Background: The South African Constitution protects the right to vote for every citizen. The (No. 73 of 1998) limits registration on the voter's roll on the basis of being declared of 'unsound mind' or 'mentally disordered' by the high court or detention under the (No. 17 of 2002). There is limited information regarding voting knowledge and subsequent voting-related decisions amongst South African involuntary mental healthcare users (MHCUs).
Aim: To compare voting knowledge and related decisions between hospitalised MHCUs and non-psychiatric hospitalised patients (controls).
Setting: Participants were recruited from Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital (MHCUs) and Chris Hani Baragawanth Academic Hospital orthopaedic wards (controls) in Gauteng, South Africa.
Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a modified Cognitive Assessment Tool for Voting (MCAT-V) questionnaire. Scores on the MCAT-V were compared between the MHCU and control groups, along with socio-demographic variables and clinical variables.
Results: There was a significant association between group (MHCU vs. control) and HLOE ( = 0.016). Although the median overall score for the controls (11; interquartile range [IQR] 10-12) was significantly higher than that for the MHCUs (10; IQR 8-12) ( = 0.043), when controlling for education level, there was no significant association between group (MHCU/control) and MCAT-V scores ( = 0.011). The MCAT-V scores of the 'Doe questions' between the MHCUs and controls were not significantly different ( = 0.063). There was a difference in 'reasoning scores' between MHCUs and controls ( = 0.0082) and this was associated with level of educational attainment ( = 0.013).
Conclusion: The limitations regarding voter registration legislated in the South African , are not supported by the findings of this study. The MCAT-V demonstrates a possible educational bias and therefore is not recommended as a screening tool for assessing voting competency.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7876961 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v27i0.1529 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
An Iterative Pseudo Label Generation framework for semi-supervised hyperspectral image classification using the Segment Anything Model.
Front Plant Sci
December 2024
School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Hyperspectral image classification in remote sensing often encounters challenges due to limited annotated data. Semi-supervised learning methods present a promising solution. However, their performance is heavily influenced by the quality of pseudo labels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInternational Consensus Guidance for the Management of Glucocorticoid Related Complications in Neuromuscular Disease.
Muscle Nerve
January 2025
Neurology Quality and Innovation Lab, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Introduction/aims: Glucocorticoid (GC)-related adverse reactions and risks are commonly seen during the treatment of immune-mediated and inflammatory neuromuscular disorders. There is wide variation in the management of associated complications. The aim of this study is to develop international consensus guidance on the management of GC-related complications in neuromuscular disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTeaching Students to Effectively Evaluate Scientific Evidence and Advocate for Research in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Neurodiversity Movement.
Dev Biol
December 2024
Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Hamline University. Electronic address:
Connecting socially relevant topics with biological content can boost student engagement and comprehension. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an increasingly prevalent diagnosis with a number of intersecting topic areas between developmental biology and social justice. Here I describe two exercises that I developed to engage students in learning opportunities that link scientific process learning goals with real-world applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNational extension workshop: Connecting learners and educators to broaden reach and maximize impact in the 21st century.
Poult Sci
December 2024
Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA.
Disseminating training nationwide through the Cooperative Extension Service, particularly as global demand for poultry products continues to increase, is critical for sustainable poultry production. Increasing urbanization, globalization of the poultry industry, consumer interest in animal welfare and labor shortages present opportunities for Extension professionals to engage diverse audiences and increase agricultural literacy. As part of the Poultry Science Association's 2024 National Extension Workshop, we presented examples of initiatives aimed at connecting educators, teachers and learners to address some of the pressing issues facing the poultry industry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPredicting the Performance of Students Using Deep Ensemble Learning.
J Intell
December 2024
School of Computer and Artificial Intelligence, Huaihua University, Huaihua 418000, China.
Universities and schools rely heavily on the ability to forecast student performance, as it enables them to develop efficient strategies for enhancing academic results and averting student attrition. The automation of processes and the management of large datasets generated by technology-enhanced learning tools can facilitate the analysis and processing of these data, which provides crucial insights into the knowledge of students and their engagement with academic endeavors. The method under consideration aims to forecast the academic achievement of students through an ensemble of deep neural networks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!