Conceptualization of child safety and mental health by parents in two Global South contexts of disadvantage
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9972155 |
|---|---|
| Authors | See Heng Yim (0000-0002-2241-1017, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, corresponding author), Sadiyya Haffejee (0000-0002-9513-6861, University of Johannesburg), Sajida Hassan (Icon for Child and Adult Nurturing (ICON), Pakistan), Michelle O’reilly (0000-0003-1978-6405, University of Leicester), Panos Vostanis (0000-0001-9217-0805, University of Johannesburg) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-8728 • E-ISSN: 1461-7234 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00208728261427724 |
| OpenAlex | W7142388184 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
Children in resource-constrained Global South settings face safety and mental health risk factors, often with limited access to support. Forty-four parents in South Africa and Pakistan conceptualized vulnerabilities and required support. Thematic analysis of focus group data resulted in three themes of contextual influences, child rearing practices and joint care pathways. The findings highlight the importance of integrated child protection and mental health awareness and interventions, and interdisciplinary training. In Global South countries, social workers are ideally positioned to drive partnerships between structural and informal community-based support systems, and thus continuously align policy, protocols and interventions with local sociocultural values
Conceptualization · Disadvantage · Focus group · Global mental health · Global South · Mental health · Psychological intervention · Social exclusion · Sociocultural evolution · Thematic analysis · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Thematic Analysis
Supporting Child Development Through Parenting Interventions in Low- to Middle-Income Countries
Non-contributory social protection for adolescents in low- and middle-income countries
Improving adolescent mental health and protection in humanitarian settings
The Effectiveness and Feasibility of Psychological Interventions for Populations Under Ongoing Threat
A systematic review of the literature on community-level child protection in low- and middle-income countries
Focus Group Interviews in Child, Youth, and Parent Research
Effectiveness of father-inclusive interventions on maternal, paternal, couples, and early child outcomes in low- and middle-income countries
The Utility of Template Analysis in Qualitative Psychology Research
Social service systems for vulnerable children and families in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Ubuntu-based social work
Using focus groups for empowerment purposes in qualitative health research and evaluation
The impact of para-professional social workers and community health care workers in Côte d'Ivoire
Stakeholder perspectives of a co-produced intervention to integrate mental health for children and youth within the community sub-system in South Africa
The intertwined evolution of sexual harassment victimization and emotional problems among young people
Human Rights Violations Against Street Children Working in the Informal Economy in Bangladesh
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |