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23 Media and Communication Studies jobs

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• Social Science jobs (23)
• Postdoc positions in Media and Communication Studies (8)
• PhD positions in Media and Communication Studies (8)
• Lecturer / Senior Lecturer positions in Media and Communication Studies (3)
• Professor positions in Media and Communication Studies (2)
• Assistant / Associate Professor positions in Media and Communication Studies (2)
• Research assistant positions in Media and Communication Studies (2)
• Management / Leadership positions in Media and Communication Studies (2)
• Researcher positions in Media and Communication Studies (1)
• Other positions in Media and Communication Studies (1)
• Tenure Track positions in Media and Communication Studies (1)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Belgium (4)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Netherlands (4)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Norway (2)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Luxembourg (2)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in China (2)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Sweden (1)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Switzerland (1)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Germany (1)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in Finland (1)
• Media and Communication Studies jobs in United States (1)

Search results (23)

One doctoral studentship in Media and Communication Studies within the research area of Critical and Cultural Theory, affiliated with the Baltic and East European Graduate School (BEEGS)

Södertörn University is a higher education institution in Stockholm that conducts education, research and collaboration with the surrounding community for sustainable societal development. Education and research are conducted in the humanities, so...

Lecturer (Grade 8) or Senior Lecturer (Grade 9) in Digital Arts - CHINA

LOCATION: Xiamen University, Zhangzhou Campus, ChinaFull Time: 36.25 hours per weekSalary: £39,347 to £54,395          We are looking for skilled designers, artists and researchers to join us in beautiful, sub-tropical, South-East China. The Insti...

Postdoctoral Researcher Television Studies and Literature Education

Employment 0.7 FTEGross monthly salary € 3,226 - € 5,090Required background PhDOrganizational unit Faculty of ArtsApplication deadline 08 September 2024Are you fascinated by the way reading characters are portrayed in popular series for secondary ...

Three 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Zukunftskolleg

(Fulltime, E 13 TV-L)Reference No: 2024/114. The preferred start date is April 1st, 2025. Conditionally on the submission of an external grant, the position can be extended for an additional year. In principle, the position can be divided into two...

Lecturer (Grade 8) or Senior Lecturer (Grade 9) in Visual Communication Design - CHINA

LOCATION: Xiamen University, Zhangzhou Campus, ChinaFull Time: 36.25 hours per weekSalary: £39,347 to £54,395We are looking for skilled creatives, designers, teachers, and researchers to join us in beautiful, sub-tropical, South-East China. The In...

PhD Candidate: Effect of Online and Offline Marketing of Alcohol-free Beverages on the Drinking Behaviour of Young People

Employment 1.0 FTEGross monthly salary € 2,770 - € 3,539Required background Research University DegreeOrganizational unit Faculty of Social SciencesApplication deadline 11 August 2024Are you passionate about becoming an expert in the unique resear...

Marketing and Communications Manager - Somatic Oncology

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.An exciting opportunity for a talented Market...

Become a Radcliffe Fellow

Radcliffe fellows are exceptional scientists, writers, scholars, public intellectuals, and artists whose work is making a difference in their professional fields and in the larger world.Based in Radcliffe Yard—a sanctuary in the heart of Harvard U...

Project Manager – The Social Study

The Center for Sociological Research (CeSO) of KU Leuven, is looking for a motivated Project Manager for The Social Study (TSS), an Online Probability Panel infrastructure. TSS is the first scienti...

SGS - Senior Lecturer in Advertising, Professional Communication

Overview:RMIT UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTRMIT is committed to the rights of students and staff to be safe, respected, valued, and treated as an equal in their place of study and work.  All staff are expected to share this commitment and contribute to a ...

Postdoctoral Researcher in the project "Contagious Digitalities: Information, Inoculation, Immunity"

Vacancy number 14981Job type Academic staffHours (in fte) 1,0External/ internal ExternalLocation LeidenPlaced on 25 June 2024Closing date 30 September 2024 97 more days to applyThe Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS) invites a...

Research professor - open to all scientific fields (Open BOFZAP)

The KU Leuven announces the vacancy of full-time academic positions as 'research professor' that are open to all research profiles from the various scientific fields. These positions are intended f...

Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science/Social Science

The University | About us...The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character. The University was founded in 2003 a...

The Game School has a vacant position as PhD fellow in spatial computing and virtual productions

About the positionThe Game School at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN) is pleased to announce the opening of a new position for a PhD fellow in artistic research with focus on spatial computing and virtual productions. The place o...

Director of Marketing and Communications - Expat Accepting Applications

Why the American University of Iraq—Baghdad?Opening its doors in January 2021, the new American University of Iraq—Baghdad (AUIB) began as a dream of influential individuals in Iraqi and United States business, industry and government who wanted t...

Postdoc Trustworthy Human-AI Interaction for Media and Democracy (m/f/x)

Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) has a vacancy in the Distributed & Interactive Systems (DIS) research group for aPostdoc on the subject of Trustworthy Human-AI Interaction for Media and Democracy (m/f/x)We are looking for a talented postdoc w...

Tenure Track position in Communication Studies

The University of Vaasa creates an inspiring environment for meaningful work as part of a thriving and diverse university community. Our open-minded, multidisciplinary research responds to the challenges of our time and creates a more responsible ...

Doctoral scholarship holder translation studies and media accessibility

Let’s shape the future - University of AntwerpThe University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20000 students, c...

PhD fellowships in Communication and Leadership

Kristiania University College is offering up to five fully funded PhD fellowships in Communication and Leadership for a fixed-term period of three (3) years beginning in August 2025. During this time, the successful applicant will be employed at K...

