M.A. / Stres is ’n welbekende verskynsel in hedendaagse tye wat ’n ernstige impak het op die maatskaplike funksionering van mense. Individue ervaar dikwels hierdie impak veral binne hul werkomgewings, wat ’n direkte impak het op hul prestasies, medewerkers en kliënte. Binne diensorganisasies, soos die Suid-Afrikaanse Vrouefederasie, is daar vele uitdagings wat daagliks verskeie stresvolle situasies vir werknemers tot gevolg het. Wanneer hierdie situasies nie korrek hanteer word deur die beskikbaarheid en toepassing van doelgerigte intervensies, effektiewe streshanteringsvaardighede en ondersteuningsnetwerke nie, kan dit die kwaliteit diens negatief beïnvloed. Bestuurders van tehuise en behuisingskemas vir bejaardes en gestremdes vervul ’n baie verantwoordelike rol in hierdie inrigtings. Hierdie individue is aanspreeklik vir elke personeellid, inwoner en aksie wat vanuit die inrigting van stapel gestuur word. Deur middel van professionele waarneming deur die navorser, erkenning deur sekere van die bestuurders dat hulle wel stres ervaar, asook twee stresmetings, is vasgestel dat stres beslis ’n realiteit is binne die maatskaplike sisteme waarbinne hierdie individue funksioneer. Verskeie faktore dra by tot die belewenis van hul stres, waarby organisatoriese strukture, werkomstandighede, interpersoonlike verhoudings en verwagtinge slegs ’n paar is. Hierdie navorsingstudie se fokus is veral daarop gerig om te bepaal watter van hierdie faktore wel ’n rol speel sodat aanbevelings en riglyne vir die SAVF se oorweging aangebied kan word. Dit was die navorser se voorneme om deur middel van hierdie studie ‘n professionele ondersoek van stapel te stuur na die belewenis van stres deur bestuurders werksaam in die SAVF, sodat riglyne vanuit die ondersoek se resultate saamgestel kon word. Hierdie riglyne se doel is tweevoudig, eerstens om die individuele maatskaplike funksionering van die bestuurders te bevorder en tweedens om ’n positiewe impak op die kwaliteit diens wat vanuit hierdie strukture gelewer word, te fasiliteer. Stres is ‘n verskynsel wat dikwels ontken word en beslis nie die nodige erkenning en korrekte aandag ontvang nie. Veral binne diensorganisasies word die klem van ondersteuning en hulp hoofsaaklik op die kliëntesisteme geplaas, en dikwels word daar van diegene wat die diens lewer, se maatskaplike behoeftes vergeet. Met hierdie studie hoop die navorser om ’n positiewe bydrae te lewer om hierdie tendens effektief aan te pak.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, South Africa, 2005. / HIV/AIDS has reached alarming proportions in South Africa, with many people's lives being affected. This research project looked more closely at caregivers involved in HIV/AIDS work, examining their stress levels and their psychological well-being. A yoga intervention program was implemented with a sample of caregivers at the Holy Cross Hospice, Emoyeni, in Zululand. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative measures. Overall, this yoga intervention program was effective with many of the caregivers reporting noted improvements in their stress levels and psychological well-being.

A research report in partial fulfilment of Masters of Arts in Social and Psychological Research, School of Human and Community Development, University of Witwatersrand, 2018 / Caregiving is reported in numerous studies to have adverse effects on caregivers, including caregiver stress; mental and emotional strain; feelings of burden; and even the risk of mortality. Specifically for caregivers of adults with physical disabilities (AWPD), it is appreciated that caregiving is a life-changing experience as major modifications have to be made. These numerous changes have been reported to expedite the manifestation of stress that is differently perceived by the caregivers. Caregivers of AWPD are therefore anticipated to be at high risk of stress as this type of caregiving has been reported to be burdensome. In South Africa, researchers seem to have overlooked caregivers of adults with physical disabilities as a group that potentially have specific and unique perceptions in the role of caregiving. Most importantly the literature seemed limited in presenting how caregivers of AWPD qualify stress levels. Another paucity observed in the existing literature is that there are no accounts by caregivers on how the qualified stress levels impact on the relationship between the caregiver and care recipient. The aim of the current research was to explore perceived stress levels of caregivers of AWPDs. A second aim was to establish how caregivers of AWPD perceive stress levels to impact on the caregiver-care recipient relationship. The results highlighted that caregivers perceived stress levels to be fluctuating with time and affecting their health. According to the perspectives of the caregivers of AWPD, stress has either positive or negative impacts on the caregiver-care recipient communication, cooperation and closeness, differing amongst caregivers. / XL2018

