This work aims to investigate the experiences of Black female undergraduate students at the University of São Paulo (USP) to understand the challenges, achievements, and coping mechanisms related to their integration and persistence in the university. It highlights how their experiences of exclusion and belonging are shaped by the intersection of race, gender, and class. Through interviews conducted with Black female undergraduate students at USP, I seek to understand the adversities these students face in the academic environment, how they navigate these challenges, and how these experiences intersect with other dimensions of their lives, subjectivities, and identities. On one hand, I explore how experiences of racial discrimination, sexism, and other forms of inequality are perceived in their trajectories. On the other hand, I reflect on how participation in identity-based collectives and student organizations influences the construction of the identity and subjectivity of Black women at the university. Additionally, I examine the emotional impact of marginalization and how support networks and representation contribute to the resilience and retention of these students, elucidating the dynamics that influence their academic and personal lives.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar as experiências de alunas de graduação negras da Universidade de São Paulo, a fim de compreender os desafios, conquistas e mecanismos de enfrentamento relacionados à sua inserção e permanência na universidade, destacando como suas experiências de exclusão e pertencimento são moldadas pela interseção de raça, gênero e classe. Através de entrevistas realizadas com alunas negras de graduação da USP, procuro entender por quais adversidades as estudantes negras passam no ambiente acadêmico, os modos pelos quais lidam com essas experiências e como elas se articulam com as outras dimensões de suas vidas, com as suas subjetividades e identidades. Exploro, por um lado, como as vivências de discriminação racial, machismo e outras formas de desigualdade são percebidos em suas trajetórias e, por outro, reflito em que medida participação em coletivos identitários e organizações estudantis afetam a construção da identidade e subjetividade das mulheres negras na universidade. Além disso, examino o impacto emocional da marginalização e como as redes de apoio e a representatividade contribuem para a resistência e permanência dessas estudantes, elucidando as dinâmicas que influenciam suas vidas acadêmicas e pessoais.

Abstract The professions related to the care of users are those that manifest higher levels of stress historically, an element that increases when the attention is to more than one beneficiary at a time, one of these careers is teaching, because day by day teachers develop their work avoiding various social phenomena such as the different types of violence that are experienced inside the school, exclusion, varied family models, conflicts, lack of resources, inequality, to name a few. This outlines a scenario full of demands for the teacher which represents an emotional charge that promotes the suffering of stress. The purpose of this paper is to identify the stress coping mechanisms and socio-emotional competencies with which they are linked in a group of normal students, through a non-experimental cross-sectional-descriptive quantitative study, carried out in July 2020, with a sample of 226 students. To this end, two instruments were applied, one that measured the situations that arise in life and that are assessed as stressful, and as a second instrument, a socio-formative analytical rubric of socio-emotional competencies was applied, which includes inter- and intrapersonal competencies. Among the findings, students show a moderate level of stress, on socio-emotional competencies it was found that the areas of immediate attention are social awareness and empathy. Some of the conclusions are to emphasize the formation of socio-emotional competencies and their potentiation in the educational system, as well as the approach of not working separately.

Resumen Las profesiones relacionadas con el cuidado a usuarios son las que manifiestan mayores niveles de estrés históricamente, elemento que se incrementa cuando la atención es a más de un beneficiario a la vez, una de esas carreras es la docencia, debido a que día a día profesores desarrollan su labor sorteando diversos fenómenos sociales como los distintos tipos de violencia que se viven al interior de la escuela, exclusión, modelos familiares variados, conflictos, carencia de recursos, desigualdad, por nombrar algunos. De ahí que, exista un escenario profesional lleno de demandas para el docente que representa una carga emocional que promueve el padecimiento de estrés. El objetivo de la presente es establecer la relación entre el afrontamiento del estrés y el dominio de competencias socioemocionales con las que cuentan un grupo de estudiantes normalistas, mediante un estudio cuantitativo no experimental transversal-descriptivo, realizado en julio del 2020, con una muestra de 226 estudiantes. Para ello, se aplicaron dos instrumentos, uno que midió las situaciones que se presentan en la vida y que se valoran como estresantes y como segundo instrumento se aplicó una rúbrica analítica socioformativa de competencias socioemocionales que comprende competencias inter e intrapersonales. Dentro de los hallazgos los estudiantes muestran un nivel moderado de estrés, sobre las competencias socioemocionales se encontró que las áreas de atención inmediata son la conciencia social y la empatía. Algunas de las conclusiones son enfatizar la formación de competencias socioemocionales y su potencialización en el sistema educativo, así como el planteamiento de no trabajarse por separado.

