Ph.D. (Economics) / In this thesis the primary research objective is to construct quality of life measures to measure and compare the quality of life across the Gauteng City-Region in South Africa, while considering the diversity of the population residing in the region. In addressing the primary research question we also investigate secondary research objectives, namely to validate a new instrument of quality of life, to determine the interrelationships between the dimensions of quality of life, to construct a composite index with fixed weighting to measure and compare the quality of life across different demographic and socio-economic groups, to measure and compare the quality of life within diverse municipalities, each with its own unique character, and to analyse the factors that influence the wellbeing of a unique group of people in Gauteng, namely refugees and asylum seekers. A validated measuring instrument of quality of life contributes to the construction of robust composite indices, which can give a good estimate of quality of life in a region. Furthermore, identifying the interrelationships between the dimensions of quality of life can assist in the formulation of integrated policies aimed at improving quality of life. The measurement and comparison of quality of life of different socio-economic groups and different municipal regions can contribute to identifying the groups and municipal areas with low levels of quality of life, as well as the dimensions of quality of life that are below average and should be attended to in order to increase quality of life in the region. Lastly, determining the factors that influence the wellbeing of urban refugees and asylum seekers can contribute to better understanding of this unique group of people. To address the primary and the secondary research aims various novel methodologies are utilised. The methodologies used include Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to validate an instrument of quality of life and determine the interrelationships between the quality of life dimensions; Nicoletti et al.’s method based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to build a fixed weighted composite index of quality of life; Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Value Efficiency Analysis (VEA) as weighting methodologies to construct composite indices with flexible weighting that considers the unique characteristics of the municipalities in the region; and cross-sectional regressions to analyse the determinants of the subjective wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers. In the analysis of the primary and the secondary research questions two data sets were used. In Chapter 2 to 4 a data set collected by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) on quality of life in the Gauteng City-Region (GCR) was used. In Chapter 5 we used a data set collected by the Forced Migration Studies Program (FMSP) on Migration in New African Cities. A key finding of Chapter 2 is that the indicator variables of the dimensions ‘housing and infrastructure, ‘social relationships’, ‘socio-economic status’, ‘health’, ‘governance’ and ‘safety’ were found to be good measures of the dimensions of quality of life. Positive relationships were found between all the dimensions of quality of life, with the exception of the relationship between ‘housing and infrastructure’ and ‘health’, which was found to be statistically insignificant. Using the newly constructed composite index, in Chapter 3 we found the quality of life among African, lower-income groups, females and older people to be lower than that of other socio-economic and demographic groups. In addition, we found that ‘housing and infrastructure’ contributes most to the variance in the data set of the group with lower levels of quality of life. Using the flexible weighted composite indices to measure the quality of life within the different municipal regions of the GCR in Chapter 4, we found that the municipalities with the highest levels of quality of life to be Johannesburg and Midvaal, with, overall, above-average scores on all the dimensions of quality of life. The municipalities with the lowest quality of life in the GCR are Nokeng, Westonaria, Madibeng, Matlosana and Merafong. In the municipalities with the lowest quality of life scores, for those municipalities in the Gauteng Province, the ‘housing and infrastructure’ dimension was below average, while for the municipalities outside the Gauteng Province’s borders, it was found that the ‘health’ dimension was below average. In all the municipalities with low levels of quality of life it was found that the income variable is relatively low, except in Nokeng, which has relatively high income levels. Chapter 5 analyses the determinants of the subjective wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers. It was found that additional factors to the standard determinants that explain the wellbeing of people in general should be added to the model to explain the wellbeing of urban refugees and asylum seekers.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Drama Therapy) March 2017 / The aim of this paper is to explore how Drama Therapeutic techniques can be used in self-care practice to reduce stress, burnout and compassion fatigue amongst community healthcare workers in South Africa. This is achieved by studying the case of the Zakheni Arts Therapy Foundation’s Wellbeing Workshop. The tools utilised by the Wellbeing Workshop are identified and explored to ascertain in what ways they can be useful in self-care practice. Semi-structured interviews are used to gain insight into the tools used most often and found to be most useful by both facilitators and participants in their personal self-care practice. The study shows that the care workers who participated in the Wellbeing Workshop did benefit from the training in that they gained an understanding of importance self-care and did begin to include some self-care practices into their daily routines. Participants did reflect that they found the dramatic tools useful but it is clear that care workers utilise the dramatic tools very differently than the facilitators. This raises questions about the relevance of how Drama Therapy is applied in the South African context as well as around whether drama tools are suitable tools for self-care practice amongst care workers in South Africa. / MT2018

