World AIDS Day – 1 December 2025

by Web Admin | Dec 1, 2025 | Health Psychology (HP), Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Health Calendar, Psychology in Public Service (PiPS)

World AIDS Day – 1 December 2025

“Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response”

Today we honour the resilience of communities, practitioners, and health systems responding to HIV in the face of global funding cuts, service disruptions, and persistent inequities. As highlighted in contributions from our HPD and PiPS divisions, protecting the gains made in South Africa’s HIV response requires renewed commitment to both biomedical advances and psychosocial care.

We reflect on the continued psychological burden carried by people living with HIV, the impact of stigma and trauma, and the essential role of mental-health professionals in strengthening continuity of care, integrating mental-health screening, and championing trauma-informed, person-centred, and rights-based approaches.

This World AIDS Day, we stand with communities, researchers, and health workers who persist with dedication, empathy, and hope.

Read the PiPS and HPD contributions below:

Psychology in Public Service (PiPS) Division – Overcoming Disruption and Transforming the AIDS Response

On the first of December, we commemorate World AIDS Day, and this year in 2025, we actively reflect. Reflect on how we as communities, practitioners and even healthcare systems have adapted and continue to adapt and innovate, in the face of adversity and disruption. Our response to the HIV epidemic, has been one of the most ambitious in the world. However, this is not to say that it hasn’t been without challenges. This year the focus is on a renewed effort and sustainable commitments to revitalising not only our biomedical responses but also psychosocial interventions.

As psychologists working within the public service, we are reminded and attempt to remind all, that HIV is both a medical and mental health condition. Disruptions to care, amplify the psychological vulnerabilities of an already vulnerable group. Sadly, stigma remains a challenge faced all too often, while heightened anxiety, depression and trauma exposure are common.

Yet when faced with these challenges we as South Africans have found opportunities for transformation. We as mental-health professionals have the ability to shape a response, that is more dynamic, person-centred, equitable and resilient. However, this does mean that we are going to have to strengthen continuity of care, by integrating mental-health screening and brief interventions into HIV services. While actively addressing stigma and discrimination, including internalised stigma. Which impacts on adherence and wellbeing. We have to champion trauma-informed care, which can only take place effectively in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration. Leading to advancements in treatment literacy, community empowerment, and hopefully advances in prevention. While of course, looking after ourselves and colleagues, who face the reality of burnout, moral distress and secondary trauma.

In marking World AIDS Day, PiPS would like to acknowledge the continued psychological burden carried by people living with HIV, as well as their families, and the teams who treat and support them. We wish to pay tribute to the resilience of communities that continue to advocate for, organise and provide care for, in the face of adversity.

Overcoming disruption isn’t just possible, rather it’s been continuously underway in every interaction when practitioners engage with empathy, expertise and the facilitation of hope.

Health Psychology Division (HPD) – World AIDS Day

Today we commemorate World AIDS Day under the theme: “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.”

We highlight a global funding crisis that is threatening decades of progress on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. This disruption is disproportionately affecting marginalized communities and leaving them behind. Despite these global setbacks, community-led organisations, researchers, and health workers continue to defend vital gains and push for a stronger, more equitable HIV/AIDS response.

Here in South Africa, researchers continue to produce vital evidence that guides policy and strengthens services for communities affected by HIV:

Securing our HIV response: The PEPFAR crisis in South Africa.
Structural determinants of HIV inequities in South Africa: Policy analysis of the national strategic plan for HIV 2023–2028.

Ending AIDS is possible. But only if we protect communities, fund the response, and uphold human rights.

HIV/AIDS AWARENESS 2025 – DRM Division

Reflections, Progress, and the Road Ahead

December 1st was an important time to reflect on South Africa’s progress in combating the HIV pandemic, while also recommitting to the work that is still required to fight AIDS. The national theme for 2025 “Renewed Efforts, Sustainable Commitments to End AIDS” highlighted a social commitment to continuing advances and closing the gaps in the fight against AIDS (Government of South Africa, 2025).

Recent figures indicate considerable progress. According to the SABSSM V1 National HIV Survey, HIV infection rates across all ages decreased from 14.0% in 2017 to 12.7% in 2022 (Human Sciences Research Council, 2023a). Antiretroviral Therapy(ART) has significantly increased, reaching roughly 80.9%in 2022 compared to the 63.7% in 20217 (HSRC, 2023b).

Progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets is encouraging as 89% of people living with HIV aged 15 and older know their HIV status, 90.7% are on treatment, and 93.9% are virally suppressed (HSRC, 2023c).

In spite of these gains, difficulties still exits. For instance, estimates show that more than one in four people living with HIV remain untreated, despite the widely recommended antiretroviral therapy (SECTION27, 2024). In response to this challenge, the government and its partners started the Close the Gap programme in 2025, hoping to introduce 1.1. million individuals on antiretroviral therapy (World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Africa, 2025).

Stigma, identity, trauma, resilience, and disclosure, remain crucial to the psychological wellbeing of individuals and communities. For psychologists and mental health practitioners, these challenges highlight the fundamental social and emotional aspects of living with HIV. Thus, the involvement of mental health practitioners is critical in supporting holistic care treatment of those living with HIV/AIDS.

