Perceptions of psychologists regarding the use of religion and spirituality in therapy

Religion and spirituality are acknowledged coping resources, yet for many years, the use of religion and spirituality was not practiced in therapy. Psychologists were once branded the least religious of all academicians; however there is evidence of an integration of psychology with religion and spirituality. Recently, studies have been conducted to prove the success of using religion and spirituality to cope with psychological disorders, prevent unhealthy behaviours and promote resilience. Despite this, very little research to date has explored South African psychologists’ perceptions on this matter. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of psychologists in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality area about the use of religion and spirituality in therapy. Purposive sampling was employed to obtain a sample and focus groups were used to the collect data. The data was analyzed using Tesch’s model of qualitative content analysis. Many themes emerged from the data analysis process. The participants indicated that they perceive the definitions of religion and spirituality as difficult to define and reach consensus on. Nevertheless, the participants recognized that religion and spirituality are important aspects of their clients’ lives and that they cannot be ignored in therapy. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that religion and spirituality are coping mechanisms for both clients and psychologists. Most of the participants indicated that they were willing to discuss religion and spirituality with their clients if they brought it up. The participants highlighted specific factors that made it possible for them to engage with their clients on religious and spiritual levels, and factors that made it difficult for them to do so. The value of the research was discussed. Limitations of the study were also highlighted and based on these, recommendations for future research were outlined

Mothers’ perceptions of the effects of the babies in mind programme on maternal mental health and mother-infant attachment: a South African narrative study

The focus of this study is on mothers, motherhood and the Babies in Mind programme as an early intervention strategy for mothers in South Africa. The rate of maternal mental ill health in our country is alarming. Research consistently confirms that maternal mental health directly affects infant and child mental health. One of the major determinants of mental health is mother-infant attachment. Studies have indicated the range of deleterious effects that maternal mental ill-health and mother-infant attachment issues have on offspring from infancy to adulthood. This has implications for the mental health of future generations and society at large. Researchers have called for evidence-based interventions that address maternal mental health and mother-infant attachment, especially in developing countries. South Africa has no national prevention or treatment programme to address these needs. This study investigated the Babies in Mind programme as an early intervention option to address the gap in promoting maternal mental health and mother-infant attachment. A social constructionist, narrative study was employed to meet the objectives of the study. The aim was to explore mothers’ perceptions of the impact of the Babies in Mind programme, with particular reference to their mental health and their relationships to their infants. Focus was placed on understanding the social constructions of motherhood at the community level and how these constructions were reconstructed through the programme. Purposive sampling was employed and focus groups were conducted to collect the relevant data. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that mothers’ experiences of the Babies in Mind programme were positive and there were improvements in their mental health and relationships to their infants. A relationship model for mothers was developed based on the themes that emerged from the data analysis. A platform for continued support and discussion was organised via a social media (Whatsapp) support group. Twelve 7guidelines were suggested for the implementation of intervention programmes such as the Babies in Mind programme at the community level

Effect of a simple intervention on hand hygiene related diseases in preschools in South Africa: research protocol for an intervention study

Abstract : Introduction Hand hygiene (HH) related illnesses such as diarrhoea and respiratory diseases, contribute to the burden of disease and are included in the top five causes of mortality in children under 5 years in South Africa. Children attending preschools are more susceptible to these infections due to the higher number of children in preschools. HH interventions have shown to reduce HH-related diseases by improving HH practices. In South Africa, there are no documented HH interventions or studies in children under 5 years. The purpose of the study is to determine whether an HH intervention can reduce HH-related diseases among 4–5-year- old preschool children and to improve HH practices in these children, their caregivers and their parents..

Quest Volume 19 Number 2

Contents: South Africa’s energy transition - An overall analysis of what a just transition would (and should) mean for the country: The national power crisis - Going off the grid works for the wealthy - but could deepen injustice for the poor: Global and local energy crises?: - A look at what is meant by an energy crisis, and the shared responsibility of energy conservation: Green hydrogen - Sounds like a win for developing countries, but cost and transport are problems: Water-Energy-Food (WEF) - The challenges of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus in South Africa: From waste to watts -Leveraging agrowaste to address South Africa’s power crisis: Hello Iani! - South African sedimentologist part of team to discover new species of dinosaur in Utah: Using nanophotonic biosensors - Laser light used for advanced disease detection: The approaching storm... - ...of disinfectant resistance: ZA App Alert! - Looking at two new proudly South African apps: Winning essays - The first “Welcome to the Blue Planet” competition shows SA youth has tons of promise: Yellow jacket wasps, zoomed in - Using microscopy to see fascinating details on the bodies and wings of wasps: Apple takes on VR - The Vision Pro is billed as the first ‘spatial computer’: Deceptive daisy - Clever flower’s ability to create fake flies finally explained: ’Ghost’ imaging - SA team makes giant leap towards a 3D quantum camera: Medicinal mushroom - Matie student identifies species of medicinal mushroom endemic to Knysna forest: Book review: Subscription:The Department of Science and Innovation: Academy of Science of South Afric

