The aim of this study was to identify the kinds of disciplinary problems educators experience in schools, their causes, as well as their impact on the morale of educators. The researcher made use of a quantitative approach whereby questionnaires were completed by educators from five secondary schools in the Zebediela area. In total, 89 respondents completed the questionnaires. They were from both genders, with various years’ of teaching experience, and generally well qualified. The results indicated that there indeed existed disciplinary problems in the schools. These problems were caused by factors relating to the learners, to their parents, the educators, as well as to the school principal. The impact of a lack of discipline on educator morale included anger, irritability, tiredness, loss of control, and expressing the wish to leave the teaching profession. The study made recommendations for managers on how to improve the situation, and also for further study. Some limitations of the study were also identified. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of neophyte professional nurses working in ICU during their first year post graduation with the aim to discover strategies to support the nurse in critical care unit. An explorative, descriptive, interpretative qualitative design was conducted to uncover the nurse’s experiences. A purposive sampling was used which is based on belief that the researcher’s knowledge about the population can be used to hand pick sample elements. Data was collected through in-depth unstructured interviews and written narratives. Collaizi’s method of data analysis was used. The study findings revealed that neophyte professional nurses experienced difficulties and challenges in adjusting to the unit because of lack of mentors emanating from the shortage of staff. Nurses experienced mixed feelings regarding the relationship with colleagues in terms of support received. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

This study aimed at establishing the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational-stress in Sedibeng West District primary schools in the Gauteng province. The investigation was conducted using a quantitative research approach. The changes in South African schools’ curriculum which did not have a life span of ten years post-apartheid; the rate of absenteeism pointed out by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshega. She believed that these may be caused by serious illness; therefore it impressed the idea of investigating the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational stress. The study looks at the following two research questions:  What are the causes of teacher-occupational-stress?  What role can the school management teams play in managing teacher-occupational-stress? A questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection from primary schools in Sedibeng West district 8 in the Gauteng province. The researcher’s sample size was 32 (n=32). Findings were that the school management teams are playing their roles and supporting teachers. However, teachers find their teaching job to be stressful. The study found significant factors causing teacher-occupational-stress. One of the factors is failure by the school management team to acknowledge teachers hard work. Recommendations are outlined at the end of this study indicating how the Department of Basic Education can intervene and what the school management teams can do to manage teacher occupational stress. / Educational Management and Leadership

Text in English / Police workers have to contend with a variety of traumatic incidents in their daily work. This includes work, personal and socio-economic stressors. These, if not managed, may lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to develop guidelines to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) organisation to provide appropriate interventions for workers diagnosed with work and non-work-related PTSD in the Mahikeng area of the North West Province in South Africa. The study further sought to assist the workers’ immediate family members to cope with living with a member diagnosed with PTSD. A qualitative research method was used. Data was collected using self-administered in-depth interviews. The study sample comprised of 19 SAPS workers and 23 family members. