Thesis (M.M.) Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Alice-Ann Darrow, Florida State University, College of Music. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed 6-22-07). Document formatted into pages; contains 65 pages. Includes biographical sketch. Includes bibliographical references.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Addiction has seen to be an illness that not only affects the individual but the holistic well-being of the family. Primary caregivers form an integral part of the family system. The caregivers take on roles that might stagnate their own development and coping methods, which if used, could affect the entire family system. There are in-conclusive research on the effect of the coping method of the primary caregiver on the well-being of himself/herself and the family system as a whole. The aim of the research was to quantitatively, through making use of Orford’s Coping questionnaire, explore the different coping methods employed by the primary caregiver of an adult substance dependent and thereafter to qualitatively, through utilizing a narrative approach, explore the experience of the different means of coping. The study design was a mixed method study. Quantitative research was the dominant approach followed by qualitative research. The population was the primary caregivers of adult substance dependents who have sought treatment and who resided in the Mitchell’s Plain area. Eighty participants completed the coping questionnaire and four narratives were done. Quantitative research results was analyzed using SPSS and the qualitative research was analyzed by making use of narrative analysis whereby the interview was analyzed Labov and Waletzky’s structural model of narrative. The theoretical framework from which the researcher addressed this study was collaboration between the family systems theory and the disease model of addiction. Quantitative findings indicated that there more caregivers make use of tolerant coping than engaged and withdrawal coping. There is a distinction between the coping methods that males and females make use of. Qualitative findings indicated that there is no ‘correct’ way of coping with being the caregiver of a substance dependant. Caregivers take on coping methods that they are comfortable with.

Background: The incidence of cancer is increasing alongside a fall in mortality rates. This has resulted in a growing number of cancer survivors overall, including for colorectal (bowel) cancer. For healthcare services to effectively support recovery and adjustment for survivors and their caregivers, there is a need to develop an understanding of couples’ experiences after treatment. Objectives: The systematic review aimed to identify qualitative research on partners' experiences of cancer care-giving after treatment, and to synthesise findings on partners’ psychological adjustment. The primary qualitative study aimed to explore couples' experiences of colorectal cancer services from the perspectives of patients and their partners, focusing on the transition period after treatment. Methods: For the systematic review, 10 qualitative studies were purposefully sampled to focus on partners’ psychological adjustment post-treatment. Findings from these studies were analysed and synthesised using the Framework approach. For the empirical study, semi-structured interviews were conducted separately with a purposeful sample of 10 participants, comprising five patient-partner dyads. Data were analysed using the Framework approach, incorporating dyadic analysis to compare narratives within and between couples. Results: The synthesis highlighted the importance of considering the patient-caregiver relationship across the cancer trajectory and within the wider context. Specific barriers and facilitators of partners’ adjustment related to communication and cohesion, transitions and gradual changes, as well as healthcare and cultural belief systems. The empirical study identified three overarching themes: the process of recovery, the impact of relationship dynamics, and mixed experiences of healthcare services. An additional discussion chapter provided further comparison of the primary research study with the extant literature. Conclusions: Recovery and adjustment after cancer can be facilitated by a proactive and systemic approach to healthcare. The findings illustrate the significant impact that patients and partners can have on each other and underscore the need for consistency in good clinical practice throughout the recovery process.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Hope builds resiliency and, therefore, as a protective phenomenon has particular relevance to orphans and vulnerable young people who face adversity on a daily basis. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is adding more strain to the already overburdened safety nets of families and communities in South Africa, where the emergence of child-headed households and the rising numbers of vulnerable young people calls for a more comprehensive response to address their needs and to protect their rights. Many are traumatised - suffering abuse or trying to cope with poverty and the pressures of daily living. Hope is unlikely to emerge and be sustained in young people left to fend for themselves. The purpose of this inquiry is to explore the processes of constructing hope in the lived experiences of young people from child-headed households to invite others to join the spaces of conversation in building support for orphans and vulnerable young people - domains that support a discourse of hope. A social constructionist inquiry with a grounded theory research design involving four young people representing the child-headed household was conducted at a secondary school in Soweto in partnership with a non-governmental organisation. Guided by narrative and participatory practices, the data collection process extended over nine months with the participants using the metaphor of a journey. The journey provided an opportunity to work in healing ways as a researcher to thicken stories of hope in their lives, at the same time providing rich data for analysis. The narrative approach seeks to ‘re-author’ problemsaturated stories - stories which are filled with the challenges of orphanhood, abuse, abandonment, poverty and neglect. Methods used included individual and group conversations, expressive art exercises and photo voice to capture their hopeful stories. The co-constructed hopeful stories were then used as data for analysis using a constructionist approach to grounded theory. This in turn helped to develop a conceptual framework to understand the processes of nurturing hope in the lives of orphans and vulnerable young people - based on their own voices. By identifying what helps young people to nurture hope in their lives, support structures that provide opportunities for growth rather than merely helping them to cope, invite us to challenge more conventional understandings of support for vulnerable young people. The v story of our journey provides a broader understanding of the processes of nurturing hope in the context of vulnerable young people. Findings offer an alternative view of hope from generally accepted Western understandings that are essentially individualistic. A 4-D understanding of hope is presented which recognises the importance of hope as a practice and the role of possibilities in empowering young people to transcend adversity in seeking a better future. Recommendations advocate raising standards in the support of vulnerable young people from a preoccupation with ‘coping’ strategies to an awareness of ‘hoping’ schemata – a repositioning that seeks to protect young people; to strengthen them to cope with adversity; to support them to meet their needs and protect their rights; and to find opportunities to transcend their adversities and realise their future aspirations.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The aim of this explorative study was to understand the experiences and challenges of primary caregivers providing palliative care to women with advanced breast cancer. This study was conducted within a qualitative research design framework underpinned by phenomenology. The significance of this study was to contribute to the knowledge that would help care professionals understand the experiences and challenges that primary caregivers face whilst providing palliative care to women with advanced breast cancer. / South Africa