Associative mechanisms (such as cooperatives) offer various benefits to their members regarding financial advantages and risk management, providing access to skills and knowledge, strengthening communication and relationships, and offering members stronger negotiation and bargaining power. However, how membership to associative mechanisms contributes to small-scale farmers' resilience is not well documented. This article explores how associative mechanisms contribute to small-scale farmers' ability to absorb shocks, remain productive, and maintain their system's equilibrium. In total, 1110 respondents from seven Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar districts were interviewed using a mixed assessment method. The data was analysed using a participant perspective. Various findings in the data showed that associative mechanisms benefit their members, including increased access to credit and more diverse market access, and enable members to employ less drastic coping strategies than non-members. The main recommendation is that farmers' associative mechanisms should be supported and guided to be internally driven and motivated mechanisms.

ORIENTATION: The conflicting demands of work and family contribute to individual stress levels, particularly for women because of gender stereotypes. The male-dominated and pressured environment of manufacturing and gendered expectations at home exacerbate of stress for women manufacturing managers. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The study aimed to explore the gendered expectations of female managers in the manufacturing industry in South Africa and how they cope with resulting stress. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Limited research has been conducted on the gendered expectations of female managers in the South African manufacturing industry, including stress experienced due to work-family conflict (WFC) and coping mechanisms for managing this stress. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A qualitative research approach was adopted, with a sample of 14 female managers from South African manufacturing organisations. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. MAIN FINDINGS: Female manufacturing managers' stress is linked to the patriarchal working environment, compounded by the lack of support for the 'double burden' of work and family responsibilities. Generally, female managers resort to unsustainable coping mechanisms rather than permanent solutions PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The study revealed structural problems within the manufacturing industry, which, unaddressed, will result in women increasingly pursuing more accommodating industries, depriving manufacturing organisations of much-needed female talent. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The study acknowledged the call for cross-national work on WFC and makes a unique contribution by focusing on gendered expectations in the male-dominated sector of manufacturing in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: There is a recognised need for rehabilitation services at primary health care (PHC) level. In addition, there are clear policies (international and national) and guidelines for use by healthcare planners in South Africa to implement rehabilitation services. Although rehabilitation services are provided on the primary platform, its operationalisation has not been in an integrated manner. Clarity on the level of integration within existing PHC rehabilitation service delivery is required for its inclusion in a reengineered PHC AIM: The study explored the extent to which rehabilitation services are integrated into PHC service delivery based on the expressed reality of rehabilitation professionals SETTING: The Johannesburg Metropolitan District of Gauteng, South Africa METHODS: In-depth interviews with 12 PHC rehabilitation professionals were completed to elicit their experiences with PHC rehabilitation services RESULTS: The theme the current state of rehabilitation services - 'this is the reality; you need to do what you need to do' along with its two subcategories, was generated from this study. The theme describes the expressed reality of suboptimal, underdeveloped and poorly integrated rehabilitation services within the Johannesburg Metropolitan District. Rehabilitation service providers have adapted service delivery by including isolated components of rehabilitation integration models, but this has not yielded an integrated service CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation services although recognised as a crucial service in PHC must be critically analysed and adapted to develop integrated service delivery models. There should be a shift from selected coping mechanisms to targeted, integrated services CONTRIBUTION: The study describes PHC rehabilitation services and explores best practice models for integrated service planning and delivery

BACKGROUND: Informal caregivers are an essential health resource in the care of persons with severe mental disorders, particularly in South Africa where access to mental healthcare services is limited. AIM: The study aimed to explore and describe the coping strategies used by informal caregivers and the specific health impacts they face in the context of severe mental disorders in South Africa. SETTING: The study was conducted in Bushbuckridge municipality situated in the northeastern parts of Mpumalanga province, South Africa. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative methodology was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 12 purposefully selected participants. Audio-recorded interviews were translated, transcribed and analysed inductively on NVivo12 using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The themes identified were caregivers' experience of consequences of caregiving and caregivers' experience of coping with their caregiving role. Participants experienced negative consequences on their emotional, mental and physical health. The participants use internal and external resources to cope with the challenges they face, and many highlighted using emotion-focused coping strategies. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed an urgent need to develop support strategies to strengthen informal caregivers' coping and promote good health particularly in rural South Africa where informal caregivers play a crucial role in the management of severe mental disorders. CONTRIBUTION: The finding demands that policymakers and healthcare providers prioritise the health and well-being of the informal caregivers. There should be policies targeted specifically at developing and implementing caregiver-orientated healthcare services.

