The multicultural conceptualisation of well-being : The role of culture and circumstance in operationalising well-being in South Africa: A mixed-methods approach.

BACKGROUND: Exploring and understanding indicators of better life outcomes have remained popular among social and health researchers. However, the subjective approach to measuring well-being has raised questions on the appropriateness of standard measures of well-being in multicultural settings. The current study examines generalised well-being and its dependence on the implicit understanding of individual culture and circumstances. METHODS: A mixed-method approach with a cross-sectional design and focus group discussions was adopted. Fifteen focus group discussions with 66 participants were conducted in four provinces of South Africa. Descriptive statistics, correlations, regression analysis and analysis of variance were computed for quantitative data. The focus group discussions were analysed using a content analysis approach. The recorded focus group discussions were transcribed using the intelligent verbatim technique. Data analysis was done stepwise using open, axial, and selective coding techniques. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis showed a strong and significant association between quality of life and income and a moderate association with educational attainment. The open coding technique for qualitative data confirmed 11 different subconstructs of well-being, mentioned 403 times during the 15 focus group discussions. Furthermore, well-being indicators varied based on participants' racial identity. CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirm personal circumstance and culture as significant for interpreting results from well-being research. Furthermore, it supports Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, highlighting the movement from deficiency needs to growth needs after deficiency needs are met. Research must adopt a more sociological approach to improve the accuracy and implementibility of findings when using standardised measures of well-being.

Coping strategies of the incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review protocol of quantitative and qualitative evidence.

INTRODUCTION: To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, regulations included the use of cloth masks, sanitising regularly, maintaining social distance and having minimal personal contact. COVID-19 affected many different groups of people including service providers and users of correctional centres. In this protocol, we aim to establish evidence on the challenges and coping strategies adopted by the incarcerated and service providers of the incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this scoping review, we will use the Arksey and O'Malley framework. We will consult PubMed, PsycInfo, SAGE, JSTOR, African Journals and Google Scholar as our databases to search for evidence, and run a continuous search of articles from June 2022 until we conduct an analysis to ensure that our search results are updated. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles, abstracts and full texts for inclusion. All results will be compiled, and duplicates will be removed. Discrepancies and conflicts will be discussed with the third reviewer. All articles that meet the full-text criteria will be included for data extraction. Results will be reported in line with the review objectives and the Donabedian conceptual framework. DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval of the study will not be applicable in this scoping review. Our findings will be disseminated in different ways, such as publishing in peer-reviewed journals and to other key correctional system stakeholders, as well as submitting a policy brief for prison decision makers and policy makers.

Interpreting Microaggression as a Determinant of Wellbeing.

Despite the increasing interest in exploring microaggression in the humanitarian context, there remains uncertainty on its mechanism for affecting life outcomes. There is a lack of studies on ethnic and racial minorities in non-western countries. The current research explores dimensions and manifestations of microaggression and how they affect wellbeing in a multicultural setting. The study uses a qualitative approach with 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 66 participants conducted in 4 provinces of South Africa: Gauteng (k = 6), North-West (k = 3), KwaZulu-Natal (k = 3), and Western Cape (k = 3). The recorded FGDs were transcribed using the intelligent verbatim technique. The transcripts were then analysed using a phenomenological approach. Data analysis was done stepwise using the deductive coding technique. Results show that participants' perception of the dimensions of microaggression varies depending on the manifestation as verbal, behavioural, or systemic. Furthermore, variations in patterns and reactions to dimensions of microaggression were linked with participants' racial identity. It further confirms that experiencing discrimination is associated with poorer wellbeing. Connectedness to the ingroup provides stability and certainty in multi-group societies due to the group rivalry that pervades such societies.

Forgiveness Mediates the Protective Role of Religiosity on Psychological Distress: Findings from Inmates in Eswatini Correctional Centres.

This study examined the mediating role of forgiveness in the relationship between religiosity and psychological distress among 244 inmates (Meanage = 31.6) in Eswatini, a country in Southern Africa formerly called Swaziland. Results showed that religiosity, forgiveness and psychological distress were related in the expected direction. Outcomes of SEM analyses indicated that high religiosity was associated with greater forgiveness, which in turn associated with low distress. While the presence of positive feelings of forgiveness was a significant mediator, the absence of negative feelings was not. Psychotherapeutic techniques targeting lower distress from religiosity should utilize forgiveness interventions with a special focus on the presence of positive feelings toward the offender.

Incidence of psycho-social well-being in a rural community of South Africa.

This article explores the incidence of psychosocial well-being within Lokaleng; a rural community located in the North West province of South Africa. While the community is unique, it shares similarities with many other rural communities in South Africa, such as being deprived of various resources and being impoverished, indicating a need to explore the incidence of psychosocial well-being in this community as there has been no research on this phenomenon in this community specifically. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. A purposive sample of adult community members (n = 189) completed a battery of validated questionnaires and data were analyzed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software package. The results are indicative that the sample experienced lower levels of psychosocial well-being, which supports similar findings of other South African studies that rural communities tend to report lower levels of psychosocial well-being.