University of Cape Town
Research Report 2005
Faculty of Health Sciences >
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health
Head of Department:Professor Dan Stein
Departmental Profile
The Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health is strongly committed to strengthening the integration between services, teaching, and research. Many of the clinicians are active in research in their particular areas of focus. Clinical research in the Department includes the neurological aspects of HIV/AIDS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and anxiety disorders (MRC Unit on Anxiety Disorders).
The Adolescent Health Research Institute is examining adolescent risk behaviour, predictors of school dropout, and violence in intimate adolescent relationships. Data analysis is in progress for two large school-based cluster randomised control trials of AIDS prevention interventions.
The Department is also committed to developing translational (i.e., bench-to-bedside) research and to influencing mental health policy. Translational research is a key concern of the Brain - Behaviour Initiative (BBI), a UCT signature theme, to which the Department is a key contributor. Mental health policy has been a concern of the Department’s WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, the only World Federation for Mental Health Collaborating Centre for Mental Health in Africa. A R25 million Research Programme Consortium has been secured from the UK Department for International Development to examine mental health policy development and implementation in four African countries.
Departmental Statistics
Permanent and long-term contract staff
Professors / 4Associate Professors / 2
Senior Lecturers Full-time / 13
Lecturers Full-time / 16
Senior Lecturers Part-time / 2
Lecturers Part-time / 8
Research Staff / 8
Administrative and Clerical Staff / 2
TOTAL / 55
Honorary staff
Lecturer / 6Students
Doctoral / 9Masters / 34
Undergraduate / 322
TOTAL / 365
Research Fields and Staff
Permanent staff
Professor Dan Stein
Psychobiology of the anxiety disorders (including obsessive-compulsive and spectrum disorders; post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder)
Professor Alan Flisher
Adolescent risk behaviour; epidemiology of suicide; mental health services research; epidemiology of psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents; poverty and mental health
Professor Chris Molteno
Infant mental health; fetal alcohol syndrome; psychopathology in children with intellectual disability
Professor Tuviah Zabow
Quality assurance and accreditation in psychiatry; the management of impaired medical practitioners and students; mental health legislation
Ereshia Benjamin
Ethics in community psychology
Associate Professor Astrid Berg
Analytic psychotherapy; infant mental health; culture and mental health
Willem de Jager
Inpatient child psychiatry; group therapy; organisational dynamics
Louise Frenkel
Secondary traumatisation of health workers; working with patient trauma
Dr John Joska
Depression and treatment-resistant depression; mental health services
Associate Professor Sean Kaliski
Forensic psychiatry
Dr Cobus MacCallaghan
Psychobiology
Ms Adele Marais
Intimate partner violence; participatory action research; qualitative methodology
Dr Pete Milligan
Mental health services
Dr Rene Nassen
Paediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry; pervasive developmental disorders; behavioural manifestations of HIV infection
Dr Larissa Panieri-Peter
Familial homicide
Dr Elizabeth Peter
Mental illness in intellectual disability; genetic psychiatry
Mona Roper
Parenting practises, community-based interventions
Dr Jane Saunders
Psychogeriatrics; women’s health; neuropsychiatry including HIV and mental health
Dr Don Wilson
Anxiety disorders; substance misuse
Contract research staff
Nazeema Ahmed
Adolescent’s and educators’ perspectives on sexuality and reproductive health
Issues; school-based reproductive health promotion programmes
Shahieda Jansen
Design of school-based reproductive health promotion programmes
Thabile Ketye
School-based AIDS prevention.
Sharon Kleintjies
Poverty and mental health; service users’ perspectives of mental health services; health policy
Dr Crick Lund
Mental health policy and services
Beauty Mlangeni
Poverty and mental health; health policy
Wanjiru Mukoma
Evaluation of school-based AIDS prevention programmes
Liezille Pretorius
Adolescent risk behaviour; substance misuse, HIV/AIDS and related issues
Dr Terry-Ann Selnikow
Youth sexuality and culture, gender; implementation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention projects
Lorraine Townsend
Adolescent risk behaviours and their educational impact
Zanine Wolf
School-based AIDS prevention
Contact Details
Postal Address: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, 7925
Telephone: 21 404-2164/447-5450
Fax: 21 448-8158
E-mail:
Research Output
Articles in peer-reviewed journals
Baumann, S.E. 2005. The schizophrenias as disorders of self consciousness. South African Psychiatry Review, 8: 95-99.
Beard, J.L., Hendricks, M.K., Perez, E.M., Murray-Kolb, L.E., Berg, A., Vernon-Feagans, L., Irlam, J.H., Isaacs Dollie, W., Sive, A. and Tomlinson, M.R. 2005. Maternal iron deficiency anemia affects postpartum emotions and cognition. Journal of Nutrition, 135: 267-272.
