This study was designed to assess the process of meaning loss for family members who cared for their terminally ill loved ones during the grief process as well as determine factors that might be related to loss of meaning. The Purpose in Life Test (PIL) was used as the dependent measure. The independent variables consisted of age, education level, relationship to patient, gender, ethnicity, whether counseling was received, types of counseling received, and time between diagnosis, death and the present. The data were gathered on 87 caregivers who were participating in the St. Mary's Hospice program in Tucson, Arizona. All caregivers were over age 18 and between three and thirteen months past the death of their loved one. The data analyzed in four stages beginning with the development of descriptive statistics. During the second stage a correlation matrix was constructed and explored. A multiple regression was performed during the third stage to assess which of the independent variables could explain any variance obtained with the dependent measure. In the last stage a factor analysis was done and compared with a factor structure from previous research with the PIL Test. Nine hypotheses were tested producing the following results: Meaning in life tended to be higher for those less close in relationship to the patient such as nieces, nephews, and in-laws. There was no significant difference between a caregiver being a spouse, child, sibling or parent of the deceased loved one and meaning in life. There was no significant difference in age, education level, gender, ethnicity, whether counseling was received, types of counseling received and time between diagnosis, death and the present and meaning in life. The factor analysis revealed a five factor solution. It was concluded that the PIL Test taps two factors that can be labeled Purpose in Life and Contentedness With Life. The overall conclusion of the study was that caregivers in the sample possess a unique and similar sense of meaning in life that may be due to a sharing a common experience. There may also be some unifying factor about those choosing to enter a Hospice program that may attract a homogeneous group of people.

This research study sought to respond to the question; what is the meaning of the experience of the companion to a grieving person? This was accomplished through using a phenomenological method of research. The researcher was guided by dramatic form in creating a common story of the experience and its structural meanings. This study included three co-researchers, who were selected on the basis that they had each been a companion to a mother who had grieved the loss of her child through death. The co-researchers were Interviewed and asked to give detailed descriptions of their experience, which were taperecorded and transcribed, and the transcripts or protocols were analyzed by the researcher. A Phenomenological protocol analysis was used to extract meaning units and common themes from the three protocols. The themes were woven into an integrated narrative description, which was condensed into the essential structure or meaning of the experience. At each stage of the analysis, the researcher and co-researchers cooperated so that all the results were validated by the final interview. The results of the study included a list of twenty-four themes, a narrative description of the experience being investigated, and the essential structure, which presented the meaning of the experience as concisely as possible. It was posited in the discussion that the study had particular implications for practice. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

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Are widows, in the time of bereavement, able to learn coping skills through a model for group interaction? Sixty-two widows from 4 United Methodist congregations were randomly assigned to experimental and comparison conditions at each location, with experimental and comparison groups being formed of 10, 5, 9, and 7 each. Fifty-five completed the program, 10, 5, 7, and 7 in experimental, 9, 4, 9, and 4 in comparison. They were studied to determine change brought about by 16 hours of treatment over 4 weeks, 2 hours offered twice weekly. Treatment had 3 foci: separation from the deceased, resolution of personal loss, and renewed social interest and relationship. Group exercises were offered to encourage interaction. A handbook for the 16 hour program is found in the Appendix. Change was measured by two questionnaires, the author's Personal Assessment Questionnaire designed to measure adjustment of widows, and the Institute for Personality and Ability Testing Depression Scale, Personal Assessment Inventory, a measure of depression. Both instruments were administered as pretests and post-tests. A mixed analysis of variance with hierarchical design using a three-factor approach was conducted. The P. A. I. failed to register significant change in level of depression. The Personal Assessment Questionnaire registered change at the .0088 probability level, indicating the overall significance of the group treatment approach. The second independent variable, the subgroups generated at different locations, was found to be of insignificant effect upon the treatment variable. Informal comments by group members and observers suggest that this program of treatment for widows was of value to participants and could be helpful in other groups within church or similar settings. The program developed by Ray, a United Methodist minister, is being employed in churches of the Pacific and Southwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing in Advanced Practice