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The Excel computer program was used to identify and analyse common themes. A lower PTSD prevalence rate of 0.76% was yielded by the results. Work-related traumatic incidents were linked to possible PTSD development for most SAPS workers. Exposure to traumatic incidents might have had a substantial effect on participants’ health and social lives as most developed varying health conditions post to the PTSD diagnosis. Living with a member diagnosed with PTSD brought trauma, financial problems and constant worry among families. Families coped by supporting each other. The provision of counseling services and active participation in PTSD support groups and sport activities were identified by most participants as fundamental in coping with the effects of PTSD. The provision of sufficient integrated family counseling and life skills programmes by the SAPS organisation was identified as crucial by most families in coping with the effects of living with a member diagnosed with PTSD. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Burnout can occur in any occupation and is a risk in the modern world of work. The objective of the study was to investigate how burnout, coping and sense of coherence are related and influence each other in an engineering environment. A Cross-sectional survey design was used in this descriptive study. The convenience sample consisted of 118 engineers and scientists at various levels in a global engineering organisation that is based in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) and Sense of Coherence (SOC) questionnaires were administered for this quantitative study. A theoretical relationship was proved by means of a literature study and an empirical relationship proved that there is indeed a relationship between the constructs and that focus and venting of emotions as well as SOC are predictors of emotional exhaustion and cynicism. SOC also proved to be a predictor of professional efficacy. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Considering the high incidence of suicide in the South African context, the fact that suicide is considered an occupational hazard for psychologists, with more than half experiencing the suicide of a patient in their career and the dearth of post-suicide qualitative research among psychologists, the purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experience of psychologists after the suicide of their patient, and to develop guidelines as a framework of reference to assist psychologists in dealing with the suicide of their patient. In keeping with a social constructionist ontological and ecosystemic epistemological theoretical framework, data was collected by means of meaning-making conversations with six purposively selected psychologists, with a minimum of five years‟ experience and at least one year having passed after the suicide of their patient. The data was analysed independently by the researcher and an independent coder using Tesch‟s open and descriptive method. The present study found that, following the suicide of their patient, the participants were propelled into a myriad of acutely distressing emotions. They often described a suffocating sense of responsibility for the suicide and the lingering presence of their patient. The participants experienced feelings of guilt and self-doubt, often questioning their own professional competence. The post-suicide process was described as being both a personally and professionally isolating event, due to the sense of having to carry the burden of the suicide alone for ethical reasons and fear of social stigmatisation. The participants appeared to grapple with the paradoxical dance between their personal emotional realities and what they perceived to be “clinically” or “professionally” acceptable. Having gone through the traumatic experience of losing a patient to suicide, most of the participants eventually found new wisdom, which helped them become wounded healers. Based on these findings, post-vention guidelines with practical actions were developed to assist psychologists in dealing with the suicide of their patient. Recommendations are made with regard to suicidology research, suicide education and psychologists‟ practice. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The impact of transpersonal psychology techniques presented in Capacitar workshops as a prevention intervention for burnout amongst HIV/Aids coordinator teachers has not been studied to date in South Africa. This research project utilised a mixed-method approach in a pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design. Educators from South Metro, who were HIV/Aids co-ordinators in their schools, were invited to attend six days in total of Capacitar workshops. Measures of their levels of stress and burnout were taken before and after the intervention. Thirty teachers volunteered to take part in the workshops and 27 completed the training. A control group (n=27) was chosen from a group of teachers in the Central and South Metros of the Western Cape, South Africa. The Capacitar workshops were presented by facilitators who had been trained and accredited by Dr Pat Cane, founder of Capacitar International, California, USA. The overall theoretical perspective adopted in the transformative approach was transpersonal psychology. While equal priority was given to both the quantitative and qualitative legs of the study, the quantitative data were gathered first. