Tasneem Hassem | University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (original) (raw)

Papers by Tasneem Hassem

South African Journal of Physiotherapy

Background: While attention has been drawn to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-1... more Background: While attention has been drawn to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers generally, little is known regarding mental health changes over time in frontline and non-frontline physiotherapists during this period.Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate differences in mental health trends among frontline and non-frontline physiotherapists across three time periods during the pandemic.Method: Survey-based data were collected from 366 practising physiotherapists across three time periods during the pandemic (Time 1: n = 171; Time 2: n = 101; Time 3: n = 94). Variations in reported mental health of frontline and non-frontline respondents generally and over time were analysed using comparative statistical techniques and trend analysis.Results: Frontline physiotherapists reported significantly lower levels of general mental well-being and resilience, and significantly higher levels of burnout and maladaptive str...

Frontiers in Psychology

Despite the rapid growth in digital mental health options, a systematic review conducted on the e... more Despite the rapid growth in digital mental health options, a systematic review conducted on the ethics of developing online mental health screening instruments highlighted that there were no formal guidelines in this area. This lack of formal guidelines and the results of the systematic review led to the development of formal guidelines for online mental health screening tools in South Africa. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of these draft guidelines using a qualitative design with two samples of individuals recognised as experts in the field of mental health. Sample one consisted of a purposive sample of 15 experts who commented on the appropriateness of the draft guidelines. The second sample consisted of 9 experts who completed the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument to assess the guidelines. Both samples were in agreement on the relevance of the core content areas in the guidelines, namely purpose and scope, modes of testing, psychomet...

International Journal of Mental Health

Mental health care in many low to middle-income countries like South Africa is often under resour... more Mental health care in many low to middle-income countries like South Africa is often under resourced. Many individuals in these countries have access to the internet and often use this as a first source to search for information. Hence the possibility for online screening of mental health holds the promise of early detection and intervention. However, there are no clear guidelines for the ethics of online screening for mental health. This study aims to explore the literature in an attempt to explore existing guidelines on online screening with a view to formulating recommendations for a more universally applicable standard for online screening of mental health. A systematic review method was used to explore the literature. Articles were obtained from six electronic databases from 1970 to 2019. Through the use of the PRISMA method 12 articles met the inclusion criteria. There was only one article that made specific reference to ethical considerations regarding online screening instruments, whilst the remaining 11 made reference to some pertinent ethical considerations for online screening of mental health. Using a thematic analysis, six core themes were identified across the articles which covered online screening, namely modes of tests, psychometric properties of the tool, issues of consent, accuracy of results, feedback and test security. These were aspects that needed to be addressed over those already in place for pen-and-paper screening tools. The results are used to provide recommendations for ethical guidelines for the online screening of mental health.

South African Journal of Physiotherapy, 2021

Research conducted on the mental health of HCWs during the first global peak of the COVID-19 pand... more Research conducted on the mental health of HCWs during the first global peak of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that frontline HCWs experienced increased symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological stress (Vizheh et al. 2020; Zhang et al. 2020). However, HCWs who Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed physiotherapists to unique work-related challenges. However, there is a lack of research regarding the mental health and lived experiences of South African physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: To determine levels of mental and physical health, burnout, depression, anxiety and resilience and coping strategies used by a sample of South African physiotherapists with and without exposure to patients with COVID-19. Lived work experience, perceived health and sources of support were also explored. Method: A non-experimental, cross-sectional, mixed-method design was used. Physiotherapists completed an online survey comprising: a demographic questionnaire; scales assessing mental and physical health, burnout, depression, anxiety and coping strategies and six open-ended questions. A total of 171 physiotherapists participated in our study, 43.3% of whom were exposed to patients with COVID-19. Results: The exposure group scored significantly higher on self-reported mental health, anxiety, depression and burnout than the non-exposure group. No significant differences were reported for physical health and resilience. Significantly more maladaptive coping strategies were employed by the exposure group. Participants' lived experiences highlighted similar experiences, as well as work-related challenges. Both groups reported that primary sources of support were significant others, but highlighted the lack of organisational support. Conclusion: Irrespective of the degree of exposure to COVID-19, the mental health and lived experiences of physiotherapists working in South Africa has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Clinical implications: Understanding physiotherapists' well-being and lived experiences during the pandemic may guide workplace interventions. Our findings suggest the need for psycho-educational intervention programmes to be implemented at an organisational level.

