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Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867614044818505728 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Johnson, Aimee |
| author2 | Coetzee, Bronwyne Jo’sean |
| author_browse | Coetzee, Bronwyne Jo’sean Johnson, Aimee |
| author_facet | Coetzee, Bronwyne Jo’sean Johnson, Aimee |
| author_sort | Johnson, Aimee |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128865 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:46.810Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/128865 Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study Johnson, Aimee Coetzee, Bronwyne Jo’sean Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology. Child mental health services Stigma (Social psychology) Young adults -- Mental health Schools -- Sociological aspects School children -- Mental health services Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction. Mental health conditions (MHC) constitute a global crisis and place a heavy burden on the lives of children and young people (CYP). In South Africa, risk factors such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, community violence, substance abuse, poverty, and economic inequalities threaten progress toward improved well-being and place CYP at high risk for the development of MHC. Research indicates that in this country, 10-20% of CYP have a greater chance of developing a common mental health condition. Despite the increased prevalence of MHC, many CYP in South Africa who would benefit from access to mental health care services do not receive adequate treatment or are unable to access the appropriate care. Extant literature indicates that poor mental health literacy, lack of emotional understanding and emotional competence, limited prior experiences with mental health care services, and stigma influence help-seeking behaviour amongst CYP. However much of what we know about help-seeking behaviours for MHC amongst CYP is found in studies restricted to high-income settings. Consequently, few studies in South Africa have explored CYP’s perceptions of mental health, MHC, and mental health-related stigma. In this study, I sought to explore primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health, MHC, and mental health-related stigma. Methods. Participants comprised of 25 primary school-aged children attending two public primary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Of those 25 participants, I conducted indepth semi-structured interviews with 20 participants (aged 10-14) from school 2 and five from school 1. Of those 25 participants, 13 formed part of the pilot study (five from school 1 and 8 from school 2). Five case vignettes were developed and used in this study to further elicit participants' understanding of mental health terminology. I analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis and ATLAS.ti v9 software. Findings. I identified five superordinate themes that elucidated participants’ perceptions of mental health terms: (1) understanding of mental health terminology, (2) scope of emotional vocabulary, (3) ability to identify a mental health disorder, (4) understanding of stigma related to a mental disorder, and (5) understanding of stigma related to a physical temporary injury. Participants did not present difficulty articulating their understanding of most of the mental health terminology presented to them. However, participants struggled to express their understanding of the term’s stigma and mental health-related stigma. Participants possessed an extensive understanding of emotional vocabulary and were able to identify positive and negative emotions in case vignettes. However, some participants though able to identify emotions only had a limited vocabulary in this respect. Participants presented no difficulty in identifying different mental and emotional states in the case vignettes, which suggested an adequate level of mental health literacy was present. Participants identified a mental health condition as being more severe than that of a physical disorder. Nonetheless, these participants remained willing to seek MH care services for their mental and/or emotional problems. They were cautious about who would discover their problems for fear they would be discriminated against. However, this did not impact their willingness to seek MH care services. Conclusion. Within the South African context, this qualitative study demonstrates that CYP were able to engage with and understand mental health terms. The findings from the study highlight the potential of children to engage in therapeutic programmes whether aimed at prevention or more targeted programmes. Furthermore, as stigma was not well understood by participants the findings emphasize and highlight the importance and need for additional research and further development of age-appropriate interventions. