First-generation university students are believed to face a myriad of challenges around the world. Although religiosity and spirituality are believed to serve as protective factors in times of adversity, there is little literature on how religiosity and spirituality impact the academic resilience of first-generation university students in South Africa. Black students in South Africa have historically been disadvantaged due to imbalances created by the apartheid system. This study aimed to examine the religiosity, spirituality, and academic resilience of first-generation black students. A correlational research design was used with a web-based questionnaire that combined demographics, Daily Spiritual Experience, Centrality of Religiosity and the Academic Resilience Scale. Data were collected from 239 North-West University (NWU) first-generation black students, aged 18 years or older, with voluntary convenience sampling used. The study adopted a quantitative approach. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis and inferential analysis that included bivariate correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. The respondents reported a high mean religiosity of M = 4.1, SD = 0.6, with alpha ~0.76 on the Centrality of Religiosity Scale. A high score of 4.52, median 4.65, on the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale suggests generally frequent spiritual experiences. Participants scored a mean of 2.42 on the Academic Resilience Scale. This suggests that the participants have a moderate level of academic resilience. Spirituality was positively correlated with resilience (r = .42, p < 0.01), while religiosity showed a weaker relationship. The study contributes to the growing corpus of research examining the relationship between university students’ academic drive and religiosity.

Foster care remains one of the forms of alternative care for orphans and vulnerable children in several countries across the globe. Social workers play a key role in placing children in foster care and supervising them. Some foster children exhibit behavioral problems for various reasons. Therefore, this study sought to explore and describe the perspectives of social workers on factors influencing behavioral problems among foster children. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, with two research designs: exploratory and descriptive. Data were collected from 16 social workers of the Department of Social Development, Mahikeng Service Point, North West Province, South Africa, using semi-structured, in-person interviews, guided by a developed interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The findings of this study showed that participants had different perspectives on factors that contribute to problematic behaviour displayed by foster children. These factors included poor parenting, family dynamics, environmental factors and peer pressure. The study recommends that further research be undertaken on the experiences and perspectives of foster parents who live with foster children with problematic behaviours and how social workers may need to adjust their intervention measures to address the identified behavioural problems. This study contributed valuable information from the social workers’ perspectives regarding the factors that play a role in behavioural problems among foster children in South Africa. Additionally, the study included challenges encountered by social workers when working with foster children who display problematic behaviour.

Psychosocial factors such as diabetes distress, depression, anxiety, social support, stigma, coping styles, and quality of life play a critical role in shaping mental health outcomes among males living with type 2 diabetes. Despite their importance, systematic evidence on how these factors influence mental health remains limited. Objective: This protocol aims to synthesize existing evidence on psychosocial factors associated with mental health outcomes among males living with type 2 diabetes. Eligibility Criteria: Studies will be included if they focus on males aged 18 years and above diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and examine psychosocial factors in relation to mental health outcomes. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs will be considered. Exclusion criteria include studies focused on females, males under 18, or those with type 1 diabetes; studies exclusively evaluating interventions (e.g., CBT trials, self-management programs); non-English publications; and studies published before 2015. Confounders such as co-morbidities and lifestyle factors will be included if reported alongside psychosocial exposures, but studies focusing solely on these without mental health outcomes will be excluded. Information Sources: The search strategy will be guided by the PICO framework, and such searches will be conducted in Scopus, MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, and Web of Science using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) for articles published in English between January 2016 and December 2026. Risk of Bias: Two independent reviewers will screen studies, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Risk of bias will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. Data Synthesis: Eligible studies will undergo narrative thematic synthesis. Confidence in findings will be evaluated using the JBI ConQual approach. Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval is not required. This protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261299482). Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Conclusion: This protocol outlines a transparent plan to review psychosocial factors influencing mental health in men with type 2 diabetes, guiding gender-sensitive strategies that integrate mental health into diabetes care.

Background: International students relocating across borders often face perceived discrimination, a form of cumulative adversity that may undermine well-being and may also be relevant to growth-related outcomes. Little is known about how perceived discrimination is associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG), and whether student stress helps explain that association, among African international students in South Africa. Methods: We surveyed 781 non-South African students aged 18–49 (54% men, 46% women) enrolled at four public universities across Gauteng, North West, Western Cape, and Free State. Perceived discrimination was assessed with the relevant subscale of the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students; student stress was measured with four subscales (academic, interpersonal, physical and environmental) of the Student Stress Inventory; and PTG was measured with five subscales (personal strength, new possibilities, improved relationships, spiritual growth and appreciation of life) of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Parallel multiple-mediator models and quadratic regression were used to estimate indirect associations and nonlinear patterns, adjusting for age and gender. Results: Perceived discrimination was moderately and positively associated with all student stress domains. It was not directly associated with most PTG facets, except for a small positive association with personal strength. Total indirect associations through student stress were nonsignificant; however, specific indirect paths diverged. Interpersonal stress showed positive indirect associations with improved relationships, new possibilities, and personal strength, whereas academic and environmental stress showed negative indirect associations with several PTG facets. Small positive quadratic terms indicated U-shaped associations between perceived discrimination and improved relationships, new possibilities, and personal strength, with the lowest estimated PTG values occurring at modestly low levels of discrimination. Conclusions: Perceived discrimination was associated with PTG through distinct student-stress patterns. Academic and environmental stress showed negative associations with several PTG facets, whereas interpersonal stress showed positive associations with some PTG facets. These findings should not be interpreted as suggesting that discrimination is beneficial; rather, they indicate heterogeneous responses to adversity. Interventions should prioritise reducing discrimination and related stressors while strengthening supportive resources for international students in South Africa.