published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Personality, ways of coping and occupational burnout were examined within the context of child care work, using a number of self-report questionnaires. Subjects included 70 full-time child care workers from children's homes in the Natal-KwaZulu area. The subject sample was treated as one group, as environmental sources of stress were perceived more or less consistently across the population. Stepwise multiple regression was used to assess the relationships between personality (neuroticism, extraversion) and ways of coping and the three facets of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment). Demographic variables such as age and experience were also explored. Varying degrees of burnout were found, with particularly high levels of diminished personal accomplishment. Both emotion- and problem-focused coping strategies contributed significantly to the burnout response, with emotion-focused coping being the most frequently reported coping strategy. Significant relationships were found between personality and burnout. Neuroticism contributed a significant proportion of the variance in all three dimensions of burnout, particularly emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. Extraversion and psychoticism contributed significantly to higher levels of personal accomplishment. A significant relationship was found between personality and ways of coping. Neuroticism contributed significantly to the prediction of emotion-focused coping strategies, particularly wishful thinking and self-blame. Extraversion was found to contribute significantly to problem-focused coping and growth-oriented coping. Demographic variables, particularly age and experience, were found to influence both burnout and coping responses. Ethnic identity was found to influence the coping strategies used. The results were discussed primarily in terms of their function as defenses, or as efforts to adapt (successfully or unsuccessfully) to the stress being experienced, and as vulnerability factors. The importance of contextual factors in the stress and burnout process, particularly within the current South African context, was highlighted. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

Three questionnaires were administered to 75 workers and 75 middle managers in the Durban-based Portnet business unit of Transnet. The aims of this administration were the following: * to establish whether there is any relationship between perceived stress and general health within a single occupational group of middle managers and workers separately (horizontal comparisons). * to find out if there are any differences between the perceived stress, coping strategies and the general health of the middle managers and that of the workers (vertical comparisons). It was found that the relationship between high levels of perceived stress and the general health is very weak. This was attributed to the effectiveness of the coping strategies used by the members of the two occupational groups in their work environment. Significant differences between middle managers and workers on perceived stress, coping strategies and the general health were also established. These differences were ascribed to the different content and contextual work dimensions existing in these two occupational levels. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1993.

Research on stress factors among General Practitioners in relation to burnout is limited. In view of the clinical impression that stress is becoming more prevalent amongst Indian General Practitioners in urban areas, a study was planned to investigate the demographic variables, stress factors in practice and burnout among Indian General Practitioners in the Greater Durban Area. The research design involved the analysis of data on demographic variables, stress factors in practice and burnout. This data was obtained from a sample of 106 Indian General Practitioners in the Greater Durban Area. Informed consent was obtained by a letter that was sent to the General Practitioners. A Demographic Inventory, a 4 item Stress of Practice Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered by a postal questionnaire. The analysis of the scores obtained from the Stress of Practice Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory provided the following findings: 1. The stress of practice - 6 factors were identified of which 3 were related to demands of the job, work: home interface and workload. 2. The Indian General Practitioners experienced a low to moderate degree of burnout. 3. The correlation of stress factors and Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales were weak. 4. For emotional exhaustion - dimensions of frequency and intensity, some of the stress related factors explained a fair amount of variation but the relationship was not strong. These findings lend themselves to further research in this field and have significant therapeutic implications for both practitioner and their patients. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1991.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationships between Sense of Coherence and Burnout (i.e. Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment) and to investigate job-related stressors and support resources in a sample of privately employed eThekwini paramedics. A survey design was used and a convenience sample (N=56) was taken from one emergency care organisation. Biographical variables and qualitative information regarding stressors and support systems were obtained and two inventories, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, were administered. Results showed a predominance of informal support systems and individual case-related stressors. There were relationships between Sense of Coherence and Burnout and a significant difference in Personal Accomplishment in the 36-40 age group was found. Regression results indicated that Depersonalisation and Sense of Coherence predicted Emotional Exhaustion and Emotional Exhaustion demonstrated a main effect on Depersonalisation. Sense of Coherence was the only variable that predicted Personal Accomplishment in the current sample of paramedies. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate administrative stress and coping in British Columbia elementary and secondary public school principals. Three research questions were posed: (1) How does administrative stress affect British Columbia public school principals? (2) What coping strategies do British Columbia school principals use to moderate the effects of stress? and (3) How do personal and environmental variables interact with stress and coping? A three-part questionnaire was mailed to the population of 1455 public school-based principals in B.C.. The questionnaire consisted of the Administrative Stress Index (ASI), the Coping Preference Scale (CPS), and the Demographic and Biographic Inventory. The response rate to the questionnaire was 44.2% (n = 643). The findings show that the typical principal perceives that approximately 80% of his total life stress is job related. Approximately 50% of the respondents have seriously considered leaving school administration. The overall stress level reported by school principals on the ASI is moderate. The greatest sources of stress are found to relate to heavy workload and lack of time, parent/school conflicts, and administering the negotiated contract. When items on the ASI are ranked according to their item means, nine of the top ten stressors identified are the same as those reported in other studies reviewed in the literature. The only exception is that, "administering the negotiated contract," is ranked among the top ten by B.C. principals. There is an inverse relationship between administrative stress and reported use of coping techniques. Principals reporting low stress scores have a significantly greater repertoire of coping techniques than do principals with high stress scores. When items in the CPS are classified according to the seven coping factors, the most popular coping techniques were found to be: keeping a realistic perspective, maintaining a positive attitude, following a good physical health program, and engaging in activities that support intellectual, social, and spiritual growth. Less popular coping strategies include: activities that require increased effort, time management and organization, and withdrawal and recharging techniques. A multiple regression analysis reveals that five of the personal and environmental variables can be combined to predict the total ASI score. Principals who perceive that administrative isolation is a problem for them, who report greater percentages of stress due to their jobs, who have seriously considered leaving school administration, who feel that they are under greater stress than other members of their community, and who report they have other relatives dependent upon them, are more likely to have higher stress scores. The following conclusions were stated: (1) The majority of B.C. school principals are able to deal satisfactorily with their job-related stress. (2) Principals need increased emotional and social support from their colleagues. (3) Managing and working within the constraints of negotiated collective agreements is a major source of stress for B.C. public school principals. (4) If school principals responsibilities are increased while their administrative time and support are not increased proportionately, greater stress for school principals is an inevitable result. (5) Principals who have more extensive coping repertoires are more likely to be in better health and experience lower levels of stress. (6) Person-Environment Fit Theory provides a useful model for investigating administrative stress and coping.