Brandt, R., Ward, C.L., Dawes, A.R.L. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Epidemiological measurement of children's and adolescents' exposure to community violence: Working with the current state of the sciences. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 8(4): 327-343.
Bruwer, B.R. and Stein, D.J. 2005. A survey of participants in two Internet support groups for people with hair-pulling. MBC Psychiatry, 5: 37.
Burch, V., Nash, R.C., Zabow, T., Gibbs, T.J., Aubin, L.A., Jacobs, B. and Hift, R. 2005. A structured assessment of newly qualified medical graduates. Medical Education, 39(7): 723-731.
Carter, R.C., Jacobson, S.W., Molteno, C.D., Chiodo, L.M., Viljoen, D.L. and Jacobson, J.L. 2005. Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on infant visual acuity. Journal of Pediatrics, 147: 473-479.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. The school as a setting for child and adolescent mental health interventions. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 11: 77-78.
Flisher, A.J., Mathews, C., Guttmacher, S.J., Abdullah, F. and Myers, J.E. 2005. AIDS prevention through peer education. South African Medical Journal, 95(4): 245-6, 248.
Joska, J. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. An innovative in-patient psychotherapy unit. Psychiatric Services, 56: 1316-1317.
Joska, J. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. The assessment of need for mental health services. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 40: 529-539.
Kaduri, P., Gilreath, T., Mbwanbo, J., King, G., Kilonzo, G., Flisher, A.J. and Mathews, S. 2005. Social networks' influence on tobacco use among students in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. IUHPE- Promotion and Education, 12(2): 10-14.
Kent, A., Myer, L., Flisher, A.J., Mathews, C. and Lombard, C. 2005. Introducing HIV/AIDS to South African health sciences students. Medical Teacher, 27(7): 647-649.
London, L., Flisher, A.J., Weselling, I.C., Mergler, D. and Kromhout, H. 2005. Suicide and exposure to organophosphate insecticides: Cause or effect? American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 47(4): 308-321.
Mathews, C., Guttmacher, S.J., Flisher, A.J., Mtshizana, Y., Hani, A. and Zwarenstein, M. 2005. Written parental consent in school-based HIV prevention research. American Journal of Public Health, 95(7): 1266-1269.
Mpofu, E., Flisher, A.J., Bility, K., Onya, H. and Lombard, C. 2005. Correlates of drug use in rural Africa: Drugs/substance use and sexual behavior in the Mankweng district of South Africa. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 15: 11-16.
Muller, L. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Standards for the mental health care of people with severe psychiatric disorders in South Africa: Part I. Conceptual issues. South African Psychiatry Review, 8: 140-145.
Muller, L. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Standards for the mental health care of people with severe psychiatric disorders in South Africa: Part II. Methodology and results. South African Psychiatry Review, 8: 146-152
Niehaus, D.J.H., Stein, D.J., Koen, L., Lochner, C., Muller, J.E., Mbanga, N.I., Emsley, R.A. and Gorman, J.M. 2005. A case of "ifufunyana": A Xhosa culture-bound syndrome. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 11: 411-413.
Perez, E.M., Hendricks, M.K., Beard, J.L., Murray-Kolb, L.E., Berg, A., Tomlinson, M.R., Irlam, J.H., Isaacs Dollie, W., Njengele, T., Sive, A. and Vernon-Feagans, L. 2005. Mother-infant interactions and infant development are altered by maternal iron deficiency anemia. Journal of Nutrition, 135: 850-855.
Ruscio, A.M., Lane, M., Stang, P.E., Stein, D.J., Wittchen, H.-U. and Kessler, R.C. 2005. Should excessive worry be required for a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder? Results from the US National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Psychological Medicine, 35: 1761-1772.
Smit, J., Middelkoop, K., Myer, L., Lindegger, G., Swartz, L., Seedat, S., Tucker, T., Wood, R., Bekker, L.G. and Stein, D.J. 2005. Socio-behaviour challenges to phase III HIV vaccine trials in sub-Saharan Africa. African Health Sciences, 5(3): 198-206.
Stein, D.J. 2005. Cosmetic psychopharmacology of anxiety: Bioethical considerations. Current Psychiatry Reports, 7: 237-238
Stein, D.J. 2005. Empathy: At the heart of the mind. CNS Spectrums, 10(10): 780-783.
Stein, D.J. 2005. Generalised anxiety disorder: Rethinking diagnosis and rating. CNS Spectrums, 10: 930-934.
Stein, D.J. 2005. Placebo - The best pill of all. CNS Spectrums, 10(6): 1-3.
Stein, D.J. 2005. Risperidone for chronic conbat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (commentary). Current Psychiatry Reports, 7: 243-244.
Stein, D.J. 2005. The bioethics of cosmetic psychopharmacology. South African Psychiatry Review, 8: 50-51.