Conventional approaches to the analysis of human well-being use money-metric measures such as income or consumption. However, they are heavily criticised for relying on a limited understanding of well-being. In recent decades, subjective measures of well-being have been increasingly presented as providing a more inclusive and holistic perspective of well-being. Using data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), this dissertation examines the relationship between income, a common money-metric measure of well-being, and life satisfaction, a key indicator of subjective well-being. The results show that income and life satisfaction exhibit a weak but significant positive relationship, one which is stronger at lower levels of income. In addition to income, the analysis identifies a number of other significant correlates of subjective well-being. Furthermore, several differences in the correlates of income and life satisfaction are detected. These results highlight how subjective well-being measures can include information about people’s lived experiences in ways that are not fully captured in objective money-metric measures. / M.Dev.Studies University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

The Old Age Pension (OAP) program for elderly South Africans puts a significant cash transfer in the hands of many poor households. This dissertation investigates its impact on labor force participation and consumption of selected household items. In the first half of the dissertation, we take advantage of a policy reform that lowered men's OAP eligibility age from 65 to 60 for men to match that of women for estimation identification. Using the General Household Survey data, we first demonstrate that both men and women respond to the eligibility age by dropping from labor force participation at the eligibility age, as expected. Using a difference-in-difference-in-difference estimator, we estimate that at the median predicted wage, age eligibility reduces men's probability of labor force participation by approximately 6.14 percentage points. Previous studies show that not only is the OAP take-up rate high among the age-eligible, but its value is sufficiently high to generally make it a significant component of total household income for the majority of pensioners and their households. Other studies add that it is a dominant source of income in older households, such that it is often the sole source of income in these households, especially those in rural areas. In the second half of the dissertation, therefore, we examine the impact of age-eligibility status on a number of selected household outcomes, such as food security, sanitation, source of drinking water, and ownership of consumer durable goods. We also examine the extent to which gender influences its impact on household outcomes. We find positive effects on a select number of outcomes; however, we note this is more associated with females' age-eligibility status, but not that of males.

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / A persons' well-being is characterized as health, happiness, prosperity and as being in a good state of existence. The way in which we maintain our body, by eating the correct foods to exercising on a daily basis, is an important part of maintaining our well-being. Medical authorities regard South Africa a shaving one of the healthiest environments and climates in the world. South Africans get to enjoy sport and outdoor activities, fresh fruit and vegetable sand some of the planets cleanest air (Health issues in South Africa 2011: [sp]). This however is not the case for many South Africans living in poor overcrowded conditions with the lack of basic facilities. Within the medical field are large areas of controversy, particularly with HIV/ AIDS treatments between Traditional medicine and Bio-medicine. The dissertation will not focus on the study of one specific ailment and space related to health care. Instead an attempt is made to create a space where a multitude of medical functions can operate and share space in a symbiotic relationship. This would ultimately create a place of well-being and healing, where public health can be re-invent for a broader audience through mixed use facilities, social interaction and nature. The investigation area of the dissertation takes place in Yeoville and the function of the building will examine the notion of a Mixed Use Healthcare Centre. The architecture will look at the human scale and needs whilst Nature will deal with form and function. The Design intervention attempts to dissect the existing healthcare system and inject new and fresh responses to the ailing problems in the industry. There are currently large gaps in the public and private sectors of South Africa as well as the dialog between Traditional medicine and Bio-medical practices (Richter 2003: [sp]). The concept of the intervention is to provide a closed loop Healthcare system where the project becomes self sustaining within the Social conditions, Function of space and the Well-being of people This will be done by investigating the existing typologies of healthcare systems in South Africa and by combining both Traditional Medicine and Bio-Medicine. This could allow a better communication network to establish between the two disciplines and provide more information about heath and well being to the public. The intervention can become a framework for future health care establishments where a multitude of functions can operate under one roof providing affordable treatment and advice to...

