Well-being and resilience in South African schools, families, and communities: A need for multisystemic, cross-cultural and transdisciplinary interventions

Like many other countries, South Africans are consistently challenged by many political, social, and economic issues that negatively impact their well-being and mental health. Some of these challenges include, inter alia, poverty, HIV/AIDS, crime, violence, and various forms of discrimination. Most researchers adopt a psychopathological perspective in investigating how the challenges mentioned affect the mental health and well-being of people. However, one needs to note that despite the challenges, many people still display resilience. As such, the focus of this chapter was to delve into resilience studies in schools, families, and communities conducted through a narrative review of journal articles published in the databases of SCOPUS, Web of Science and SABINET African Journals from 2017. The findings highlight the need for cross-cultural, multisystemic and transdisciplinary interventions for promoting well-being and resilience in schools, families, and communities. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of including religious, spiritual, cultural, and traditional components in resilience-based programs to promote well-being and mental health. Based on the review, recommendations for resiliencebased interventions are provided in three main areas, namely improving interpersonal networks, encouraging supportive communal activities, and the government taking the lead on policies directed at putting support mechanisms in place. Even though the recommendations are based on South African studies, they still have global value because people all over the world experience challenges that impact their wellbeing.