FAMILY CHALLENGES AND COPING MECHANISMS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Kader, Zainab; Benjamin, Fatiema; Manuel, Donnay Anthea; Mpilo, Mulalo; Titus, Simone; Roman, Nicolette V.

doi:https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs154202422216

Browse the articles in this issue

[Beginning of issue]
Back to summary

THE CINDERELLA COMPLEX, ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, AND THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE IN WOMEN: A WEB-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Article outline

Back to top
Abstract
Full text (PDF)Full text (PDF)
Biographical notes
Bibliography

Toolbox

PDFDownload
Cite this article
Share

Abstracts

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the health and well-being of families in South Africa, amplifying family challenges and requiring modifications to their coping mechanisms. While the pandemic has been successfully managed in South Africa, some challenges, such as those related to poverty, loss of income, and economic uncertainty, have been exacerbated. This study, which used an exploratory qualitative research design, sought to offer insight into the coping mechanisms of South African families used to deal with family challenges during the pandemic. Through purposive and snowball sampling, 31 participants were recruited; the majority were living in a nuclear family, but some had other arrangements. The participants were from six municipal districts in the Western Cape Province. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study demonstrate that the coping mechanisms families used during the COVID-19 pandemic were largely drawn from internal resources.

Keywords:

family,
family challenges,
coping mechanisms,
COVID-19,
South Africa

Download the article in PDF to read it.

Download

Appendices

Biographical notes

Zainab Kader PhD is a research fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society at the University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, 7535, Republic of South Africa. Email: zkader4@gmail.com

Fatiema Benjamin MA (corresponding author) is a PhD candidate at the University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, 7535, Republic of South Africa. Email: 3333237@myuwc.ac.za

Donnay Manuel MA is a PhD candidate at the University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, 7535, Republic of South Africa. Email: donnaym@boston.co.za

Mulalo Mpilo MA is a PhD candidate at the University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Dr., Park West, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa. Email: MpiloMT@ufs.ac.za

Simone Titus PhD is an associate professor in Health Professions Education Department of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch. Email: titusdawsons@sun.ac.za

Nicolette Roman PhD is a senior professor, and the founding member of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, 7535, Republic of South Africa. Email: nroman@uwc.ac.za