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An alternative measure of progress to GDP was evaluated in the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela tribe (in total N = 119) using subjective wellbeing or happiness. The major dimensions of happiness were assumed to be physical, mental, social, spiritual, educational, environmental, occupational, and financial wellbeing or income and governance. Amongst the Bakgatla, correlation testing identified two clusters or core sub-sets of relationships, based on the strength of relationships, which appear to work in parallel to one another, with divergent outcomes of either increased happiness or income. The first cluster is related to traditional economic rationality and consists of Education Level, Income and Employment Security. The second cluster, more closely related to principles of sustainable development, consists of Social Wellbeing, Environmental Wellbeing and Happiness. An insignificant correlation between Income and Happiness exists. A multiple regression analysis was conducted with Happiness as the dependent variable and the major wellbeing dimensions as the independent variables (R² = .286). Statistically significant Standardized Beta’s calculated in the regression analysis are Social wellbeing (0.464), Educational level (-0.226), Governance (0.205) and Physical wellbeing (0.194). Although a cause-and-effect relationship can’t be assumed, the supposition is that ceteris paribus: • Happy people tend to have higher levels of social wellbeing or social capital; • The more educated people are, the less happy they are; • The more trust people have in public institutions and the state, the happier they are; and • Happy people tend to be healthier. Therefore, holding all other explanatory variables constant, it can be assumed that income has no bearing on subjective wellbeing. Therefore we reject the Null Hypothesis that the Bakgatla’s progress is purely determined by their annual per capita income. The relationship between income and subjective wellbeing for the Bakgatla follows global patterns - an initial increase in happiness as income increases is pronounced but ‘flattens’ somewhat as a higher level of income is reached and diminishes as very high levels of income are achieved. The critical turning point where income has a diminishing rate of return on satisfaction is around R20 000 per annum per person. This corroborates the human needs theories which proposes that a hierarchy of needs for human beings exist and until the basic needs are met, higher needs cannot be met. The present findings have implications for the Bakgatla: in order to increase happiness and promote development, the Bakgatla should focus on four key aspects: meeting basic needs; increasing social capital; increasing trust in the Tribal Authorities; and improving physical health. In addition, education and environmental wellbeing should also be focal points but changes need to be made to the education curriculum so that there is a strong focus on sustainable development. An important policy implication that the Bakgatla need to consider, is balancing the needs of the current generation with the needs of future generations. Economic growth or income may bring a certain amount of happiness; environmental destruction, crime and human health implications may outweigh these benefits and happiness in both the current and future generations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is subjektiewe welstand of geluk as alternatief vir bruto binnelandse produk (BBP) as vooruitgangsmaatstaf by die Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela-stam (altesaam N = 119) ondersoek. Die veronderstelde hoofaspekte van geluk wat in die studie getoets is, is fisiese welstand, geesteswelstand, maatskaplike welstand, spirituele welstand, opvoedkundige welstand, omgewingswelstand, beroepswelstand, finansiële welstand of inkomste, en bestuur. Korrelasietoetse onder die Bakgatla het twee beduidende groepe of kernsubstelle verwantskappe uitgewys, welke groepe oënskynlik gelyklopend funksioneer, met uiteenlopende dog nieverwante uitkomste van hetsy verhoogde geluk of verhoogde inkomste. Die eerste groep hou verband met tradisionele ekonomiese rasionaliteit, en bestaan uit onderrigvlak, inkomste en werksekerheid. Die tweede groep, wat eerder met beginsels van volhoubare ontwikkeling saamhang, bestaan uit maatskaplike welstand, omgewingswelstand en geluk. Die studie toon onbeduidende verband tussen inkomste en geluk. Meervoudige regressieontleding is met geluk as afhanklike veranderlike en die hoofwelstandsaspekte as onafhanklike veranderlikes uitgevoer (R² = 0,286). Statisties beduidende gestandaardiseerde betakoëffisiënte wat in die regressieontleding bereken is, is maatskaplike welstand (0,464), opvoedingsvlak (-0,226), bestuur (0,205) en fisiese welstand (0,194). Hoewel oorsaak-en-gevolg-verwantskap nie aanvaar kan word nie, word daar vermoed dat, met alle ander faktore gelyk: • gelukkige mense geneig is om hoër vlakke van maatskaplike welstand of maatskaplike kapitaal te geniet; • hoe meer opgevoed mense is, hoe ongelukkiger is hulle; • hoe meer vertroue mense in openbare instellings en die staat het, hoe gelukkiger is hulle; en • gelukkige mense geneig is om gesonder te wees. Indien alle ander verklarende veranderlikes konstant gehou