The main aim of this study was to gain an overall estimate of the incidence of self-reported burnout among Indian secondary school teachers. Other secondary, though closely related aims were: a) to determine whether teachers differ, with respect to selected background variables, in their perceptions of burnout; b) to investigate the differences, if any, in the responses of burnoutees and non-burnoutees to 25 selected role-related variables with a view to examining the relationship between such variables and burnout; and c) to examine the distribution of burnoutees and nonburnoutees on an internal - external locus of control dichotomy with a view to examining the relationship between this personality construct and burnout. The sample of Level One secondary school teachers in this study (N = 690) was randomly selected from a list of all Indian secondary schools in the greater Durban area (N = 59). Teachers responded to a four-part questionnaire designed to gather data relating to demographic characteristics, role-related stressors, locus of control and degree of burnout. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to determine whether a respondent was a "burnoutee" or a "non-burnoutee". It included 3 subscales relating to Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment. The major findings of this study were as follows: a) Approximately 1 in 4 teachers in the sample saw himself/herself as a "burnoutee". b) When teachers were grouped according to background variables, the incidence of burnout was found to be greater among female, married, younger, less experienced, graduate and low-salaried teachers. c) The majority of both "burnoutees" and "non-burnoutees" in this study were unhappy with teaching and found it to be only "moderately satisfying". Many also declared that teaching had not lived up to their expectations and that they would readily change to an entirely new kind of occupation if they had to start their careers afresh. The low degree of satisfaction was found to correlate with perceived feelings of burnout. Older teachers, however, enjoyed greater job satisfaction than their younger counterparts. d) No relationship was found between the personality construct of Locus of Control and burnout. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1992.

