M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Alcohol is the substance that people throughout the world abuse most often. South Africa has one of the highest alcohol use level with more than 30% of the population struggling with alcohol-related problems (Telesure, 2010; Nevid et al., 2008: 297; Pisa et al., 2010:4). Statistics showed that approximately 17,5 million South Africans are affected by alcohol, but many more South Africans’ lives are completely disrupted through constant, direct daily contact with the individual abusing alcohol like a parent or life partner (Telesure, 2010). Due to this, alcohol dependency is classified as a family illness in the medical circles and by society. Alcohol dependency can tear families apart and disrupt family dynamics and –processes including rules, rituals, routines, communication, social life, finances, homeostasis and family roles (Stepping Stones, 2013). Alcohol dependency has a great impact on the functioning and existence of a family and to restore the damage alcohol dependency creates in a family, the family should play an important role in the rehabilitation process of the alcohol dependent. This study, therefore, had the goal to determine the role of a social worker in a rehabilitation centre for alcohol dependents from an ecological perspective. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research was used in this study. Furthermore, an exploratory and descriptive research design was used during the research because the available literature showed a lack of information concerning the role of the social worker in a rehabilitation centre for alcohol dependents. A purposeful sample, namely probability sampling, was used to identify participants. The researcher could, therefore, choose participants who qualified for inclusion. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire during 23 individual interviews. An overview of the participants’ beliefs and opinions concerning the subject of the study was gained. The questionnaire consisted of open- and closed questions and was based on information obtained from the literature study. Data from the semi-structured questionnaire was processed and analysed and the results of this empirical study were used as basis for the conclusion and recommendations made in this study. The main findings showed that there is a need for family counselling during a rehabilitation programme for alcohol dependents since there is a definite lack of involvement of the family during the rehabilitation process for alcohol dependents. Further findings showed that rehabilitation programmes mainly provide individual counselling to alcohol dependents and minimal focus and attention is given to the family and after care services. The most important recommendation of this study is that social workers should use the ecological perspective when providing services to alcohol dependents. This perspective can ensure that the necessary services are delivered to effectively address alcohol dependents during a rehabilitation process. Recommendations also showed that social workers should involve the family more during a rehabilitation programme since the support of a family plays an important role during the rehabilitation process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wêreldwyd is alkohol die middel wat deur die meeste misbruik word en Suid-Afrika het een van die hoogste alkohol inname syfers, met meer as 30% van die bevolking wat sukkel met alkohol-verwante probleme (Telesure, 2010; Nevid et al., 2008: 297; Pisa et al., 2010:4). Statistiek dui daarop dat sowat 17,5 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners deur die inname van alkohol geaffekteer word, maar baie meer Suid-Afrikaners se lewens word egter totaal ontwrig weens konstante, direkte daaglikse kontak met die individu wat alkohol misbruik soos byvoorbeeld ’n ouer of lewensmaat (Telesure, 2010). Weens hierdie spesifieke rede word alkohol-afhanklikheid in mediese kringe en in die samelewing as ’n gesinsiekte geklassifiseer. Alkohol-afhanklikheid kan gesinne uitmekaar skeur en veroorsaak dat die gesinsdinamika en –prosesse, soos byvoorbeeld die reëls, rituele, roetines, kommunikasie, sosiale lewe, finansies, homeostase en gesinsrolle, totaal ontwrig word (Stepping Stones, 2013). Alkohol-afhanklikheid het sodoende ’n geweldige impak op die funksionering en voortbestaan van ’n gesin, en om die skade wat alkohol-afhanklikheid in ’n gesin veroorsaak te herstel, behoort die gesin ’n belangrike rol te speel in die rehabilitasieproses van die alkohol-afhanklike. Hierdie studie het daarom ten doel gehad om die rol van ’n maatskaplike werker in ’n rehabilitaisiesentrum vir alkohol-afhanklikes vanuit ’n ekologiese perspektief te bepaal. ’n Kombinasie van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is in hierdie studie benut. Verder is daar tydens hierdie ondersoek ’n verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsonderwerp gebruik, aangesien die beskikbare literatuur ’n gebrek aan inligting rakende die rol van ’n maatskaplike werker in ’n rehabilitasiesentrum vir alkohol-afhanklikes toon. Daar is gebruik gemaak van ’n doelbewuste steekproefmetode, naamlik die nie-waarskynlikheidsteekproef, om deelnemers te identifiseer. Die navorser kon dus die deelnemers kies wat aan die kriteria vir insluiting voldoen. Die data is ingevorder deur die gebruik van ’n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys, tydens 23 individuele onderhoude. ’n Geheelbeeld van die deelnemers se oortuigings en menings aangaande die onderwerp van die studie is verkry. Die samestelling van die vraelys bestaan uit oop- en geslote vrae en berus op inligting wat uit die literatuurstudie verkry is. Data van die semi-gestruktureerde vraelyste is verwerk en geanaliseer en die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek is as basis gebruik vir die gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings wat in hierdie studie gemaak is. Die hoofbevindinge dui op ’n behoefte aan gesinsberading tydens ’n rehabilitasieprogram vir alkohol-afhanklikes aangesien daar ’n definitiewe gebrek aan die betrokkenheid van die gesin tydens ’n rehabilitasieprogram vir alkohol-afhanklikes is. Verdere bevindinge dui daarop dat rehabilitasieprogramme grootliks op individuele berading aan die alkohol-afhanklike fokus en minimale aandag word aan die gesin en nasorgdienste gegee. Die belangrikste aanbeveling van hierdie studie is dat maatskaplike werkers die ekologiese perspektief moet gebruik tydens dienste wat aan alkohol-afhanklikes gelewer word. Hierdie perspektief kan verseker dat die nodige dienste gelewer word om alkohol-afhanklikheid tydens ’n rehabilitasieprogram effektief aan te spreek. Aanbevelings dui ook daarop dat maatskaplike werkers die gesin tydens ’n rehabiltiasieprogram meer moet betrek aangesien die ondersteuning van die gesin ’n belangrike rol speel tydens die rehabilitasieproses.