word, word daar dus aanvaar dat inkomste geen verband met subjektiewe welstand toon nie. Daarom word die nulhipotese dat die Bakgatla se vooruitgang alleenlik deur hul jaarlikse inkomste per capita bepaal word, verwerp. Die verwantskap tussen inkomste en subjektiewe welstand vir die Bakgatla volg internasionale patrone: Aanvanklik neem geluk duidelik toe namate inkomste verhoog, plat dan effens af namate hoër inkomstevlak bereik word, en verminder aansienlik wanneer baie hoë inkomstevlakke bereik word. Die kritiese draaipunt waar inkomste verlaagde opbrengskoers op tevredenheid toon, is sowat R20 000 per jaar per persoon. Dít staaf die menslikebehoefte-teorie wat aan die hand doen dat mense oor hiërargie van behoeftes beskik en dat daar eers in basiese behoeftes voorsien moet word voordat behoeftes hoër op in die hiërargie aan die beurt kan kom. Hierdie bevindinge het bepaalde implikasies vir die Bakgatla: Ten einde geluk te verhoog en ontwikkeling aan te moedig, behoort die Bakgatla op vier kernaspekte te konsentreer, naamlik voorsiening in basiese behoeftes, die vermeerdering van maatskaplike kapitaal, die verhoging van vertroue in die stamowerhede, en verbetering van liggaamlike gesondheid. Voorts behoort opvoedkundige en omgewingswelstand ook fokuspunte te wees, maar moet die onderrigkurrikulum aangepas word om sterker klem op volhoubare ontwikkeling te plaas. Belangrike beleidsimplikasie wat die Bakgatla moet oorweeg, is om ewewig te vind tussen die behoeftes van die huidige geslag en die behoeftes van toekomstige geslagte. Ekonomiese groei of inkomste kan inderdaad sekere hoeveelheid geluk skep. Tog kan omgewingsvernietiging, misdaad en swak menslike gesondheid hierdie voordele en geluk in sowel die huidige as toekomstige geslagte oorskadu. Bykomende navorsing word vir die toekoms aanbeveel.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Twenty years after the end of apartheid, South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. Socio-economic polarisation is entrenched by the lack of social capital and interactions across racial and economic divides, blocking pathways out of poverty. This dissertation examines social mobility and cohesion in post-apartheid South Africa by considering three related topics. Chapter 2 of the dissertation examines the impact of school quality on the academic performance of disadvantaged learners as one of the most important enforcing factors perpetuating the social and economic divides. Given the historic racial and economic stratification of the South African public school system, many black children are sent to historically white public schools as a way to escape poverty. Using longitudinal data, this chapter estimates the effect of attending a historically white school on the numeracy and literacy scores of black children. The main challenge is to address the selection bias in the estimates, for which a value-added approach is implemented in order to control for unobserved child-specific heterogeneity. In addition, various household covariates are used to control for household-level differences among children. The results indicate that the attendance of a former white school has a large and statistically significant impact on academic performance in both literacy and numeracy which translates into more than a year’s worth of learning. The main finding is robust to various robustness checks. In Chapter 3 the dissertation examines social cohesion by considering the concept of reference groups used in the evaluation of relative standing in utility functions. The chapter develops a model in which various parameters are allowed to enter the utility function without linearity constraints in order to determine the weight placed on the well-being of individuals in the same race group as the respondent versus all the other race groups living in one of three specified geographic areas. The findings suggest that reference groups have shifted away from a purely racial delineation to a more inclusive one subsequent to the country’s first democratic elections in 1994. Although most of the weight is still placed on same-race relative standing, the estimates suggest that individuals from other race groups also enter the utility function. The chapter also examines the spatial variation of reference groups and finds evidence that the relative standing of close others (such as neighbours) enter the utility function positively while individuals who live further away (strangers) enter the utility function negatively. Finally, Chapter 4 provides a summary of the dynamics of income in South Africa, using longitudinal household data. Chapter 4 is aimed at separating structural trends in income from stochastic shocks and measurement error, and makes use of an asset-based approach. It first estimates the percentage of individuals who were in chronic poverty between 2010 and 2012 and then estimates the shape of structural income dynamics in order to test for the existence of one or more dynamic equilibrium points, which would be indicative of the existence of a poverty trap. The findings do not provide any evidence for the existence of a poverty trap. In addition, contrary to earlier findings, the results do not provide evidence for the existence of an asset-based threshold at which the structural income accumulation paths of households bifurcate. Instead, the results seem to indicate the existence of a threshold beyond which structural income remains persistent with very little upward mobility. The robustness of the results is confirmed by making use of control functions in order to correct for any measurement error which may exist in the data on assets. