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HPD Webinar – Navigating Compassion Fatigue Among Palliative Care Nurses in Gauteng

HPD Webinar – Navigating Compassion Fatigue Among Palliative Care Nurses in Gauteng

by | May 6, 2026 | Health Psychology (HP), Psychology Events

“Navigating Compassion Fatigue Among Palliative Care Nurses in Gauteng”

Hosted by the PsySSA Health Psychology Division

About the Webinar:

Palliative care nurses frequently face complex emotional and professional challenges, making them vulnerable to compassion fatigue (CF). This study explored the lived experiences of palliative care nurses, focusing on how they navigate the emotional demands of their profession while maintaining resilience and delivering compassionate care. Using Carl Rogers’ Person-Centred Theory and an interpretive paradigm, this research sought to enhance the understanding of CF within palliative care settings and highlight strategies for sustaining nurses’ well-being. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 palliative care nurses, recruited using purposive sampling. The thematic analysis identified four key themes: compartmentalisation, overextension, emotional demands, and self-awareness. Participants reported the necessity of self-care, reflective practices, and professional support in managing CF. Additionally, challenges such as ethical dilemmas, balancing empathy with professionalism, and systemic issues such as late referrals contributed to emotional strain. Findings suggest that ongoing training, psychosocial support, and collaborative team environments are essential for mitigating CF. This study underscores the need for further research on sustaining nurse well-being, with implications for both patient care and caregiver policy.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Understand compassion fatigue by exploring how palliative care nurses in Gauteng experience and navigate the emotional, ethical, and systemic demands of their work.
• Understanding how compartmentalisation, overextension, emotional demands, and self-awareness influence nurses’ well-being and professional functioning.
• Gain insight into the real emotional and ethical challenges nurses face in palliative care.

Webinar Details:

  • Date: 13 May 2026
  • Time: 13:00
  • Online Via Teams
  • Cost: Free

 

Presented by:
 Miss Charlotte Muller

Charlotte Muller is an aspiring Counselling Psychologist with a strong interest in palliative care, compassion fatigue, and employee well-being. Her passion lies in understanding the underlying factors and contexts that shape psychological strain in caregiving roles, with the aim of informing more sustainable support and preventative approaches. She is currently a student supervisor for an NGO, supporting and guiding student volunteers in their practicum work. Charlotte has worked in the employee well-being and EAP space and has volunteered at HospiVision, where she facilitated support group sessions for ICU nurses, which focused on burnout and resilience. Charlotte is a goal-driven individual committed to improving access to mental health care and hopes to one day establish her own NGO to help bridge this gap.

Webinar Meeting Link
PsySSA Commemorates World Day for Safety and Health at Work

PsySSA Commemorates World Day for Safety and Health at Work

by | Apr 28, 2026 | Climate, Environment and Psychology (CEP), Health Psychology (HP), Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Health Calendar

PsySSA Commemorates World Day for Safety and Health at Work

 

Today, PsySSA joins the global community in recognising the importance of creating safe, healthy, and dignified working environments for all.

Through contributions from our Climate, Environment and Psychology Division (CEPD) and Health Psychology Division (HPD), we highlight both the lived realities of waste reclaimers in South Africa and broader approaches to promoting safety and wellbeing in the workplace. The CEPD visuals foreground the critical yet often overlooked conditions faced by waste reclaimers, while the HPD contribution (featured in the final graphic) emphasises the importance of supportive work cultures, communication, and psychosocial wellbeing.

Safety and health at work extend beyond formal employment spaces. They include the right to protection, respect, fair conditions, and access to supportive systems for all workers — including those in informal sectors.

As psychology professionals, we are called to promote wellbeing by advocating for inclusive policies, fostering supportive work cultures, and recognising the structural factors that shape health and safety outcomes.

Let us continue to centre dignity, equity, and social justice in how we understand and respond to work and wellbeing.

Health Psychology Podcast: Recognising the Role and Importance of Palliative Care

Health Psychology Podcast: Recognising the Role and Importance of Palliative Care

by | Mar 31, 2026 | Divisions, Health Psychology (HP)

EPISODE 31

Health Psychology Division Podcasts

 

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Part 1: Health Psychology Podcast: Recognising the Role and Importance of Palliative Care

by Ms Susan Sander | Part 1

Part 2: Health Psychology Podcast: Recognising the Role and Importance of Palliative Care

by Ms Susan Sander | Part 2

Ms Sander is a registered counsellor in private practice, with a keen interest in the connection between physical and mental health. She works in both public and private sectors as part of two multidisciplinary palliative care teams in Stellenbosch and at Tygerberg Hospital. Through her work, Ms Sander has developed extensive experience and a deep understanding of the importance of accessible mental health support for individuals and their families facing life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
PsySSA Commemorates Bipolar Day – 30 March 2026

PsySSA Commemorates Bipolar Day – 30 March 2026

by | Mar 30, 2026 | Decolonising Psychology (DP), Health Psychology (HP), Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Health Calendar

World Bipolar Day 2026 – “Bipolar Strong”

 

Today, PsySSA joins the global community in commemorating World Bipolar Day under the theme “Bipolar Strong.”

Living with bipolar disorder is not a weakness – it is a journey of resilience, courage, and ongoing navigation of complex emotional, cognitive, and social realities. While often misunderstood as simple “mood swings,” bipolar disorder is a serious condition involving profound shifts in energy, sleep, and emotional regulation that can deeply affect daily life.

