SAMSON MHIZHA

University of Zimbabwe, Psychology, Faculty Member

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I am a developmental and cultural psychologist. I teach social psychology, developmental psychology, cross-cultural psychology and social psychologist have conducted studies on Street-Involved Children and their psychological functioning.

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Papers by SAMSON MHIZHA

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: Cross-national measurement invariance and convergent validity evidence

Psychological Assessment, Dec 31, 2023

Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) is a widely used measure that captures somatic symptoms of corona... more Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) is a widely used measure that captures somatic symptoms of coronavirusrelated anxiety. In a large-scale collaboration spanning 60 countries (Ntotal = 21,513), we examined the CAS’s measurement invariance and assessed the convergent validity of CAS scores in relation to the fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) and the satisfaction with life (SWLS-3) scales. We utilized both conventional exact invariance tests and alignment procedures, with results revealing that the single-factor model fit the data well in almost all countries. Partial scalar invariance was supported in a subset of 56 countries. To ensure the robust of results, given the unbalanced samples, we employed resampling techniques both with and without replacement and found the results were more stable in larger samples. The alignment procedure demonstrated a high degree of measurement invariance with 9% of the parameters exhibiting noninvariance. We also conducted simulations of alignment using the parameters estimated in the current model. Findings demonstrated reliability of the means but indicated challenges in estimating the latent variances. Strong positive correlations between CAS and FCV-19S estimated with all three different approaches were found in most countries. Correlations of CAS and SWLS-3 were weak and negative but significantly differed from zero in several countries. Overall, the study provided support for the measurement invariance of the CAS and offered evidence of its convergent validity while also highlighting issues with variance estimation

Education as the revolving door into the streets and back home among street-involved children in Harare, Zimbabwe

Deleted Journal, Mar 24, 2024

This article explores the roles of education in driving children onto the streets and facilitatin... more This article explores the roles of education in driving children onto the streets and facilitating reunification with family. These roles are discussed in terms of how they contribute to street childhood and how they become part of a reintegration package. Against this background, education is considered a social vaccine against risky behaviours among children. The data were collected using a qualitative research approach, employing semistructured interviews with street-involved children and key informants. The study purposively sampled 18 participants, including 10 street-involved children, eight informants from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Non-Governmental Organisation staff, guardians and former street-involved children. Of the 10 streetinvolved children, five were females and the other five were males. Data analysis revealed that these children faced education-related risk factors such as material poverty, differential treatment, adverse childhood experiences, truancy, stigma, and peer influence. The children employed resilience pathways like reunification support and putting personal effort into their schooling. The article recommends the government ensure that children from poor, blended and at-risk families receive mental health and financial support to continue attending school. Streetinvolved and at-risk children require comprehensive schooling support, family strengthening and protection from abuse to ensure their well-being and safety.

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Resilience Pathways for Schooling Reunified Former Street Children in Harare

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, Jul 27, 2018

The present study sought to explore the resilience pathways for school engagement among reunified... more The present study sought to explore the resilience pathways for school engagement among reunified former street children in Harare. In order to explore such resilience, the study employed a qualitative approach of phenomenology. The study was based on the social ecological theory of resilience. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. A total of 14 reunified former street children aged between 11 and 18 participated in the current study. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit participants for this research. Data was analysed using the interpretive phenomenological analysis. Data analysis revealed the resilience pathways, including substance use, peer relationships, having role models, religious practices, psychological capital, family members, changing residence, intimate relationships and availability of sponsors. The authors recommend resilience promoting strategies for such reunified former street children including equipping them with vocational and life skills,...

An Exploratory Study on the School Related Challenges Faced by Street Children in Harare

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, Nov 14, 2013

The present study sought to explore the school related challenges fa ced by street children in Ha... more The present study sought to explore the school related challenges fa ced by street children in Harare. Psychoethnography, a qualitative approach was employed in this study. A total o f 22 participants took part in this study. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, participant and non-participant observations were the data collection methods. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Data analysis revealed factors that cause disaffiliation o f street children from schools such as: their migratory nature, low achievement in schools, substance abuse, pregnancy, very active sexuality and lack o f birth certificates. The street children, therefore, appear to be estranged from social institutions particularly schools. Among other recommendations, the study suggested that the education system in Zimbabwe should equip street children with life and vocational skills that empower them to eke a living without affecting their access to form al education. Consequently, there should be reforms in the education system in Zimbabwe to make schools attractive and to produce employable and skilled graduates.

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Resilience

“<i>Spice Was Made, by the Devil Himself</i>”: A Thematic Analysis of the Experience of an Addiction to Synthetic Cannabinoids

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, May 31, 2022

Building inclusive early learning environments for children with a disability in low-resource settings: Insights into challenges and opportunities from rural Zimbabwe

Frontiers in Education

The majority of young children with a disability live in low- and middle-income countries, where ... more The majority of young children with a disability live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to inclusive early learning programs supported by governments or non-government organizations is usually unavailable for the majority of the population, who live in rural areas. This study explored the feasibility of leveraging materials and personnel available within local communities to provide inclusive early learning programs in rural Zimbabwe. Caregivers of young children with some disability were given the opportunity to describe their experienced challenges; ways in which they informally support their children’s early learning; and the types of skills and resources they were able and willing to offer to support the establishment and operation of a more formal group-based inclusive early learning program. Qualitative data were generated from a purposive sample of caregivers of children with diverse impairments (n = 12) in two remote rural districts in Zimbabwe. Themes were i...

