{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42697"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42697","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Understanding self-care perceptions and behaviours of community care workers in Cape Town to develop and assess a self-care intervention","abstract":"Community care workers (CCWs) play a crucial role in supporting disadvantaged populations, yet there is insufficient research on how these demands affect their well-being. Burnout among CCWs can lead to diminished performance, impacting their well-being as well as the well-being of the communities they serve. This study used a multi-stage approach, with an interpretivist and constructivist qualitative lens, to explore the self-care needs of CCWs, develop a self-care intervention, and test the feasibility of this intervention. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles were employed throughout the study, conducted within an established community organisation, Outliers. Stage 1 involved interviews with 21 CCW team leaders and revealed six key themes that helped understand self-care behaviours and perceptions in CCWs: the demanding nature of community work, attitudinal and practical barriers to self-care, the importance of a personal understanding of self-care, and the need for routine and community support in establishing self-care habits. Based on these findings, a two-session WhatsApp group intervention was designed in collaboration with the team leaders. In Stage 2, the intervention was delivered to 16 CCWs from three organisations. Two post-intervention focus groups with 10 participants reported increased self-awareness, shifts in attitudinal barriers, changes in self-care behaviours, and several barriers to adopting self- care. The use of WhatsApp found to be effective for facilitating training, reflection, and peer support. The findings of this research support the potential of co-designed, community-based participatory approaches to create culturally relevant and impactful interventions for CCWs.","abstract_html":"Community care workers (CCWs) play a crucial role in supporting disadvantaged populations, yet there is insufficient research on how these demands affect their well-being. Burnout among CCWs can lead to diminished performance, impacting their well-being as well as the well-being of the communities they serve. This study used a multi-stage approach, with an interpretivist and constructivist qualitative lens, to explore the self-care needs of CCWs, develop a self-care intervention, and test the feasibility of this intervention. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles were employed throughout the study, conducted within an established community organisation, Outliers. Stage 1 involved interviews with 21 CCW team leaders and revealed six key themes that helped understand self-care behaviours and perceptions in CCWs: the demanding nature of community work, attitudinal and practical barriers to self-care, the importance of a personal understanding of self-care, and the need for routine and community support in establishing self-care habits. Based on these findings, a two-session WhatsApp group intervention was designed in collaboration with the team leaders. In Stage 2, the intervention was delivered to 16 CCWs from three organisations. Two post-intervention focus groups with 10 participants reported increased self-awareness, shifts in attitudinal barriers, changes in self-care behaviours, and several barriers to adopting self- care. The use of WhatsApp found to be effective for facilitating training, reflection, and peer support. The findings of this research support the potential of co-designed, community-based participatory approaches to create culturally relevant and impactful interventions for CCWs.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Singh, Laura"],"institution":"Department of Psychology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Kaminer, Debra"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:41Z","subjects":["community care workers","community-based participatory research","self-care","WhatsApp intervention"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42697","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Kaminer, Debra"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Singh, Laura"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-01-27T10:29:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-01-27T10:29:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Psychology"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis / Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["community care workers","community-based participatory research","self-care","WhatsApp intervention"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42697"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Community care workers (CCWs) play a crucial role in supporting disadvantaged populations, yet there is insufficient research on how these demands affect their well-being. Burnout among CCWs can lead to diminished performance, impacting their well-being as well as the well-being of the communities they serve. This study used a multi-stage approach, with an interpretivist and constructivist qualitative lens, to explore the self-care needs of CCWs, develop a self-care intervention, and test the feasibility of this intervention. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles were employed throughout the study, conducted within an established community organisation, Outliers. Stage 1 involved interviews with 21 CCW team leaders and revealed six key themes that helped understand self-care behaviours and perceptions in CCWs: the demanding nature of community work, attitudinal and practical barriers to self-care, the importance of a personal understanding of self-care, and the need for routine and community support in establishing self-care habits. Based on these findings, a two-session WhatsApp group intervention was designed in collaboration with the team leaders. In Stage 2, the intervention was delivered to 16 CCWs from three organisations. Two post-intervention focus groups with 10 participants reported increased self-awareness, shifts in attitudinal barriers, changes in self-care behaviours, and several barriers to adopting self- care. The use of WhatsApp found to be effective for facilitating training, reflection, and peer support. The findings of this research support the potential of co-designed, community-based participatory approaches to create culturally relevant and impactful interventions for CCWs."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Understanding self-care perceptions and behaviours of community care workers in Cape Town to develop and assess a self-care intervention"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Kaminer, Debra"],"dc:creator":["Singh, Laura"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-01-27T10:29:57Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-01-27T10:29:57Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.abstract":["Community care workers (CCWs) play a crucial role in supporting disadvantaged populations, yet there is insufficient research on how these demands affect their well-being. Burnout among CCWs can lead to diminished performance, impacting their well-being as well as the well-being of the communities they serve. This study used a multi-stage approach, with an interpretivist and constructivist qualitative lens, to explore the self-care needs of CCWs, develop a self-care intervention, and test the feasibility of this intervention. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles were employed throughout the study, conducted within an established community organisation, Outliers. Stage 1 involved interviews with 21 CCW team leaders and revealed six key themes that helped understand self-care behaviours and perceptions in CCWs: the demanding nature of community work, attitudinal and practical barriers to self-care, the importance of a personal understanding of self-care, and the need for routine and community support in establishing self-care habits. Based on these findings, a two-session WhatsApp group intervention was designed in collaboration with the team leaders. In Stage 2, the intervention was delivered to 16 CCWs from three organisations. Two post-intervention focus groups with 10 participants reported increased self-awareness, shifts in attitudinal barriers, changes in self-care behaviours, and several barriers to adopting self- care. The use of WhatsApp found to be effective for facilitating training, reflection, and peer support. The findings of this research support the potential of co-designed, community-based participatory approaches to create culturally relevant and impactful interventions for CCWs."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42697"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Psychology"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:subject":["community care workers","community-based participatory research","self-care","WhatsApp intervention"],"dc:title":["Understanding self-care perceptions and behaviours of community care workers in Cape Town to develop and assess a self-care intervention"],"dc:type":["Thesis / Dissertation"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:41Z"}