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Understanding the Socio-Demographic Profile of Waste Re-Users in a Suburban Setting in South Africa

Minimising waste through re-use thereof is the third tier of the waste minimisation hierarchy. Understanding the socio-demographic profile of waste re-users can assist in developing effective waste minimisation strategies and programmes. The objective of this paper was to understand the socio-demographic profile of waste re-users and determine whether this affected their re-use activities and pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). This was a cross-sectional study conducted in three randomly selected suburbs in Gauteng, South Africa (n = 150). The data was retrieved using a questionnaire and multivariate analysis using a MAONVA test was conducted to assess which factors were associated with PEB and waste re-use. Women re-used plastic containers more than males and homeowners re-used glass jars more than tenants. The level of education had no significant bearing on specific re-use activities. Multivariate analysis results indicate that gender, age groups and type/status of homeownership played a significant role in statements that negatively influence waste re-use. Based on the results of this study, the best candidates for re-use activities and PEB in suburban communities in South Africa are women homeowners aged between 31 and 50 years

Respiratory Health in a Community Living in Close Proximity to Gold Mine Waste Dumps, Johannesburg, South Africa

The effects on respiratory health in populations living close to silica-rich gold mine dumps are unknown. This pilot study related respiratory health and exposure to mine dump dust using two measures of exposure: exposure group, based on distance lived from the mine dump—high (n = 93) (home <500 m from a mine dump), moderate (n = 133) (500–1.5 km), and low (n = 84) (>15 km, control group); and cumulative exposure index (CEI) derived from exposure group and number of years of residence in each exposure group. Participants were interviewed about respiratory symptoms and had chest X-rays and spirometry. We adjusted for key respiratory confounders. No subject had radiological features of silicosis. The high relative to low exposure group had significantly elevated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for upper respiratory symptoms (aOR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.28–5.97), chest wheezing (aOR: 3.78; 95% CI: 1.60–8.96), and spirometry-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (aOR: 8.17; 95%CI: 1.01–65.85). These findings were similar for the high relative to medium exposure group, but no significant associations were found for the medium versus low exposure group. Chronic bronchitis and tuberculosis risks did not differ significantly among groups. CEI and exposure group produced similar results. In conclusion, residents residing <500 m from mine dumps had elevated adverse respiratory health effects

Environmental silica dust exposure and pulmonary tuberculosis in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract: Background: Occupational crystalline silica dust exposure is associated with an elevated risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, there is less evidence for an association with environmental silica dust exposure. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 310 participants was conducted in an exposed community living within 2 km of gold mine tailings and an unexposed population residing more than 10 km from the nearest gold mine tailing. Chest radiographs (n = 178) were read for PTB, past or current, by three readers. Results: Past or current PTB was radiologically identified in 14.4% (95%CI 9.2–21.8) in the exposed and 7.5% (95%CI 2.8–18.7) in the unexposed groups. Multivariate logistic regression models suggested that PTB prevalence was independently associated with exposure to second-hand smoke (OR = 8.13, 95%CI 1.16–57.22), a lower body mass index (OR = 0.88, 95%CI 0.80–0.98), previous diagnosis and treatment of PTB (OR = 8.98, 95%CI 1.98–40.34), and exposure to dust in the workplace from sand, construction, and/or mining industries (OR = 10.2, 95%CI 2.10–50.11). Conclusion: We found no association between PTB and environmental exposure to gold mine tailing dust. However, workplace silica dust exposure is a significant risk factor for PTB in South Africa, and PTB patients of working age should be screened for silica exposure

Large Outbreaks of Fungal and Bacterial Bloodstream Infections in a Neonatal Unit, South Africa, 2012–2016

Candidemia is a major cause of healthcare-associated infections. We describe a large outbreak of Candida krusei bloodstream infections among infants in Gauteng Province, South Africa, during a 4-month period; a series of candidemia and bacteremia outbreaks in the neonatal unit followed. We detected cases by using enhanced laboratory surveillance and audited hospital wards by environmental sampling and epidemiologic studies. During July–October 2014, among 589 patients, 48 unique cases of C. krusei candidemia occurred (8.2% incidence). Risk factors for candidemia on multivariable analyses were necrotizing enterocolitis, birthweight <1,500 g, receipt of parenteral nutrition, and receipt of blood transfusion. Despite initial interventions, outbreaks of bloodstream infection caused by C. krusei, rarer fungal species, and bacterial pathogens continued in the neonatal unit through July 29, 2016. Multiple factors contributed to these outbreaks; the most functional response is to fortify infection prevention and control