Bibliography

Adebiyi, B. O., Donga, G. T., Omukunyi, B., & Roman, N. V. (2022). How South African families protected themselves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A qualitative study. Sustainability, 14(3), Article 1236. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031236
10.3390/su14031236 Google Scholar
Adonis, C. K. (2017). Generational victimhood in post-apartheid South Africa: Perspectives of descendants of victims of apartheid era gross human rights violations. International Review of Victimology, 24(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269758017732175
10.1177/0269758017732175 Google Scholar
Anyira, I. E., & Udem, O. K. (2020). Effect of social media addiction on reading culture: A study of Nigerian students. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Article 4170. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7797&context=libphilprac
10.31229/osf.io/bkzhc Google Scholar
Arpino, B., Pasqualini, M., & Bordone, V. (2021a). Physically distant but socially close? Changes in non-physical intergenerational contacts at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among older people in France, Italy and Spain. European Journal of Ageing, 18(2), 185–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-021-00621-x
10.1007/s10433-021-00621-x Google Scholar
Arpino, B., Pasqualini, M., Bordone, V., & Solé-Auró, A. (2021b). Older people’s nonphysical contacts and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Gerontologist, 61(2), 176–186. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa144
10.1093/geront/gnaa144 Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory (pp. 23–28). Prentice Hall.
Google Scholar
Betsch, C., Korn, L., Sprengholz, P., Felgendreff, L., Eitze, S., Schmid, P., & Böhm, R. (2020). Social and behavioral consequences of mask policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(36), 21851–21853. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2011674117
10.1073/pnas.2011674117 Google Scholar
Bhorat, H., Oosthuizen, M., & Stanwix, B. (2021). Social assistance amidst the COVID‐19 epidemic in South Africa: A policy assessment. South African Journal of Economics, 89(1), 63–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/saje.12277
10.1111/saje.12277 Google Scholar
Biggs, A., Brough, P., & Drummond, S. (2017). Lazarus and Folkman’s psychological stress and coping theory. In C. L. Cooper & J. Campbell Quick (Eds.), The Handbook of Stress and Health: A Guide to Research and Practice (pp. 349–364). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118993811.ch21
10.1002/9781118993811.ch21 Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Google Scholar
Burger, R., Christian, C., English, R., Maughan-Brown, B., & Rossouw, L. (2022). Predictors of mask-wearing during the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from South Africa. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 12(1), Article 132. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibab132
10.1093/tbm/ibab132 Google Scholar
Cassinat, J. R., Whiteman, S. D., Serang, S., Dotterer, A. M., Mustillo, S. A., Maggs, J. L., & Kelly, B. C. (2021). Changes in family chaos and family relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 57(10), 1597–1610. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001217
10.1037/dev0001217 Google Scholar
Chirombe, T., Benza, S., Munetsi, E., & Zirima, H. (2020). Coping mechanisms adopted by people during the COVID-19 lockdown in Zimbabwe. Business Excellence and Management, 10(1), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.24818/beman/2020.S.I.1-03
10.24818/beman/2020.S.I.1-03 Google Scholar
Choi, S. A., & Hastings, J. F. (2019). Religion, spirituality, coping, and resilience among African Americans with diabetes. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 38(1), 93–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2018.1524735
10.1080/15426432.2018.1524735 Google Scholar
Donga, G. T., Roman, N. V., Adebiyi, B. O., Omukunyi, B., & Chinyakata, R. (2021). Lessons learnt during COVID-19 lockdown: A qualitative study of South African families. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), Article 12552. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312552
10.3390/ijerph182312552 Google Scholar
Engelbrecht, M. (2023). Factors associated with COVID-19-related stress among female primary caregivers in vulnerable families in South Africa. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(2), 377–390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13020028
10.3390/ejihpe13020028 Google Scholar
Evans, S., Mikocka-Walus, A., Klas, A., Olive, L., Sciberras, E., Karantzas, G., & Westrupp, E. M. (2020). From “It has stopped our lives” to “Spending more time together has strengthened bonds”: The varied experiences of Australian families during COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 588667. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.588667
10.3389/fpsyg.2020.588667 Google Scholar
Fekih-Romdhane, F., & Cheour, M. (2021). Psychological distress among a Tunisian community sample during the COVID-19 pandemic: Correlations with religious coping. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(3), 1446–1461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01230-9
10.1007/s10943-021-01230-9 Google Scholar
Ferguson, N., Laydon, D., Nedjati-Gilani, G., Imai, N., Ainslie, K., Baguelin, M., Bhatia, S., Boonyasiri, A., Cucunubá, Z., Cuomo-Dannenburg, G., Dighe, A., Dorigatti, I., Fu, H., Gaythorpe, K., Green, W., Hamlet, A., Hinsley, W., Okell, L. C., van Elsland, S., … Ghani, A. C. (2020). Report 9: Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand. Imperial College London. https://doi.org/10.25561/77482
Google Scholar