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to measure anxiety and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) was used to measure three dimensions of burnout: personal, work and client burnout. The means of the intervention and control groups of teachers were found to be similar on the BAI and CBI prior to the intervention. After the workshops, there were significant reductions in anxiety, personal and work burnout in the post-test measures of the intervention group. There were also significant differences in personal and work burnout of teachers between the intervention and control groups. Although reduction in the levels of anxiety and client burnout (working with children) was evident in the intervention group, this was not significant. The control group showed no significant improvement on any measures and in some cases, levels of burnout increased. Qualitative data in the form of global analysis of focus group interviews provided insights into the experience of workshop delegates, and their teaching contexts. To cope with work and personal stressors, teachers turned to physical (n=29), mental (n=17) and spiritual activities (n=15), with many (n=19) using negative coping tools. Individual line sketches, a collage of outliers and mind maps, together with portraits of delegates, highlighted the context and experiences in the Capacitar workshops. As a result of exposure to transpersonal practices, HIV/Aids coordinator teachers were first able to start the process of healing themselves, and then turn to their families, learners and the community at large to share the tools offered. The qualitative data also yielded sixteen themes: Increased consciousness; personal empowerment; role empowerment as carers; emotional intelligence; mindfulness; heart coherence; processing traumatic pain; multiculturalism; self-acceptance; light heartedness; interconnectedness, sharing; forgiveness; holistic, right brain healing; changing brain patterns; mind-body-spirit integration and a return to wholeness. The results of this study showed both quantitatively and qualitatively that transpersonal psychological techniques mediated burnout amongst HIV/Aids coordinator teachers in Metro South, Western Cape Education Department, Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. Recommendations are made in the light of the findings and the limitations of the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die impak van transpersoonlike sielkundige tegnieke wat aangebied is in Capacitar werkswinkels, as „n voorkomings-intervensie rakende uitbranding op onderwysers wat as MIV/Vigs ko-ordineerders funksioneer, is nog nie voorheen in Suid-Afrika ondersoek nie. Hierdie navorsingsprojek het „n kwantitatiewe-kwalitatiewe benadering gebruik met ‟n vooren natoets kwasi-eksperimentele ontwerp. Opvoeders van die suidelike metropool/grootstad wat werk as MIV/Vigs ko-ordineerders in hulle skool, is uitgenooi om altesaam ses dae van die Capacitar werkswinkels by te woon. Die deelnemers se vlakke van stres en ooreising is voor en na die intervensie gemeet. Dertig onderwysers was gewillig om deel te neem aan die werkwinkels en sewe-en-twintig het die opleiding voltooi. „n Kontrole groep (n=27) is gekies vanuit „n groep onderwysers in die sentrale en suidelike metropool van die Wes-Kaap, Suid- Afrika. Die Capacitar werkswinkels is aangebied deur geakkrediteerde fasiliteerders wat opgelei is deur dr. Pat Cane, die stigter van Capacitar Internasionaal, California, VSA. Transpersoonlike sielkunde is die oorhoofse teoretiese perspektief wat gehandhaaf is in die transformatiewe benadering. Alhoewel gelyke prioriteit verleen is aan beide die kwantitatiewe en die kwalitatiewe komponente van die studie, is die kwantitatiewe data eerste ingesamel. Die “Beck Anxiety Inventory” (BAI) en die “Copenhagen Burnout Inventory” (CBI) is gebruik om die drie dimensies van uitbranding te bepaal: Persoonlike-, werk- en kliëntooreising. Daar is vasgestel dat die gemiddeldes van die intervensie en die kontrole groepe dieselfde is vir die BAI en die CBI meet-instrumente voordat die intervensie aangebied is. Betekenisvolle verskille is gevind met die na-toets vir die intervensie-groep, naamlik die vermindering van angs, persoonlike- en werks-ooreising. Daar is ook betekenisvolle verskille getoon in persoonlike en werksuitbranding tussen die intervensie en die kontrole groepe. Alhoewel nie betekenisvol nie, het daar „n duidelike vermindering in die vlakke van angs en kliënt-ooreising (werk met kinders), voorgekom in die intervensie-groep. Die kontrole groep het geen betekenisvolle verbetering getoon met betrekking tot enige van die meet-instrumente nie, en in sommige gevalle het die vlakke