Member Profile
Membership type: full
Leigh Adams Tucker
Country of origin: South Africa Currently in: South Africa, Cape Town General field of specialization: Medical and Health Sciences incl Neurosciences-
Degrees
2018 Doctorate Social and Economic Sciences -
Current Research Activities
Social and Economic Sciences
Dr Leigh Adams Tucker is a registered Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Leigh’s research interests include discursive constructions of health and illness, particularly in relation to child and adolescent mental health; masculinities, disabilities, and human-animal interaction. In her doctoral studies, Leigh worked with young boys diagnosed with ADHD to understand how they manage and derive meaning from their condition. Leigh is also the Chairperson for Pets as Therapy (South Africa), a non-profit organisation that organises for volunteers and their animal companions to provide therapeutic comfort and support to individuals in facilities.
Publications resulting from Research:
Cowden, R.G., Tucker, L.A., & Govender, K. (2020). Conceptual pathways to HIV risk in Eastern and Southern Africa: An integrative perspective on the development of young people in contexts of social-structural vulnerability (pp. 31-47). In K. Govender and N. Poku (Eds.), Preventing HIV among young people in Eastern and Southern Africa. New York, NY: Routledge.
George, G., Tucker, LA., Panday, S & Khumalo, F. (2019). Delivering sexuality education: A review of teaching pedagogies within South African schools. Perspectives in Education, 37(1), 75-87.
Davids, E., Tucker, L.A., et al. (2019). Child and adolescent mental health in Africa: A qualitative analysis of the perspectives of emerging mental health clinicians and researchers using an online platform. Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 31(2), 93-107.
Govender, K., Tucker, L.A., & Coldwell, S. (2019). Sense and Sensibilities: Schoolboys talk about sex in the private conversational space. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 36(4), 391-398.
George, G., Tucker, LA., Panday, S & Khumalo, F. (2018). Challenges facing life orientation educators in the delivery of sexuality education in South African schools. Southern African Review of Education, 24(1), 43-57.
Tucker, L.A. (2017). Underdogs on top: Troubling positions for boys and a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Tucker, LA. & Govender, K. (2017). Ethical considerations for research involving boys diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Early Child Development and Care, 187(7), 1147-1156.
Tucker, LA., George, G., Reardon, C., & Panday, S. (2016). Sexuality education in South African schools: The challenges for Civil Society Organisations. Health Education Journal, 76(1), 77-88.
Tucker, LA., Govender, K., Kuo, C., Casale, M., & Cluver, L. (2016). Child prosociality within HIV-affected contexts: The impact of carer ill-health and orphan status. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 11(4), 352-362.
Tucker, LA. & Govender, K. (2016). Stick and Stones: Masculinities and Conflict Spaces. Gender and Education, 29(3), 352-368.
Tucker, LA., George, G., Reardon, C., & Panday, S. (2015). ‘Learning the basics’: young peoples’ engagement with sexuality education at secondary schools. Sex Education, 16(4), 337-352.
Adams, L.A., & Govender, K. (2008). “Making a Perfect Man”: Traditional Masculine Ideology and Perfectionism among adolescent boys. South African Journal of Psychology, 38(3), 551-562.
Current profession
Current professional activities type:TeachingClinical Psychologist / Senior Lecturer (Psychology)
Workshop and Conference Attended
2017 Stellenbosch, South Africa South African Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (SA ACAPAP) 2017 Congress2014 Durban, South Africa International Association for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP)2012 Cape Town, South Africa International Congress of Psychology2018 Durbanville, Cape Town Animal Assisted Therapy Conference2019 University of Cape Town, Cape Town Cape Town Animal ConferenceAffiliations
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)Pets as Therapy (NPO)Presentation given
2014A tablet a day keeps naughty boys at bay.Durban, South Africa.Event: International Association for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP)2012“Boys are like Rocks”: Negotiating masculine identities in a co-educational secondary school.Cape Town, South AfricaEvent: International Congress of Psychology2018Developing Human Animal Interaction (HAI) Curricular for Public Tertiary Education (Poster).Durbanville, Cape TownEvent: Animal Assisted Therapy Conference2019Animal-Assisted Therapies and Emotional Support Animals: Developing Guidelines and Competencies for Practice.University of Cape Town, Cape TownEvent: Cape Town Animal Conference2018Mapping Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) in Africa (Poster).Prague, Czech RepublicEvent: 23rd Congress of the International Association for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) -
Other Awards
Jan 2012NRF Freestanding Doctoral ScholarshipFunding in support of doctoral studies. Renewed for a period of three years.Jul 2013UKZN Doctoral ScholarshipMerit award for postgraduate students at doctoral level.Sep 2017INSAR/Autism Speaks Emerging Researcher AwardFunding for emerging child and adolescent mental health researchers from Africa to attend the 2017 SAACAPAP Congress and Pre-congress Emerging Researcher Workshop.Nov 2018UWC UCDG International Collaboration/Exchange Grant – Seed fundingGrant awarded for international travel to develop international research partnerships and collaboration.Mar 2019UWC UCDG Emerging Researcher: Seed Grants for New Project FundingProject Title: Exploring psychosocial and behavioural outcomes for at-risk youth, and shelter dog wellbeing, within a humane education programme, South Africa. Project Completed.Jul 2020Emerging Psychologists’ Programme of the International Congress of Psychology 2020+A professional development programme for young scholars in Psychology, of which only 40 individuals are selected globally, linked to the International Congress of Psychology (ICP). Award transferred to 2021 due to COVID-19.
