In rural African communities, family caregivers shoulder the responsibility of caring for loved ones with mental disorders, often without professional support. This qualitative explorative study, conducted in Limpopo Province, South Africa, aimed to explore the realities of caring for a family member with a mental disorder in rural and remote Capricorn District, in order to uncover insights that can inform support systems, the academic community, interventions, and policies. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to ensure the reproducibility and validity of the results by focusing on participants who are actively involved in caregiving, living in the rural and remote of Capricorn District, in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of their experiences, and this resulted in 15 participants (13 females, 2 males). Data saturation determined the sample size, with data collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using Tesch’s open-coding method. The findings revealed that cultural and spiritual beliefs strengthen caregivers, who exhibit resilience and resourcefulness, yet face financial strain, career setbacks, social isolation, and health declines. The study underscores the critical role of healthcare professionals in recognizing and addressing the challenges faced by family caregivers, while also advocating for the academic community to prioritize the development and dissemination of educational programs focused on safe and ethical coping strategies for caregivers and for policymakers to develop comprehensive mental health services that are accessible and culturally sensitive to rural and remote communities. This is essential because the well-being of caregivers directly influences the rehabilitation and community integration outcomes for individuals with mental disorders.

Teachers with mental illness are vulnerable to work-related triggers that can lead to relapse, affecting their mental health and ability to recover, stay employed, and deliver quality education. This empirical study explored such triggers among public school teachers in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, a qualitative phenomenological design was adopted. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 14 participants that were purposively selected across four hospitals. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Tesch’s eight-step open-coding method. Findings revealed being gossiped about by colleagues, excessive workload, limited leadership and parental support, classroom management challenges, high performance expectations without support, and inadequate teacher mental health policies in schools. These triggers can lead to frequent absenteeism and poor teaching outcomes. They will further increase the risk of medication resistance and long-term cognitive decline due to progressive structural brain damage as a result of multiple relapses. The study highlights the urgent need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, including clinicians, academic institutions, union representatives, and the Department of Basic Education, to co-develop effective, context-sensitive strategies to mitigate work-related triggers of mental illness relapse. These strategies are not only essential for enabling long-term workforce participation but also advancing sustainable mental health and well-being.

Mental illness relapse among teachers presents a growing public health concern, particularly in under-resourced settings, where social and structural factors often go unaddressed. This study aimed to explore challenges outside the workplace that contribute to mental illness relapse among public school teachers in Limpopo Province and how they cope with them. Guided by the Stress-Vulnerability Model, a qualitative explorative phenomenological design was employed. Fourteen participants with a documented history of existing mental illness and mental illness relapse were purposively selected across four different hospitals. The data were collected through in-depth, face-to-face semi-structured interviews until data saturation was reached. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Tesch’s open coding method. The findings revealed unstable home environments, community-level stigma, inadequate institutional support, and systemic barriers to mental healthcare access. Moreover, the participants rely on family members for support and on spiritual practices to cope, highlighting gaps in formal support systems. Addressing these overlooked challenges is critical to reducing relapse resulting from social and systematic challenges, promoting mental health equity, and sustaining teacher resilience in underserved communities. This study calls for collaborative efforts from policymakers, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and community leaders, including faith-based organisations, to develop integrated mental health strategies. Such strategies can promote mental health equity, reduce stigma, and support sustainable teacher well-being in vulnerable communities.

Background: The preschool years (ages 3–5) represent a critical window for promoting development and lifelong health. However, in many low‐resource settings, developmental delays, sensory impairments and emerging health risks often go undetected. Although early, integrated screening improves outcomes, early childhood care and education (ECCE) platforms in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are underutilized for delivering preventive services. Implementation is hindered by limited resources, poor intersectoral coordination, logistical constraints and low caregiver engagement. This study describes the iterative refinement of an initial screening protocol into a proposed flexible, tiered screening model, embedded within a guiding framework tailored to ECCE settings in LMICs. Methods: An observational, descriptive study was conducted in low‐resource urban, peri‐urban and rural communities in a central South African province to collect baseline data on preschoolers' development, sensory functioning (vision and hearing), nutrition and health (including blood pressure). The initial multi‐indicator protocol was implemented and refined using a Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR) approach. Feedback from caregivers, ECCE facilitators, interpreters, student fieldworkers and healthcare professionals guided adaptations. Results: Stakeholders identified key barriers, including fragmented caregiver–child scheduling, long assessment sessions, limited interpreter resources, caregiver disengagement and difficulty engaging children with developmental and behavioural challenges. In response, a proposed model was developed to consolidate visits, reduce session duration, enhance interpreter support and streamline screening tools. The flexible, tiered structure of this proposed model allows assessors to tailor screening based on observed functional capacity, improving feasibility, accuracy and cultural responsiveness. It supports scalable application across similar low‐resource ECCE contexts. Conclusions: This developmentally informed, proposed screening model, operating within a flexible framework, offers a context‐sensitive, scalable approach to improving early identification and referral in LMIC ECCE settings. Its adaptable structure supports broader implementation, enhances alignment with children's developmental needs and informs future policy and integrated service planning.

Returning to work after a mental illness relapse presents significant challenges for teachers, often compromising sustained work participation. This study aimed to explore workplace barriers and coping strategies influencing teachers' return-to-work experiences in Limpopo Province, South Africa, using the Social Model of Disability. A qualitative exploratory design was used. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 14 teachers, with sample size determined by data saturation. Data were analysed using Tesch's open coding method. Findings revealed key workplace barriers, including unimplemented healthcare recommendations, persistent stigma, and limited organisational support, which exacerbated vulnerability to relapse. In response, teachers adopted coping strategies such as withdrawing from additional responsibilities, limiting engagement, and seeking alternative support through personal, spiritual, and familial coping mechanisms to manage their mental health. Applying the Social Model of Disability reveals that disabling environments, rather than individual impairments, are central barriers to reintegration. Without systemic intervention, current school environments risk perpetuating relapse and reduced productivity. The study calls for the urgent integration of structured psychosocial support, enforceable workplace accommodations, and rehabilitation-informed policies within the education sector. Coordinated action across policymakers, healthcare providers, and the Department of Basic Education is essential to implement sustainable return-to-work frameworks that safeguard teachers' mental health and optimise long-term occupational performance.