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Due to the far-reaching effects of bereavement on the psychological, physical and emotional levels, this study was designed to identify the personality types that are conducive with coping and non-coping characteristics of the bereavement experience. This study examines Jung’s attitudes of Introversion and Extraversion and his functions of Sensing, Intuition, Thinking and Feeling to determine which are more conducive with coping and non-coping bereavement behaviour. The role that Sense of Coherence plays in the coping and non-coping characteristics in the bereavement process was also examined. Personality type is a construct developed by Carl Jung to explain some of the apparently random differences in human behaviour. Recognising the existence of these types, Jung’s theory provides an explanation of how these types develop. The different types are the result of the different ways in which individuals prefer to use their mind. The Salutogenic approach and Generalised Resistance Resource, developed by Antonovsky, is the building block from which the eventual development of the Sense of Coherence concept is based. Sense of Coherence is comprised of three components namely: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. The degree to which these components are presented in one’s life determines an individual’s global orientation to life. The Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (Faschingbauer, Zisook, & De Vaul, 1987), Singer-Loomis Type Deployment Inventory (Singer, Loomis, Kirkhart & Kirkhart, 1996) and the Sense of Coherence scale (Antonovsky, 1987) were completed by twenty-seven individuals (n=27) who recently lost a loved one due to terminal illness or anticipated death. The results of the study were processed and analysed by means of ANOVAS. Because of the small sample size, use was made of the bootstrap method to optimise results. Analysis of the data showed that coping individuals displayed a significant preference for feeling, judging and a high level of sense of coherence, whilst non-coping individuals showed preferences for intuition, perceiving and low level of sense of coherence. No significant difference was found for introversion, extroversion, sensing and thinking. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Weens die verrykende gevolge van die rouproses op die sielkundige, fisiese en emosionele vlakke, is die doel van hierdie studie om die verskillende persoonlikheidstipes te identifiseer wat bevorderlik is vir die hantering van die rouproses. Hierdie studie bestudeer Jung se houding van Introversie en Ekstroversie, asook sy funksies van Waarneming, Intuisie, Denke and Gevoel om vas te stel watter van hierdie houdings en funksies ‘n rol speel in die hantering van die rouproses, al dan nie. Persoonlikheidstipe is ‘n konstruksie wat deur Carl Jung ontwikkel is om van die waarskynlike toevallige verskille in menslike gedrag te verduidelik. Deur erkenning te gee aan die bestaan van hierdie persoonlikheidstipes, verskaf Jung se teorie ‘n verduideliking van hoe hierdie tipes ontwikkel. Die verskillende tipes is die gevolg van verskillende wyse waarop individue verkies om hul verstand te gebruik. Die Salutogeniese benadering en Veralgemeende Weerstandsbron, deur Antonovsky ontwikkel, vorm die bousteen waarop die uiteindelike ontwikkeling van die konsep van Sin vir Koherensie gebaseer is. Sin vir Koherensie bestaan uit drie komponente: verstaanbaarheid, hanteerbaarheid en betekenisvolheid. Die graad waartoe hierdie komponente in ‘n mens se lewe voorkom is die graad waartoe die individu globale oriëntasie vir die lewe openbaar. Die Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (Faschingbauer, Zisook, & De Vaul, 1987), Singer-Loomis Type Deployment Inventory (Singer, Loomis, Kirkhart & Kirkhart, 1996) en die Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1987) is deur sewe-en-twintig individue voltooi (n=27). Slegs individue wie ‘n familielid aan ‘n terminale siekte of verwagte dood verloor het, is ingesluit vir die studie. Die resultate van die studie is geprosesseer en geanaliseer deur middel van ANOVAS. Omdat die monster klein was, is die bootstrap metode gebruik vir optimaal resultate. Analises van data het getoon dat individue wat die rouproses goed hanteer, ‘n betekenisvolle voorkeur het vir gevoel, oordeel en hoë Sin vir Koherensie. Diegene wie se hantering van die rouproses negatief is, toon egter voorkeur vir intuisie, waarneming en ‘n lae Sin vir Koherensie. Geen opvallende verskil is gevind vir introversie, ekstraversie, waarneming en denke.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The death of a parent calls on the family to utilize all its resources in order to adapt successfully and maintain normal family functioning. Within the mental health field a paradigm-shift from pathology-based to health-oriented is underway. Integral to this health-oriented paradigm is resilience, the ability to rebound after being stressed or challenged, as well as being able to rise above adversity and to survive stress. Family resilience theory emphasizes the role that family characteristics, behaviour patterns and capabilities play in cushioning the impact of stressful life events and in assisting the family in recovering from crises (McCubbin, Thompson, & McCubbin, 1996). Using a crosssectional survey research design, the present study aimed to explore and explicate those resiliency factors which enable families to adjust and adapt successfully after the loss of a parent. Families in which the death of a parent took place 1 to 3 years ago, and in which the eldest child was between 12 and 19 years old were approached to take part in this study. Thirty nine families completed questionnaires, as well as an open-ended question in which they were asked to report the most important factors or strengths which they felt helped their family through the stressful period. Results indicate that intrafamilial support such as emotional and practical support amongst family members, and family hardiness characteristics such as the internal strengths and durability of the family unit, contribute to resilience within the family. Individual characteristics, such as positive personality characteristics like optimism, are as important. Support from extended family and friends, as well as support obtained from religious and spiritual beliefs and activities, were reported as facilitating successful adjustment to the loss. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dood van 'n ouer vereis dat 'n gesin alle bronne moet benut ten einde suksesvolle aanpassing en gewone gesinsfunksionering te handhaaf. Binne die geestesgesondheidsveld is daar 'n paradigma-verskuiwing vanaf patologie-gebaseerd na gesondheidsgeoriënteerd. Integraal tot hierdie gesondheidsgeoriënteerde paradigma is veerkragtigheid, die vermoë om terug te bons, uit te styg, en te oorleef nadat teëspoed ervaar is. Gesinsveerkragtigheidsteorieë beklemtoon die rol wat gesinseienskappe, gedragspatrone en bekwaamhede speel met betrekking tot die versagting van die impak van stresvolle lewenservaringe, asook die gesin se herstel na die krisis (McCubbin, Thompson, & McCubbin, 1996). 'n Dwarssnit opname-navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om die veerkragtigheidsfaktore te identifiseer en te beskryf wat gesinne help om suksesvol na die dood van 'n ouer aan te pas. Gesinne waar 'n ouer tussen een en drie jaar vantevore gesterf het, en die oudste kind tussen 12 en 19 jaar oud is, is genader vir deelname aan hierdie ondersoek. Nege-en-dertig gesinne het vraelyste sowel as 'n oop-end vraag voltooi waarin hulle gevra is om die belangrikste faktore te beskryf wat hul gesin deur die stresvolle periode gehelp het. Resultate dui daarop dat intragesinsondersteuning soos emosionele en praktiese ondersteuning, en gesinsgehardheid met kenmerke van interne sterkte en die volhoubaarheid van die gesin as eenheid, bygedra het tot gesinsveerkragtigheid. Individuele eienskappe soos optimisme het net so 'n essensiële rol gespeel. Ondersteuning van familie en vriende, asook ondersteuning as gevolg van godsdienstige en spirituele oortuigings en aktiwiteite, was fasiliterend in die suksesvolle aanpassing na die dood van 'n ouer.

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