van uitbranding toegeneem. Kwalitatiewe data in die vorm van die globale analise van fokusgroep-onderhoude het insigte verskaf rakende die ervaring van die deelnemers, en hul kontekste van onderrig. Onderwysers het fisiese (n=29), intellektuele (“mental”) (n=17) en spirituele aktiwiteite (n=15) gebruik, om werk-en persoonlike stressors te hanteer en vele opvoeders het (n=19) negatiewe hanteringmeganismes gebruik. Individuele lyn-sketse, „n collage/plakskildery van uitlopers en geheue-kaarte, tesame met foto-weergawes van die deelnemers het die konteks en belewings van die Capacitar werkwinkels gekenmerk. As gevolg van die blootstelling aan die transpersoonlike gebruike was dit in die eerste plek vir die MIV/Vigs onderwysers moontlik om self innerlike genesing te ervaar, en ook om hul familie, die leerders en die gemeenskap te bemagtig met die aangebode toerusting. Sestien tema‟s is geïdentifiseer met die kwalitatiewe studie: Verhoogde bewustheid; persoonlike bemagtiging; rol-bemagtiging as deernisvolle persoon; emosionele intelligensie; gefokusde belewing (“mindfulness”); sin vir koherensie; die verwerking van traumatiese pyn; multi-kulturalisme; lighartigheid; onderlinge verbondenheid; mededeelsaamheid; vergewing; holistiese, regterbrein-genesing; veranderde breinpatrone; liggaam-siel-gees integrasie en die herstel van heelheid. Die resultate van beide die kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benadering het getoon dat transpersoonlike sielkundige tegnieke uitbranding bekamp onder onderwysers wat as MIV/Vigs ko-ordineerders werk in die suidelike metropool, Wes-Kaap departement van onderwys, Mitchells Plain, Kaapstad. Aanbevelings word aangebied in die lig van die bevindings, asook die beperkings van die studie.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Many Black nurses who originally come from previously disadvantaged communities find themselves at present in relatively senior positions. The reality is, however, that many of these employees are still residing in residential areas where transformation and changes are still very limited and progress hardly noticeable. Such employees experience the stressful world of nursing on the one hand while on the other hand they also have to battle with the realities of the legacy of Apartheid. These may include aspects such as financial burdens, long distances from work, poor public transport, high crime rates in their communities and schools that are yet to improve standards. There are still Black South Africans, amongst them Black nursing sisters, who have to battle with these problems daily, in addition to having to cope with occupational stressors. One would assume then that they may be experiencing a large degree of strain and burnout. This research was therefore concerned with those nurses who remain productive and efficient in their work by overcoming constant occupational and non-occupational demands and stressors. Not all nurses, however, experience ill health due to stressors. There are nurses who do cope well. Two research questions were investigated with reference to the above: (a) Why some Black nursing sisters appear to cope better than others; and (b) What the role of Sense of Coherence (SOC) is as a coping resource. The study therefore investigated the statistical relationship between (a) SOC and well-being and (b) the effect that SOC has on the perception of a selected number of work characteristics. Significant Pearson Correlations were found between SOC and psychosomatic strain symptoms and burnout frequency. No significant relationship was found between SOC and burnout intensity. A significant relationship was found between SOC and work demands, as well as SOC and career rewards. Findings further indicate that no significant relationship was found between organisational climate, leadership relations, influence at work, time pressures and adverse factors in the work environment. Two-way ANOVAs indicate that no significant main effect exists in respect of SOC on psychosomatic strain symptoms. The study also indicates that a significant main effect exists for SOC on burnout frequency, whereas no significant main effect exists for SOC on burnout intensity. No significant interaction effect exists between SOC and age on psychosomatic strain symptoms, burnout frequency and burnout intensity. A significant interaction effect exists between SOC and education level on burnout intensity, while there is no significant interaction effect between SOC and educational level on psychosomatic strain symptoms and burnout frequency. A significant main effect exists for SOC on the perception of leadership relations, influence at work and career rewards. Findings further indicate that no significant main effect exists for SOC on the perception of: orgnisational climate, time pressures, work demands and adverse factors in