The education system in South Africa is undergoing vast changes in the post apartheid era. These include amalgamating the previously segregated departments, developing disadvantaged schools, financial cut-backs and the implementation of the controversial Right Sizing Document (1996). Kwa Zulu-Natal currently has a severe shortage of education facilities. Many children are not attending school and there is a dire need for qualified educators. Outcomes Based Education is being phased in, concurrently with the other changes. Despite this, the Right Sizing Document calls for a reduction in teaching personnel. It is unclear how reorganisation and the prospects of redundancy and redeployment have affected teachers. The aims of this study were to determine teachers' mental health status, stress levels and incidence of burnout during a period of major transformation and to explore teachers' perceptions of the changes. The researcher used a descriptive cross sectional design. A sample of 217 teachers was used, from urban primary and secondary government schools in the Pietermaritzburg North region. Data were collected using two standardised self-report measures, the General Health Questionnaire (Best 30 item version) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Teachers were also asked to respond to a list of statements on Redundancy and Reorganisation Issues, designed by the researcher. The data were analysed by z-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation, Mann-Whitney tests and Kruskal-Wallis one way analysis of variance. Responses to an open-ended question were analysed qualitatively. The findings indicated extremely high distress levels for all the respondents, irrespective of age, gender and post level, in comparison with published norms and the findings of other studies. This distress did not appear to be associated with their own professional role and competence as teachers but seemed to relate to the uncertainty of their employment situation. The impact of the current changes on teachers' psychological and physical well-being were reflected by their responses to statements in the Redundancy and Reorganisation section of the questionnaire. It is recommended that the education authorities should develop a recovery strategy to address this urgent situation. Consultation and negotiation with teachers should be an inherent aspect of reorganisation and change, to prevent a repetition of the current situation. The role of professional organisations and various other issues that warrant further investigation are specified. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1990.

Text in Afrikaans / Na aanleiding van die vraag of die ldientsisteem aan wie die maatskaplike werker hulp verleen, stres ervaar en hoe die klient in hierdie verband deur die maatskaplike werker gehelp kan word, is die doelwitte van die studie geformuleer. Die doel van die studie was om (1) 'n teoretiese stresmodel vir die maatskaplike werk daar te stel, (2) die stresverskynsel by 'n geselekteerde klientsisteem te beskryf, (3) die daarstelling van 'n praktykmodel vir die implementering van streshanteringsprogramme deur maatskaplike werkers en (4) die loodsimplementering en -evaluering van die voorgestelde model. Die studie is ondemeem binne die raamwerk van die ontwikkelingsnavorsings- en -benuttingsmodel. Daar is hoofsaaklik van 'n beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak en kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes van datainsameling is aangewend. 'n Stresmodel wat deur maatskaplike werkers benut kan word om stres by klientsisteme te beskryf en te verklaar, is daargestel. Hierdie model berus grootliks op die model van ekologiese kongruensie en is versoenbaar met die ekologiese sisteembenadering in maatskaplike werk. In die empiriese ondersoek na die voorkoms van stres by die klientsisteem, is gevind dat die betrokke kliente nie alleen meer stres as nie-kliente ervaar nie, maar ook dat kliente op hulp met betrekking tot die bantering van hulle stres aangewese is. Ten einde maatskaplike werkers in staat te stel om kliente op 'n doelgerigte wyse met die hantering van stres te help, is 'n praktykmodel, gebaseer op die model van stres-inokulasieopleiding, ontwikkel. Hierdie model vir die implementering van streshanteringsprogramme deur maatskaplike werkers, is kongruent met maatskaplikewerk-waardes en die - hulpverleningsproses. Hoewel die bevindings van die loodsondersoek nie veralgemeen kan word nie, is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die model moontlik maatskaplike werkers in staat kan stel om klientsisteme met stresverwante probleme te help. Daar word voorgestel dat die model aan meer omvangryke en intensiewe evaluering blootgestel moet word. / The goals of this study were formulated in response to the question of whether the client system to whom the social worker directs help, experiences stress and to the question of how the client can be assisted in this regard by the social worker. The aims of the study were to ( 1) create a theoretical stress model for social work, (2) describe the stress phenomenon in a selected client system, (3) create a practice model for the implementation of stress management programmes by social workers and (4) execute the trial implementation and trial evaluation of the proposed model. The study was undertaken within the framework of the developmental research and utilization model. A research design which was chiefly descriptive, was used and qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were applied. A stress model. which can be utilized by social workers to describe and explain stress within client systems was created. This model is based on the model of ecological congruence and is compatible with the ecological systems approach in social work. In the empirical investigation of the prevalence of stress in the client system, it was found that clients not only experience more stress than non-clients, but also that clients are in need of help in managing their stress. To enable social workers to help clients purposefully in the management of stress, a practice model, based on the model of stress inoculation training, was developed. This model for the implementation of stress management programmes is consistent with social work values and the helping process in social work. Although the findings of the trial investigation cannot be generalised, it was concluded that the model could enable social workers to help client systems with stress related problems. It is recommended that the model be subjected to more extensive evaluation. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Maatskaplike Werk)