The effects of COVID-19 have resulted in peritraumatic stress experiences within various groups, including teachers. With this study we aimed to determine the prevalence of peritraumatic stress and the factors associated with each level of PTSD among teachers in South Africa. A cross-sectional study was conducted in South Africa among teachers…

University students' mental health and wellbeing has been a global public health issue of increasing concern in recent years, with a growing body of empirical evidence suggesting university students are a 'very high-risk population' for mental disorders and psychological distress. Pre-existing mental health challenges among university students…

The COVID-19 pandemic had, and still has, an influence on everybody's well-being, including that of music teachers. The search for meaning in life and purpose for music teachers became even more compelling throughout this trying time. This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) explores the multiple meanings that five self-employed music…

The lockdown the South African government implemented in 2020 to contain the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures. During this time, and also when learners were allowed to attend school again, the focus was on the physical health and safety of the learners. However, in the process, schools might have neglected the psycho-social and mental…

The research on students' sense of belonging in higher education has evolved into a prominent theme worldwide. Institutional research focuses on the institution understanding itself and helps leaders to rethink improvement initiatives. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has required of institutions to revise student support programmes and approaches…

The closure of universities as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affects all students and has a far-reaching economic and psychosocial impact, especially for those students who come from marginalized and impoverished contexts. International research reports that students have struggled to cope with learning under unprecedented…

The purpose of this meta-methods study was to examine challenges experienced by students that hinder their ability successfully to learn online during the emergency remote teaching of a South African University that began in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, 4,419 students completed an online questionnaire. Analyses of the…

The transition in learning trajectories, academic pressures and stressors associated with financial and societal pressure that South African postgraduate university students experience places them at risk of mental health difficulties. For these students, their mental well-being has been further threatened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the…

Purpose: The study explored whether an asynchronous short online course in mental health well-being and resilience for healthcare workers (HCWs) showed improved self-reported results among participants during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated the course outcomes…

This qualitative descriptive study explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown on the emotional and social well-being of students enrolled at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa. A sample of students was selected across all levels of study (first, second and third years and postgraduates), using…

The 2020 pandemic led to the immediate lockdown of schools and universities worldwide with far-reaching implications for educators and learners. Individual stories of lockdown and isolation are documented using direct quotations from discussion forums, emails, live chats, and structured journal entries from the Blackboard learning management…

Despite the support structures offered at Open distance e-learning (ODeL) higher education institutions, slow completion and attrition attest to postgraduate students' challenging study experiences. This qualitative and interpretivist case study examines postgraduate students' experiences of counselling support at an ODeL institution in South…

Background: This study focuses on young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who, due to child welfare concerns, have grown up in children's residential care and are now transitioning out of care at the age of 18 years towards young adulthood. This transition is termed "care leaving" and the young people in transition…

Student counselling centres are struggling to meet the demand for mental health services, which has intensified in recent years. This challenge calls for innovative ways to address the mental health needs of students. During the COVID-19 pandemic the peer helpers at Emthonjeni Student Wellness at Nelson Mandela University facilitated innovative…

Several studies have highlighted the mental health challenges of children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, especially, in relation to an escalation of depression, anxiety, and stress. Whilst this may be the reality, it is unfortunate that most of the studies adopt a psychopathological point of departure often portraying doom…