Developing a family resilience-strengthening programme in a South African rural community

The aim of this study was to develop a contextually based family resilience program. Also presented here is a literature review of family resilience interventions suggesting that these 3 processes are the basis for effective family functioning. A close collaboration with the community ensured an adequate understanding of the presenting family challenges and this article describes the process in developing a program based on these challenges. A 3-round Delphi design was used for the study with international and local experts (n = 10) in the field of family and resilience studies and community stakeholders (n = 5). The program has three main aims: to increase family connectedness, family communication processes and social and economic resources. Based on the findings of this study, 4 modules will be presented to participants, “about family,” “talking together,” “close together,” and “working together.” A description is provided of the program content and decisions regarding logistical program concerns.

‘They won’t talk’: Telling farmer’s stories of mental health

Men in farming occupations have double the risk for suicide compared with the general employed male rate. Within the literature on farmer mental health, essentialist conceptions of masculine traits such as stoicism and self-sufficiency are held responsible for inhibiting help seeking when male farmers are experiencing distress and poor mental health. These discourses have become enmeshed in practice, with those working in the sector reiterating the mantra that male farmers ‘will not talk’ about their mental health to professionals. In response to the heightened risk for suicide and the difficulty mental health services have engaging male farmers, rural community groups are mobilizing and creating new modes of engagement to support mental health in their communities. To counteract the dominant discourse that male farmers ‘will not talk’ about mental health, this presentation draws on a community-based project undertaken in collaboration with mental wellbeing and suicide prevention groups in South Australia. The project produced a community calendar featuring six detailed stories generated from in-depth interviews with farming men. The stories were personal accounts of distress and practices for taking care of the self. This form of storytelling creates narratives of contextualized lived experience that activate normative discourses but also transform those discourses to create social change. When circulated in the local community through the calendar these narratives resonate with other community members with lived experiences of distress and help create conditions of possibility for further storytelling in the community in ways that build solidarity and wellbeing for individuals and communities.

Rural stroke survivors and their community connections

Stroke affects more than 56,000 Australians each year. There has been extensive research conducted reporting on the functional outcomes post stroke. However, there has been limited research efforts directed at understanding how stroke survivors manage their recovery while living in their community. It seems for those living in the community, stroke recovery outcomes vary widely depending on where they live. Numerous studies have reported on health inequities when comparing rural and urban services. Despite the expanding knowledge highlighting these insufficient health service provisions, there is limited research available presenting data from a rural community perspective.

In this study, 17 rural stroke survivors participated in semi-structured interviews. The analysis identified a number of community factors associated with rural stroke survivor’s ability to adjust following the event of stroke.

The findings identified a striking feature about the value of community as conveyed by rural stroke survivors. Rural stroke survivors considered their local community connections as crucial in their ability to reintegrate back into their environment. Community participation was viewed as a meaningful exercise that provided stimulation and a sense of normality in their otherwise challenged and disrupted lives. Included in these findings was the value and prominence stroke survivors placed on supports, networks and relationships. Community connectedness represented a source of personal empowerment.

Despite the many shortfalls regarding the disparities in health services, rural stroke survivors managed to counter balance this with their ability to develop strong links with others. The findings of the study support the urgent need for more suitable delivery of services that integrate environmental factors such as community over long-term stroke recovery and beyond. Hence, more weight needs to be given towards the importance of community and the valuable community connections that are developed in supporting the stroke survivor’s ability to adjust following stroke.

Exploring Psychosocial factors that enable teachers to cope with workplace adversity at a rural district school setting

Teachers are faced many challenges in the South African rural schools such as stress, depression, lack of resources, poor working relationships, inflexible curriculum etc. These could affect their wellbeing and effectiveness at workplace. As a result, the study had a significance in the teacher’s lives and community due teachers worked under conditions that are unfavourable to perform their jobs effectively. Despite these conditions, they still managed to do their jobs and the community is uplifted. However, this study aimed to explore factors that enable teachers to cope with workplace adversities at a rural school district in the Free State Province. It adopted a qualitative case study as research design. Semi-structured interviews and collages had employed as tools to collect data. Ten participants (n=10; 5 males and 5 females) were selected through purposive and convenience sampling. All participants selected from a South African rural school. Sesotho culture was their home language and most of them were 5years teaching experiences. The thematic findings revealed that they developed abilities cope with and adjust to social and cultural environment. These included self-efficacy, developing problem-solving skills, awareness of strengths and asserts, self-managing of emotions, and self-confidence. This study concluded that these psychosocial factors contributed to cope with teacher’s diversities, and effectively stabilized their wellbeing in the schools.
Keywords: Psychosocial factors, Teachers Counselling, Teacher stress, Workplace adversity, Rural School, Teachers’ Wellbeing, Teachers’ Resilience, Teachers’ Self-efficacy, Social interaction.