Claire van der Westhuizen
Biographic Data
| ID | 5417480 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Claire van der Westhuizen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Claire |
| FAMILY NAME | van der Westhuizen |
| SIGNATURE | VAN DER WESTHUIZEN C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cape Town |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2138-8978 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 12 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Feasibility and acceptability of the co-adapted Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (Ease) intervention for South African adolescents with symptoms of depression or anxiety, and their caregivers
Health Action in ScHools for a Thriving Adolescent Generation (HASHTAG)
Schools play a crucial role in supporting adolescent mental health, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where young people face structural and societal challenges. This study explores the feasibility and acceptability of the Health Action in Schools for a Thriving Adolescent Generation (HASHTAG), a multilevel intervention for at-risk adolescents aged 13–14 in South Africa. HASHTAG includes two components: thriving environment …
Psychometric properties of the English-language difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 for 15-18-year-old adolescents in the Western Cape of South Africa
Given that emotion regulation (ER) is associated with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, among adolescents, it is vital to have psychometrically sound ER measures. However, validated ER measures for South African adolescents are scarce. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the psychometric properties of the English-language Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–16 (DERS-16) among South African adolescents in the…
Development of a school-based programme for mental health promotion and prevention among adolescents in Nepal and South Africa
Introduction: Adolescence is a critical time for mental health promotion and prevention and establishing healthy behaviours. Implementing universal, school-based psychosocial interventions can improve short- and long-term health trajectories for adolescents. While these interventions may offer important opportunities for fostering skills and relationships, few school-based interventions have been developed for and tested in low- and middle-income…
A reflection of the current status of the mental healthcare system in South Africa
In this paper we begin by highlighting the large treatment gap in South Africa for mental health conditions. We then describe the mental health services available, including the provision of evidence-based treatments in South Africa at each level of care, using the WHO's optimal mix of mental healthcare services as a framework. The optimal mix of services pyramid includes the following domains: informal services, which comprise self-care and info…
Experiences and Perceived Benefits of a Youth Skateboarding Program in South Africa
This study aimed to assess the mental health needs and risk behaviors of adolescents attending an afterschool life-skills skateboarding program, to evaluate the perceived benefits of the program, and to identify potential modifications required to meet the identified needs. Program participants were from three gang- and poverty-affected urban communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Seventy-six adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years old (83% mal…
Task Sharing or Task Dumping
Given task-sharing mental health counselling to non-specialist providers is a recognised strategy to increase service capacity, ensuring that their training, supervision, and support needs are met is necessary to facilitate the sustainable delivery of a high-quality service. Using in-depth interviews, we qualitatively explored the experiences of 18 facility-based counsellors (FBCs) tasked with delivering a counselling intervention within chronic …
Tobacco Use in South African Emergency Centre Patients
Assault injury presentation and lifetime psychological trauma in emergency centre patients in South Africa
Patients presenting with assault injuries are at risk for injury recurrence, have high levels of past psychological trauma, and should be screened for psychosocial risk. Further research is needed to assess the role of past psychological trauma in risk for assault injury, and clarify treatment needs. The role of EC-based interventions in injury prevention and mental health requires increased recognition in South African policy and practice. (Psyc…
Sensitivity and Specificity of the SRQ-20 and the EPDS in Diagnosing Major Depression Ante- and Postnatally in a South African Birth Cohort Study
Urban Health Research in Africa
In Africa, urbanization and urban growth are dramatically restructuring the nature of cities. The growing majority of urban dwellers now live in informal conditions that, without access to basic services or public amenities, expose residents to greater health risk, and health-care systems are unable to provide affordable or comprehensive cover. The differential exposure to these urban conditions is compounded by social and economic vulnerability,…
Validation of the Self Reporting Questionnaire 20-Item (SRQ-20) for Use in a Low- and Middle-Income Country Emergency Centre Setting
Experiences and Perceived Benefits of a Youth Skateboarding Program in South Africa