African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2021

African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2021

South African Journal of Psychology, 2020

Systematic reviews by virtue of being a pre-determined, transparent, and comprehensive plan and s... more Systematic reviews by virtue of being a pre-determined, transparent, and comprehensive plan and search strategy are fast gaining popularity in psychology in South Africa. A systematic review allows one to obtain a thorough overview regarding the recent developments and debates on a given topic with the addition of metacommentary. In South Africa, we have noted stark differences in the reporting of systematic reviews. Often studies are identified as systematic reviews but methodologically have failed to meet the rigorous criteria that characterise this method. This article aims to provide a guide for the novice researcher on conducting systematic reviews. We draw on a practical case study by Hassem and Laher where the systematic review method was used to establish the efficacy of online depression screening tools in the South African context as a practical illustration of the systematic review method. In so doing, the affordances and limitations of the systematic review method are di...

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 2021

Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to fundamental changes in the w... more Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to fundamental changes in the workplace for many, particularly healthcare workers.Research purpose: This study explored healthcare workers’ (ophthalmologists, nurses and support staff) experiences of anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience and coping strategies during lockdown Levels 2 and 3 in an Ophthalmic consulting practice and hospital in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The increased workplace stress and vulnerability associated with working during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced an unprecedented level of risk for healthcare workers. Factors contributing to psychological distress must be identified and appropriately mitigated, to prevent dire human and economic costs.Research approach/design and method: A survey was sent out at two separate times to a convenience sample of 31 and 15 healthcare workers respectively. The survey consisted of a demographics section, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Bur...

South African Journal of Psychology, 2021

National strategies to manage COVID-19, including lockdown, have caused significant disruption to... more National strategies to manage COVID-19, including lockdown, have caused significant disruption to student learning and to the ways that students engage with staff and peers. The transition to online learning, alongside common anxieties associated with the disease itself, was likely to have affected student mental health. This study explored psychology student mental health experiences during Lockdown Phase 3 at the University of the Witwatersrand. A convenience sample of 160 first- and second-year psychology students completed a questionnaire consisting of the General Mental Health Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Burnout Measure, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Generalised Self Efficacy Scale. In addition, six open-ended questions asking students about their experiences and support during this time were included. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, whereas content and...

Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2021

The recently concluded International Congress of Psychology 2020+ brought together psychologists ... more The recently concluded International Congress of Psychology 2020+ brought together psychologists from different countries and various cultural backgrounds. A fundamental part of the congress is the Emerging Psychologists’ Program. The program provided a valuable platform for early career researchers across different countries, cultures and fields to exchange knowledge, communicate and collaborate. This article comes from the perspective of the Emerging Psychologists Program participants consisting of early career psychology researchers and practitioners from Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Singapore, and Australia. This article highlights the challenges and learnings gained through our doctoral research journey. We are hoping our experiences are of relevance to students of mental health, clinicians, and researchers, consistent with your journal’s mission to be a conduit for dissemination of information across the Asian countries and to and from the rest of the world (Tandon, 2020)

South African Journal of Psychiatry, 2019

Background: According to the World Health Organization, the alarming increase in rates of depress... more Background: According to the World Health Organization, the alarming increase in rates of depression globally has become a serious concern. In 2010, the prevalence rate of depression in South Africa was 4.6%. Given the context of South Africa where the majority of the population have limited access to healthcare facilities and 59.3% of the population have access to the Internet, an online depression screening tool would have much to offer. Objective: To determine whether online depression screening tools would be suitable for use in South Africa. Methods: This study presents a systematic review of online depression screening tools to determine whether one would be suitable for use in South Africa. Articles were accessed from seven electronic databases from 1970 to 2018. All articles included in the review were critically appraised. Results: A total of 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. From the results, there was only one screening tool available on an open access platform for use by the general population. The most common depression online screening tools were the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). It was also evident that there were negligible differences in the psychometric properties of online versus paper versions of the online screening tools. Furthermore, there were very few studies that considered the African or South African population and no online screening tools for major depressive disorder (MDD) developed in these contexts. Conclusion: There appears to be a need for a depression screening tool to be adapted for online usage in South Africa. It is recommended that the online screening tool should be adapted from the three commonly used online depression screening tools: PHQ-9, CES-D and BDI-II.