BACKGROUND: Depression is reported as one of the most common mental disorders. Research on Indian men's understandings of depression is limited. AIM: The authors aimed to explore South African Indian men's understanding of depression in a community, and how this guides help-seeking behaviour. SETTING: Community dwelling participants in Gauteng, South Africa. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative design was employed and a purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven Indian adult men and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The findings of this study yielded a total of six themes. These included understanding of depression, depression is taboo, diverging gender role expectations and depression, help-seeking behaviour, barriers to help-seeking, and mental health community support. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a lack of understanding and awareness of depression among participants and discussions around mental illness being regarded as taboo. Gender roles and societal expectations were considered as one of the contributors to depression onset. Coping and help-seeking behaviour included adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms with professional psychological help being least prioritised. Self-stigmatisation and fear of discrimination were highlighted as barriers to help-seeking behaviours. CONTRIBUTION: This study contributed to the limited body of knowledge on understanding of depression among Indian men in South Africa and highlighted the importance of mental health awareness campaigns and professional help-seeking behaviour.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed the psychological functioning of mental healthcare practitioners under severe strain. Coping methods may affect mental health outcomes. AIM: The study examined the relationship between depression, anxiety, stress, and coping styles utilised by mental healthcare practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic. SETTING: Three private and one public mental healthcare facility in Bloemfontein, South Africa. METHODS: Respondents completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) inventories. An ordinal regression model was used to assess the relationship between coping styles, anxiety and depression. RESULTS: A total of 212 practitioners were included in the analysis. According to DASS-21 measures, approximately 41% and 28% of respondents had moderate to severe depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively, with the highest prevalence among younger female respondents and nurses. The association between stress severity, anxiety and depression was significant. Avoidant coping methods and two approach coping strategies (planning and acceptance) were associated with depression and anxiety. Anxiety was linked to an increased likelihood of transitioning to higher avoidant categories, while participants with depression were less likely to move to higher avoidant or approach categories. CONCLUSION: Mental healthcare practitioners, especially nurses, experienced significant COVID-19-related psychological distress during the pandemic. Avoidant coping mechanisms may increase the risk of poor mental health outcomes. CONTRIBUTION: This study added data on the mental health effects of COVID-19 on mental healthcare practitioners, as well as psychological methods used to cope during the pandemic.

Floods are one of the persistent major risk drivers impacting the Cuvelai-Etosha basin of northern Namibia. Locally known as Efundja, this disruptive event negatively impacts particularly the rural population, who have limited resources to combat its effects. Being mostly subsistence farmers in isolated communities, the floods wreak havoc with their homesteads, harvests, animals, and general way of life by cutting them off from their fields, neighbours, and essential services for prolonged periods. This study investigates the impacts and coping mechanisms of rural communities regularly affected by Efundja. Data was collected from four groups of respondents through interviews and focus groups. These were heads of households in the affected rural communities, the community leaders, local councillors and national government officials involved in disaster mitigation. This ensured a comprehensive picture of the impacts. CONTRIBUTION: Despite the presence of a national disaster risk management strategy, the national disaster response mechanism rather reactively responds to the hazard as opposed to being proactive. Results indicates that the strategy is not fully implemented and the parts that are implemented functions as a top-down approach. Respondents reported a wide range of impacts and a general inability to effectively cope with Efundja, coupled with an absence of their voices in deliberations about risk reduction matters. Additions to the current disaster risk management strategy is proposed and several recommendations derived from the research results concludes the article. Should these recommendations be implemented into the Namibian disaster risk management strategy, Efundja as risk driver will also become an agent of change.

Healthcare practitioners are regularly faced with treating patients at the end of their life, and this can be very daunting. This article hopes to help the practitioner have an approach to managing end-of-life care that makes it less distressing. The symptoms at the end-of-life include delirium and/or agitation, breathing changes, skin changes, sleeping more, decrease in need for food and drink, incontinence, and increased secretions. These symptoms are discussed and practical ways of management are given. The article further discusses how to approach the difficult conversation with the family and gives guidance as to what needs to be discussed. A number of tips are discussed on how to prepare the family to handle a death at home. It is essential to look at coping mechanisms and selfcare for practitioners dealing with end-of-life care as the death of a patient not only affects the family but also the practitioner.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a pandemic that has affected families and left many children orphaned worldwide. After the death of their parents, HIV/AIDS orphans are often taken care of by caregivers who are faced with overwhelming challenges that affect their capabilities to perform caring tasks. It has been reported that caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans use different coping mechanisms to deal with the challenges faced during caring. Coping mechanisms play an integral role in maintaining individuals' physical and mental well-being, particularly those caring for orphans. This study explored coping mechanisms used by caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans METHODS: A qualitative design was adopted, and individual semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 13 caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans in North West province. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Rigor was maintained throughout the study RESULTS: Three main themes were identified with eight subthemes. The first theme includes support from significant others, and subthemes are family support, neighbour support, and life partner support. The second main theme emerged from this study was religious practices and two subthemes namely singing gospel songs and using prayer to cope. The third main theme identified includes the use of social support services, and subthemes were government support, support from local schools, and stokvels and social clubs CONCLUSION: The identified coping mechanisms in this study improved caregiving skills of caregivers to better care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and other gender diverse groupings symbolised by + (LGBTI+) individuals experience adverse mental health problems, and several factors have been documented to facilitate such problems. However, in Botswana, the factors facilitating LGBTI+ individuals to experience mental health challenges have not been explored with previous studies only highlighting the poor mental health outcomes they experience. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to explore and describe factors that could cause mental health challenges in LGBTI+ individuals in Gaborone, Botswana. METHOD: A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological design was employed to examine the research question. In data collection, 15 unstructured in-depth telephonic interviews were conducted until data saturation. Data were analysed with a co-coder using the data analysis method by Colaizzi. RESULTS: Three themes emerged following data analysis and were reasons for experiencing mental health challenges, experiences of challenges in accessing healthcare services and the social challenges of everyday life. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that a variety of factors influence the mental health problems in some LGBTI+ individuals. CONTRIBUTION: The knowledge of the factors that cause LGBTI+ individuals' mental health challenges can inform mental healthcare to be rendered. The findings can apprise nursing curriculum development and policy regarding the needs of LGBTI+ individuals.