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Twintig jaar nadat apartheid beëindig is word Suid-Afrika steeds as een van die wêreld se mees ongelyke lande gekenmerk. Sosio-ekonomiese polarisasie word verskans deur die gebrek aan sosiale kapitaal en interaksies tussen rassegroepe en ekonomiese klasse, wat lei tot die versperring van roetes uit armoede. Hierdie proefskrif bestudeer sosiale mobiliteit en samehorigheid in post-apartheid Suid- Afrika deur middel van drie verwante onderwerpe. Hoofstuk 2 van hierdie proefskrif ondersoek die impak van skoolkwaliteit op die akademiese prestasie van benadeelde leerders as een van die belangrikste faktore wat huidige sosiale en ekonomiese skeidings afdwing. Gegewe die historiese verdeling van die openbare skoolstelsel volgens ras en ekonomiese status, word heelwat swart kinders na historiese blanke skole gestuur ten einde armoede te ontsnap. Deur gebruik te maak van paneeldata word die impak van skoolbywoning van ’n historiese blanke skool op die geletterheid van swart kinders - in beide wiskunde en Engels - beraam. Die grootste uitdaging is om enige sydigheid in die beramings aan te spreek, waarvoor daar van ’n waarde-toevoegings inslag gebruik gemaak word ten einde te kontroleer vir enige individuele heterogeniteit. ’n Verskeidenheid kontroles op die vlak van die huishouding word gebruik ten einde te kontroleer vir verskille tussen kinders uit verkillende huishoudings. Die resultate dui daarop dat bywoning van ’n historiese wit skool ’n groot en statisties beduidende impak op die akademiese prestasie van beide wiskundige asook litterêre geletterdheid het, wat omgeskakel kan word in meer as ’n jaar se leerwerk. ’n Verskeidenheid verifikasie toetse bevestig die geldigheid van die resultate. Hoofstuk 3 van die proefskrif bestudeer sosiale samehorigheid deur die samestelling van verwysingsgroepe in die evaluasie van relatiewe posisionering in nutsfunksies te oorweeg. Die hoofstuk ontwikkel ’n model waarin verskeie parameters sonder liniêre beperkings in die nutsfunksie toegelaat word ten einde die gewig te beraam wat geplaas word op die welstand van individue in dieselfde rasgroep as die respondent teenoor al die ander rasgroepe wat in een van drie gespesifiseerde geografiese areas woon. Die bevindings dui daarop dat, na die land se eerste demokratiese verkiesings in 1994, die definiering van verwysingsgroepe weggeskuif het van ’n verdeling volgens ras na ’n meer inklusiewe definisie. Alhoewel meeste van die gewig steeds geplaas word op relatiewe posisionering teenoor individue van dieselfde ras, dui die beramings daarop dat individue van ander rassegroepe ook ingesluit word in die nutsfunksie. Die hoofstuk beoordeel ook die ruimtelike variasie van verwysingsgroepe en bevind dat die relatiewe posisionering van nabye individue (soos byvoorbeeld bure) die nutsfunksie positief beïnvloed terwyl individue wat vêr weg woon (vreemdelinge) die nutsfunksie negatief beïnvloed. Hoofstuk 4 van die proefskrif sluit af met ’n opsomming van die inkomste dinamika in Suid-Afrika, deur gebruik te maak van paneelhuishoudingdata. Die laaste hoofstuk mik om die strukturele tendens in inkomste van enige stogastiese skokke en metingsfoute te isoleer en maak gebruik van ’n bate-gebasseerde inslag. Dit beraam eerstens die persentasie van individue wat in kroniese armoede verkeer het tussen 2010 en 2012 en beraam dan die vorm van die strukturele inkomste dinamika. Dit word gedoen ten einde vir die bestaan van een of meer dinamiese ekwilibrium punte te toets, wat aanduidend sou wees van die bestaan van ’n armoedestrik. Die bevindings bied nie enige bewyse vir die bestaan van ’n armoedestrik nie. Ook bied die resultate geen bewyse vir die bestaan van ’n bategebasseerde drempel waar die strukturele inkomste akkumulasieroetes van huishoudings vertak nie, in teenstelling met vorige resultate. In plaas daarvan, blyk die resultate te dui op die bestaan van ’n drempel waarna strukturele inkomste volhardend bly met baie min opwaardse mobiliteit. Die geldigheid van die resultate word bevestig deur gebruik te maak van kontrolefunksies ten einde te korrigeer vir enige metingsfoute wat moontlik in die data van bates mag bestaan.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of unemployment on the mental well-being of the South African working age population. The implication of exploring this relationship is to indicate the importance of good mental health among persons who are not employed. The present study also aimed atinvestigating the role that government can play in mitigating the impact of unemployment on mental health. This part of the research assessed the effectiveness of government’s social security system. The current study employs a mixed research design whereby both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis are used. The relationship between unemployment, mental well-being and government intervention is investigated using a cohort group in which the mental health of persons not employed, aged between 15 and 64 years, are followed over the