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding. Geestesgesondheidsversteurings verteenwoordig ‘n globale krisis en plaas aansienlike druk op die lewens van kinders en jongmense. In Suid-Afrika word vordering ten opsigte van verbeterde welstand verhinder deur risikofaktore soos HIV/ VIGS, tuberkulose, nie-kommunikeerbare siektes, samelewingsgeweld, armoede, dwelmmisbruik en ekonomiese ongelykhede, en dit verhoog die risiko onder kinders en jongmense ten opsigte van die ontwikkeling van geestesgesonheidsversteurings. Navorsing dui aan dat 10-20% van die kinders en jongmense in hierdie land ‘n verhoogde risiko het vir die ontwikkeling van ‘n algemene geestesgesondheidsversteuring. Ten spyte van die aansienlike voorkoms van geestesgesondheidstoestande ontvang ‘n groot getal van die kinders en jongmense wat baat sou vind by toegang tot dienste nie behandeling nie, terwyl hulle ook nie toegang daartoe kan verkry nie. Die bestaande literatuur toon dat swak geestesgesondheidsgeletterdheid, ‘n gebrek aan emosionele begrip en vermoë, beperkte ervaring ten opsigte van geestesgesondheidsdienste asook stigma die hulp-soekende gedrag onder kinders en jongmense beïnvloed. Dit wat bekend is oor dié pogings om na hulp te soek, is ten opsigte van hierdie groep egter beperk tot studies wat in hoë-inkomste omgewings voltooi is. As gevolg hiervan het net een of twee studies die persepsies van kinders en jongmense rakende geestesgesondheid, geestesversteuring en die stigma rondom geestesgesondheid ondersoek. In hierdie studie het ek dié persepsies onder laerskoolkinders verken. Metodes. Deelname het bestaan uit 25 Laerskool kinders, wat twee verskillende publieke Laerskole in die Weskaap van Suid-Afrika. Van die 25 kinders wat deel geneen het, het ek indiepte semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met 20 van die leerlinge (tussen die ouderdom van 10- 14 jaar) van Laerskool 2 en met 5 leerlinge van Laerskool 1. Van die 25 leerlinge, form 13 deel van die geloode ondersoek, 5 leerlinge vanaf Laerskool 1 and 8 van Laerskool 2. Vyf gevallesketse is ontwikkel en gebruik om die deelnemers se begrip van geestesgesondheidsterminologie verder te ontlok. Ek het die data geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van refleksiewe tematiese analise en ATLAS.ti g9 sagteware. Bevindinge. Ek het vyf superordinaat-temas geïdentifiseer wat die deelnemers se persepsies van geestesgesondheidsterme belig het: (1) begrip van geestesgesondheidsterminologie, (2) reikwydte van emosionele woordeskat, (3) vermoë om geestesgesondheidsversteuring te identifiseer, (4) begrip van die stigma wat aan geestesversteuring verwant is en (5) begrip van die stigma wat aan liggaamlike gebrek gekoppel word. Dit was nie vir die deelnemers moeilik om hulle begip van die meeste van die geestesgesondheidsterme wat aan hulle voorgehou is, te artikuleer nie. Hulle het egter gesukkel om hulle begrip van die terme ‘stigma’ en ‘geestesgesondheidsversteuring-verwante stigma’ uit te druk. Die deelnemers het ‘n wye begrip van emosionele woordeskat en kon positiewe en negatiewe emosies in die gevallesketse identifiseer. Al kon hulle die emosies identifiseer, het hulle egter slegs ‘n beperkte woordeskat in hierdie verband geniet. Hulle het geensins gesukkel om verskillende geestes- en emosionele toestande in die gevallesketse raak te sien nie. Dit suggereer dat ‘n voldoende vlak van geestesgesondheidsgeletterdheid aanwesig was. Hulle het ‘n geestesversteuring gedefinieer ten opsigte daarvan dat dit van ‘n erger aard was as ‘n liggaamlike gebrek. Hulle was nogtans bereid om na geestesgesondheidsversorging te soek met betrekking tot hulle geestes/ emosionele probleme. Hulle was versigtig ten opsige van wie dit sou wees wat hulle probleme sou ontdek, omdat hulle bekommerd was dat daar teen hulle gediskrimineer sou word. Dit het egter nie ‘n invloed gehad op hulle bereidheid om na geestesgesondheidsdienste te soek nie. Gevolgtrekking. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks het hierdie kwalitatiewe studie aangetoon dat kinders en jongmense inderdaad die vermoë gehad het om geestesgesondheidsterme te betrek en begryp. Die bevindinge onderstreep die potensiaal waaroor kinders beskik om deel te neem aan terapeutiese programme, ongeag of die laasgenoemde op voorkoming sou fokus of van ‘n meer geteikende aard sou wees. Aangesien ‘stigma’ nie goed begryp is nie, moet die noodsaaklikheid van verdere navorsing en die ontwikkeling van ouderdomtoepaslike ingrype hier beklemtoon word. Masters 2023-11-02T08:27:54Z 2024-01-08T13:53:14Z 2023-11-02T08:27:54Z 2024-01-08T13:53:14Z 2023-11 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128865 en_ZA en_ZA Stellenbosch University xxii, 225 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Child mental health services Stigma (Social psychology) Young adults -- Mental health Schools -- Sociological aspects School children -- Mental health services Johnson, Aimee Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study |
| title | Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Exploring primary school learners’ perceptions of mental health and mental health-related stigma at a South African primary school: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | exploring primary school learners perceptions of mental health and mental health related stigma at a south african primary school a qualitative study |
| topic | Child mental health services Stigma (Social psychology) Young adults -- Mental health Schools -- Sociological aspects School children -- Mental health services |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/128865 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnsonaimee exploringprimaryschoollearnersperceptionsofmentalhealthandmentalhealthrelatedstigmaatasouthafricanprimaryschoolaqualitativestudy |