South African Journal of Psychiatry, 2022

Background: A global increase of 16% in depression rates from 1990 to 2019 highlights the alarmin... more Background: A global increase of 16% in depression rates from 1990 to 2019 highlights the alarming situation in relation to increase in depression. Research has indicated that this rate is likely to increase as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In South Africa, the depression life-time prevalence rate is 9.47%. However, the lack of access to mental healthcare services leads to people not receiving much needed information and care. The growing accessibility to the Internet for South Africans offers a solution for the screening and access to self-help information for depression. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD)-R was adapted for online usage and a website, mddsa.co.za, was piloted in this regard.Aim: This study reports on the efficacy of the online adapted CESD-R for use in South Africa by reporting on the reliability and criterion validity as well as the user friendliness of the website and the appropriateness of the instant fee...

African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had changed the world in unexpected ways and psy... more The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had changed the world in unexpected ways and psychometric assessment was no exception. Despite the advancements made in online psychometric assessment implementation, the authors of this commentary reflected on their own experiences in the context of the psychology profession in South Africa, where psychology professionals had been faced with the dilemma of halting, postponing or adapting assessments for remote implementation. Remote implementation had many challenges, notably shifting the logistics, financial burden and accountability onto the testtaker. In addition, when implementing remote testing, considerations of supervised and unsupervised testing need to be considered in terms of flexibility, control, test-taker comfort, standardisation, costs, ethical concerns and crisis management. Whilst in the private sector, remote psychometric assessment had been met with resilience and innovation, in academia, remote psychometric research was faced with unique challenges which affect all aspects of the research process and access to participation. Across both industry and academia where psychometric assessments were conducted, the scores and results need to be interpreted with reflection and caution as the pandemic had led to an increase in psychological distress in addition to the unique contextual challenges that South Africa already faced.

Keywords: academia; COVID-19 pandemic; industry; mental health; psychometric assessment; South Africa; remote testing.

Evaluation & the Health Professions

Dynamic violence and injury prevention interventions located within community settings raise eval... more Dynamic violence and injury prevention interventions located within community settings raise evaluation challenges by virtue of their complex structure, focus, and aims. They try to address many risk factors simultaneously, are often overlapped in their implementation, and their implementation may be phased over time. This article proposes a statistical and analytic framework for evaluating the effectiveness of multilevel, multisystem, multi-component, community-driven, dynamic interventions. The proposed framework builds on meta regression methodology and recently proposed approaches for pooling results from multi-component intervention studies. The methodology is applied to the evaluation of the effectiveness of South African community-centered injury prevention and safety promotion interventions. The proposed framework allows for complex interventions to be disaggregated into their constituent parts in order to extract their specific effects. The potential utility of the framewor...

A worldwide increase in depression prevalence rates by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015 has listed... more A worldwide increase in depression prevalence rates by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015 has listed depression as a leading cause of disability and ill health. 1 According to the global burden of disease study in 2010, 5.0% of the southern sub-Saharan African population was diagnosed as having major depressive disorder (MDD) 2 In South Africa, the MDD prevalence rate in 2010 was 4.6%. 2 The majority of depression screenings are first made in primary care facilities, where accurate diagnoses of depression in patients only occur in less than 50.0% of cases. 3 This inaccuracy is often attributed to the lack of resources available in these facilities, time constraints, lack of training as well as screening tool bias. 4 Primary healthcare providers often want to use screening tools that require the least amount of training and time to administer and interpret. 5 The majority of the paper-based depression screening tools are based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), 4th Edition (DSM-IV) or DSM, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) classification of MDD. 5,6 This classification was revised in the DSM 5th Edition (DSM 5), 7 where the categories of a single and recurrent depressive episode, as well as the symptoms of bereavement, were removed. Furthermore, the DSM criteria for depression are often criticised for being based on a Western set of cultural assumptions. These assumptions include the autonomy and uniqueness of each individual, the focus on the intrapersonal rather than interpersonal symptoms and the emphasis on emotional symptoms as a classification for depression. These Western cultural norms are not universal as various cultures view individuals as being interdependent; and the mind and body are not viewed as distinct entities but rather as mutually constitutive. 8 The DSM classification is based on a dichotomous approach when it comes to MDD diagnoses, but this approach is unclear. As a result, depression can either be overdiagnosed or underdiagnosed and depression diagnostic tools should be utilised with extreme caution in non-Western-based societies. Background: According to the World Health Organization, the alarming increase in rates of depression globally has become a serious concern. In 2010, the prevalence rate of depression in South Africa was 4.6%. Given the context of South Africa where the majority of the population have limited access to healthcare facilities and 59.3% of the population have access to the Internet, an online depression screening tool would have much to offer.

