subdomains included in the RAS that was used to assess return-to-work after a stroke. Our study was con...
Research has consistently shown the benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for women living w... more Research has consistently shown the benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for women living with HIV and AIDS (WLWHA). This study is a pilot, randomised controlled crossover trial, reporting the effects of a contextualised PA intervention amongst a sample of 21 HIV positive Xhosa-speaking women of low socioeconomic status (SES). The study determined total moderate-to-vigorous PA (TMVPA) as measured subjectively by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), total weekly steps (TWS) as measured by a pedometer, and self-efficacy for PA as measured by the Physical Exercise Self-efficacy scale (PESES). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to compute the impact of the intervention on TMVPA, TWS, and self-efficacy for PA from baseline to six weeks, and baseline to 12 weeks post-intervention controlling for pre-test differences in TMVPA. Results showed that participants exposed to the intervention had significant increases in PA as measured by TMVPA (p = .027),...
Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to review the published literature on the relation... more Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to review the published literature on the relationship between family structure and engagement in health risk behaviour amongst youth in African countries. Methods: A systematic review was conducted between 2000 and 2014. Suitable titles were identified from database searches. Thereafter, abstracts were evaluated along specific inclusion criteria. Eleven full text articles were evaluated for methodological quality using a modified critical appraisal tool and six studies were included in the final review that satisfied the threshold criterion of 70%. A narrative synthesis was completed for all included records to provide a textual answer to the research question. Results: Findings indicated that there was a relationship between family structure and engagement in health risk behaviour, specifically risky sexual behaviour. The importance of family structure was evident, and the active involvement of parents in the activities of youth is ca...
Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development
Health professions academics experience additional profession-related stressors that negatively a... more Health professions academics experience additional profession-related stressors that negatively affect health and performance outcomes. Understanding these stressors in the context of the institution where the health professions academic is employed was recommended. Historically disadvantaged institutions reportedly experience additional stressors, such as resource constraints, which may further affect occupational stress. In the study, we examined the relationship between sources of occupational stress and coping strategies among health professions academics. An online survey was conducted with 51 health professions academics employed at a historically disadvantaged institution. A demographic questionnaire, the Sources of Work Stress Inventory and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory were used for data collection. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlations. The findings indicated that the respondents experienced moderate levels of...
The International Test Commission (ITC) established guidelines for test adaptations. The ITC enco... more The International Test Commission (ITC) established guidelines for test adaptations. The ITC encourages the adaptation of locally developed measures with proven validity. A good quality translation process ensures that the same meaning is conveyed from the source to the target language. Through test adaptation, researchers focus on cultural differences between the source and the target language to maintain linguistic equivalence. Research involving adaptation has systematically failed to report on the rigour of the translation process and to make translation part of the empirical process. The ITC guidelines are generally referred to; however, the assessment of the quality of translations and the process of establishing linguistic equivalence remain an important research focus. This study reports on the development of the Quality of Translation and Linguistic Equivalence Checklist (QTLC). The construction of the QTLC was based on ITC guidelines. The QTLC consists of two sections, tra...
Retention of postgraduate students is a complex problem at higher education institutions. To addr... more Retention of postgraduate students is a complex problem at higher education institutions. To address this concern, various forms of academic support are offered by higher education institutions to nurture and develop the pipeline of postgraduate students. The support provided to postgraduate students tends to emphasize academic support at times at the expense of psychosocial or non-academic support. Non-cognitive skills were underscored as integral to determining academic and employment outcomes and thus, may need to be investigated more. This manuscript reports on an attempt to filter and consolidate the literature reporting on interventions for postgraduate students that include the development of non-cognitive skills. A systematic review was conducted, because it enabled rigorous and replicable process of consolidating literature. Covidence software was used as a digital platform for the systematic review. The review was conducted at four levels as per the PRISMA guideline namely...