M.A. (Social Work) / The treatment of alcoholism is/provided for by many institutions. Social work is one of the disciplines directly involved and responsible for the treatment of alcoholics. One of a number of problems inherent to service delivering to alcoholics is the problem of premature termination of treatment. In this study the occurrence of premature termination at the West Rand Clinic of the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence is determined and the effect of premature termination of the treatment programme on the alcoholic is explored. To this end, patient files for the period January 1984 to December 1984 are examined. Four groups were identified on the basis of time spend in the treatment programme and stratified samples were drawn from these groups. A telephone schedule, based on relevant literature and the researcher's professional experience, was compiled and interviews were conducted to explore the effect of premature termination on the alcoholic. The findings of the study are summarized in the following conclusions : - The premature termination rate at the West Rand Clinic is congruent with findings of similar research. - Patients who terminated treatment prematurely reported lower levels of well~being than patients-who completed treatment.

This is a report of an investigation assessing outcome in a consecutive series of alcohol dependent patients admitted to the Avalon Treatment Centre from 21 October 1985 to 14 April 1986. Although extensive work has been done on the epidemiology of alcoholism among "coloured" people * [classified in terms of the population registration Act]. A direct result of the original field survey by Gillis, Keet and Slabbert was the establishment of this centre. A follow up study of people identified as having drinking problems in the original field survey showed that few people stopped drinking on their own account. Little is known about treatment outcome of patients hospitalized at this centre. Treatment at The Avalon Treatment Centre is based on therapeutic community principles, group therapy, family and social case work as well as the use of antabuse. Contact with Alcoholics Anonymous is encouraged during and after hospitalisation. In addition patients are also followed up by a community sister.

The focus of this treatise is to explore the attitudes and perceptions of university students towards binge drinking at a South African University. Binge drinking among university students is a serious concern, prevalent on many campuses and ingrained on university campuses worldwide. The aims of this study were (a) to describe students’ understanding of binge drinking, (b) to explore and describe university students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of binge drinking, and (c) to explore the contextual factors relating to binge drinking within a university setting. An exploratory, qualitative approach was utilized. The collection of data was initiated using a biographical questionnaire to identify participants relevant to the study. The data collection process continued with semi‐structured focus group interviews. Data was collected by conducting four focus group sessions with two separate groups of students between the ages of 18 and 25 and residing on a university campus. Data analysis was conducted in accordance with the principles and guidelines of Tesch’s (as cited in Creswell, 1994) eight steps in qualitative data analysis. The results of this study indicate the following: there is lack of knowledge and understanding of binge drinking, students have positive perceptions of binge drinking and there is a perception that the university environment promotes binge drinking. In order to address binge drinking, strategies need to be implemented in the student, family, university and community context.