Stein, D.J. 2005. The neurobiology of panic disorder: Toward an integrated model. CNS Spectrums, 10(9): 5-17.
Stein, D.J. 2005. The philosophy of evil. Philosophy, Psychology and Psychiatry, 12: 261-264.
Stein, D.J. and Kaminer, D. 2005. Forgiveness and psychopathology: Psychobiological and evolutionary underpinnings. CNS Spectrums, 11(2): 87-89.
Stein, D.J., Andersen, H.F. and Goodman, W.K. 2005. Escitalopram for the treatment of GAD: Efficacy across different subgroups and outcomes. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 17(2): 71-75.
Stein, D.J., Harvey, B.H.H., Uys, J.U. and Daniels, W. 2005. Suffer the children: The psychobiology of early adversity. CNS Spectrums, 10(8): 1-4.
Swartz, L., Kagee, A., Kafaar, Z., Smit, J., Bhana, A., Gray, G., Lesch, A., Lindegger, G., Milford, C., Richter, L., Seedat, S., Skhosana, N. and Stein, D.J. 2005. Social and behavioural aspects of child and adolescent participation in HIV vaccine trials. Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, 4(4): 89-92
Tomlinson, M., Cooper, P.J., Stein, A., Swartz, L. and Molteno, C. 2005. Post-partum depression and infant growth in a South African peri-urban settlement. Child: Care, Health & Development, 32(1): 81-86.
Van Hougenhouck-Tulleken, W., Chan, I., Hamada, T., Thornton, H., Jenkins, J., McLean, W.H.I., McGrath, J.A. and Ramsay, M. 2005. Clinical and laboratory investigations: Clinical and molecular characterization of lipoid proteinosis in Namaqualand, South Africa. British Journal of Dermatology, 151: 413-423.
Vythilingum, B.V. and Stein, D.J. 2005. Obsessive-compulsive disorders and dermatologic disease. Dermatologic Clinics, 23: 675-680.
Ward, C., Mertens, J., Flisher, A.J., Bresick, G., Sterling, S., Distiller, G. and Weisner, C. 2005. Substance abuse and HIV risk behaviours amongst primary health care service users in Cape Town. South African Psychiatry Review, 8: 160-165.
Wild, L.G., Flisher, A.J., Bhana, A. and Lombard, C. 2005. Psychometric properties of the Self-Esteem Questionnaire for South African adolescents. South African Journal of Psychology, 35(2): 195-208.
Wilson, D., Flisher, A.J. and Welman, M. 2005. Psychiatric emergency service users at Groote Schuur Hospital. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 11: 80-83
Books
Stein, D.J., Lerer, B. and Stahl, B. (eds) 2005. Evidence-based psychopharmacology: 1-340. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chapters in books
Bakker, A., Von Balkom, A.J.L.M. and Stein, D.J. 2005. Evidence-based pharmacotherapy of social anxiety disorder. In D.J. Stein, B. Lerer and B. Stahl (eds), Evidence-based psychopharmacology: 105-120. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Non-consensual adolescent sexual experiences: Policy issues. In S. Jenebooy, I. Shah and S. Thapa (eds), Sex without consent: Young people in developing countries: 269-283. London: Zed Books
Morojele, N., Flisher, A.J. and Parry, C.D.H. 2005. Urbanization, youth and substance use in South Africa. In I.S. Obot and S. Saxena (eds), Substance use among young people in urban environments: 103-120. Geneva and Kobe: World Health Organization.
Portier, C.B., Bakker, A., Von Balkom, A.J.L.M. and Stein, D.J. 2005 Evidence-based pharmacotherapy of posttraumatic stress disorder. In D.J. Stein, B. Lerer and B. Stahl (eds), Evidence-based psychopharmacology: 121-136. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Stein, D.J. 2005. Introduction. In D.J. Stein, B. Lerer and B. Stahl (eds), Evidence-based pychopharmacology: xii-xviii. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Stein, D.J. 2005. Translational and evolutionary models of body dysmorphic disorder. In M. Maj, H.S. Akiskal, J.E. Mezzich and A. Okasha A (eds), Somatoform disorders: 228-228. Chichester, Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
Stein, D.J., Lerer, B. and Stahl, B. 2005. Preface. In D.J. Stein, B. Lerer and B. Stahl (eds), Evidence-based psychopharmacology: x-xi. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Non peer-reviewed published conference proceedings
Jaspan, H.B., Berwick, J., Mathews, C., Myer, L., Flisher, A.J., Seebregts, C. and Bekker, L.G. 2005. Feasibility of HIV vaccine efficacy trials in South African adolescents. Proceedings of the 3rd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, WePp202.