BACKGROUND: Caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a challenging and stressful task, especially in countries with limited resources. Additional research is necessary, considering the increasing prevalence of children with ASD, to gain increased knowledge of the complex difficulties faced by caregivers of ASD children and to offer insights into the coping strategies and support networks that parents utilise. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences and coping mechanisms of caregivers of children with ASD in Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West province, South Africa. METHOD: Qualitative explorative, contextual and descriptive design with purposive sampling technique and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analysed following the six steps of reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two themes were identified: Caregivers' experiences in raising a child with autism, and caregivers' coping in raising a child with autism. CONCLUSION: The research established caregivers' experiences and coping mechanisms in raising a child with ASD and the effects on different aspects of their lives including emotional, social and financial aspects, which contribute negatively to their holistic well-being. These impediments warrant the establishment of emotional support groups, empowerment of caregivers and awareness-raising through campaigns to educate the family and the community on the diverse challenges. CONTRIBUTION: The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted challenges faced by caregivers of children with ASD and provide insights into the support systems and coping mechanisms employed by these caregivers within the socio-ecological context.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise among adolescents worldwide, including in South Africa, causing a significant challenge to parents. Regardless of the difficulties associated with SUDs in adolescents and their impact on parents, current studies on substance addiction have focused on diverse fraternities, excluding social work services for parents of adolescents with SUDs AIM: To develop an in-depth understanding of social work services provided to parents of adolescents with SUDs SETTING: The study was conducted in two districts, Capricorn and Waterberg, in Limpopo province, South Africa METHODS: A qualitative research method using exploratory and descriptive designs was employed. The scheduled interview guides facilitated semi-structured interviews with 11 social workers and 8 parents. For data analysis, Tesch's eight steps were used RESULTS: Six themes emerged from the study: (1) social work interventions for parents, (2) family and community-related obstacles, (3) organisation-related obstacles, (4) substance use intervention strategies received by parents, (5) parents' coping mechanisms in dealing with adolescents with SUDs and (6) factors hindering access to social services CONCLUSION: The findings show that the government, particularly the Department of Social Development as the custodian of social services, is obliged to develop and design standard guidelines for services to parents of adolescents with SUDs and to provide uniform services to social workers CONTRIBUTION: The study benefits the social work profession, particularly in the field of substance abuse because it generates effective parameters for services for parents of adolescents with SUDs

Abstract Access to mainstream education by the indigenous peoples can result in their social and economic empowerment. However, indigenous students' assimilation into mainstream education has been a recent phenomenon in the Philippines. Discrimination persists as one of the disturbing experiences of the indigenous students inside the school. It is one of the leading causes of school dropouts among indigenous students and a barrier to pursuing higher education. Objective: To understand the meaning of this problem and explore the experiences and coping mechanisms of the Aeta (indigenous) students at a Philippine state university towards racism in education. Methods: A qualitative ethnographic study was conducted between August and December 2018 and included two indigenous students enrolled at a state university in Pampanga, Philippines. Ethnographic interviews, informal conversations, and participant observation were conducted to gather data, which was then thematically evaluated. Results: After synthesizing the data, three categories developed: 'Ethnicity, Race, and Racism,' ‘Coping with racism, and ‘Meanings of racism.' The first category explored racism as a phenomenon linked to perceived ethnic and racial differences that cause harm to indigenous students on a physical and emotional level. The second category covered indigenous people's active and passive forms of resistance as they dealt with racism in education. The third category presented that racism is associated with a 'social problem’ as it distresses their ethnic community and interferes with their opportunity to obtain a quality education and a 'motivation' for they believe achieving the same societal status as their non-indigenous counterparts through literacy could bring empowerment to their ethnic group; thus eliminate subordination and inferiority. Conclusion: Racism in education remains a significant challenge for the Aeta students and therefore calls for the reform efforts of local agencies and other stakeholders.