Fridman, A., Gershon, R., & Gneezy, A. (2022). Increased generosity under COVID-19 threat. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 4886. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08748-2
10.1038/s41598-022-08748-2 Google Scholar
Gabbiadini, A., Baldissarri, C., Durante, F., Valtorta, R. R., De Rosa, M., & Gallucci, M. (2020). Together apart: The mitigating role of digital communication technologies on negative affect during the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 554678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554678
10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554678 Google Scholar
Garza Varela, J. P., de la Cruz-de la Cruz, C., Leija Guerrero, J. G., Sánchez Rodríguez, K. E., & Kawas Valle, O. (2021). Positive reappraisal as a stress coping strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Salud Mental, 44(4), 177–184. https://doi.org/10.17711/SM.0185-3325.2021.023
10.17711/SM.0185-3325.2021.023 Google Scholar
Groenewald, C., & Bhana, A. (2016). Substance abuse and the family: An examination of the South African policy context. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 25(2), 148–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2016.1236072
10.1080/09687637.2016.1236072 Google Scholar
Harker, N., Johnson, K., Erasmus, J., & Myers, B. (2022). COVID 19: Impact on substance use treatment utilisation and provision in South Africa. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 17(1), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-022-00446-6
10.1186/s13011-022-00446-6 Google Scholar
Hood, R., Zabatiero, J., Silva, D., Zubrick, S. R., & Straker, L. (2021). “Coronavirus changed the rules on everything”: Parent perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced family routines, relationships and technology use in families with infants. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), Article 12865. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312865
10.3390/ijerph182312865 Google Scholar
Humphreys, K. L., Myint, M. T., & Zeanah, C. H. (2020). Increased risk for family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrics, 146(1), Article e20200982. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-0982
10.1542/peds.2020-0982 Google Scholar
Javed, S., & Parveen, H. (2021). Adaptive coping strategies used by people during coronavirus. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 10(1), 122–129. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_522_20
10.4103/jehp.jehp_522_20 Google Scholar
Killgore, W. D. S., Taylor, E. C., Cloonan, S. A., & Dailey, N. S. (2020). Psychological resilience during the COVID-19 lockdown. Psychiatry Research, 291, Article 113216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113216
10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113216 Google Scholar
Knight, D., Dudenkov, D. V., & Cheshire, W. P. (2021). Religion in the US during the time of a pandemic: A medical perspective. Journal of Religion and Health, 60, 3177–3192 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01366-8
10.1007/s10943-021-01366-8 Google Scholar
Konopásek, Z. (2007). Making thinking visible with Atlas.ti: Computer assisted qualitative analysis as textual practices. Historical Social Research/Historische Sozialforschung. Supplement, 276–298.
Google Scholar
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
Google Scholar
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8 Google Scholar
Lund, C., & Cois, A. (2018). Simultaneous social causation and social drift: Longitudinal analysis of depression and poverty in South Africa. Journal of Affective Disorders, 229, 396–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.050
10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.050 Google Scholar
MacMillan, T., Corrigan, M. J., Coffey, K., Tronnier, C. D., Wang, D., & Krase, K. (2021). Exploring factors associated with alcohol and/or substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20, 1814–1823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00482-y
10.1007/s11469-020-00482-y Google Scholar
Mahlangu, P., Gibbs, A., Shai, N., Machisa, M., Nunze, N., & Sikweyiya, Y. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 lockdown and link to women and children’s experiences of violence in the home in South Africa. BMC Public Health, 22(1), Article 1029. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13422-3
10.1186/s12889-022-13422-3 Google Scholar
Martinelli, L., Kopilaš, V., Vidmar, M., Heavin, C., Machado, H., Todorović, Z., Buzas, N., Pot, M., Prainsack, B., & Gajović, S. (2021). Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic: A simple protection tool with many meanings. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, Article 606635. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.606635
10.3389/fpubh.2020.606635 Google Scholar
Mazza, M., Marano, G., Lai, C., Janiri, L., & Sani, G. (2020). Danger in danger: Interpersonal violence during COVID-19 quarantine. Psychiatry Research, 289, 113046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113046
10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113046 Google Scholar
Mbaka, N., & Isiramen, O. M. (2021). The changing role of an exploratory research in modern organisation. GPH-International Journal of Business Management, 4(12), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6992256
Google Scholar
McRae, C. S., Overall, N. C., Henderson, A. M. E., Low, R. S. T., & Chang, V. T. (2021). Parents’ distress and poor parenting during a COVID-19 lockdown: The buffering effects of partner support and cooperative coparenting. Developmental Psychology, 57(10), 1623–1632. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001207
10.1037/dev0001207 Google Scholar
National Department of Health. (2020). COVID-19 South African coronavirus news and information 2020. https://sacoronavirus.co.za/
Google Scholar