This year, contributions from PsySSA’s Health Psychology Division (HPD) and Decolonising Psychology Division (DPD) invite us to deepen how we think about mental health.

This World Bipolar Day, we call on all sectors of society to:

  • Challenge stigma
  • Strengthen systems of care
  • Centre lived experiences
  • Advance equitable and accessible mental health support

 

Bipolar Disorder and Mental Health Justice: A Decolonial Reflection for World Bipolar Day
By: Kim Gabriel-Dixon

This reflection explores bipolar disorder through a decolonial lens, inviting a broader understanding of mental health that recognises the social conditions, relationships, and structural realities shaping people’s lives. It encourages compassionate awareness while highlighting the importance of dignity, justice, and community care in supporting those living with bipolar disorder.

Download (PDF, 283KB)

Click here to read more and download

 

Today we commemorate World Bipolar Day under the theme: “BIPOLAR STRONG”

World Bipolar Day is a reminder that living with bipolar disorder is not a weakness, but a journey of resilience, strength, and courage. The theme ‘Bipolar Strong’ celebrates individuals who navigate the highs and lows while continuing to lead meaningful lives, challenge stigma, and advocate for better mental health support.

Every journey with bipolar disorder is different, shaped by personal, social, and structural factors. To transform mental health care, we must look beyond the diagnosis and see the person before the patient.

Here in South Africa, research continues to strengthen our understanding of bipolar disorder care by linking policy, clinical practice, and patient realities. They highlight the importance of effective medication management, multidisciplinary support, familial support, and national treatment guidelines in shaping care and realities for those living with bipolar disorder:

This World Bipolar Day, let us stand in solidarity, challenge stigma, and support those living with bipolar disorder.

Together, we are #BipolarStrong

HPD Webinar: Chronic Pain and Depression: Understanding the Connection

HPD Webinar: Chronic Pain and Depression: Understanding the Connection

by | Mar 4, 2026 | Health Psychology (HP)

 

HPD Webinar:

 

“Chronic Pain and Depression: Understanding the Connection”

 

About the webinar:

Chronic pain and depression are two of the most prevalent and disabling health conditions worldwide, often occurring together in a cycle that worsens both physical and mental well-being. This webinar will shine a light on the bidirectional relationship between pain and depression, showing how each condition amplifies the other and creates barriers to recovery, productivity, and quality of life.

Drawing on research with garment workers in Cape Town, as well as broader evidence from occupational health, we will explore practical strategies for rehabilitation, mental health promotion, and workplace interventions that address both conditions simultaneously. By combining clinical insights with lived realities, the webinar aims to make complex research accessible, while offering practical approaches for health professionals, employers and health advocates seeking to break the cycle of suffering.

Webinar Details:

Date: 12 March 2026

Time: 13:00 – 14:00

1 General CPD Point

Online | Free

 
Learning Outcomes:
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms linking chronic pain and depression.
  • Explore the impact of co-occurring pain and depression in marginalised workforces.
  • Learn about workplace-based rehabilitation strategies that address both physical and psychological dimensions of health.
  • Reflect on how interdisciplinary approaches can foster resilience, dignity, and improved outcomes for workers living with pain and depression.
  • Consider practical examples of interventions that integrate mental health promotion with pain management in resource-constrained environments.
Munira Hoosain

Munira Hoosain

Presenter

Munira Hoosain is a senior lecturer in the Division of Occupational Therapy at Stellenbosch University. She specialises in workplace-based rehabilitation, with a focus on garment workers experiencing chronic pain and depression. Munira has developed workplace rehabilitation services in Cape Town’s clothing factories, optimising collaboration across disciplines to improve outcomes for marginalised workers. Her work blends rigorous research with narrative advocacy, making policy and health interventions accessible and emotionally resonant.

Click Here To Register
Health Psychology Podcast: The effects of Vaping/E-cigarettes on One’s Health and Well-being

Health Psychology Podcast: The effects of Vaping/E-cigarettes on One’s Health and Well-being

by | Dec 11, 2025 | Health Psychology (HP), Professional Resources

EPISODE 30

HPD Podcasts

 

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Health Psychology Podcast: The effects of Vaping/E-cigarettes on One’s Health and Well-being

by Dr Catherine Egbe

In this episode we speak to Dr Catherine Egbe, a registered research psychologist and public health scientist. She obtained a PhD in Psychology and Health Promotion from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban South Africa. She is an alumna of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California San Francisco, a World Health Organization collaborating center for tobacco control. Dr Egbe is a Fellow of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) and co-chairs SRNT’s Global Research Network. She has led several regional and national research studies including South Africa’s first Global Adult Tobacco Survey, tobacco endgame in Africa, and University students’ exposure to e-cigarette and hookah marketing and advertisement in South Africa. She has authored over 50 academic publications.

Dr Egbe currently works as a Senior Specialist Scientist in the Mental health, Alcohol, Substance use & Tobacco Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council and an honorary Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Public Health (Public Health Medicine), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

In this podcast, Dr Egbe provides insight into her research on e-cigarettes and some of the misconceptions, and health-related consequences of e-cigarettes. She also briefly discussed the impact that e-cigarettes can have on one’s mental health.