This paper presents an exploration of tribal spirituality in India. The study sought to understand the spiritual worldview of tribal communities in India within the context of a community engagement program between a university in India and a tribal community outside Mumbai. The purpose of the engagement was for students and academics to have a deeper understanding of tribal communities, and to formulate community development interventions that could improve their individual and family well-being. A qualitative research approach was utilized to guide the study. The data was collected from two samples, namely, six social work academics and 23 students. Semi structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from these aforementioned samples following a two-year immersion within this community. The data was analyzed as one dataset using thematic analysis. Three broad themes emerged from the data which focused on the characteristics of tribal communities, tribal spirituality and the healing methodologies used.

Nurses constitute the largest group of health care professionals who care for mental health care users in the psychiatric services field. This places them at the crucial juncture of providing quality care whilst trying to manage the challenges that arise with this patient group. Part of dealing with this requires that nursing education be aware not only of the multifaceted roles of psychiatric nurses but the unique and sometimes daunting challenges involved in nursing mentally ill patients. Whilst the roles of psychiatric nurses have received growing attention; little research exists on the roles and challenges associated with psychiatric nursing at local in-patient mental health care facilities. The current study explored the roles of psychiatric nurses at in-patient facilities, the challenges associated with same and the difficulties associated with caring for mental health care users. A quantitative descriptive design was used to survey 396 psychiatric nurses. A census of 436 nurses formed the sample as the entire population of psychiatric nurses at in-patient psychiatric facilities in KwaZulu-Natal was sampled. The most common issues faced in psychiatric nursing practice were that “mental health care users deny mental illness” and the challenges associated with exposure to patients’ unpredictable behaviour. Of significance was that nurses were also exposed to increased levels of aggression and violence. Psychiatric nurses reported experiencing feelings of anger and frustration, as well as high levels of burnout. Whilst psychiatric nurses indicated that they were suitably trained to deal with mental health care users, most supported the need for further training.

This study explored the views of professional nurses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa regarding the role of spirituality and spiritual care in nursing practice and investigated whether professional nurses utilize spiritually based care in nursing practice. A cross-sectional descriptive design using multistage random sampling was utilized. Five hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to professional nurses between December 2012 and February 2013. A total of 385 participants completed the survey questionnaire, resulting in a 77% response rate. Data was analyzed using SSPS 0.20. The data revealed that nurses see spirituality and spiritual care as an important dimension of nursing practice but need greater preparedness. Nurses need to be effectively prepared to deal with the complexity of providing ethically based personalized spiritual care in an increasingly diverse society.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in South African universities and institutes of higher learning experiencing an unprecedented shift to online learning in 2020, coupled by limited access to campus, in order to prevent community transmission. However, the potential impact of the outbreak on the academic and psychosocial wellbeing of students warrants further exploration, as the rapid changes and the disruption to normal academic life, has left many students feeling socially isolated and struggling to cope with massive uncertainty. In addition, Health Sciences students may experience added anxiety due to their line of work, which places them at the forefront of the healthcare environment. This study explored the academic and psychosocial challenges experienced by students enrolled in a Health Sciences faculty in a University of Technology (UoT), as they transitioned through the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. A qualitative approach with an exploratory descriptive design was used to guide the study. A sample of students across all levels of study (first, second and third years as well as postgraduates) from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa were selected. Sample recruitment was done through non-probability sampling techniques which include purposive and convenience sampling. Data saturation was reached after interviewing 15 participants on Microsoft Teams. The interview schedule comprised key points on understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown affected students personally and academically. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and subjected to content and thematic analyses. Six broad themes emerged from the data, which captured the disruption students experienced within the context of their academic life, their personal fears and anxieties, struggles with online learning and connectivity issues. Students also expressed challenges whilst studying remotely at home. The findings suggested that there is an urgent need for universities to reflect on ensuring students’ mental health wellbeing as well as ensuring academic success amidst a turbulent physical and psychological environment.

Academic discourse related to spirituality has proliferated globally. The rationale for its inclusion in social work education rests on the premise that spirituality is a critical strength in social work practice. This paper explores this aspect and highlights empirical research related to the inclusion of spirituality in training. It does this within the context of a SA study that was undertaken to explore the views of students with regard to the role of religion and spirituality in practice and the extent to which South African curricula considers religion and spirituality. The research was conducted by distributing questionnaires to final year social work students at schools of social work (N = 21); 342 completed surveys were returned yielding a response of 47%. The findings revealed high levels of religiosity or spirituality amongst students, a gap in the curriculum on spirituality and support for its inclusion in social work education.