Published conference abstracts
Dawes, A., Lund, C., Kafaar, Z. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Developing norms for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services initiatives in post apartheid South Africa (Abstract). Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 89.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Adolescent lifestyles in South Africa: What do we still need to know? Childhoods 2005 Oslo, Children and Youth in Emerging and Transforming Societies. Oslo, Norway, 29 June – 3 July 2005. Invited address.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Indicators, measures and data sources for monitoring child and adolescent mental health and risk behaviour (Abstract). Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 90.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Lifestyle, risk and opportunity related to substance use and sexual behaviour of children and youth in South Africa. Childhoods 2005 Oslo, Children and Youth in Emerging and Transforming Societies. Oslo, Norway, 29 June – 3 July 2005. Invited plenary address.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Meeting the needs of HIV positive adolescents in South Africa. Adolescent HIV/AIDS Care: Conference of the Johannesburg Paediatric Clinical Trials Group, Johannesburg, 1 February 2005. Also presented at Adolescent HIV/AIDS Care: Conference of the Cape Town Clinical Trials Group, Cape Town, 3 February 2005. Invited keynote addresses.
Flisher, A.J., Reddy, P., Myers, L., Marais, A. and Lombard, C. 2005. Prevalence and predictors of partner violence among Cape Town adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 90.
Flisher, A.J., Townsend, L., Chikobvu, P., Lombard, C. and King, G. 2005. Sexual behavgiour and high-school dropout (Abstract). Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 17: 98.
Hoogervorst, L. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Process Evaluation of a group based psychosocial intervention with adolescent liver and renal transplant patients. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 91-92.
Kafaar, Z., Dawes, A., Lund, C. and Flisher, A.J. 20005. Developing norms for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services initiatives in post apartheid South Africa: Provincial Situation Analysis. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 92.
Lund, C., Dawes, A., Kafaar, Z. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Child and adolescent mental health norms: a manual for planning. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 93.
Major, V., London, L., Flisher, A.J., Kromhout, H. and Meijster, T. 2005. The role of organophosphate exposure in the aetiology of depression and suicide amongst farm workers. Epidemiology, 16: S150.
Marais, A. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Narrative inquiry into Intimate Partner Violence in Adolescent Relationships. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 93.
Nassen, R., Ward, C. and Flisher, A.J. 2005. Perinatally-infected HIV positive children after one year on antiretroviral medication- what are we learning? Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 93-94.
Saban, A., Flisher, A.J. and Morojele, N. 2005. The association between substance use and psychopathology. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 96.
Ward, C.L., Flisher, A.J., Liang, H., Onya, H., Mlisa, N., Terblanche, S., Bhana, A., Parry, C.D.H. and Lombard C. 2005. Injury-related behaviour among South African high-school students at six sites. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 89-90.
Ward, C., Mertens, J., Flisher, A.J., Bresick, G., Sterling, S., Distiller, G. and Weisner, C. 2005. Substance abuse and HIV risk behaviours in Cape Town primary health care service users. In: A. Pluddermann, S. Hon, A. Bhana, N. Harker, H. Potgieter, W. Gerber, C. Johnson and C. Parry (eds) Monitoring alcohol and drug use trends in South Africa. Proceedings of SACENDU Report Back Meetings (Phase 17), July- December 2004. Cape Town: Medical Research Council, 2005: 82-85.
Wegner, L., Evans, L., September, X., Smith, E., Caldwell, L., Flisher, A.J., Vergnanai, T., Ariotis, J., Mathews, C., Mpofu, E. and Graham, P. 2005. Becoming Healthwise: Strategies for sustainable youth development. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 98.
Wild, L., Flisher, A.J. and Robertson, B.A. 2005. The Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescents Orphaned in the Context of HIV/AIDS. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17: 88-89.
Unrefereed journal articles
Kibel, M.A., Molteno, C.D. and De Decker, R. 2005. Editorial: Cot death controversies. South African Medical Journal, 95: 853-857.
Extension and development work
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Consultant (Principal Investigator). Monitoring and evaluation of the Global Fund Peer Education Project of the Western Cape Departments of Education and Health.
World Health Organisation. 2005. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policies and Plans. Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2005. Prepared by A. J. Flisher and S. Lustig.
World Health Organisation. 2005. Human Resources and Training in Mental Health. Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2005. Prepared by C. Lund. People providing expert opinion and technical input included A. J. Flisher.
World Health Organisation. 2005. Mental Health Information Systems. Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2005. Prepared by C. Lund and T. Lee. People providing expert opinion and technical input included A. J. Flisher.
Consultancy and other activities based on expertise developed in research
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Associate Editor, Psychology in Africa.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Editor, Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Member, Advisory Board, Global Child Mental Health Initiative of the World Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organisation and the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Member, Editorial Advisory Board, African Journal of Substance Use.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Member, Editorial Board, South African Journal of Psychiatry.
Flisher, A.J. 2005. Member, International Advisory Board, Sexuality Research and Social Policy.