This study aimed to assess the mental health needs and risk behaviors of adolescents attending an afterschool life-skills skateboarding program, to evaluate the perceived benefits of the program, and to identify potential modifications required to meet the identified needs. Program participants were from three gang- and poverty-affected urban communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Seventy-six adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years old (83% mal…
Validation of the Self Reporting Questionnaire 20-Item (SRQ-20) for Use in a Low- and Middle-Income Country Emergency Centre Setting
Urban Health Research in Africa
In Africa, urbanization and urban growth are dramatically restructuring the nature of cities. The growing majority of urban dwellers now live in informal conditions that, without access to basic services or public amenities, expose residents to greater health risk, and health-care systems are unable to provide affordable or comprehensive cover. The differential exposure to these urban conditions is compounded by social and economic vulnerability,…
Assault injury presentation and lifetime psychological trauma in emergency centre patients in South Africa
Patients presenting with assault injuries are at risk for injury recurrence, have high levels of past psychological trauma, and should be screened for psychosocial risk. Further research is needed to assess the role of past psychological trauma in risk for assault injury, and clarify treatment needs. The role of EC-based interventions in injury prevention and mental health requires increased recognition in South African policy and practice. (Psyc…
Sensitivity and Specificity of the SRQ-20 and the EPDS in Diagnosing Major Depression Ante- and Postnatally in a South African Birth Cohort Study
Tobacco Use in South African Emergency Centre Patients
Task Sharing or Task Dumping
Given task-sharing mental health counselling to non-specialist providers is a recognised strategy to increase service capacity, ensuring that their training, supervision, and support needs are met is necessary to facilitate the sustainable delivery of a high-quality service. Using in-depth interviews, we qualitatively explored the experiences of 18 facility-based counsellors (FBCs) tasked with delivering a counselling intervention within chronic …
Experiences and Perceived Benefits of a Youth Skateboarding Program in South Africa
This study aimed to assess the mental health needs and risk behaviors of adolescents attending an afterschool life-skills skateboarding program, to evaluate the perceived benefits of the program, and to identify potential modifications required to meet the identified needs. Program participants were from three gang- and poverty-affected urban communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Seventy-six adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years old (83% mal…
A reflection of the current status of the mental healthcare system in South Africa
In this paper we begin by highlighting the large treatment gap in South Africa for mental health conditions. We then describe the mental health services available, including the provision of evidence-based treatments in South Africa at each level of care, using the WHO's optimal mix of mental healthcare services as a framework. The optimal mix of services pyramid includes the following domains: informal services, which comprise self-care and info…
Development of a school-based programme for mental health promotion and prevention among adolescents in Nepal and South Africa
Introduction: Adolescence is a critical time for mental health promotion and prevention and establishing healthy behaviours. Implementing universal, school-based psychosocial interventions can improve short- and long-term health trajectories for adolescents. While these interventions may offer important opportunities for fostering skills and relationships, few school-based interventions have been developed for and tested in low- and middle-income…
Psychometric properties of the English-language difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 for 15-18-year-old adolescents in the Western Cape of South Africa
Given that emotion regulation (ER) is associated with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, among adolescents, it is vital to have psychometrically sound ER measures. However, validated ER measures for South African adolescents are scarce. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the psychometric properties of the English-language Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–16 (DERS-16) among South African adolescents in the…
Feasibility and acceptability of the co-adapted Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (Ease) intervention for South African adolescents with symptoms of depression or anxiety, and their caregivers
Health Action in ScHools for a Thriving Adolescent Generation (HASHTAG)
Schools play a crucial role in supporting adolescent mental health, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where young people face structural and societal challenges. This study explores the feasibility and acceptability of the Health Action in Schools for a Thriving Adolescent Generation (HASHTAG), a multilevel intervention for at-risk adolescents aged 13–14 in South Africa. HASHTAG includes two components: thriving environment …
Medicine (8 works) · Psychiatry (8 works) · Mental health (7 works) · Nursing (6 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (5 works) · Clinical Psychology (5 works) · Public health (5 works) · Clinical Psychology (4 works) · Mental Health Treatment and Access (4 works) · Psychology (4 works)