period, 2004 to 2008. The results are presented using two types of data. First, secondary data from Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey (GHS) were used to measure the impact of unemployment on mental health and to ascertain the impact of government social assistance on affected individuals’ mental well-being. Secondly, in order to explore individual perceptions around government intervention, the research employed a qualitative phenomenological design. This involved conducting semi-structured personal interviews with four unemployed women residing in Gauteng. The results showed that incidences of self-reported mental health illnesses were most likely to be found among individuals who were not employed as compared to those that were employed. This finding proved to be consistent using both descriptive and multivariate statistics which included predictive models. In terms of government intervention, positive mental well-being was shown to be positively related to access of social welfare services (in the form of social grants). This finding was true for all the years of reporting (i.e., 2004 to 2008). In conclusion, although unemployment was found to have a negative impact of mental well-being, government intervention was shown to positively mitigate this impact, thereby giving hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. Unemployment and its impact on mental well-beingalso proved to be a complex subject, requiring multidisciplinary intervening strategies to solving it. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of unemployment on the mental well-being of the South African working age population. The implication of exploring this relationship is to indicate the importance of good mental health among persons who are not employed. The present study also aimed atinvestigating the role that government can play in mitigating the impact of unemployment on mental health. This part of the research assessed the effectiveness of government’s social security system. The current study employs a mixed research design whereby both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis are used. The relationship between unemployment, mental well-being and government intervention is investigated using a cohort group in which the mental health of persons not employed, aged between 15 and 64 years, are followed over the period, 2004 to 2008. The results are presented using two types of data. First, secondary data from Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey (GHS) were used to measure the impact of unemployment on mental health and to ascertain the impact of government social assistance on affected individuals’ mental well-being. Secondly, in order to explore individual perceptions around government intervention, the research employed a qualitative phenomenological design. This involved conducting semi-structured personal interviews with four unemployed women residing in Gauteng. The results showed that incidences of self-reported mental health illnesses were most likely to be found among individuals who were not employed as compared to those that were employed. This finding proved to be consistent using both descriptive and multivariate statistics which included predictive models. In terms of government intervention, positive mental well-being was shown to be positively related to access of social welfare services (in the form of social grants). This finding was true for all the years of reporting (i.e., 2004 to 2008). In conclusion, although unemployment was found to have a negative impact of mental well-being, government intervention was shown to positively mitigate this impact, thereby giving hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. Unemployment and its impact on mental well-beingalso proved to be a complex subject, requiring multidisciplinary intervening strategies to solving it. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

This study explored the lived experiences of foreign academics’ wellbeing and adjustment and the impact thereof on their job performance in a South African higher education (HE) institution. The qualitative interpretive study reviewed the literature on wellbeing, adjustment and job performance. It explored the impact of wellbeing and adjustment factors on performance, both personally and professionally. The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was applied in the study to demonstrate that when job resources are high, employee wellbeing, adjustment and job performance is enhanced. Purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of five foreign academics who were employed at the HE institution for more than one year and originated from different countries. Online video calling was used to gather data from the participants using semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to create themes and sub-themes from which the study findings were derived and conclusions, as well as recommendations, were made. The study revealed that the wellbeing and adjustment of foreign academics have a significant impact on their job performance. Recommendations were made to the HR managers, I/O psychologists, foreign academics as well as line managers on how to improve the wellbeing and adjustment of foreign academics at the HE institution. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)