As the baby boomer generation ages, and as advanced medical techniques keep people alive longer, the need for family caregivers will grow. Researchers have determined that the health of family caregivers is generally poorer that noncaregivers. Also, the type of family relationship has been determined to influence health outcomes. This study examined how caregiving parents and caregiving adult children compared with regard to caregiving variables and health outcomes. Social support was then assessed to determine if a mediating effect existed between the predictors and health outcomes. Using data from the MIDUS II survey, the health outcomes of self-identified caregiving parents and caregiving adult children was studied in light of the predictor variables of type of relationship, provision of activities of daily living, length of time caregiving, and family demands. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the relation between the predictors and health outcomes. Mediation tests were administered to assess if social support mediated between the significant predictors and health outcomes. The type of family relationship influenced health outcomes with caregiving parents demonstrating poorer health than caregiving adult children. Caregiving parents had lower self-rated health and higher numbers of chronic conditions than caregiving adult children. Perceived family demands were associated with increased number of chronic conditions for both caregiving adult children and caregiving parents. No significant influence was found between provision of activities of daily living or length of time caregiving with health outcomes. Similarly, no mediation effect of social support was found between the significant predictor variables and health outcomes. Using the stress process model, this study examined caregiving predictor variables and health outcomes for caregiving parents and caregiving adult children. Caregiving parents were found to demonstrate poorer self-rated health and more chronic health conditions that caregiving adult children. Unlike many previous studies, perceived family demands was found to have a strong association with the number of chronic health conditions for both groups of caregivers. / Graduation date: 2012

The burden of caregiving is alarmingly high in South Africa, where one in every three people admitted in hospitals, is HIV positive. A great number of AIDS patients end up being cared for at home by their families, but mostly by volunteer caregivers. The conditions in which caregivers work under, leave much to be desired, hence work related conditions are a probable cause for high stress levels among volunteer caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS. This study sought to investigate stress factors of volunteer caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS and the influence of social capital on high stress levels. Within a South African caregiving setting, social capital influence has not been explored. In a culture where silence and stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS and caregivers is high, this study tries to locate participation of close friends and family, local organizations and government in dealing with caregiving work and support. The study was conducted in 13 semi rural communities in Durban KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A survey was used to collect data, and analysis was conducted using quantitative methods. The sample comprised of 127 women from an organization called Community Outreach Centre. The greater (92.2%) of the total sample reported above 50% of stress levels. The findings indicated that caregiving work require urgent support from organizations and government. It was also evident that organizations within communities do not work together nor support each other in dealing with caregiving problems. Contrary to the existing literature, the results also showed that the more social capital elements such as social cohesion and social action at a bridging level increased, the more stressed volunteer caregivers became. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is among the most prevalent of the dementias and it is anticipated that much of the care required for the dependent patient will be provided in the home setting by a caregiver. The purpose of this study was to identify the importance of needs related to caregiving and the level of satisfaction of those needs related to the caregivers of Alzheimer's victims. The theoretical framework for this study is Dorthea Orem's "Self-Care Deficit Theory."The sample was 18 caregivers who attended one of three Alzheimer's Support Group meetings held in three central Indiana cities. Human subjects rights were protected. The Home Caregiver Needs Survey (HCNS), Hileman, 1990, was used to identify the information, household, patient psychological needs of the and care needs, personal and caregivers of Alzheimer's patients and to determine if these needs are being adequately met. Findings included: (a) the caregivers perceived the need for information, patient care, personal, spiritual, psychological need to be somewhat important to important; teach, assist and support caregivers throughout the and (b) satisfaction of the needs indicated that the caregivers were somewhat satisfied to satisfied with the needs presented. Implications call for: (a) Nursing intervention to caregiving experience. (b) Home health care agencies and senior citizens action groups to lobby for support and programs to assist caregivers. / School of Nursing

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Personality characteristics of spousal and adult children and active potential caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease were studied in order to better predict caregiver burden and aspects of well-being. Contrary to prediction, no differences were found between spouse and adult children active caregivers on measures of well-being. Additionally, adult children potential caregivers indicated feeling less control over their lives than spouse potential caregivers. When social desirability was controlled, active caregivers reported greater fluctuations in affect than did potential caregivers. As predicted, personality characteristics of individuals were found to have the biggest role in determining which individuals experience stress or burden.

Structural equation modeling was utilized in studying the voluntariness of the assumption of caregiving status. A model hypothesizing the stress flow that occurs when assuming a new life schema was presented. Utilizing three groups of caregiving populations, Home Caregivers, Intermediate Care Facility Aides, and Intensive Care Units and Emergency Room Nurses (N = 66), measures were administered to determine the voluntariness of the assumption of the role of caregiver. Path analysis and causal interpretation were utilized to determine outcomes. The involuntary assumption of the role of caretaker was shown to significantly affect depression and burnout rates negatively when perceived feelings of burden were high. When caretaker age was greater upon assumption of the role, self-esteem was low and family support was perceived to be lacking. When the role of caretaker is assumed on a voluntary basis and support from outside sources is perceived as helpful (i.e., social or financial support from the family), job stress and the subjective manageability of the symptoms were viewed as manageable. Implications for those assuming the role of caretaker with the elderly were examined, and recommendations for further training and interventions within the caretaker population were offered.

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