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Thavanesi Gurayah

Dr

Thavanesi Gurayah

Lecturer

EMAIL
Gurayaht@ukzn.ac.za

TELEPHONE
031 260 7402

CAMPUS
Westville Campus

BIOSKETCH
Dr Thev Gurayah graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree from UDW in 1988, and a Masters degree from UDW in 2005. She qualified with a PHD in May 2023.  Dr Gurayah has graduated 12 Masters students, and is currently supervising 2 PHD students.  She is interested in many areas of OT, but works primarily on the psychosocial team.  She is a board member of Action in Autisms’ Shahumna Centre, which teaches work and entrepreneurship skills to young people with Autism. Dr Gurayah is also a board member at Autism Excellence Alabaster Box since 2025. This is a school established for young autistic children in Chatsworth.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
 
  • Mental health,
  • Higher Education,
  • Autism,
  • Well-being, and Quality of life studies.
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
  1. Matandabuzo P, Mvubu FN, Tshabalala TQ, Hlengwa I, Naidu KL, Gurayah T. Exploring the lived experiences and quality of life of mental healthcare users in chronic psychiatric facilities in KwaZulu-Natal.  South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. Volume 55 No 3. December 2025. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2025/vol55no3a
 
  1. Gurayah T, Ogunlana M. O, & Oyewole, O.O. The need for frailty assessments and intervention as part of holistic occupational therapy practice.  South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. Volume 55 Number 1. April 2025.  DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2025/vol55n01a8
 
  1. van den Bergh T, Obaray Z, Khan A.S, Gumede N, Mdunge L, Gurayah T. Exploring the lived experiences of the informal traders on the Durban beachfront.  South African Journal of Occupational Therapy.  Volume 55 Number 1.  April 2025. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2025/vol55no1a2
 
  1. Okewu Ebute Jonathan & Thavanesi Gurayah (2025). Therapeutic implications of clay palm press ceramic art practice, Cogent Arts & Humanities, 12:1, 2442833, DOI: 10.1080/23311983.2024.2442833
 
  1. Franzsen, D., Gurayah, T, Magill, K., de Witt, PA. (2024, April). Clinical evaluation, usability and utility of the Work Ability Screening Profile II (WASP II). South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(1), 6-14.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3383/2024/vol54no1a2
 
  1. Moonsamy, A., & Gurayah, T. (2024, April). Cultural perspectives and experiences of mental health and occupational therapy in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(1), 34-44. https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3883/2024/vol54n1a5
 
  1. Thavanesi Gurayah. (2023, Nov 19). An exploration of the facilitating factors in completing an undergraduate occupational therapy degree at the University of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.  Published online in Africa Education Review, DOI: 10.1080/18146627.2023.2278050
 
  1. Olufemi O Oyewole; Ayotunde O Ale; Michael O Ogunlana and Thavanesi Gurayah. (2023, May 16). Burden of disability in type 2 diabetes mellitus and the moderating effects of physical activity. World Journal of Clinical Cases, 11(14):3128-3139.  DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i14.0000
 
  1. Moosa, A., Gurayah, T., Karim, SB., & Govender, P. (2023, March). Occupational therapy assessment and interventions for young autistic children in South Africa. African Health Sciences, 23(1), 725-735.
 
  1. Nathoo, H., Gurayah, T., & Naidoo, D. (2023). Life during COVID-19: An explorative qualitative study of occupational therapists in South Africa. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 39(2), 211-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/0164212X.2022.2100558
 
  1. Malinga, BM; Naidoo, D; Gurayah, T. & Govender P. (2021). Clinical educator’s experiences of the decentralised training platform for Occupational Therapy students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. African Health Sciences, 21(4):1941-9. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v21i4.53
 
  1. Savage, A., Rencken, G. & Gurayah, T. (2021, December) “I will take my flip-flops, put them on and walk to church”: Understanding quality of life of children with cerebral palsy in a rural setting. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy. 2021; 51(3): 74- 83.   https://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2021/vol51n3a9
 
  1. Gurayah, T. (2021, December). Practice Learning for Occupational Therapy in a Time of the Global COVID 19 Pandemic. International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 9(2): 82-84. doi: 10.18552/ijpblhsc.v9i2.728
 
  1. Henderson, RM., Chetty, O. & Gurayah, T. (2021, August). Coping styles and sources of stress of undergraduate health science students: An integrative review. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(2): 29-38.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2021/vol51n2a5
 
  1. Makhata, M., Naidoo, D., & Gurayah, T. (2021, April 23). Occupational choices of school-going adolescents: a study in the Pitseng Area, Leribe District, Lesotho. Rural and Remote Health, 21 (2): 6274. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH6274
 
  1. Rawat, H., Petzer, S.L. & Gurayah, T. (2021). Effects of Substance Use Disorder on Women’s Roles and Occupational Participation.  South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(1): 54-62.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2021/vol51n1a8
 
  1. Fayers, F., Christopher, C. & Gurayah, T. (2020). Using life story on the journey to self-awareness with patients in a wellness programme at a mental health care facility. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health,
  2. DOI: 10.1080/0164212X.2020.1825150.
 
  1. Pillay, P., Pefile, N., Cobbing, S. & Gurayah, T. (2020, April). The quality of life, health needs and knowledge of children living with congenital heart disease in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Child Health, 14(1), 20-24.
 
  1. Lara Mather, Thavanesi Gurayah, Deshini Naidoo, Henna Nathoo, Fortune Feresu, Nhlanhla Dlamini, Trinity Ncube, & Zuleika Patel. (2020). Exploring the occupational engagement experiences of individuals with oculocutaneous albinism: an eThekwini District study. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50(3): 52-59. Doi: 10.17159/2310-3833/2020 vol50no3a6
 
  1. June McIntyre, Thavanesi Gurayah, Nadé Adonis, Leigh-Anne Elliott, Aninka Müller-Nedebock, & Zanele Sibeko. (2019). Exploring Facilitators to Participation for Wheelchair Users at a South African University, Africa Education Review, 16(5), 70-85.  DOI:10.1080/18146627.2017.1340810
 
  1. Reddy, G., Fewster, D.L. & Gurayah, T. (2019). Parents’ voices: Experiences and coping as a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder.  South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49 (1): 43-50.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2017/vol49n1a
 
  1. Radnitz, A., Christopher, C. & Gurayah, T. (2019). Occupational therapy groups as a vehicle to address interpersonal relationship problems: mental health care users’ perceptions.  South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49(2): 4-10.   DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2017/vol49n2a2
 
  1. Naidoo, D., Gurayah, T., Kharva, N., Stott, T., Trend, S. J., Mamane, T., & Mtolo, S. (2016). Having a child with cancer: African mothers’ perspective.South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46(3), 49-54.
 
  1. Gurayah, T. (2015). Caregiving for people with dementia in a rural context in South Africa.South African Family Practice, 57(3), 194-197.
 
  1. Fewster, D. L. & Gurayah, T. (2015). First port of call: facing the parents of autism spectrum  South African Family Practice, 57(1), 31-34.