Interesting student research
Zamafiso Nombulelo Sibande
Project: Exploring fatigue on women with endometriosis in South Africa: A qualitative study.
My name is Zamafiso Nombulelo Sibande. I am a Master’s student in the Psychology department at Stellenbosch University. I am an aspiring researcher and I am interested in rural mental health, community development, women’s well-being and improving the education system of South Africa for people of colour. My study forms part of a larger study being conducted by Dr Roomaney that aims to develop a psychosocial intervention for fatigue for patients with endometriosis. My aim is to understand how women with endometriosis describe, experience and manage their persistent fatigue. I am interviewing women diagnosed with endometriosis about their experiences of persistent fatigue and my findings will be used to develop an intervention to help patients with endometriosis manage their chronic fatigue.
Ziningi Mathabela
Project: Social Identity in a pronatalist culture: the experiences of infertility among Swati women.
My name is Ziningi Mathabela and I am a 26-year-old aspiring researcher in the field of psychology. I am interested in the intricacies of social behaviour. My research will look at how culture plays a role in how we form identities and interpreting experiences in the case of infertility. The research also aims to examine the psychosocial implications of being unable to bear children in such societies.
Claudia Swinney
Project: Exploring delays to help-seeking among patients presenting late for symptomatic breast cancer at Tygerberg hospital.
I am a full-time Masters Student in the Psychology Department at Stellenbosch University under the supervision of Prof Ashraf Kagee and Dr Rizwana Roomaney. I completed my Honours Degree in Psychology at the University of the Western Cape. My interest includes Interprofessional Education in health settings and I have a keen interest in Breast Cancer research, which is the focus of my current research. I am currently conducting a qualitative study into the reasons why women delay seeking help for symptomatic breast cancer. I have interviewed 25 female breast cancer patients at Tygerberg Hospital's outpatient breast cancer (Mama) clinic as well as the Radiotherapy Centre (X-Block). The aim of my study is to explore the personal and structural barriers to help-seeking for breast cancer.
Ashley Lourens
Research: Prevalence and Predictors of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder symptoms in female students at a South African University.
I have been blessed to be able to study psychology. Through this, I have not only learnt about people but myself. I am passionate about women’s empowerment and mental health. Specifically, I’m interested in reproductive health and mental health in women. Aside from my focus on reproductive health, I enjoy working with adolescent girls. I have a strong belief that mental healthcare professionals should be activists wherever possible for the people that we serve. My personal interests are botany and gardening. In my free time, you will find me at the botanical gardens.
PMDD is an affective disorder which affects 1.2-8% of women. A woman will experience severe irritability, anger, fatigue and feelings of being overwhelmed which impact her social life, work and university performance and participation, home activities and responsibilities, caring for children and interpersonal, specifically romantic relationships. This study explores the interplay of biological, psychological and social factors which may be associated with PMDD symptoms. Specifically, anti-depressant medication use, oral-contraceptives, substance use and ruminative style thinking will be investigated.
Anri Smit
Project: Breast Cancer Stories: Exploring the Narratives of South African Women.
I am a complete optimistic, an idealist who sees the whole picture and works toward it. I am extremely hardworking and don’t believe in failure. At present, I am completing my PhD at Stellenbosch University and intend to graduate in December 2019. This is just one of the many milestones I wish to achieve in the near future and hope to advance scientific knowledge for many years to come. My research project aims to explore the subjective experiences of South African women with recurrent breast cancer. I am using narrative interviews (verbal narratives), participant diaries (written narratives) and body mapping (visual narratives) to elicit women’s stories. Ultimately, I wish to triangulate all three narrative modalities to offer a thick description of women’s stories.
Debbie Bell
Project: Exploring the challenges that prevent practitioners from implementing motivational interviewing in their work with therapeutic clients
My name is L. Debbie Bell and I am a registered counsellor working in an alcohol and drug outpatient rehabilitation centre. Working in the field of rehabilitation means that I face complex challenges daily and requires that I continually upskill myself to be able to be on par with developing therapeutic techniques. I am passionate about using a holistic approach to empower clients to engage in behaviour change.