Doctoral scholarship holder visual and digital cultures

PhD position for Social Networks and Digital Cultural Consumption

PhD position for Social Networks and Digital Cultural ConsumptionWe are an interdisciplinary lab studying social and behavioral phenomena using network concepts. Members of the lab actively develop...

Call for Applications for Assignment of n. 10 Postdoctoral Research Fellowships - SeedTalent @UNITUS Grants

VISTA la Legge 9 maggio 1989, n. 168 concernente, tra l’altro, l’autonomia delle Università; VISTA la Legge 7 agosto 1990, n. 241 e successive modificazioni ed integrazioni, recante nuove norme in materia di procedimento amministrativo e di diritt...

Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of Public History

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Visual media saturate the human experience. It’s no wonder that people who can understand and employ the tools of multimedia communication, including our alumni, are in demand across diverse fields. In addition to finding careers in film and media production, preservation and distribution, our graduates thrive in fields including technology, business and marketing, academia and the arts. They succeed because the skills they have mastered, from interpreting to maximizing the effects of multimedia communications, are essential to modern life and work. They flourish because they are future-ready, prepared to apply their skills to today’s mediascape and the media still to come.

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Master’s in Media Studies

Media studies is an excellent foundation for doctoral study or for research-oriented jobs in the private or public sector. As a Newhouse media studies student, you will, through investigation of contemporary media systems and processes, assess the media’s relationship with the world.

Exploring the Impact of Media on Society and Beyond

Media is an integral part of our lives. It shapes our perspectives, influences our decisions, and reflects the world in which we live. Media studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines how media impacts society and, in turn, how society influences the media. This relationship encompasses a wide range of media, from traditional outlets like radio, TV and newspapers to more modern instances such as social media platforms, artificial intelligence, and the web.

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The media studies master’s program in the Newhouse School teaches you the essential research skills you need to develop a deeper understanding of how media industries function and how media messages shape our society. If you would like to examine the mass communication process in depth, our research-oriented master’s program is the right place for you.

Whether you are interested in studying diversity in media, health communications, extended-reality storytelling and effects in VR or AR, journalism and democracy in the digital age, or any other topic, we have engaged faculty who look forward to working with you. Our program is at the forefront of understanding the changing media landscape and its profound implications on various aspects of our lives.

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The media studies master’s encompasses the core concepts of media theory, research and inquiry and is designed to cultivate research skills and critical thinking.

If you have mass media experience and would like to further examine the mass communications process in depth through research, the media studies master’s program is the right place for you.

If you are interested in how media impacts society and how it is changing our world, this program will give you the space and flexibility to pursue those interests. It will help you turn your theories about the media into data-based research projects. You will be able to derive insights into how media influences society and in turn how society impacts media.

“The program provides good support for graduate students going to academic conferences, which is essential for any young scholar who wants to be involved with the wider academic community. Another thing that really appealed to me was the combination of theory and methods courses in the curriculum, which I feel provides master’s students with a well-rounded foundation in communication or media studies research.” Josephine Lukito G’15

What Will I Learn in the Media Studies Graduate Program?

The MA in media studies is a research-oriented program designed to get you started on your academic career in communications. You will learn key qualitative and quantitative research methods as well as the role of media systems in our culture and society.

Research opportunities abound in our program. Areas of inquiry include media and diversity, political communication, social effects and media psychology.

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Application materials must be submitted by January 15 for priority consideration. Applications continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the spring if space is available.

For more information about the M.A. in media studies, contact Professor Anne Osborne ( [email protected] ), Program Director.

For more information about graduate studies at the Newhouse School, contact Martha Coria ( [email protected] ), Assistant Director of Graduate Programs.

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Framework for identifying research and innovation impact case studies from south african universities.

• African Population and Health Research Center

1. Introduction and Background

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a premier research-to-policy institution, generating evidence, strengthening research and related capacity in the African research and development ecosystem, and engaging policy to inform action on health and development. The Center is Africa-based and African-led, with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and a West Africa Regional Office (WARO), in Dakar, Senegal. APHRC seeks to drive change by developing strong African research leadership and promoting evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) across sub-Saharan Africa.

The Center is collaborating with the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) on its project on Building it Forward for Research (Management) Leadership in Southern Africa, in which the Center is leading a specific workstream to carry out impact case studies arising out of university research. This collaborative approach ensures effective execution and maximizes the value of the research impact assessment.

2. Project Scope and Focus

University research plays a critical role in improving wellbeing, informing policy decisions, and driving innovation. However, the impact of this research often remains under-communicated, hindering efforts to secure sustained funding and public support. While quantitative data is essential, compelling case studies go beyond mere numbers. They weave narratives that capture the human stories behind the research, highlighting the challenges addressed, the innovative solutions developed, and the real-world impact on societal outcomes. These narratives resonate with audiences, generating greater understanding and appreciation for the value of research. The case studies produced in this workstream target a diverse audience, including:

• Funders: Highlighting the transformative power of research investments.
• Policymakers: Demonstrating the research-policy nexus and influencing policy decisions.
• Public: Raising awareness about the impact of research on their lives.
• Media: Generating media interest and amplifying the research's impact.

Led by APHRC, the workstream aims to identify, analyse and document four case studies showcasing the impact of research and innovation projects conducted by South African universities. The case studies will highlight the tangible contributions of university research and innovation to national priorities and broader societal well-being.

