Department of Psychology

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Browsing Department of Psychology by browse.metadata.advisor "Carolissen, Ronelle"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    The employment patterns of BPsych graduates in the Western Cape
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-12) Kotze, Lynn Meagan; Carolissen, Ronelle; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    In order to make mental health care more accessible and even out the skewed distribution of services, policies were put in place to integrate mental health services into primary health care. For this to be effective, more trained mental health personnel needed to be employed in the public sphere as well as non-governmental and community organizations; and in state services. The BPsych degree which was instituted to meet this need has however, been plagued with controversy since its inception. This study aims to determine the employment patterns of BPsych graduates in the Western Cape so as to ascertain whether the expressed goals for establishing the degree, that is, addressing the need for primary mental health care workers, is in fact being met. Combinations of quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. A self-constructed questionnaire was used for obtaining data. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS and qualitative data was analysed by means of thematic content analysis. The quantitative data suggest that most of the respondents are employed and have completed the board exam. The majority of respondents are female and are employed within either community or NGO settings, or the private sector. Just over one third of respondents are employed as counsellors. A qualitative analysis of the data has suggested that the majority of employers are unaware of the category of registered counsellor. Respondents placed a large emphasis on the value of the practical component of the course. Based on the results obtained, one could argue that access to mental health care has not been significantly improved by the implementation of this category of registration.
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    Evaluation of an interdisciplinary inter-institutional module focusing on community, self and identity
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) Hugo, Maria Louisa; Carolissen, Ronelle; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To equip students in the health professions with the necessary skill to work effectively in a diverse society, a joint research-education project was launched by Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape. Over a period of three years, fourth-year psychology, occupational therapy and social work students from the different institutions met for workshops and interacted on a web based platform. In small workgroups they conversed around community, self and identity and the module was named Community, Self and Identity (CSI). While the programme was evaluated at the end of each year, no follow-up study had been done to assess the effect of the module over time. In fact, very few follow-up evaluations of course curricula have been done. This current study aims to fill this gap, by evaluating the CSI module; one to three years after the participants had completed it. Based on social justice education principles, this study used a web based survey with quantitative as well as qualitative questions, in order to get a more complete picture of students’ experience of the module. This study also aims to determine whether the module changed students’ perception of community and identity. The sample of 23 participants was for the most very positive about the module, indicating that they would definitely recommend it to other students. Most of the sample also reported that their perception of the concepts of community and identity were expanded due to the CSI module. Despite the small sample size and corresponding low response rate, this study has important implications for future course evaluations and social justice studies.
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    Perceptions of community psychology among Honours/BPsych students in the Western Cape
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-03) Johnson, Kim; Carolissen, Ronelle; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    In South Africa, a dire need exists for a psychological approach that would be appropriate and adequate for all South Africans while opposing remaining historical inequalities. Psychological services are saturated within the predominantly white private sector but scarce for the predominantly disadvantaged who are dependant on public services. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the perceptions of Community Psychology among psychology Honours/Bpsych students. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed in this study. A self-constructed questionnaire was used for obtaining data. A convenience sample was obtained from the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Western Cape. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The outcomes of this study are firstly, that there is no significant relationship was established between race and tendency to study community psychology with the exception of the first year. Secondly, the relationship between gender and tendency to study community psychology was also non-significant. The results of the qualitative findings did however suggest that negative perceptions of community psychology are evident among students thus suggesting that they are deterred from pursuing it as a career.
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    Perceptions of community psychology among registered psychologists
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-12) Williams, Lorenza Logan; Carolissen, Ronelle; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    The current South African mental health context can be described as skewed in favour of the predominantly white, paying clientele in the private sector. The mental health needs of the predominantly poor, black population and people in rural areas are consequently left unmet. Community psychology is identified as a suitable approach to providing relevant psychological services to the South African population. However there are many structural barriers to the efficient practice of community psychology, which is further compounded by misconceptions and discouraging connotations attached to this field of practice. The overarching aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of registered psychologists regarding different aspects of community psychology. A further aim was to explore the current practice patterns of registered clinical, counselling, research and educational psychologists in the Cape Winelands district. A postal survey was undertaken, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative components. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to all psychologists in the Cape Winelands district who have been registered with the Professional Board of Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for at least three years. The data was analysed using frequencies and descriptive statistics as well as content analysis. In this study psychologists raised diverse opinions about community psychology, barriers to service delivery, service providers and users of such services. It appears that despite numerous calls for a more relevant psychology in the South African context, psychologists maintain a preference for the private practice setting. Suggestions were also made for changes so that the provision of community-based psychological services could be more attractive for mental health professionals in South Africa.