Empathy, Fear of Disease and Support for COVID-19 Containment Behaviors: Evidence from 34 Countries on the Moderating Role of Governmental Trust

The current study investigated the motives that underlie support for COVID-19 preventive behavior... more The current study investigated the motives that underlie support for COVID-19 preventive behaviorsin a large, cross-cultural sample of 12,758 individuals from 34 countries. We hypothesized that the associations of empathic prosocial concern and fear of disease, with support towards preventive COVID-19 behaviors would be moderated by the individual-level and country-level trust in the government. Results suggest that the association between fear of disease and support for COVID-19 preventive behaviors was strongest when trust in the government was weak (both at individual and country-level). Conversely, the association with empathic prosocial concern was strongest when trust was high, but this moderation was only found at individual-level scores of governmental trust. We discuss how both fear and empathy motivations to support preventive COVID-19 behaviors may be shaped by socio-cultural context, and outline how the present findings may contribute to a better understanding of collect...

Exploring Adoption of Inclusive Home-Based Early Childhood Development and Learning in Marginalised Rural Communities in Zimbabwe

Journal of Interdisciplinary Academic Research

Zimbabwe adopted a policy for compulsory enrolment of 3 to 5 year-olds in ECD 'A' and &#3... more Zimbabwe adopted a policy for compulsory enrolment of 3 to 5 year-olds in ECD 'A' and 'B' grades in primary schools. However, some eligible children are not attending these classes for reasons which include poverty, disability and lack of special education needs constituting marginalisation. The current study sought to evaluate community knowledge about inclusive home-based Early Childhood Development programmes, assess rural communities' attitudes towards the establishment of inclusive home-based ECD programmes and identify practices that can be used to sustain inclusive home-based ECD programmes in selected rural communities in Zaka and Bikita districts in Masvingo province. Data were collected from 60 purposively sampled participants comprising 30 parents of children without known disabilities, 12 caregivers, six (6) ECD teachers, and 12 parents of children living with disabilities. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis. Findings showed that par...

Strong Citizens: Informed and Apt to Build their Spaces in the Spirit of Resilience in Urban Zimbabwe

Journal of Urban Systems and Innovations for Resilience in Zimbabwe -JUSIRZ, Aug 25, 2021

An Exploratory Study on the School Related Challenges Faced by Street Children in Harare

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, Nov 14, 2013

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Understanding the nature of substance use in Zimbabwe: State of the art and ways forward: A scoping review protocol

Reports of substance use in Zimbabwe paint a concerning picture of escalating prevalence of use, ... more Reports of substance use in Zimbabwe paint a concerning picture of escalating prevalence of use, with over half of people admitted to inpatient mental health units reportedly experiencing a substance induced disorder. The country has gone through decades of significant political and socio-economical challenges, which are undoubtedly linked to the observed increases in substances use. Nevertheless, despite the resource constraints to adequately address substance use, the government has shown a renewed resolve to provide a comprehensive approach to address substance use in the country. However, there is a lack of clarity of the nature and extent of substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs), which in part is due to a lack of a national monitoring system for substance use in the country. Moreover, reports of a substance use crisis in Zimbabwe are predominantly based on anecdotal evidence, limiting the ability to gain an accurate picture of the situation. Therefore, a scoping revi...

“Spice Was Made, by the Devil Himself”: A Thematic Analysis of the Experience of an Addiction to Synthetic Cannabinoids

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs

Trauma and healing among children on the streets in Zimbabwe

The Religious–Spiritual Self-Image and Behaviours Among Adolescent Street Children in Harare, Zimbabwe

Journal of Religion and Health, 2013

The present study sought to explore the relationship between street childhood and adolescent reli... more The present study sought to explore the relationship between street childhood and adolescent religious-spiritual self-image. In Zimbabwe, there has been a rise in street children population in the urban centres. The current study investigated whether adolescent street children live and work in an eco-developmentally risky context for the development of positive religious-spiritual self-image. This rise in street children population has been in the context of a socio-politico-economic crisis, which was marked by record inflation rates and the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The research objectives were to investigate the nature of religious-spiritual self-image for street-living adolescent children, and to determine the effects of self-image on the behaviour of street-living adolescent children. A psycho-ethnographic research design was employed in this study. This involved collection of data for a sustained period in the context within which the participants live. The participants were 16 street-living adolescent children aged between 12 and 18 years and six key informants all in Harare in Zimbabwe. A total of 22 participants took part in this study. Snowballing was used to recruit key informant interviewees, while purposive sampling was used to recruit participants for focus group discussions, in-depth interview, and participant and non-participant observations. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and participant and non-participant observations were the data collection methods. Thematic content analysis was used for analysing the data. This thematic content analytic method helped to identify themes on the religious-spiritual self-image that emerged from the data. Data analysis revealed that the adolescent street children&amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s religious-spiritual self-image is largely negative. Most street-living adolescent children believed that they were controlled and influenced by evil spirits and that their relatives were casting bad spells on them. The negative religious-spiritual self-image among the street children had important negative implications on psychological functioning, moral behaviours, and social relations for the street-living children.

Resilience Pathways for Schooling Reunified Former Street Children in Harare

Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, Jul 27, 2018