3. Criteria for Selecting Case Studies

The preferred sectors for cases include:

• Agriculture
• Inclusive financial systems

The case studies will demonstrate one or more of the following impact pathways:

• Reductions in mortality or morbidity rates for specific diseases.
• Increased access to services, particularly for underserved populations.
• Improved behaviors through effective interventions.
• Economic benefits (e.g., cost savings in systems).
• Development of new diagnostic tools or treatments.
• Innovative approaches to health promotion or disease prevention.
• New technologies that improve quality of life, create jobs and/or uplift communities.
• Culturally sensitive interventions addressing specific needs within South Africa.
• Research informing policy changes.
• Studies influencing policy decisions on public health and other public good interventions.
• Research contributing to the development of national legislation, policy or guidelines.
• Addressing the needs of underserved and vulnerable populations.
• Ensuring research findings can be applied in diverse settings across South Africa and beyond.
• Promoting long-term benefits and sustainable impact.
• Potential for Scale-Up: The case study should demonstrate the scalability of the research findings, potentially impacting a broader population or region. This can be achieved through:
• Adapting the intervention for broader implementation.
• Developing clear dissemination strategies for research outputs.
• Building partnerships with stakeholders to facilitate scale-up.
• Stakeholder Involvement: Evidence of collaboration with diverse stakeholders who contributed to the research impact. These may include:
• External enablers: Role of and interactions with ecosystem players – e.g. collaborative research partners, funding from local/national governments and international funders, private sector, civil society, role of regulators and regulatory process, national policies that aided impact (e.g. IP policy), commercialization routes, infrastructure, manufacturing or value delivery (services/processes)
• Internal Enablers: The case study should highlight the role of university support structures and policies that facilitated the research's translation into impact. E.g. role of Research Management Office and Technology Transfer Office and the conditions internally that allowed for impact (this could go as far as looking at institutional policies, systems etc.)
• Diversity: The case studies will aim to represent a variety of research disciplines, universities, and types of impacts.

4. Call for Submission of Qualifying Projects for Case Studies

South African Universities are invited to submit examples of research and innovation projects conducted by their institutions that could be suitable subjects for impact case studies predicated on the criteria outlined in paragraph 3 above.

5. Role of the Consultant

The APHRC wishes to appoint a qualified and experienced Consultant in case study analysis and development, for the production and dissemination of knowledge products to lead APHRC’s effort to deliver on this workstream. The Consultant will be required to perform the following tasks:

5.1 Selection of Case Studies

A Consultant in collaboration with APHRC will review submissions and select promising research projects for case study development. Selected universities will be contacted by the dedicated consultant to collaborate on developing a comprehensive case study report.

• Evaluation and selection of Case Studies: The Consultant will develop the criteria for scoring and selection of potential case studies submitted by South African universities for further analysis, development and documentation.
• **Collaboration with Universities:**If necessary, the Consultant will collaborate with the relevant research and support departments and units at South African universities to identify and select potential case studies for consideration.
• **Desktop Research:**The Consultant will conduct a literature review of published research from South African universities in relevant fields in order to identify suitable projects. This will involve searching academic databases, government reports, media articles and online resources (e.g. Databases such as ResearchGate and institutional websites of universities canbe explored by the Consultant to find relevant research projects.)
• **Expert Consultation:**The Consultant will consult with relevant experts and stakeholders to identify/further refine impactful research projects. Working with APHRC, the Consultant will further determine and implement simple criteria to review potential case studies submitted by South African universities and/or identified by the Consultant. This may include:
• Scientific merit and methodological rigor of the research.
• Potential for broader impact and scalability of the findings.
• Alignment of the research with national policy priorities and the funder's interests.

5.2 Developing Strong Case Studies

The Consultant will identify a short list of case studies and will collaborate with the qualifying universities to conduct a detailed analysis of each case study to further elaborate on how each case study addresses the criteria set out in paragraph 3. In terms of methodology, the Consultant will use the Theory of Change framework and employ – without limitation - the following techniques:

• In-depth Interviews: The Consultant will conduct interviews with researchers and other role players and stakeholders to capture a detailed narrative of the research journey, key role players, the research outcomes, the impact of the research, and future potential.
• Data Analysis and Storytelling: The Consultant will assist with analyzing data and crafting a compelling narrative that showcases the research's significance and impact.
• Identifying Visuals: Working with the selected universities, the Consultant will identify relevant visuals (charts, photos) to enhance the case study report.

5.2.1. Focus on Storytelling

Crafting a captivating narrative is central to a strong case study. This narrative should:

• Research focus and objectives
• Measurable impact on relevant areas (sector e.g. health, agriculture, inclusive financial systems; economy; society)
• Alignment with national/provincial priorities
• Set the Stage: Introduce the challenge addressed by the research and highlight its significance for South Africa's population.
• Describe the Research Journey: Explain the research approach, methodology, and key findings in clear and concise language.
• Showcase Innovation: Emphasize the novel aspects of the research and how it addressed existing limitations or offered new solutions.
• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify the impact of the research on societal outcomes using relevant data (e.g. surveys, statistics).
• Highlight Policy Influence: If applicable, detail how the research findings informed policy changes or national guidelines.
• Focus on Equity and Sustainability: Explain how the research addressed the needs of underserved populations and how its impact can be sustained over time.
• Showcase Potential for Scale-Up: Describe plans or ongoing efforts to scale-up the intervention and reach a wider population.