While a full month is not officially designated to HIV/AIDS awareness, the Division of Research and Methodology (DRM) encourages its members to continue advancing psychological assistance, social action, and community involvement. Ending AIDS is not only a biomedical challenge – it’s a psychosocial one.

South Africa must continue to build a future where all HIV-positive people live healthy and empowered lives by working together!

References
Government of South Africa. (2025). World AIDS Day 2025. https://www.gov.za
Human Sciences Research Council. (2023a). SABSSM VI: Progress and disparities in South Africa’s HIV epidemic.
Human Sciences Research Council. (2023b). Turning the tide: Trends in HIV prevalence, prevention and treatment.
Human Sciences Research Council. (2023c). SABSSM VI full report – HIV indicators.
SECTION27. (2024). One in four people with HIV not on treatment. https://section27.org.za
World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. (2025). South Africa launches 1.1 million HIV treatment campaign. https://www.afro.who.int

Compiled by: Vusi Mthimkhulu
DRM Member

HPD Workshop – Living positively with diabetes: The importance of mental health

by Web Admin | Oct 29, 2025 | Events and Announcements, Health Psychology (HP), Psychology Events, PsySSA Announcements

HPD Workshop – Living Positively With Diabetes: The Importance of Mental Health

Hosted by the PsySSA Health Psychology Division (HPD)

Join the PsySSA Health Psychology Division (HPD) for a free CPD-accredited online workshop on Living Positively With Diabetes: The Importance of Mental Health.

Webinar Details:

Date: Friday, 14 November 2025
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Platform: Online via Teams
1 General CPD Point

About the Workshop:

Despite many advancements, diabetes remains one of the most challenging health conditions in the world today, impacting individuals, families, societies and economies. In this webinar, we want to shine the light on the mental health aspects of living with the condition, by giving an overview of the main mental health challenges those living with diabetes experience. Then, we hope to propose an alternative approach to managing mental health challenges in positive psychology interventions, including self-compassion, meaning making and managing perceptions of the condition. In the webinar, we hope to not only share the latest research, but also provide practical examples of interventions that could assist those living with diabetes.

Learning Outcomes:

Gain a better understanding of diabetes, it’s mechanisms, prevalence and challenges.
Explore the mental health challenges in managing diabetes.
Learn about positive psychology concepts, as well as research on effectiveness of positive psychology interventions.
Reflect on the development of positive psychology interventions on constructs such as self-compassion, meaning -making and illness perceptions to improve mental well-being of those living with diabetes.

Click Here to RSVP

Dr Sonja Mostert

Presenter

Dr Sonja Mostert is a registered Research Psychologist currently employed as a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pretoria. She is passionate about the field of health psychology and her research is mainly focused on health literacy and improving the mental health of people living with diabetes. She is a member of the Health Psychology Division of PsySSA and teaches several undergraduate and postgraduate modules including health psychology to both undergraduate medical students and previously to honours psychology students. Her primary research areas include topics within health psychology, specifically health literacy; mental health and diabetes; health behaviour change; online health information use and the role of psychological factors in chronic conditions.

Prof Elmari Deacon

Presenter

Prof Elmarí Deacon is a registered Clinical Psychologist and currently employed at the NWU as full professor in Psychology and acting Director in the School of Psychosocial Health. In her career as academic, she has lectured several modules and supervised 27 master’s and four PhD students to completion. She is a C2 NRF rated researcher and has published 28 articles. She is also a member of the Health Psychology Division of PsySSA.

Prof Deacon is the principal investigator of the SMILE with diabetes project, investigating psychosocial variables in adjusting to diabetes management behaviours. Positive Psychology constructs are very prominent in her research and interventions development, as these have proven to assist those living with diabetes.

Health Psychology Division Networking Database

by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 26, 2025 | Health Psychology (HP)

The Health Psychology Division has developed a networking database of practitioners and researchers working across health psychology and related fields. The database includes colleagues from universities, health professions, and independent practice who have consented to share their details for professional collaboration.

The database allows members to:

Connect for research collaboration and joint publications
Find examiners for thesis supervision and review
Build networks with psychologists and health professionals
Share and receive research outputs, email updates, and podcasts
Link with experts focusing on chronic conditions, communicable diseases, women’s health, men’s health, and child/adolescent health

The aim is to create a practical resource for strengthening professional ties, advancing health psychology research, and supporting knowledge exchange.

Members who wish to be added to the database or access the list can contact the Division directly.

Download Database

Health Psychology & Mental Health Day – Health Psychology Division

by Web Admin | Oct 15, 2025 | Health Psychology (HP), Mental Health Awareness Month

Health psychology and World Mental Health Day are closely linked through their shared focus on promoting psychological well-being and understanding the relationship between mental and physical health. Health psychology provides the scientific framework for examining how factors such as stress, behaviour, and social support influence both mental and physical health outcomes. Similarly, World Mental Health Day serves as a global platform to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and advocate for improved access to mental health care. Together, they highlight the importance of prevention, early intervention, and education in fostering resilience and healthier lifestyles. By translating health psychology’s research and insights into public awareness campaigns, World Mental Health Day bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and real-world impact, ensuring that mental health is recognized as an essential component of overall health.