South African Journal of Physiotherapy

Background: While attention has been drawn to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-1... more Background: While attention has been drawn to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers generally, little is known regarding mental health changes over time in frontline and non-frontline physiotherapists during this period.Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate differences in mental health trends among frontline and non-frontline physiotherapists across three time periods during the pandemic.Method: Survey-based data were collected from 366 practising physiotherapists across three time periods during the pandemic (Time 1: n = 171; Time 2: n = 101; Time 3: n = 94). Variations in reported mental health of frontline and non-frontline respondents generally and over time were analysed using comparative statistical techniques and trend analysis.Results: Frontline physiotherapists reported significantly lower levels of general mental well-being and resilience, and significantly higher levels of burnout and maladaptive str...

Frontiers in Psychology

Despite the rapid growth in digital mental health options, a systematic review conducted on the e... more Despite the rapid growth in digital mental health options, a systematic review conducted on the ethics of developing online mental health screening instruments highlighted that there were no formal guidelines in this area. This lack of formal guidelines and the results of the systematic review led to the development of formal guidelines for online mental health screening tools in South Africa. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of these draft guidelines using a qualitative design with two samples of individuals recognised as experts in the field of mental health. Sample one consisted of a purposive sample of 15 experts who commented on the appropriateness of the draft guidelines. The second sample consisted of 9 experts who completed the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument to assess the guidelines. Both samples were in agreement on the relevance of the core content areas in the guidelines, namely purpose and scope, modes of testing, psychomet...

International Journal of Mental Health

Mental health care in many low to middle-income countries like South Africa is often under resour... more Mental health care in many low to middle-income countries like South Africa is often under resourced. Many individuals in these countries have access to the internet and often use this as a first source to search for information. Hence the possibility for online screening of mental health holds the promise of early detection and intervention. However, there are no clear guidelines for the ethics of online screening for mental health. This study aims to explore the literature in an attempt to explore existing guidelines on online screening with a view to formulating recommendations for a more universally applicable standard for online screening of mental health. A systematic review method was used to explore the literature. Articles were obtained from six electronic databases from 1970 to 2019. Through the use of the PRISMA method 12 articles met the inclusion criteria. There was only one article that made specific reference to ethical considerations regarding online screening instruments, whilst the remaining 11 made reference to some pertinent ethical considerations for online screening of mental health. Using a thematic analysis, six core themes were identified across the articles which covered online screening, namely modes of tests, psychometric properties of the tool, issues of consent, accuracy of results, feedback and test security. These were aspects that needed to be addressed over those already in place for pen-and-paper screening tools. The results are used to provide recommendations for ethical guidelines for the online screening of mental health.

South African Journal of Physiotherapy, 2021

Research conducted on the mental health of HCWs during the first global peak of the COVID-19 pand... more Research conducted on the mental health of HCWs during the first global peak of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that frontline HCWs experienced increased symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological stress (Vizheh et al. 2020; Zhang et al. 2020). However, HCWs who Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed physiotherapists to unique work-related challenges. However, there is a lack of research regarding the mental health and lived experiences of South African physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: To determine levels of mental and physical health, burnout, depression, anxiety and resilience and coping strategies used by a sample of South African physiotherapists with and without exposure to patients with COVID-19. Lived work experience, perceived health and sources of support were also explored. Method: A non-experimental, cross-sectional, mixed-method design was used. Physiotherapists completed an online survey comprising: a demographic questionnaire; scales assessing mental and physical health, burnout, depression, anxiety and coping strategies and six open-ended questions. A total of 171 physiotherapists participated in our study, 43.3% of whom were exposed to patients with COVID-19. Results: The exposure group scored significantly higher on self-reported mental health, anxiety, depression and burnout than the non-exposure group. No significant differences were reported for physical health and resilience. Significantly more maladaptive coping strategies were employed by the exposure group. Participants' lived experiences highlighted similar experiences, as well as work-related challenges. Both groups reported that primary sources of support were significant others, but highlighted the lack of organisational support. Conclusion: Irrespective of the degree of exposure to COVID-19, the mental health and lived experiences of physiotherapists working in South Africa has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Clinical implications: Understanding physiotherapists' well-being and lived experiences during the pandemic may guide workplace interventions. Our findings suggest the need for psycho-educational intervention programmes to be implemented at an organisational level.