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    Perceptions of psychology : the views of key informants and primary health care service users in a peri-urban community in the Western Cape
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) Fortein, Bianca Euphemia Monique; Carolissen, Ronelle; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    The importance of delivering psychological services, particularly in disadvantaged communities is acknowledged by policy makers. Yet, little information exists about how communities view psychologists and psychological services. This study explores how key informants and primary health care service users in a peri-urban community in the Western Cape perceive psychologists and their profession. Focus groups were conducted with primary health care service users and in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants. Results were content analysed. These results indicate that this community’s conceptualisation of psychology incorporates both Western and indigenous notions and concepts which are utilised simultaneously. Psychology is viewed positively as a profession that can aid individuals and groups in dealing with and resolving intra- and interpersonal problems and conflicts. Those with mental health problems are still subject to a great deal of stigmatisation. The fear of being labelled makes the utilisation of the services of a psychologist or other mental health professional highly unlikely in several instances. This problem is exacerbated by issues related to the availability of and access to such services, as well as the quality of available care. Nonetheless, these participants state that psychologists themselves can make a positive contribution to addressing these issues, starting with active involvement in communities and providing information regarding the nature and value of the work they do. This information is critical if we are to design and implement comprehensive intervention strategies that allow for meaningful and informed participation within communities.
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    Volunteer experiences in a non-profit organisation
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Schuurman, Alvina; Carolissen, Ronelle; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On a global scale, there are substantial studies about volunteerism. However, literature on volunteerism in South Africa, especially qualitative studies, is limited. The limited literature in South Africa does, however, suggest differences between Northern and Southern global contexts in terms of motivation for volunteering. In order to further build the South African literature in this area, this study explored the experiences of volunteers in a Stellenbosch based NPO. Their experiences encapsulate their motivations, challenges, and benefits of volunteering in their role as mentors to marginalised youth in this area. An overarching developmental framework was utilised to understand the volunteers’ motivations, and supplementary perspectives (Role-ID theory; citizenship and mentoring) were used to explore and contextualise their experiences. Within this framework, a qualitative methodology was employed to explore, gather, describe, and interpret the data. Two group interviews with 5 participants each were conducted. This was supplemented by 3 individual interviews. An interpretive phenomenological analytical approach was used to analyse the data. Findings suggested that other-oriented motivations, citizenship, sense of belonging, social exchange, self-enhancement, positive role model identity, improved personal and familial relations, wilderness solo experience, personal satisfaction and reward in seeing the fruit of their labour were some of the significant themes that emerged for volunteers from their volunteer experience. The main challenge they faced was that of transport mobility to keep mentor appointments. The implications of the findings for South African perspectives on volunteering are discussed.
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    Werkbesettingspatrone van geregistreerde beraders in Suid-Afrika
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-12) Joseph, Bianca; Carolissen, Ronelle; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    South Africa has been a democratic country for more than ten years, and still transformation is not visible in many areas. Psychological services are inaccessible and unaffordable for the larger part of South-Africans. The B.Psych degree was specifically implemented to address this problem. The course aims to give graduates access to registration as counsellors at the HPCSA in order to bring psychological services to people more easily. This study thus explores the employment patterns of registered counsellors in South Africa. These counsellors have been trained to deliver services within the primary health care sector because most people use services within this sector. Only eight percent of registered counsellors in South Africa are working within this sector. Most registered counsellors are working in the education sector or the private sector. Counsellors that are working in the education sector are primarily delivering educational services and not psychological services. Counsellors that are working in the private sector are contributing to making services inaccessible and unaffordable to many people. The absence of workers in the primary healthcare sector is mainly because there is little employment for registered counsellors within this sector. The findings of this study are in accordance with the findings of Kotze (2005) that accessibility to psychological services did not significantly change with the implementation of the B.Psych course.