5.2.2. Data and Evidence:

Strong narratives are bolstered by robust evidence. Case studies should incorporate a combination of:

• Reductions in mortality or morbidity rates.
• Increased access to services (e.g. number of people reached).
• Improved health behaviors (e.g. changes in dietary habits, vaccination rates).
• Economic benefits (e.g. cost savings).
• Creation of jobs.
• Improved efficiency.
• Interviews with researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, and community members impacted by the research.
• Focus group discussions to understand perceptions and experiences.
• Case studies of individual beneficiaries who have demonstrably benefited from the research.
• Policy Documents: Documents such as policy briefs, white papers, or government reports showcasing how research findings influenced policy decisions.

5.2.3. Engaging Visuals and Multimedia

Incorporating visuals can significantly enhance the case study's impact and accessibility. Examples include:

• Charts and Infographics: Visualize data and trends to make complex information more easily understood by the audience.
• Photographs: Images of researchers, healthcare providers, community members, or interventions in action can personalize the narrative.
• Short Video Clips: Short videos can capture the essence of the research and its impact in a compelling way.

5.2.4. Stakeholder Testimonials

Including testimonials from key stakeholders adds credibility and authenticity to the case studies. This could include:

• Researchers: Sharing their insights into the research process and the significance of the findings.
• Policymakers: Describing how the research influenced policy decisions.
• Healthcare Providers: Highlighting how the research improved their practice or patient care.
• Community Members: Sharing their experiences and how the research impacted their health and well-being.

5.2.5. Showcase the Enabling Factors that Contributed to the Research's Success :

• External stakeholder collaboration (research partners, funders, regulators)
• University support structures (including Research Management Offices, Technology Transfer Offices)
• Internal policies and systems promoting research impact.

6. Deliverables

• A set of four well-written, compelling case studies demonstrating impactful research and innovation from South African universities.

7. Dissemination and Advocacy Strategies

The final stage involves disseminating the case studies to a wide audience and leveraging them for advocacy and informational purposes.

7.1. Dissemination Channels:

• APHRC Website and Social Media: A dedicated webpage will be created on the APHRC website to showcase the case studies. This webpage will be promoted through social media platforms like X, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• SARIMA Website and Social Media: The case studies will be showcased on the SARIMA website, and promoted through social media platforms like X and LinkedIn
• Other channels and platforms will be discussed and agreed between the funder, APHRC and SARIMA.

7. Reporting and Communication

The Consultant will provide the case studies and periodic progress reports to APHRC as required.

8. Timeline

8.1 Submission of Case Studies: By September 30, 2024 .

8.2 Recruitment of Consultant: By August 31, 2024

8.3 The case study development will be conducted in two phases. It is expected that the first two case studies will be developed by November 30, 2024 and the other two case studies will be developed by June 30, 2025 .

9. Submission of Potential Research for Case Study Development

If you know of any research which aligns with the criteria above, you are encouraged to submit it to be considered for case study development. Follow the following guidelines for submitting your research:

Prepare a Short Summary (2 Pages Maximum):

• Briefly describe the research project and its objectives.
• Highlight the specific challenge the research addressed.
• Summarize the research approach and key findings.
• Explain how the research made impact and quantify this impact (if possible).
• Include any evidence of policy influence or potential for scale-up.

Provide Supporting Materials (To the Extent Applicable):

• Include relevant publications, reports, or presentations related to your research.
• Share any data (quantitative or qualitative) that demonstrates impact.
• Offer contact details for key individuals involved in the project eg researchers, funders, end-users, beneficiaries and others who played a role in ensuring that impact was achieved (including – without limitation the institutional Research Support Office).

How to apply

Submission Process for Universities Wishing to submit Potential Projects for Case Study Consideration:

• Submit your research summary and supporting materials electronically to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] and [email protected] . Please use “ South Africa University Research Case Study Development ” as subject title in your email submission.
• Indicate your university affiliation and the lead researcher/contact person contact information.

Submission Process for Consultancy Bids:

• Submit your consultancy bids and supporting materials demonstrating your expertise and qualifications for the assignment electronically to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] and [email protected]
• This should include a detailed proposal addressing all areas identified in the Term of Reference, a detailed budget and evidence of related previous work.
• Indicate subject title as “ Consultancy for South Africa University Research Impact Case Study ”.

12. For Further Queries: [email protected]

Special Notice

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Sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with psychological resilience in South African healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

• Thandokazi Mcizana   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0002-4078-1991 1 ,
• Shahieda Adams   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3630-1855 2 ,
• Saajida Khan   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0001-8454-2215 2 , 3 , 4 &
• Itumeleng Ntatamala   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9799-0132 2  

BMC Health Services Research volume  24 , Article number:  979 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Psychological resilience facilitates adaptation in stressful environments and is an important personal characteristic that enables workers to navigate occupational challenges. Few studies have evaluated the factors associated with psychological resilience in healthcare workers.

To determine the prevalence and factors associated with psychological resilience in a group of South African medical doctors and ambulance personnel.

Materials and methods

This analytical cross-sectional study used secondary data obtained from two studies conducted among healthcare workers in 2019 and 2022. Self-reported factors associated with resilience, as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC-10), were evaluated. R statistical software was used for analysing the data and performing statistical tests.

