Confronting Cultural Silencing of Women: Untold Stories of Abuse and HIV Risk in Young Women in Africa and the United States

The freedom to mentalize: The influence of socio-demographic indicators of empowerment on parental reflective functioning

Parental reflective functioning (PRF), a critical construct in the field of infant mental health, has been under investigated in non-WEIRD countries, where the majority of the world's infants are born. Studies from WEIRD contexts have demonstrated a relationship between socio-demographic and parental reflective functioning scores. This study used a mixed-methods concurrent exploratory research design to investigate relationships between socio-demographic factors and parental reflective functioning in a cohort of Black mothers living in Alexandra Township, South Africa. The study found relationships between parental reflective functioning and both abuse disclosure and father involvement in unexpected directions. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts and intervention case notes highlighted the potential role of empowerment in the participants PRF scores. The findings highlight the central importance of considering the influence of power dynamics and social positioning when measuring parental reflective functioning for both research and clinical purposes.

Lived experiences of street girls in Côte d’Ivoire

Purpose

The United Nations continues to identify street children as one of the most vulnerable sub-populations of children and youth globally. The purpose of this paper is to present social and contextual perspectives of 11 girls living on the streets of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Implications with respect to the development and delivery of effective sexual/reproductive and mental health interventions and services are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

Through semi-structured interviews and applied qualitative thematic analysis, this paper aims to achieve in-depth understanding about the lives of 11 girls living on the street. A socio-ecological framework is utilized to interpret the experiences of the girls at the individual (micro), community (mezzo) and structural (macro) levels.

Findings

Six main themes evolved from the thematic analysis of interview transcripts: exposure to violence and abuse before and on the street, exposure to violence and sex work, risk and vulnerability to HIV, substance use and sex work, substance use and physical and reproductive health and ways of coping and future planning.

Originality/value

The interplay of experiences illustrates how girls navigate their lives, and along with an appreciation of intersectionality validates the need for an integrated approach to health and social care related to health and mental health services. Integrated interventions should focus on common issues such as improving access to HIV testing and contraceptives for young girls living on the street.