Diversity training for health professionals in South Africa has traditionally been conceptualized... more Diversity training for health professionals in South Africa has traditionally been conceptualized as differences in gender, race or ethnicity, culture and sexual orientation. More recently physical disability and mental illness was included as a dimension. Intellectual disabilities received lip service as a diversity concern. This paper reports on health professionals' perceptions of the extent to which diversity training prepared them to competently deal with intellectual disabilities. This explorative study included a purposive sample of 18 health care professionals experienced in intellectual disability services. Two focus groups were facilitated over three sessions. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Health professionals felt inadequately prepared to consider intellectual disabilities as a diversity issue. They could not effectively advocate for reasonable accommodation. There was a differential familiarity with issues related to diversity and intellectual disability wi...
ABSTRACT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa implemented a strict stay-at-home ord... more ABSTRACT In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa implemented a strict stay-at-home order. The mental health effects of the pandemic and related containment measures are minimally documented in this region. This study examines the association between COVID-19 related stressors and mental health during a strict stay-at-home order in South Africa. A total of 860 self-selected participants residing in the Western Cape province completed an online survey from 20–31 May 2020. This sample consisted mainly of higher socioeconomic and higher educated segments of the population. Structural equation modelling was used to assess how sociodemographic factors, membership of vulnerable groups and COVID-19 related stressors were associated with PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) scores. 46.0% and 47.2% of participants met the diagnostic threshold of anxiety and depressive disorder, respectively. Considerable daily life repercussions were linked to these scores. Among these participants, less than 20% consulted a formal practitioner and this was 12% for participants without a pre-existing mental health condition. Distress related to containment measures and distress about being infected were significantly associated with more anxiety and depressive symptoms. Having a pre-existing mental health condition was associated with poorer mental health, but being an active health worker was not. Younger age, being female, and living in a non-rural area were associated with poorer mental health. Our findings suggest a considerable mental health impact of this pandemic and related containment measures, but low attendance of mental health services. The accessibility to tailored mental health support is essential under these circumstances, especially for vulnerable groups.
Professional training in psychology typically focuses on competencies and learning outcomes. Howe... more 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...
Background: Validation of an instrument consist of three main types: content, criterion and const... more Background: Validation of an instrument consist of three main types: content, criterion and construct. Content validity needs to be determined in order for an instrument to be acceptable for use, validity establishes the fact that an instrument measures exactly what it proposes to measure. The Return-to-work assessment scale (RAS) was developed to measure three aspects of return to work: (Personal factors and/or issues, work issues and contextual factors) in 2021.Objective: To report on the processes followed in establishing the face and content validity of the RAS.Method: Twenty participants took part in our study, they were selected purposively and conveniently from a pool of professionals and post stroke survivors. The Delphi survey technique was used to arrive at consensus and professional opinion on the items included in the RAS. Consensus was sought on the items, domains and subdomains included in the RAS that was used to assess return-to-work after a stroke. Our study was con...
Research has consistently shown the benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for women living w... more Research has consistently shown the benefits of regular physical activity (PA) for women living with HIV and AIDS (WLWHA). This study is a pilot, randomised controlled crossover trial, reporting the effects of a contextualised PA intervention amongst a sample of 21 HIV positive Xhosa-speaking women of low socioeconomic status (SES). The study determined total moderate-to-vigorous PA (TMVPA) as measured subjectively by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), total weekly steps (TWS) as measured by a pedometer, and self-efficacy for PA as measured by the Physical Exercise Self-efficacy scale (PESES). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to compute the impact of the intervention on TMVPA, TWS, and self-efficacy for PA from baseline to six weeks, and baseline to 12 weeks post-intervention controlling for pre-test differences in TMVPA. Results showed that participants exposed to the intervention had significant increases in PA as measured by TMVPA (p = .027),...
Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to review the published literature on the relation... more Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to review the published literature on the relationship between family structure and engagement in health risk behaviour amongst youth in African countries. Methods: A systematic review was conducted between 2000 and 2014. Suitable titles were identified from database searches. Thereafter, abstracts were evaluated along specific inclusion criteria. Eleven full text articles were evaluated for methodological quality using a modified critical appraisal tool and six studies were included in the final review that satisfied the threshold criterion of 70%. A narrative synthesis was completed for all included records to provide a textual answer to the research question. Results: Findings indicated that there was a relationship between family structure and engagement in health risk behaviour, specifically risky sexual behaviour. The importance of family structure was evident, and the active involvement of parents in the activities of youth is ca...
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Papers by Mario Smith