Community violence and mental health symptoms among adolescents in South Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors: Jameson, Stacey
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Violence -- Psychological aspects , Adolescent psychology , Community psychology , Mental health services
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63868 , vital:73621
- Description: There is a global prevalence of youth exposure to community violence. This is notably pronounced in South Africa, where children and adolescents face elevated levels of violence. Existing systematic reviews have predominately focused on international contexts, leaving a gap that requires comprehensive analysis within the South African context to understand the situation in comparison to global trends. The objective of this study was to synthesise the available literature on adolescent exposure to community violence and its impact on mental health outcomes in South Africa. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of such exposure among South African adolescents, explore associated internalising and externalising mental health symptoms, and assess the extent of this relationship. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted, encompassing studies published between 2010 and 2022. Eighteen studies focusing on adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, investigating exposure to community violence and mental health outcomes were included. Meta-analytical procedures revealed that South African adolescents face elevated levels of both witnessing and direct victimisation of community violence, accompanied by heightened mental health symptoms, particularly in depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Although a moderate positive correlation between community violence exposure and depression was identified, statistical significance was not achieved. Subgroup analyses, to explore gender as a potential moderating factor was conducted. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy measures to address the impact of community violence on adolescent mental wellbeing in South Africa. These findings contribute to the existing literature by providing an understanding of the situation in the South African context compared to global estimates, offering recommendations for future research to inform more effective public health strategies. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
A systematic review of published literature examining the impact of father absence on adolescent identity formation
- Authors: Fata, Hope Aneliswa
- Date: 2022-12
- Subjects: Absentee fathers , Adolescent analysis , Adolescent psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27039 , vital:66239
- Description: One of the major developmental crises an adolescent must overcome before becoming an adult is identity formation. Many studies focused on how the family influences the identity formation of adolescents, but little emphasis has been made specifically on how the absence of a father impacts the adolescent’s development of identity. This study aims to conduct a systematic review to examine the impact of absent fatherhood on the identity formation of adolescents. Several studies, from the year 2010 to date, have explored the impact of father absence on the identity formation of adolescents. The majority of studies conducted have been mostly quantitative and failed to explore the experiences of adolescents raised in absent-father households during this crucial stage of development. This study sought to add to the body of knowledge and bridge that gap by exploring the possible (negative or positive) impact of absent fatherhood in the identity-formation period of adolescents. This was a systematic review study that included a qualitative research design, whereby published literature and studies were identified through searching electronic databases. To synthesize and analyse the data, thematic analysis was used. This study’s exploration discovered that absent fatherhood can be experienced both positively and negatively by adolescents. Positively, it was found that a sense of independency developed in the adolescent and strengthens family relations and unity, with extended family members or external role models becoming more involved in the upbringing of the adolescent. Significantly, on the negative side, adolescents developed anger and resentment towards their absent fathers, questioning their absence and the individual’s sense of who they are and where they belong. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-12