Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators in the Management of Childhood Trauma and Violence Exposure Intervention in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Research has shown that barriers and facilitators in psychotherapy exhibit similarities. The authors of this study are of the view that to effectively address the difficulties encountered in psychotherapy for children and adolescents, it is crucial to consider the points of view of professionals who have firsthand encounters with children. The purpose of this study was to effectively explore barriers and facilitators in the treatment of children exposed to trauma and violence. Exploratory and descriptive methods, as components of a qualitative research design, were employed to investigate and articulate the barriers and facilitators involved in managing childhood trauma. An advertisement was used to recruit participants. It was developed and distributed to psychologists and social workers recommended by the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme. Seventeen professionals were individually interviewed using semi-structured interview schedules. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings of the study indicated a lack of commitment from parents in honouring appointments, financial challenges, a fear of perpetrators associated with the poor reporting of incidences, professional boundaries, and referral route challenges. Familiar facilitators in the management of childhood trauma included continuous training and workshops for all people working with childhood trauma and violence, the employment of more victim advocates, and awareness campaigns. Additionally, the referral pathway for traumatised children presents logistical, psychological, and educational hurdles, underscoring the complex nature of meeting the needs of these vulnerable populations within the healthcare system. In conclusion, even while the currently available research supports the barriers and facilitators for this population, more investigation is required to examine how these factors affect treatment outcomes, particularly in community-based settings.

Development and validation of an intervention for childhood trauma and exposure to violence in Vhembe District, South Africa.

Most strategies are implemented; however, South Africa needs to evaluate and develop trauma interventions. The study aims to develop, test and validate childhood trauma exposure intervention in the Vhembe district, Limpopo province. Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model will guide the study. The study will employ multiphase mixed methods with five phases. Phase 1 will be a thorough systematic evaluation of literature on childhood trauma and exposure to violence interventions to describe existing interventions. Phase 2, stage 1: Will explore the experiences of children exposed to trauma and violence regarding their experiences of the treatment they received, using semi-structured qualitative interviews. Non-probability purposeful sampling techniques will be used to select participants. The Thoyondou Victim Empowerment's database will select participants. The researchers will conduct semi-structured and unstructured interviews with youngsters exposed to violence and trauma. Stage 2 will be a qualitative study of trauma centre managers and personnel sampled from the contact record. IPA will analyze data. Phase 3 will conceptualize Phase 1 and the empirical phase into Donabedian's SPO framework for Phase 4. Phase 4 develops the intervention using Phase 3's conceptual framework and tests and validates it.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of epilepsy education programs on knowledge, attitudes, and skills among primary school learners.

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition affecting primary school learners, often leading to misconceptions, stigma, and limited social inclusion. These misconceptions transpire because of a lack of knowledge regarding the condition and may lead to high school dropouts. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of epilepsy education programs on epilepsy-related knowledge and understanding, values and attitudes, and skills among primary school learners. A thorough search of electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published between January 2000 and September 2023. Studies that satisfied the eligibility criteria were chosen, and two reviewers conducted data extraction independently. A narrative synthesis approach was utilised to analyse the findings. The review included 10 studies that satisfied the inclusion requirements. The epilepsy education interventions varied in content, duration, and delivery method. Findings indicated that diverse delivery methods, such as classroom-based programs, hospital-based programs, and community-centred interventions, effectively enhanced epilepsy-related knowledge and understanding, values and attitudes, and skills among primary school learners. This systematic review provides evidence that epilepsy education programs can effectively enhance epilepsy-related knowledge, understanding, values, attitudes, and skills among primary school learners. These findings support developing and implementing comprehensive guidelines for teaching epilepsy in primary schools, suggesting various delivery methods and integrating cultural values to promote optimal learning outcomes and social inclusion for learners with epilepsy.

An Inclusive Framework for Collaboration between Midwives and Traditional Birth Attendants and Optimising Maternal and Child Healthcare in Restricted Rural Communities in South Africa: Policy Considerations.

Collaboration between midwives and traditional birth attendants for maternal and child healthcare is a challenge in rural South African communities due to the absence of a guiding framework. To address this, this study sought to develop and validate an inclusive framework informed by the Donabedian structure-process-outcome (SPO) framework for collaboration between these healthcare professionals. METHOD: Key stakeholders were invited to participate in a co-creation workshop to develop the framework. Twenty (20) participants were purposively sampled based on their maternal and child healthcare expertise. A consensus design using the nominal group technique was followed. RESULTS: Participants identified the components needed in the framework, encompassing (i) objectives, (ii) structures, (iii) processes, and (iv) outcomes. CONCLUSION: This paper will contribute to the development of an inclusive healthcare framework, providing insights for stakeholders, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to improve maternal and child healthcare outcomes in resource-constrained, rural settings. Ultimately, the proposed framework will create a sustainable and culturally sensitive model that optimises the strengths of midwives and TBAs and fosters improved healthcare delivery to rural South African communities.

Conceptual Framework for Rape Survivors Diagnosed with PTSD in the North West Province of South Africa.

The lack of a conceptual framework that can be utilized to manage rape survivors diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders presents a challenge in the North-West province. The study aims to provide a conceptual framework for managing rape survivors with PTSD in the province of the North-West using Practice-Oriented Theory and Donabedian's Structure Process Outcome Model Features. The research was conducted using an explanatory, sequential and mixed-methods approach. Additionally, used was the descriptive and explorative programme evaluation design. The results of the study demonstrated the significance of PTSD assessment before management interventions for rape survivors. The study findings outlined and designed a framework to assess and manage PTSD among rape survivors consulting at Thuthuzela Care Centre and those referred to hospitals for further management. The Practice-Oriented theory by Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach, and the Structure Process Outcome model by Donabedian served as points of reference for the development of the conceptual framework. The study is limited to North-West provincial healthcare facilities and Thuthuzela care centres (TCCs), however, it highlights the lack of a conceptual framework pertaining to the psychological management of PTSD rape survivors in the province and South Africa.