The unbearable loneliness of COVID-19: COVID-19-related correlates of loneliness in South Africa in young adults.

This is the first study to examine the association between COVID-19 related variables and loneliness among young adults in South Africa during COVID-19. Participants (N=337) were university students who completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale and five selected subscales of the WHO COVID-19 Behavioural Insights Tool. The mean loneliness scores were significantly higher than previous studies in other contexts as well as studies conducted in the time of COVID-19. Correlational analysis found that greater perceived risk of infection, limited perceived knowledge of COVID-19 and lower appraisals of resilience were associated with increased loneliness. In a regression analysis, when all COVID-19 variables were considered simultaneously, only resilience, self-rated knowledge, and risk perception emerged as significant correlates of loneliness. These findings suggest that loneliness is a significant public health concern in South Africa in the time of COVID-19. It also suggests that self-efficacy and resilience can potentially be reinforced by public health campaigns that focus on enhancing COVID-19-related knowledge and preparedness.

Measuring life events in a sample of South African students: comparison of the Life Experiences Survey and the Schedule of Recent Experiences.

This study compared the Life Experiences Survey and the Schedule of Recent Experiences for a sample of 213 students. Scores on the Life Experiences Survey-Negative discriminated between rural and urban students and between African language speakers and Afrikaans/English speakers. A small but significant correlation between Life Experiences Survey-Negative and scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale was found, while there was no correlation between scores on the Schedule of Recent Experiences with depression. The Life Experiences Survey-Negative was the only significant predictor of Depression scores. The Life Experiences Survey-Negative interacted significantly with all the measures of social support (Friends, Family, Satisfaction, and Number of Supports) in predicting depression, while the Schedule of Recent Experiences only interacted significantly with support from Family and Number of Supports. The study also provides support for clearly distinguishing between desirable and undesirable events, since positive events moderated the correlation of negative events with depression. The Life Experiences Survey is a more promising measure of life events than the Schedule of Recent Experiences in the South African context.

Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess educators' burnout at a university in South Africa.

Use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory with 94 faculty members at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa is described. Analysis indicated that the inventory can be considered a reliable measure of burnout in this educational setting. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the factorial structure of the scale was similar to those previously reported for educational groups in North America. Multiple regression analysis also indicated the significant predictors of the components of burnout in the present study (role conflict, role ambiguity, participation in decision-making, and number of students) are similar to those previously identified.

Problem-solving appraisal in the association of life stress and depression: a South African study.

This study focuses on the role that appraisal of problem-solving skills plays in the relationship of stress to distress. 450 black South African university students completed the Life Experiences Survey, the Problem Solving Inventory, and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Multiple regression analysis indicated a direct effect for problem-solving appraisal on depression, but no support could be found for the stress-buffering effects of problem-solving appraisal.

Cross-cultural application of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale: a study of black South African students.

This article reports normative and psychometric data for the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale when used with black South African students. Subjects were 450 undergraduate students in psychology. The reliability, validity, and factor structure of the scale were consistent with previously reported findings. The correlations of CES-Depression Scale scores with certain demographic variables are also reported.