National Institute for Communicable Diseases (2020, December 23). Latest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Africa. https://www.nicd.ac.za/latest-confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-in-south-africa-23-dec-2020/
Google Scholar
October, K. R., Petersen, L. R., Adebiyi, B., Rich, E., & Roman, N. V. (2021). COVID-19 daily realities for families: A South African sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), Article 221. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010221
10.3390/ijerph19010221 Google Scholar
Rich, E. G., Butler-Kruger, L., Sonn, I. K., Kader, Z., & Roman, N. V. (2022). Family resilience and the COVID-19 pandemic: A South African study. Social Sciences, 11(9), Article 416. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11090416
10.3390/socsci11090416 Google Scholar
Ritchie, L., Cervone, D., & Sharpe, B. T. (2021). Goals and self-efficacy beliefs during the initial COVID-19 lockdown: A mixed methods analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 559114. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559114
10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559114 Google Scholar
Roman, N. V., Mthembu, T. G., & Hoosen, M. (2020). Spiritual care–‘A deeper immunity’: A response to COVID-19 pandemic. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 12(1), Article 2456. https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2456
10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2456 Google Scholar
Rosen, A. O., Holmes, A. L., Balluerka, N., Hidalgo, M. D., Gorostiaga, A., Gómez-Benito, J., & Huedo-Medina, T. B. (2022). Is social media a new type of social support? Social media use in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), Article 3952. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073952
10.3390/ijerph19073952 Google Scholar
Rousoulioti, T., Tsagari, D., & Giannikas, C. N. (2022). Parents’ new role and needs during the COVID-19 educational emergency. Interchange, 53, 429–455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-022-09464-6
10.1007/s10780-022-09464-6 Google Scholar
Salin, M., Kaittila, A., Hakovirta, M., & Anttila, M. (2020). Family coping strategies during Finland’s COVID-19 lockdown. Sustainability, 12(21), Article 9133. http://doi.org/10.3390/su12219133
10.3390/su12219133 Google Scholar
Saud, M., Ashfaq, A., Abbas, A., Ariadi, S., & Mahmood, Q. K. (2021). Social support through religion and psychological well-being: COVID-19 and coping strategies in Indonesia. Journal of Religion and Health, 60(5), 3309–3325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01327-1
10.1007/s10943-021-01327-1 Google Scholar
Serra, G., Lo Scalzo, L., Giuffrè, M., Ferrara, P., & Corsello, G. (2021). Smartphone use and addiction during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: Cohort study on 184 Italian children and adolescents. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 47(1), Article 150. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-021-01102-8
10.1186/s13052-021-01102-8 Google Scholar
Stiegler, N., & Bouchard, J.-P. (2020, September). South Africa: Challenges and successes of the COVID-19 lockdown. Annales Médico-Psychologiques, Revue Psychiatrique, 178(7), 695–698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amp.2020.05.006
10.1016/j.amp.2020.05.006 Google Scholar
Taylor, S., Paluszek, M. M., Rachor, G. S., McKay, D., & Asmundson, G. J. G. (2021). Substance use and abuse, COVID-19-related distress, and disregard for social distancing: A network analysis. Addictive Behaviors, 114, Article 106754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106754
10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106754 Google Scholar
Usher, K., Bradbury Jones, C., Bhullar, N., Durkin, J., Gyamfi, N., Fatema, S. R., & Jackson, D. (2021). COVID‐19 and family violence: Is this a perfect storm? International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 30(4), 1022–1032. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12876
10.1111/inm.12876 Google Scholar
Weeland, J., Keijsers, L., & Branje, S. (2021). Introduction to the special issue: Parenting and family dynamics in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Developmental Psychology, 57(10), 1559–1562. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001252
10.1037/dev0001252 Google Scholar
Wu, W., Zhang, Y., Wang, P., Zhang, L., Wang, G., Lei, G., Xiao, Q., Cao, X., Bian, Y., Xie, S., Huang, F., Luo, N., Zhang, J., & Luo, M. (2020). Psychological stress of medical staffs during outbreak of COVID‐19 and adjustment strategy. Journal of Medical Virology, 92(10), 1962–1970. http:// doi: 10.1002/jmv.25914
10.1002/jmv.25914 Google Scholar
Zaami, S., Marinelli, E., & Varì, M. R. (2020). New trends of substance abuse during COVID-19 pandemic: An international perspective. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article 700. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00700
10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00700 Google Scholar
Zhang, H. (2020). The influence of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on family violence in China. Journal of Family Violence, 37, 733–743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00196-8
10.1007/s10896-020-00196-8 Google Scholar
Zsilavecz, A., Wain, H., Bruce, J. L., Smith, M. T. D., Bekker, W., Laing, G. L., Lutge, E., & Clarke, D. L. (2020). Trauma patterns during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa expose vulnerability of women. SAMJ: The South African Medical Journal, 110(11), 1110–1112. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v110i11.15124
10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v110i11.15124 Google Scholar

Abstracts

Abstract

Appendices

Biographical notes

Bibliography

Citation Tools

Cite this article

Export the record for this article