ASRIA

Culture and Mental Health Assessment

This project focuses on integrating culture into mental health assessment to strengthen the relevance and effectiveness of psychological tools and interventions. ASRIA’s research examines how mental illness is conceptualised across African, Islamic, Judaic, and Hindu traditions, with particular attention to community beliefs about aetiology, distress, and help-seeking. By systematically assessing culturally grounded understandings of mental health, the project aims to inform more responsive and effective community-based mental health interventions. The project also includes a co-leading role in the mental health component of the Africa Long Life Study (ALLS) study, which investigates mental health and wellbeing longitudinally among emerging adults across Africa. Additional strands focus on student mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Twio other studies are located within this project – one focussed on student mental health and another on the health impacts of loadshedding in South Africa.

Publications

  • Hofmann, D. V., Hopwood, C. J., Laher, S., Asatsa, S., Florence, M., Shino, E. N., Naudé, L., & Thalmayer, A. G. (2025). The structure of psychopathology among young adults in Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/abn0001045
  • Gani, S. & Laher, S., (2025). The Relationship Between Coping and Wellbeing Among South African Muslims During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Journal of Muslim Mental Health 18(3). doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/jmmh.3576
  • Hassem, T., Bain, K., Bemath, N., De Andrade, V. & Laher, S. (2024). Postgraduate Psychology students’ mental health and coping during COVID19: Lessons learnt. Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 12, (1). https://doi.org/10.24085/jsaa.v12i1.4338
  • Bain, K., Hassem, T., Bemath, N., de Andrade, V., & Laher, S. (2023). In the Wake of COVID-19: The Developmental and Mental Health Fallout Amongst South African University Students. Emerging Adulthood, 11(4), 1055-1067. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968231180960
  • Laher, S., Bain, K., Bemath, N., De Andrade, V. & Hassem, T. (2021). Undergraduate Psychology student experiences during COVID-19: Challenges encountered and lessons learnt. South African Journal of Psychology, 51 (2), 215-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246321995095
  • Cook, Lindsay J., Hassem, Tasneem, Laher, Sumaya, Variava, Tarique, & Schutte, Enid. (2021). Mental health experiences of healthcare professionals during COVID-19. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 47(1), 1-10. 
  • Ivbijaro, G, Kolkiewicz, L, Goldberg, D, Riba, M.B, N’jie, I, Geller, J., Kallivayalil, R, Javed, A, Švab, I, Summergrad, P, Laher, S (2019). Preventing suicide, promoting resilience: a global perspective. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry, 11:e12371.
  • Laher, S., Subjee, S., & Bemath, N. (2018). An Exploration of Muslim females’ perceptions of Major Depressive Disorder. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 21, 625-642
  • Laher, S. (2014). An overview of illness conceptualizations in African, Hindu, and Islamic traditions: towards cultural competence. South African Journal of Psychology, 44, 191-204.

Projects

There are a few projects within this theme at ASRIA as follows:

  • Understanding Mental Health across Cultures in South Africa – Principal Investigator: Prof Sumaya Laher
  • Mental Health in Young adults in the Africa Long Life Study – Principal Investigator: Prof Sumaya Laher, Dr Tasneem Hassem, Prof Amber Gayle Thalmayer, Dr Daniel Hofmann
  • Mental health of South African university students – Principal Investigators: Prof Sumaya Laher, Prof Katherine Bain, Prof Victor De Andrade, Dr Tasneem Hassem, Ms Nabeelah Bemath
  • Loadshedding impacts on mental health – Principal Investigator: Prof Maria Marchetti-Mercer

Researchers

IDeas Lab – University of the Free State
Prof Sumaya Laher – University of the Witwatersrand
Dr Tasneem Hassem – University of the Witwatersrand
Prof Amber-Gayle Thalmayer – University of Zurich
Prof Luzelle Naude – University of Free State
Dr Stephen Asatsa – Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Dr Elizabeth Shino – University of Namibia
Dr Daniel Hofmann – University of Zurich
Selma Uugwanga – University of Zurich
Prof Gabriel Ivbijaro – World Dignity Project
Prof Maria Marchetti-Mercer – University of the Witwatersrand
Prof Jennifer Watermeyer – HCRU, University of the Witwatersrand
Prof Katherine Bain – University of the Witwatersrand
Prof Victor De Andrade – University of the Witwatersrand
Dr Catherine Mkaleso Shirima – University of Free State
Johan Makunda – Kenyatta University
Dr Annelisa Murangi – University of Namibia
Ms Salmah Chopdat – WESAF Fellow, Wits University
Ms Casey Botha – University of Western Cape
Prof Maria Florence – University of the Western Cape
Dr Tracey Ann Adonis – University of the Western Cape
Dr Salma Gani – University of the Witwatersrand
Ms Jessica Green – University of the Witwatersrand
Nabeelah Bemath – University of the Witwatersrand
Safwaanah Seedat – PhD