the work environment. No significant interaction effect exists between SOC and age on the perception of organisational climate, influence at work, work demands, time pressures, career rewards, leadership relations and adverse factors in the work environment. Results indicate that no significant interaction effect exists between SOC and educational level on the perception of organisational climate, influence at work, work demands, time pressures, career rewards, leadership relations and adverse factors in the work environment. The results thus indicate that a positive correlation exists between SOC and wellbeing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Talle verpleegters uit voorheen benadeelde gebiede, bevind hulself huidiglik in relatiewe senior posisies. Die werklikheid is egter dat hierdie werknemers nog steeds onder andere in woongebiede bly waar transformasie en verandering gering is en algemene vordering nie waarneembaar is nie. Hierdie werknemers ondervind die stresvolle omstandighede van verpleging eendersyds en andersyds voer hulle 'n stryd teen die nalatenskap van apartheid. Dit kan aspekte soos finansiele probleme, lang afstande van hul werkplek, publieke vervoer, hoë misdaadsyfers in hul gemeenskappe asook skole waar die opvoedkundige standaarde nog aangespreek moet word, insluit. Daar is nog talle Swart Suid-Afrikaners, Swart verpleegsusters onder andere wat daagliks met hierdie probleme die stryd voer met 'n langsame veranderingsproses, terwyl hulle ook met talle stressors in hul beroepe te make het. Dit kan dus aanvaar word dat hierdie persone 'n groot mate van stres en uitbranding ondervind. Hierdie navorsing het te make met daardie groep verpleegsters wat produktief en bekwaam in hul werk bly funksioneer het, weens die feit dat hulle hierdie voordurende beroeps-en nie-beroeps vereistes en stressors suksesvol die hoof kan bied. Nie al die verpleegsters se geestegesondheid word dus deur genoemde stresfaktore benadeel nie en kan deurgaans effektief funksioneer. Twee navorsings-vraagstukke is met betrekking tot bogenoemde Suid-Afrikaanse realiteit ondersoek: (a) Waarom sommige Swart verpleegsusters die stressors in hul beroeps-en lewensomstandighede beter as ander hanteer en (b) Watter rol speel koherensiebelewing ("SOC") as enstreshantering meganisme. Die studie het (a) die verhouding tussen koherensiebelewing en werknemer welsyn en (b) die rol van koherensiebelewing ("SOC") as enmeganisme vir die hantering van stres, nagevors. Beduidende Pearson Korrelasies tussen koherensiebelewing, psigosomatiese stressimptome en die frekwensie van uitbranding is gevind. Geen beduidende verband is tussen koherensiebelewing, werkseise en loopbaanbelonings gevind nie. Die resultate dui verder aan dat daar geen beduidende verband tussen organisatoriese klimaat, leierskap verhoudings, invloed by die werk, tydsdruk, en nadelige faktore in die werksomgewing bestaan nie. Twee-rigting variansie ontledings dui egter aan dat daar geen beduidende hoof effek tussen koherensiebelewing en psigosomatiese stressimptome bestaan nie. Die studie dui ook op 'n beduidende hoof effek tussen koherensiebelewing en die frekwensie van uitbranding. Geen beduidende hoof effek is tussen koherensiebelewing en uitbranding intensiteit gevind. Geen beduidende interaksie effek bestaan tussen koherensiebelewing en ouderdom op psigomatiese stressimptome, frekwensie van uitbrandiqg en uitbrandings intensiteit nie. 'n Beduidende interaksie effek bestaan tussen koherensiebelewing en opvoedkundige kwalifikasie op uitbranding intensiteit, terwyl daar geen interaksie effek bestaan tussen psigomatiese stressimptome en frekwensie van uitbranding nie. 'n Beduidende hoof effek ten opsigte van koherensiebelewing op die persepsie van leierskap-verhoudings, invloede by die werk, en loopbaanbelonings is gevind. Die navorsing dui verder daarop dat geen betekenisvolle hoof effek bestaan ten opsigte van koherensiebelewing op die persepsie van organisatoriese klimaat, tydsdruk, werksvereistes en nadelige faktore in die werksomgewing nie. 'n Statisties beduidende hoof effek ten opsigte van koherensiebelewing op die persepsie van leierskap-verhoudings, invloede by die werk, en loopbaanbelonings, bestaan. Geen beduidende interaksie effek bestaan tussen koherensiebelewing en ouderdom op die persepsie van organisatoriese klimaat, invloed by die werk, werkseise, tydsdruk, loopbaanbelonings, leierskap-verhoudings en nadelige faktore in die werksomgewing nie. Resultate toon geen statisties beduidende interaksie effek tussen koherensiebelewing en opvoedkundige kwalifikasie op die persepsie van organisatoriese klimaat, invloede by die werk, werkseise, tydsdruk, loopbaanbelonings, leierskap-verhoudings en nadelige faktore by die werk nie. Die resultate dui derhalwe op 'n positiewe verband tussen koheresensiebelewing en werknemerwelstand.