A total of 647 healthcare workers were included in the study, of which 259 were doctors and 388 were ambulance personnel. Resilience scores were low overall (27.6 ± 6.6) but higher for ambulance personnel (28.0 ± 6.9) than for doctors (27.1 ± 6.0) ( p  = 0.006). Female gender (OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.03–3.72, p  = 0.043), job category (OR 6.94 95%CI 1.22–60.50, p  = 0.044) and overtime work (OR 13.88, 95%CI 1.61–368.00, p  = 0.044) significantly increased the odds of low resilience for doctors. Conversely, salary (OR 0.13, 95%CI 0.02–0.64, p  = 0.024) and current smoking status (OR 0.16, 95%CI 0.02–0.66, p  = 0.027) significantly reduced the odds of low resilience amongst doctors. In addition, only previous alcohol use significantly reduced the odds of low resilience for ambulance personnel (OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.20–0.94, p  = 0.038) and overall sample (OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.29–0.91, p  = 0.024).

Conclusions

Resilience was relatively low in this group of South African healthcare workers. The strong association between low resilience and individual and workplace factors provides avenues for early intervention and building resilience among healthcare workers.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

The healthcare systems of most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are under severe strain due to high patient load, significant burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, lack of human and financial resources, the brain drain phenomenon, corruption and poor administration [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. South Africa, an upper middle-income country, faces similar challenges, with a quadruple burden of disease including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, high maternal and child mortality, high levels of violence and injuries and noncommunicable diseases [ 5 ]. Poor health outcomes and a disproportionate distribution of healthcare resources in the country may be ascribed to the legacy of an undemocratic political apartheid regime (1948–1993) compounded by ongoing challenges in managing the health system in a post-apartheid South Africa [ 4 , 5 ]. In 2021, for example, South Africa had a doctor-patient ratio of 80 physician per 100,000 people in South Africa, which is lower than the average in upper middle-income countries of 210 physicians per 100,000 people [ 6 ]. South Africa’s government is currently in the process of implementing a National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme to address the tremendous challenges that plague the health system [ 2 ]. However, the country’s preparedness remains uncertain, especially given the ongoing shortage of healthcare worker posts and rising unemployment in the health sector [ 5 , 7 ]. These challenges place immense pressure on employed healthcare workers, making psychological resilience an important inherent ability that can aid in supporting and protecting healthcare workers against adverse mental health outcomes and contributing to improved service delivery.

Psychological resilience is an important personal characteristic that enables healthcare workers to navigate the challenges encountered in their occupation [ 8 ]. Herrman and colleagues explored the evolution of the term in their narrative review and concluded that fundamentally, resilience is the ‘inherent ability’ for one to adapt positively following adversity or stressful events [ 9 ]. As such, psychological resilience describes an individual’s coping mechanism, optimism, self-efficacy, high levels of hope and thriving mental health amid adversity and challenging circumstances [ 10 ]. Research on the role of psychological resilience as a protective factor in frontline healthcare workers has increased recently during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic [ 11 ]. Much of the research in this area has been conducted in high-income countries (HICs) and China, and little is known about the factors that predict psychological resilience in workers in LMICs, including South Africa [ 11 ]. A systematic review on resilience among primary healthcare workers, found that most research on the topic primarily frames resilience as an explanatory variable in relation to burnout [ 12 ]. This study therefore aimed to determine the prevalence, and factors associated with psychological resilience of healthcare workers practising in the South African healthcare system.

Study design and setting

This is an analytical cross-sectional study using secondary data obtained from two cross-sectional studies of healthcare workers in South Africa. The first study on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) included ambulance personnel employed by the Western Cape Department of Health, and data was collected between 15 November 2019 and 17 January 2020 [ 13 ]. This study included 388 responses out of approximately 2000 ambulance personnel. The second study on burnout included medical doctors employed in three public sector hospitals in the Eastern Cape province, and data was collected between 1 April and 31 May 2022 [ 14 ]. This study included 260 responses out of 430 doctors. The present study included data of all healthcare workers who had completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC-10) questionnaire and relevant sociodemographic and occupational questions.

Measurements

This study used secondary data generated from self-administered questionnaires that consisted of sociodemographic factors, work-related factors, and the CD-RISC-10 questionnaire.

Sociodemographic and work-related factors

The data obtained from the questionnaires included self-reported information on age, gender, language, marital status, job category, professional qualifications, overtime work, salary, and length of service. In addition, data on mental health and medical history, including self-reported mental health conditions and substance use (smoking, alcohol use, illicit and prescription drugs), year of debut, and the use of substances to manage work-related stress, were obtained.

Psychological resilience (outcome variable) was measured using the 10-item CD-RISC questionnaire. The CD-RISC-10 is a self-administered 10-item questionnaire, which is a shorter version of the CD-RISC-25. Participants identified their adaptive behaviours in stressful situations and scored them on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = not at all true, 4 = true nearly all the time) [ 15 ]. The resulting scores ranged between 0 and 40. This scale has previously been reported to be a reliable and efficient measure of psychological resilience for adults [ 16 ]. In addition, it has previously been validated for use in South Africa by Pretorius and Padmanabhanunni as a measure of psychological resilience and has been used in several studies of South African healthcare workers [ 3 , 13 , 14 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Written permission to use the scale was previously obtained [ 13 , 14 ].

Data analysis

After ethical approval, the secondary data were received and cleaned in password-protected Microsoft Excel. R statistical software (version 4.3.1) was used for analysing the data and performing the statistical tests. Descriptive statistics for continuous variables in this study are presented as the means (standard deviations) and medians (interquartile ranges) where appropriate. In addition, descriptive statistics for categorical variables are presented as proportions.