In my work as a counsellor, I have gained an interest in motivational interviewing (MI). MI is an evidence-based, brief counselling technique that is used by practitioners that is aimed at behavioural change. Studies show that MI is an effective intervention for behavioural change but is under-utilised. My research aims to explore the challenges that social service practitioners, such as psychologists, social workers, nurses, and counsellors experience in applying motivational interviewing (MI). I am currently interviewing practitioners about their experiences and analysing my data.
Project: Exploring fatigue on women with endometriosis in South Africa: A qualitative study.
Ziningi Mathabela
Project: Social Identity in a pronatalist culture: the experiences of infertility among Swati women.
My name is Ziningi Mathabela and I am a 26-year-old aspiring researcher in the field of psychology. I am interested in the intricacies of social behaviour. My research will look at how culture plays a role in how we form identities and interpreting experiences in the case of infertility. The research also aims to examine the psychosocial implications of being unable to bear children in such societies.
Claudia Swinney
Project: Exploring delays to help-seeking among patients presenting late for symptomatic breast cancer at Tygerberg hospital.
I am a full-time Masters Student in the Psychology Department at Stellenbosch University under the supervision of Prof Ashraf Kagee and Dr Rizwana Roomaney. I completed my Honours Degree in Psychology at the University of the Western Cape. My interest includes Interprofessional Education in health settings and I have a keen interest in Breast Cancer research, which is the focus of my current research. I am currently conducting a qualitative study into the reasons why women delay seeking help for symptomatic breast cancer. I have interviewed 25 female breast cancer patients at Tygerberg Hospital's outpatient breast cancer (Mama) clinic as well as the Radiotherapy Centre (X-Block). The aim of my study is to explore the personal and structural barriers to help-seeking for breast cancer.
Ashley Lourens
Research: Prevalence and Predictors of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder symptoms in female students at a South African University.
PMDD is an affective disorder which affects 1.2-8% of women. A woman will experience severe irritability, anger, fatigue and feelings of being overwhelmed which impact her social life, work and university performance and participation, home activities and responsibilities, caring for children and interpersonal, specifically romantic relationships. This study explores the interplay of biological, psychological and social factors which may be associated with PMDD symptoms. Specifically, anti-depressant medication use, oral-contraceptives, substance use and ruminative style thinking will be investigated.
Anri Smit
Project: Breast Cancer Stories: Exploring the Narratives of South African Women.
I am a complete optimistic, an idealist who sees the whole picture and works toward it. I am extremely hardworking and don’t believe in failure. At present, I am completing my PhD at Stellenbosch University and intend to graduate in December 2019. This is just one of the many milestones I wish to achieve in the near future and hope to advance scientific knowledge for many years to come. My research project aims to explore the subjective experiences of South African women with recurrent breast cancer. I am using narrative interviews (verbal narratives), participant diaries (written narratives) and body mapping (visual narratives) to elicit women’s stories. Ultimately, I wish to triangulate all three narrative modalities to offer a thick description of women’s stories.
Debbie Bell
Project: Exploring the challenges that prevent practitioners from implementing motivational interviewing in their work with therapeutic clients
My name is L. Debbie Bell and I am a registered counsellor working in an alcohol and drug outpatient rehabilitation centre. Working in the field of rehabilitation means that I face complex challenges daily and requires that I continually upskill myself to be able to be on par with developing therapeutic techniques. I am passionate about using a holistic approach to empower clients to engage in behaviour change.
In my work as a counsellor, I have gained an interest in motivational interviewing (MI). MI is an evidence-based, brief counselling technique that is used by practitioners that is aimed at behavioural change. Studies show that MI is an effective intervention for behavioural change but is under-utilised. My research aims to explore the challenges that social service practitioners, such as psychologists, social workers, nurses, and counsellors experience in applying motivational interviewing (MI). I am currently interviewing practitioners about their experiences and analysing my data.
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