Professor Arvin Bhana is the acting executive director of the Human and Social Development research programme. He obtained an MA degree in psychology from the University of Durban-Westville (now University of KwaZulu-Natal) and holds a PhD in Clinical and Community Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in the United States. He is a registered clinical psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, and an adjunct associate professor in the School of Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Before joining the HSRC, he was the director of the School of Psychology at the then University of Durban-Westville. His areas of research interest include youth risk and resilience, adolescent risk-taking behaviour (including HIV/AIDS), substance abuse and other youth-related problem areas, fatherhood and protection/ care of children, mental health.
Prof. Bhana is a member of a number of South African and international professional organisations, and serves as editor and reviewer of various scholarly journals. These include the Professional Board for Psychology on the Health Professions Council of South Africa, the Global Advisory Group on HIV and Sex Education (UNESCO), the World Federation of Mental Health Experts Panel on Mental Health Consequences of HIV/AIDS, the Advisory Board of Emthonjeni Centre of the Wits University, School of Human & Community Development, and the Governing Board of the Institute for Social and Health Sciences and UNISA/ MRC Crime, Violence and Injury Lead Programme
Prof. Bhana's publication record spans the authoring and co-authoring of more than 60 conference presentations, chapters in books and over 40 journal articles. His recent publications focus on alcohol and drug abuse trends, including the role of gender in risk-taking behaviour, family protective factors in reducing risk for children and youth at risk and mental health policy issues in developing countries. |