Mann‒Whitney and Kruskal‒Wallis tests were used to determine significant differences in CD-RISC-10 scores. In addition, unadjusted logistic regression and adjusted logistic regression (adjusted for age and gender) were performed. Low resilience, as an outcome measure, was defined as a CD-RISC-10 score less than 25.5 [ 20 ]. Variables from the adjusted logistic regression analysis with a p value less than 0.250 were selected for the multivariable logistic regression model to investigate factors associated with increased resilience score. The odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and p values (p) were calculated for both the univariable and multivariable analyses. A p value of less than 0.050 was considered the cut-off point for statistical significance.

Missing data

Only the age factor had missing data of more than 1% of the total recorded values and thus necessitated imputation (see Supplementary Table S1 and Supplementary Fig. S1 online). Age is also important when performing this regression analysis, as age has previously been reported to be an important confounder of psychological resilience and needs to be adjusted for when performing regression analysis [ 11 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Multiple imputation was chosen because it results in valid statistical inferences [ 24 ]. To assess the sensitivity of the results with respect to the multiple imputation method chosen, multiple imputation using the three methods available in the Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equation (MICE) package in R were performed (see Supplementary Table S2 online). The imputed data from the Classification and regression tree (CART) method was chosen for use in the following regression analysis, given its minimal impact on the distribution of the age factor. Supplementary Fig. S2 shows the distribution of the age factor before and after CART imputation.

From the original datasets received (648 records), only one record was removed because the participant indicated that they were gender nonconforming, resulting in several skewed results. In total therefore, 647 observations were included in the present analysis, of which 259 were from doctors and 388 were from ambulance personnel.

Sociodemographic and work-related characteristics

Among the 259 doctors, the majority, 150 (57.9%) were female, while most ambulance personnel, 213 (54.9%) were male (Table  1 ). Most of the doctors, 171 (66.0%) were English speaking and 110 (42.5%) were in the 20–29 years age group, while most of the ambulance personnel, 178 (45.9%) were Afrikaans speaking and, 144 (37.1%) were in the 30–39 years age group. Doctors’ years of service in the current role were lower, with a median of 2 (IQR: 4), while ambulance personnel had a median of 7 (IQR: 9). A greater percentage of doctors, 251 (96.9%) reported working overtime than, 266 (68.6%) ambulance personnel.

Substance use, mental health, and work-related stress management

The prevalence of smoking was greater among ambulance personnel, 118 (30.4%) than among, 23 (8.9%) of doctors, while current alcohol usage was 166 (64.1%) for doctors, greater than 200 (51.5%) for ambulance personnel (Table  2 ). Only 18 (2.8%) of the overall sample reported current use of illicit substances or drugs. A quarter of the doctors, 65 (25.1%), reported having been diagnosed with a mental health condition compared to 43 (11.1%) of the ambulance personnel. In addition, 45 (17.4%) of doctors reported being on treatment for a mental health condition, compared to, 28 (7.2%) of ambulance personnel.

Regarding managing work-related stress (WRS), more than a quarter, 103 (26.5%) of the ambulance personnel self-reported the need to smoke to manage WRS, while 53 (20.5%) of the doctors reported the need to use alcohol to manage WRS. Interestingly, 29 (4.5%) of the overall sample felt the need to use illicit drugs to manage WRS, which is higher than the current prevalence of illicit drug use. Most participants supported the provision of psychological counselling, 492 (76.0%) and addressing staff shortages, 483 (74.7%) to assist with reducing WRS.

Prevalence of resilience

The overall average CD-RISC-10 score was 27.6 (± 6.6) among the 647 healthcare workers in this study (Table  2 ). The average CD-RISC-10 score for the ambulance personnel was 28.0 (± 6.9), which was significantly higher than the average score of 27.1 (± 6.0) for the doctors ( p  = 0.006). The total score for the CD-RISC-10 can be classified into a 4-level variable using quantiles: lowest (0–24), low (25–28), moderate (29–32), and highest (33–40) [ 15 ]. More than half of the doctors (58.7%) were classified as having the lowest or low resilience. However, for ambulance personnel, the majority (54.2%) were classified as having moderate or high resilience.

Factors associated with resilience

Bivariable analysis was performed to examine differences in CD-RISC-10 scores across several sociodemographic and work-related variables (Table  3 ). Compared with female doctors, male doctors had significantly greater resilience scores ( p  < 0.001). Those in certain job categories, such as senior doctors and ambulance personnel, had significantly greater resilience than did junior doctors ( p  = 0.019). In addition, doctors who earned in the highest salary bracket demonstrated greater resilience than did those who earned less ( p  = 0.020). Doctors who were current smokers had greater resilience (30.7) than those who had never smoked (27.2) or were previous smokers (26.7) ( p  = 0.012). In addition, a history of alcohol use significantly increased resilience for ambulance personnel (30.5) compared to current users (27.6) and never users (27.1) ( p  = 0.002). Participants who self-reported as having been diagnosed with a mental health condition had significantly lower resilience scores compared to those who have not, for doctors ( p  = 0.037), ambulance personnel ( p  = 0.010) and overall sample ( p  < 0.001). In addition, ambulance personnel and the overall sample currently on treatment for a mental health condition had significantly lower resilience scores ( p  = 0.029 and p  = 0.002 respectively). Lastly, participants who felt the need to drink alcohol to manage WRS had significantly lower resilience scores amongst doctors ( p  = 0.034), ambulance personnel ( p  = 0.048) and overall sample ( p  = 0.002).