African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2021

African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2021

South African Journal of Psychology, 2020

Systematic reviews by virtue of being a pre-determined, transparent, and comprehensive plan and s... more Systematic reviews by virtue of being a pre-determined, transparent, and comprehensive plan and search strategy are fast gaining popularity in psychology in South Africa. A systematic review allows one to obtain a thorough overview regarding the recent developments and debates on a given topic with the addition of metacommentary. In South Africa, we have noted stark differences in the reporting of systematic reviews. Often studies are identified as systematic reviews but methodologically have failed to meet the rigorous criteria that characterise this method. This article aims to provide a guide for the novice researcher on conducting systematic reviews. We draw on a practical case study by Hassem and Laher where the systematic review method was used to establish the efficacy of online depression screening tools in the South African context as a practical illustration of the systematic review method. In so doing, the affordances and limitations of the systematic review method are di...

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 2021

Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to fundamental changes in the w... more Orientation: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to fundamental changes in the workplace for many, particularly healthcare workers.Research purpose: This study explored healthcare workers’ (ophthalmologists, nurses and support staff) experiences of anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience and coping strategies during lockdown Levels 2 and 3 in an Ophthalmic consulting practice and hospital in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The increased workplace stress and vulnerability associated with working during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced an unprecedented level of risk for healthcare workers. Factors contributing to psychological distress must be identified and appropriately mitigated, to prevent dire human and economic costs.Research approach/design and method: A survey was sent out at two separate times to a convenience sample of 31 and 15 healthcare workers respectively. The survey consisted of a demographics section, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Bur...

South African Journal of Psychology, 2021

National strategies to manage COVID-19, including lockdown, have caused significant disruption to... more National strategies to manage COVID-19, including lockdown, have caused significant disruption to student learning and to the ways that students engage with staff and peers. The transition to online learning, alongside common anxieties associated with the disease itself, was likely to have affected student mental health. This study explored psychology student mental health experiences during Lockdown Phase 3 at the University of the Witwatersrand. A convenience sample of 160 first- and second-year psychology students completed a questionnaire consisting of the General Mental Health Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Burnout Measure, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Generalised Self Efficacy Scale. In addition, six open-ended questions asking students about their experiences and support during this time were included. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data, whereas content and...

Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2021

The recently concluded International Congress of Psychology 2020+ brought together psychologists ... more The recently concluded International Congress of Psychology 2020+ brought together psychologists from different countries and various cultural backgrounds. A fundamental part of the congress is the Emerging Psychologists’ Program. The program provided a valuable platform for early career researchers across different countries, cultures and fields to exchange knowledge, communicate and collaborate. This article comes from the perspective of the Emerging Psychologists Program participants consisting of early career psychology researchers and practitioners from Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Singapore, and Australia. This article highlights the challenges and learnings gained through our doctoral research journey. We are hoping our experiences are of relevance to students of mental health, clinicians, and researchers, consistent with your journal’s mission to be a conduit for dissemination of information across the Asian countries and to and from the rest of the world (Tandon, 2020)

South African Journal of Psychiatry, 2019

Background: According to the World Health Organization, the alarming increase in rates of depress... more Background: According to the World Health Organization, the alarming increase in rates of depression globally has become a serious concern. In 2010, the prevalence rate of depression in South Africa was 4.6%. Given the context of South Africa where the majority of the population have limited access to healthcare facilities and 59.3% of the population have access to the Internet, an online depression screening tool would have much to offer. Objective: To determine whether online depression screening tools would be suitable for use in South Africa. Methods: This study presents a systematic review of online depression screening tools to determine whether one would be suitable for use in South Africa. Articles were accessed from seven electronic databases from 1970 to 2018. All articles included in the review were critically appraised. Results: A total of 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. From the results, there was only one screening tool available on an open access platform for use by the general population. The most common depression online screening tools were the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). It was also evident that there were negligible differences in the psychometric properties of online versus paper versions of the online screening tools. Furthermore, there were very few studies that considered the African or South African population and no online screening tools for major depressive disorder (MDD) developed in these contexts. Conclusion: There appears to be a need for a depression screening tool to be adapted for online usage in South Africa. It is recommended that the online screening tool should be adapted from the three commonly used online depression screening tools: PHQ-9, CES-D and BDI-II.

