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Viewpoint: Global mental health services and the impact of artificial intelligence-powered large language models
No full textThere is a largeand growing need formental health services worldwide, but there is amassive shortage ofmental health specialists to meet these needs-particularly in humanitarianemergencies, low-income countries,and
other areas with limited resources.One strategy that has emerged to address treatment gaps is to rely on nonspecialists (eg, lay health workers, teachers, social workers, and peer mentors) to provide mental health services. Although this approach can be effective, current strategies demand substantial training and supervision.1 They also require highly standardized interventions, which may paradoxically limit more person-centered treatments.2 Concurrently, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly and changing how we detect and treat mental health disorders. Artificial intelligence applications in psychiatry are varied and include
developing predictionmodels for disease detection and prognosis, creating algorithms that can help clinicians
choose the right treatment plan, monitoring patient progress based on data from wearable devices, building chatbots that deliver more personalized and timely interventions,and usingAI techniques toanalyze therapy
session transcripts to improve treatment fidelity and quality.
Stigma and mental health in infectious diseases: meet the guest editors
No full textIn this Q&A, Amrita Daftary and Jeremiah Chikovore, guest editors for the journal's collection on stigma and mental health in infectious diseases, reflect on their long-standing collaborative relationship and the substantial elements they have in common even while following unique pathways. They also share their perspectives regarding pressing issues in the field of stigma and mental health in infectious diseases, and how they see the field evolving.
Transitioning the informal to the formal economy: a measure to assess readiness and progress
Get PDFHSRC Policy Brief, FebruaryThis policy brief proposes an indicator framework for measuring formalisation capability, based on an empirically derived understanding of the complex business evolution pathways of informal businesses. The framework identifies a set of conditions that enable informal businesses to operate sustainably in the formal sector, what we call 'sustainable formalisation'.N/
Exploring the intersection of social class and technological change: a study of South African perceptions of industry 4.0
No full textThe relationship or nexus between technological change and inequality in Africa is complex and multifaceted, with both challenges and opportunities, and should therefore, be approached from a multi-faceted standpoint and conceptual grid. Popular discourse on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) focuses on its antecedents and potential benefits whilst being cognisant of its harm. This article extends the debate by arguing that inequalities in power and influence can shape the priorities and outcomes of this technological development, leading to the emergence of technologies that serve the interests of dominant groups at the expense of marginalized ones. The study on which it is based critically examined advocacy for social impact as a crucial component of the sociological study of innovation. Using the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) that has a sample size of N=2736 respondents, the article investigates 4IR technologies, their potential impact on the job market, and attitudes towards their implementation. The modelling approach was based on a binary logistic regression model and bivariate testing of the associations between the variables. The results indicated that overall, South Africans hold a mix of positive and negative attitudes towards 4IR technologies, with a majority believing that they
will have some positive, but mainly negative impacts on society, the economy, and the quality of life. However, significant differences in attitudes were found based on social class. These findings suggest that while 4IR technologies may hold promise for economic growth and innovation, attention should be paid to addressing the potential negative consequences, particularly among the marginalized in the lower social classes.
HIV care cascade among recently pregnant adolescent girls & young women in South Africa
Get PDFPoster presented at the 10th SAAIDS Conference, Durban, 20-23 JuneN/
Towards developing a collaborative PhD program across ARUA member universities: experiences from the Makerere University, Uganda
Get PDFCommissioned by the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), SeptemberThis report highlights the status of PhD education in Uganda, using the case of Makerere University as the only ARUA member in the country. It provides an overview of the country's socio-economic status, which has a bearing on how universities organise PhD programmes and which could influence the conceptualisation, design and implementation of collaborative programmes as envisaged by ARUA. It further details the national and institutional policy and operational frameworks for PhD programmes in Uganda, the nature of student access and
progression policies across the programmes, opportunities for designing collaborative arrangements, and challenges that need to be addressed. The report is divided into five sections. The next section provides an overview of Uganda's socio-economic and political dynamics. Section two provides a brief description of the
Ugandan higher education landscape. Section three delves into the case study of the university and the two selected programmes. Section four presents the findings from the data collected from the two case study programmes. Section five provides a best practice case study while section six presents some recommendations and conclusions.N/
Co-designing information interventions in global environmental health and engineering with marginalized communities
No full textImproving access to environmental health and engineering related information among marginalized communities via traditional and advanced methods of collection, analysis, and dissemination is imperative to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. While infrastructure and equipment are important for achieving equity in global environmental health-e.g., improving water access or reducing malnutrition-these resources are only part of the larger complex system that enables optimal use and accountability for all stakeholders. In this perspective, we
synthesize various areas of work on information interventions in global environmental health, providing examples from the water, sanitation, and hygiene and food system sectors. First, we propose a typology for the "goals of the information" and the "process of delivery". Second, we discuss the actual and perceived value of information and how this varies over time for the end-user. Finally, we provide an overview of the primary steps for co-developing an information intervention along with available tools. Given the continued democratization of digital platforms, we hypothesize a substantial need for decentralized support and guidelines for marginalized communities to build their own hyper-local platforms to solve local problems. We close by providing recommendations for focusing on underutilized information interventions and specific needs within global environmental health and engineering.
Fostering self-efficacy: understanding South African grade 9 students’ confidence in their mathematics abilities
Get PDFIn poor-performing, resource-constrained education systems, such as South Africa, solutions to improve
academic achievement have tended to focus on resources and cognitive factors. An area that requires more attention is the importance of non-cognitive, psychosocial factors and their relationship with academic performance. These factors are strongly associated with behaviour, playing a role in either facilitating or impeding the learning process. Understanding attitudes is therefore critical in interpreting achievement results with a view to improving them. This article used data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study administered to 20,829 South African students in Grade 9 to investigate the confidence these students have in their mathematics ability (their self-efficacy) and the relationship with achievement. Linear regression analysis was employed to determine: (1) the relationship between Grade 9 students’ self-efficacy and mathematics achievement in South Africa; and (2) the contextual factors that were associated with the mathematics self-efficacy of the students. The results indicate a positive correlation between students’ self-efficacy and their
performance in mathematics. In addition, good teaching practices and parental involvement in school activities were associated with higher levels of students’ mathematics self-efficacy. Being female was associated with lower levels of self-efficacy. These findings have important implications for shaping educational policy and practice in the resource constrained context of South Africa, to enhance students’ self-efficacy and performance in mathematics.
Clinical utility of novel anthropometric indices in identifying type 2 diabetes mellitus among South African adult females
Get PDFTo assess the clinical utility of novel anthropometric indices and other traditional anthropometric indices in identifying the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) among South African adult females.
Building a resilient skills ecosystem: the path ahead for the ETD sector in the wake of COVID-19 and in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: non-profit organisation subsector
No full textNon-profit organisations (NPOs) are key to achieving the rights-based development agenda. This is well
recognised internationally as well as in South Africa, where the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030
recognises NPOs, alongside organs of state, business, and organised labour, as development partners
with a shared responsibility for working to achieve the country’s development goals. As such, it is vital
that NPOs have the organisational wherewithal to play their role in helping to achieve these goals.