Unadjusted (see Supplementary Table S3 online) and adjusted (Supplementary Table S4 online) logistic regression analyses were also performed. Table  4 below provides the results from the multivariable logistic regression analysis performed with selected variables with p value less than 0.25 from Supplementary Table S4 online. For doctors, female gender, job category and overtime work significantly increased the odds of low resilience (OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.03–3.72, p  = 0.043; OR 6.94, 95%CI 1.22–60.50, p  = 0.044 and OR 13.88, 95%CI 1.61–368.00, p  = 0.044 respectively) (Table  4 ). Conversely, salary and current smoking status significantly reduced the odds of low resilience amongst doctors (OR 0.13, 95%CI 0.02–0.64, p  = 0.024 and OR 0.16, 95%CI 0.02–0.66, p  = 0.027 respectively). In addition, for ambulance personnel and overall sample, only previous alcohol use significantly reduced the odds of low resilience (OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.20–0.94, p  = 0.038 and OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.29–0.91, p  = 0.024 respectively). It should also be noted that the results from the multivariable logistic analysis reported in Table  4 are consistent with the results from the bivariable analysis in Table  3 .

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of resilience and determinants of psychological resilience among a group of healthcare workers in South Africa comprising doctors and ambulance personnel.

The study found the prevalence of psychological resilience among healthcare workers was relatively low, at 27.6 (± 6.6). The average score of the ambulance personnel (28.0 ± 6.9) was greater than that of the doctors (27.1 ± 6.0). Kang and colleagues reported an overall average score of 29.0 (± 6.8) for a group of ambulance personnel in China, which is higher than the overall average score obtained in this study [ 25 ]. A study comparing doctors and ambulance technicians in Spain, reported an overall average score of 30.6 (± 5.0), which was higher than that obtained in the present study [ 26 ]. A longitudinal study on healthcare workers in South Africa reported average scores of 26.7 (± 8.8) and 30 (± 6.7) for the two time points considered [ 3 ]. The average resilience score for the second time point of the longitudinal study was greater than that of the present study. Furthermore, two studies on Malaysian healthcare workers reported overall average scores of 28.6 (± 6.3) and 30.0 (± 6.3), respectively, both of which were higher than those in the present study [ 22 , 27 ]. Zhou and colleagues, however, reported an overall average score of 23.2 (± 9.3) in their study of Chinese resident doctors, which is lower than that obtained in the present study [ 28 ]. This variability in the level of resilience observed may be due to differences in the study context (population sampled, time when the study was conducted), resources available in the healthcare system and differences in cultural values and norms, which may result in different coping styles among healthcare workers [ 5 ]. Overall, the results from this study were consistent with results from comparative studies on the resilience of healthcare workers when considering the standard deviations reported.

The study revealed a statistically significant association between psychological resilience and gender, with females having significantly lower resilience than males. These results are consistent with previous studies on psychological resilience showing that female gender is associated with lower resilience scores [ 12 , 22 , 29 , 30 ]. This could be attributed to females assuming multiple roles at home and in the workplace, experiencing more emotional exhaustion and being more sensitive and susceptible to stress [ 12 , 29 ]. The difference could also be due to social desirability bias, with males answering in a way that portrays an image of being able to manage pressure better [ 22 ].

We observed that doctors who were current smokers had greater average resilience scores than did those who were previous smokers and those who had never smoked before. These results contrast with the results of previous studies in which current smokers were found to have significantly lower psychological resilience [ 31 ]. It is probable that current smoking may be reflective of a coping mechanism and could mask low levels of resilience among current smokers. Substance use and medication use have been used as maladaptive coping mechanisms to address mental health issues and work-related stress [ 14 , 32 ].

Similarly, in ambulance personnel and the overall sample, a significant relationship was found between psychological resilience and alcohol history, with previous alcohol users having reduced odds of low resilience. Guidelines for rehabilitation programs (alcohol and smoking) consider improving resilience to be necessary for preventing substance use onset, abuse problems and relapse [ 31 , 33 , 34 ]. In addition, Yamashita and colleagues reported that a lower relapse risk was associated with greater resilience [ 35 ]. It is also probable that previous alcohol use may be reflective of a coping mechanism and could mask low levels of resilience among previous alcohol users.

This study found no significant associations between psychological resilience and other sociodemographic or lifestyle factors, such as age, home language and relationship status. This is consistent with the results of previous research on resilience [ 18 , 36 , 37 ].

Years in the current role and professional qualifications were not found to be significant predictors of the CD-RISC-10 score in the present study. Wang and colleagues argued that senior healthcare workers have better experience and professional skills to address complex situations that arise in the workplace [ 21 ]. Previous researchers have reported that years in practice was positively associated with psychological resilience [ 20 , 23 ]. Afshari and colleagues noted that an increase in healthcare workers’ education and work experience may be linked to the progression of skills, which results in the development of positive coping strategies, leading to greater resilience [ 38 ]. Herman and colleagues noted that these inconsistencies observed between psychological resilience and predictive factors may be due to differences in study methodologies and the definition of resilience used by the investigators [ 9 ].

Notably, the average resilience of ambulance personnel was significantly greater than that of doctors in this study, similar to the findings of Mantas-Jiménez and colleagues, who compared doctors and ambulance technicians in Spain [ 26 ]. This could be attributable to the social demographic and work-related characteristics of ambulance personnel compared to doctors in the study. Ambulance personnel were older and mostly male, had longer years of service and worked less overtime compared to the doctors. Organisational factors such as the culture within the ambulance service could be different to the medical hospital-based environment. These factors have all been reported previously as factors associated with higher resilience for healthcare workers [ 11 ].

