South African Journal of Psychology

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online psychology training, leading to a notable decline in empathy development among postgraduate students due to reduced face-to-face interaction. Central to fostering professional empathy is the hidden curriculum—the informal and implicit learning space that occurs through social and relational experiences, which is often lost in virtual settings. This article, grounded in Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and Situated Learning Theory (SLT), argues that the intentional integration of hidden-curriculum elements into an online educational environment can compensate for diminished in-person experiential learning. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 10 psychology master’s students at a South African university, three key themes were identified: (1) perceived experiences of disconnection and isolation, (2) disruption of the hidden curriculum, and (3) empathy and readiness for professional practice. The findings are interpreted through the lens of Ubuntu philosophy, which underpins South African social realities and emphasises relationality, interconnectedness, and collective meaning-making. Participants highlighted the necessity of a culturally grounded capacity for deep interpersonal connection as central to their learning experiences. The absence of relational depth within supervisory interactions was found to significantly undermine students’ capacity to thrive in online learning environments. In response to these challenges, this study highlights several considerations for the improvement of postgraduate psychology training environments.

COVID-19 is a highly transmissible viral infection that caused a substantial global health burden with over 700 million and 4 million cases recorded globally and in South Africa, respectively, by the year 2024. The spread of COVID-19 soon became a crisis that necessitated deviations in the standard of care in health facilities, thus placing health care workers (HCWs) under added physical and emotional pressure. This study explored the medium-term effects of caring for COVID-19 patients on HCWs in South Africa. In 2024, we conducted in-depth interviews with 15 HCWs who cared for hospitalised COVID-19 patients at a COVID-19 isolation centre in eThekwini District, South Africa, between June 2020 and December 2021. The participants were aged 33–58 years with 4–27 years of work experience in health facilities. The thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) changes in staff attitudes and behaviours post-COVID-19, (2) workplace transformation, (3) psychological effects, and (4) transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Study findings signal an existing gap in the psychological support made accessible to HCWs and a need for HCWs' health to be prioritised during pandemics. To mitigate the psychological effects of pandemics on HCWs, we recommend pandemic-related psychological resources, debriefing sessions during and post-pandemic, and ongoing active surveillance to monitor the mental health of HCWs.

Unemployment is a global phenomenon that is affecting many individuals and families negatively, in particular, their functioning, well-being, and coping mechanisms. Unemployment is thus regarded as a risk factor that places many families in adverse situations. While literature extensively describes family resilience in the face of diverse adversities, little research documents family resilience in the face of unemployment, especially in South Africa. It is within this context that we set out to explore the adversity of unemployment from a resilience perspective with the intention to unmask the embedded protective processes in affected families. This was approached through the loose application of Walsh’s family resilience perspective as a theoretical lens. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants who were regarded as breadwinners or key family providers. Each participant engaged in two interviews that were four months apart to allow for reflection and member checking. Data were analysed through a hybrid process that incorporated both the inductive and the deductive logic of thematic analysis. Participants described several key protective processes, which aligned with what Walsh proposed. The practice of communicating, the ability to connect, and the use of spirituality were identified as particularly useful. Overall, the findings imply that despite the experienced adverse conditions of unemployment, South African families demonstrate thriving potential.