South African Journal of Psychiatry, 2022

Background: A global increase of 16% in depression rates from 1990 to 2019 highlights the alarmin... more Background: A global increase of 16% in depression rates from 1990 to 2019 highlights the alarming situation in relation to increase in depression. Research has indicated that this rate is likely to increase as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In South Africa, the depression life-time prevalence rate is 9.47%. However, the lack of access to mental healthcare services leads to people not receiving much needed information and care. The growing accessibility to the Internet for South Africans offers a solution for the screening and access to self-help information for depression. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD)-R was adapted for online usage and a website, mddsa.co.za, was piloted in this regard.Aim: This study reports on the efficacy of the online adapted CESD-R for use in South Africa by reporting on the reliability and criterion validity as well as the user friendliness of the website and the appropriateness of the instant fee...

African Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had changed the world in unexpected ways and psy... more The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had changed the world in unexpected ways and psychometric assessment was no exception. Despite the advancements made in online psychometric assessment implementation, the authors of this commentary reflected on their own experiences in the context of the psychology profession in South Africa, where psychology professionals had been faced with the dilemma of halting, postponing or adapting assessments for remote implementation. Remote implementation had many challenges, notably shifting the logistics, financial burden and accountability onto the testtaker. In addition, when implementing remote testing, considerations of supervised and unsupervised testing need to be considered in terms of flexibility, control, test-taker comfort, standardisation, costs, ethical concerns and crisis management. Whilst in the private sector, remote psychometric assessment had been met with resilience and innovation, in academia, remote psychometric research was faced with unique challenges which affect all aspects of the research process and access to participation. Across both industry and academia where psychometric assessments were conducted, the scores and results need to be interpreted with reflection and caution as the pandemic had led to an increase in psychological distress in addition to the unique contextual challenges that South Africa already faced.

Keywords: academia; COVID-19 pandemic; industry; mental health; psychometric assessment; South Africa; remote testing.

Evaluation & the Health Professions

Dynamic violence and injury prevention interventions located within community settings raise eval... more Dynamic violence and injury prevention interventions located within community settings raise evaluation challenges by virtue of their complex structure, focus, and aims. They try to address many risk factors simultaneously, are often overlapped in their implementation, and their implementation may be phased over time. This article proposes a statistical and analytic framework for evaluating the effectiveness of multilevel, multisystem, multi-component, community-driven, dynamic interventions. The proposed framework builds on meta regression methodology and recently proposed approaches for pooling results from multi-component intervention studies. The methodology is applied to the evaluation of the effectiveness of South African community-centered injury prevention and safety promotion interventions. The proposed framework allows for complex interventions to be disaggregated into their constituent parts in order to extract their specific effects. The potential utility of the framewor...

A worldwide increase in depression prevalence rates by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015 has listed... more A worldwide increase in depression prevalence rates by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015 has listed depression as a leading cause of disability and ill health. 1 According to the global burden of disease study in 2010, 5.0% of the southern sub-Saharan African population was diagnosed as having major depressive disorder (MDD) 2 In South Africa, the MDD prevalence rate in 2010 was 4.6%. 2 The majority of depression screenings are first made in primary care facilities, where accurate diagnoses of depression in patients only occur in less than 50.0% of cases. 3 This inaccuracy is often attributed to the lack of resources available in these facilities, time constraints, lack of training as well as screening tool bias. 4 Primary healthcare providers often want to use screening tools that require the least amount of training and time to administer and interpret. 5 The majority of the paper-based depression screening tools are based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), 4th Edition (DSM-IV) or DSM, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) classification of MDD. 5,6 This classification was revised in the DSM 5th Edition (DSM 5), 7 where the categories of a single and recurrent depressive episode, as well as the symptoms of bereavement, were removed. Furthermore, the DSM criteria for depression are often criticised for being based on a Western set of cultural assumptions. These assumptions include the autonomy and uniqueness of each individual, the focus on the intrapersonal rather than interpersonal symptoms and the emphasis on emotional symptoms as a classification for depression. These Western cultural norms are not universal as various cultures view individuals as being interdependent; and the mind and body are not viewed as distinct entities but rather as mutually constitutive. 8 The DSM classification is based on a dichotomous approach when it comes to MDD diagnoses, but this approach is unclear. As a result, depression can either be overdiagnosed or underdiagnosed and depression diagnostic tools should be utilised with extreme caution in non-Western-based societies. Background: According to the World Health Organization, the alarming increase in rates of depression globally has become a serious concern. In 2010, the prevalence rate of depression in South Africa was 4.6%. Given the context of South Africa where the majority of the population have limited access to healthcare facilities and 59.3% of the population have access to the Internet, an online depression screening tool would have much to offer.