Overtime work was found to be significant negatively associated with resilience among doctors in the present study. These results are in line with the interventions recommended by the healthcare workers in the present study to reduce WRS, with most of the participants indicating that addressing staff shortages was important for reducing WRS. A study on nurses in China, also found that working longer hours a day resulted in significantly lower psychological resilience [ 39 ]. However, Rossouw and colleagues did not find any significant relationship between resilience and overtime hours in their study of healthcare workers in South Africa [ 18 ]. High workload and occupational stressors were likely to lead to low job satisfaction, poor work performance and high job turnover for healthcare workers, resulting in a vicious cycle and ultimately leading to burnout and low resilience [ 30 ].

The present study revealed a significantly negative association between psychological resilience and self-reported mental health conditions and treatment for mental health conditions for the overall sample. Past research on resilience has found that psychological resilience has been identified to have a protective role against mental health issues [ 40 , 41 ]. A study on Indonesian medical students, reported that higher resilience was moderately correlated with lower scores for depressive and anxious symptoms [ 42 ]. In addition, Keragholi and colleagues, in their study of Iranian ambulance personnel, also reported that mental health status was negatively associated with resilience [ 40 ]. A study on South African healthcare workers reported that healthcare workers using medication or other forms of treatment for their anxiety or depression symptoms had significantly lower resilience than did those not using medication [ 18 ]. Furthermore, stigma and denial related to mental health might impact the ability of healthcare workers to seek help, which could also lead to underreporting in research studies [ 18 ].

The resilience score of participants who reported needing to use alcohol to manage WRS was significantly lower than that of participants who reported not needing to use alcohol. In addition, the preference of most participants (76.7%) was for the provision of psychological counselling as an intervention that could be provided by institutions to assist with reducing WRS. This is a positive coping strategy compared to substance use, which is recognised as a maladaptive coping mechanism used by those with mental health issues or WRS [ 32 ]. In addition, resilience interacts with stress to impact on the development of addiction and relapse [ 33 ]. Other studies have also identified the protective role of psychological resilience on WRS [ 43 ].

Strengths and limitations

The primary strength of this study was that it included a large population of healthcare workers in South Africa. In addition, both previous surveys used to collect data for this study had good response rates. The study also used a validated and standardised questionnaire to measure the outcome variable, which provides an opportunity to compare the results of this study with those of previous studies.

This study had several limitations. First, as a secondary data analysis was undertaken, the information available was limited to what had been provided and collected from the previous two studies. Second, causation cannot be inferred via a cross-sectional study design, and the risk factors identified need to be interpreted accordingly. Third, as self-reported data were used, the risk of social desirability bias was high, as respondents may have been influenced by stigma associated with substance use and mental health. In addition, recall bias may have occurred during the initial data collection phase where the participants’ memory was relied upon. Most questions used in this study, however, did not require recall over many months. Fourth, selection bias was largely unavoidable, as participation in the surveys was voluntary, and those who had been experiencing problems such as PTSD or burnout may have been more likely to complete the survey, as PTSD and burnout were the focus of the primary studies. In addition, confidentiality concerns may also affect participation and contribute to bias. The initial investigators had put in place measures to mitigate this bias, including introductory letters to explain the data handling procedure and the preservation of confidentiality. Last, the healthy worker effect may result in the overestimation of healthcare workers’ resilience status since those with low levels of resilience may have already left active work.

Conclusion and recommendations

Resilience was relatively low in this group of South African healthcare workers compared to similar studies globally, highlighting the need to build resilience among healthcare workers in South Africa. This study demonstrated that resources need to be directed towards building resilience among female healthcare workers, those working long hours and earning lower income. In addition, support such as psychological counselling should be offered to healthcare workers who have been diagnosed with mental health conditions. Further research is needed to better characterise the sociodemographic and work-related factors impacting the psychological resilience of healthcare workers in South Africa. Additional research could focus on resilience specifically, consider a larger and more representative sample and include qualitative research methods. This will assist in understanding determinants of psychological resilience and may inform intervention strategies that would build psychological resilience in the healthcare workforce in South Africa.

Data availability

The data are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Abbreviations

Classification and regression tree

Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale

Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 10

Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25

95% Confidence Interval

Coronavirus disease

Emergency medical services

Healthcare Workers

High-income countries

Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Interquartile Range

Low-and middle-income countries

Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equation

Not applicable

National Health Insurance

Probability Value

Posttraumatic stress disorder

Standard deviation

Work-Related Stress

South African Rand

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the medical doctors and ambulance personnel who voluntarily participate in the primary data collection.

This research was partly funded by an award granted by the University of Cape Town’s Division of Actuarial Science, School of management studies and the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee.

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Division of Actuarial Science, School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Thandokazi Mcizana

Division of Occupational Medicine and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Shahieda Adams, Saajida Khan & Itumeleng Ntatamala

Livingstone Tertiary Hospital, Department of Health, Gqeberha, South Africa

Saajida Khan

Faculty of Health Science, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa

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T.M. conceptualised the study and was responsible for the data analysis, initial write-up and subsequent manuscript revisions. I.N. provided part of the dataset and assisted with study conceptualisation, data analysis and write-up of this study. S.A. assisted with study conceptualisation, data analysis and write-up of this study. S.K. provided part of the dataset and made editorial manuscript revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Thandokazi Mcizana .

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This study was approved by the University of Cape Town’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC 712/2023). The research was conducted as per guiding principles of the Belmont Report and Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent to participate was obtained from all of the participants.

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Mcizana, T., Adams, S., Khan, S. et al. Sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with psychological resilience in South African healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 24 , 979 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11430-0

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Received : 13 May 2024

Accepted : 12 August 2024

Published : 24 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11430-0

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