Death, and in special ways, sudden death has struck the church and various families at different times in our lives. The grief in the bereaved has challenged the church, in numerous ways including having to deal with people who are out of possibility with regard to the competencies of the church due stress disorders. This has asked serious theological questions about the pastoral care of the church who is expected to be the custodian of healing through faith. Sudden death as a stressor, has grown to be more common in recent years, and having checked a number of church registers and finding out that there are more funerals than baptisms the church has to conduct, one looks and evaluate the effectiveness of the counseling done through funerals that the church has had to handle---whether there is still meaning accorded to such services or not---whether there is any attempt to engage the bereaved during their mourning in the sound theological reflection on to the questions:<ul><il> “Where, o death, is your victory? “Where, o death, is your sting? (1 Cor. 15: 55).</ul></il> Paul puts it in his address to the Corinthians “the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. This understanding, and several others usually cited has needed theological reflection in helping the people in grief for their loved ones snatched from them by sudden death, especially when it is through no fault of their own. Quiet practically, many people have befallen prey to stresses of different kinds trying to cope with big losses through sudden death, and this has manifested itself differently. In the event of lack of knowledge of what to do to help such people, the church and pastoral care givers have either conducted many ordinary services (common to those done usually) or have coincidentally engaged one or more of the other fields namely: <ul><il> The medical sciences</il> <il><br> Psychological sciences and/or</il> <il><br> Psychiatrical sciences. </il></ul></il> The work enquires into the improvements that have happened in the course of time in the theological sciences in dealing with people stricken by sudden death through pastoral care, and attempts to allow theology to claim her responsibility in the midst of all mentioned sciences. The work attempts to empower the church and guide all pastoral care givers to skillfully deal with such circumstances as sudden death, invoking the methodology of shepherding to alley the sting of death that has found the church to be lacking, and questioned her credibility on the subject. Effort is put into comparing sudden death with the common ‘bad luck’ perception brought about by cultural traditions. It will attempt to craft the common ground from which the church and all the sciences mentioned can cooperate fruitfully for common goals and better assistance to the people we all serve today. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This dissertation concerns itself with the task of creating a pastoral care model in order to offer care for the people in Zimbabwe, whilst the political instability causes much suffering to these people. It was motivated from the author's personal relationships with various Zimbabweans and his understanding that Zimbabweans are his neighbours in need. Through Narrative Therapy, the author used his understanding of Christian hope, creating positive future stories with Zimbabweans. The hope and focus of this dissertation is to research the problem in Zimbabwe, in order to help the Church in its role as prophet and pastoral caregiver. However, this dissertation would have been to no avail, if it did not attempt to create a model of caring which will empower the South African Church to become pastoral caregivers towards the Church in Zimbabwe. <ul><li> Firstly, the author will strive to clarify the problems faced by the Zimbabwean Church. </li><li> Secondly, the author will seek to bring an awareness of this problem in Zimbabwe to the Church in South Africa, through its prophetic voice. </li><li> Thirdly, the author hopes to create a model of pastoral care that will not only care spiritually for the people, but will also meet some of the physical and emotional needs of the people in Zimbabwe.<br> </li></ul> / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This phenomenological study was designed to explore and describe the experience of older women who are caring for husbands with Parkinson's disease. The study was conducted with a sample of seven caregivers ranging in age from 50 -74 years who had lived with husbands with Parkinson's disease for 9-38 years. Data were collected by intensive interviewing usually at the home of the caregiver. The data were analyzed for common themes. The findings revealed that each wife experienced three phases during the course of caregiving. The three phases were: coping with illness, taking over, and separating life paths. These phases occurred in relation to the changes due to the illness, that each wife perceived in her husband, her marriage and herself. Each phase developed as the disease progressed and was meaningful to each wife because of her personal perceptions. Understanding the nature of caregiving in this way may help health care workers to provide more appropriate support for caregivers. Implications for practice are discussed. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

The purpose of the present study is to extend our current understanding of the effects of caregiver burden on life satisfaction by examining whether or not there are ethnic differences in coping strategies used to manage caregiving. Several specific hypotheses were tested in order to determine the linkages among age, gender, ethnicity (i.e., familism, filial piety), caregiver burden, coping with caregiving, and life satisfaction. A total of 103 Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White participants ages 60 and older were included in this study (mean age was 67.42; 16.5% male; 83.5 % female; 52.4% Hispanic; 47.6% Non-Hispanic White). The results suggest that demographics and certain coping skills can influence levels of life satisfaction and burden experienced by caregivers. The findings from this study shed light on how to structure effective psychoeducational interventions, facilitate adaptive coping, reduce burden, and improve life satisfaction for older adult caregivers.

Master of Public Health - MPH / The Harare Children’s Rehabilitation Unit (CRU) was established to serve the needs of children with disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy (CP) in Zimbabwe. The primary objective of the CRU is to support the Ministry of Health and Child Care policies on hospital-based and community-based rehabilitation. The outreach programme at CRU was created to make rehabilitation therapy services accessible. Despite the services being provided for free, caregivers of children with CP do not adhere to appointments for therapy. This research explored some of the facilitators and barriers to attending rehabilitation therapy.