On t.p.: Master of Arts in Social Work (Welfare Programme management) / Thesis (MA(MW))--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Medical social workers working in children's wards are more prone to burnout because of the stressful nature of their work. Because social work requires emotional involvement, it is not uncommon for workers to be emotionally drained and frustrated, which might lead to burnout. Stress amongst social workers is an important issue, as a stressed workforce can negatively affect the quality of service. This study was undertaken with the aim of providing guidelines for handling stress amongst medical social workers working in children's wards, in order to promote job satisfaction and enhance work performance. Chronically ill children who are hospitalised, often suffer from behavioural and emotional problems that require social work intervention, which in turn puts pressure on the social worker. Concurrent stressors on the children and their families may exhaust their normal coping capacity and further complicate the child's adaptation to hospitalisation. The role of the medical social worker is to provide social support to the child and the family in order to promote positive coping in the child during and after hospital treatment. The demands put on the social worker by hospitalised children can cause stress, which could adversely affect their work performance and job satisfaction. Social workers therefore, have to carefully select an appropriate practice framework when dealing with hospitalised children. This entails the selection of appropriate perspectives, theories and models to ensure effective intervention. These frameworks provide structure and directive to social work intervention, and combined with supervision, can promote job satisfaction amongst medical social workers. The study was undertaken amongst medical social workers working in paediatric wards within hospitals in the Cape Metropolitan area. The empirical study focused on an investigation of factors, which might contribute to the experience of burnout amongst the social workers. Work-related stressors playa major role in increasing the likelihood of burnout amongst social workers. If these stressors are not properly dealt with they might lead to burnout amongst medical social workers, which will have a direct bearing on the child's benefit from medical services. A combination of both organisationally based and individually based strategies should be implemented in order to overcome job-related stress and to prevent burnout. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mediese maatskaplike werkers wat in kindersale werk, is meer geneig tot uitbranding as gevolg van die stresvolle aard van hulle werk. Maatskaplike werk vereis emosionele betrokkenheid. Dit is dus nie ongewoon vir maatskaplike werkers om emosioneel gedreineerd en gefrustreerd te voel nie. Laasgenoemde is kenmerke van uitbranding. Oormatige stres by maatskaplike werkers kan 'n negatiewe uitwerking op die kwaliteit van hul dienslewering hê. Hierdie navorsingstudie was onderneem met die oog op die daarstelling van riglyne vir die hantering van stres by mediese maatskaplike werkers, wat in kindersale werk om sodoende werkstevredenheid en -verrigting te bevorder. Kroniese siek kinders wat gehospitaliseer word, presenteer dikwels met gedrags- en emosionele probleme wat uiteraard tydens intervensie addisionele druk op die maatskaplike werker plaas. Gepaardgaande stressors kan daartoe lei dat pasiënte en hul gesinne afwyk van hul normale funksionering wat weer die pasiënt se hanteringsvermoë en aanpassing by die hospitaalopset belemmer. Die rol van die mediese maatskaplike werker is om sosiale ondersteuning aan bogenoemde partye te gee ten einde positiewe hanteringsvermoë tydens en na mediese behandeling, by pasiënte te vestig. Die eise wat deur pasiënte aan maatskaplike werkers gestel word kan stres veroorsaak wat hul werksverrigtinge en tevredenheid negatief kan affekteer. Maatskaplike werkers moet dus versigtig te werk gaan in die keuse van 'n gepaste praktykraamwerk vir intervensie ten opsigte van gehospitaliseerde kinders. 'n Verantwoordbare keuse van perspektiewe, teorieë en modelle lê ten grondslag van effektiewe maatskaplike werk intervensie. Hierdie raamwerke bied struktuur en rigting aan maatskaplike werk intervensie. Laasgenoemde, tesame met Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za superviste kan werkstevredenheid onder mediese maatskaplike werkers bevorder. Stressors wat met werk verband hou, speel 'n groot rol in die toename van uitbranding onder mediese maatskaplike werkers. Indien hierdie stressors nie effektief hanteer word nie, kan dit tot uitbranding by maatskaplike werkers ly wat dan weer die pasiënt se benutting van mediese dienste negatief beïnvloed. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit tien mediese maatskaplike werkers wat werksaam was in paediatriese sale in hospitale binne die Kaapse Metropool. Tydens 'n empiriese ondersoek is gefokus op faktore wat moontlik aanleiding kan gee tot die uitbranding van maatskaplike werkers. Dit word dus aanbeveel dat 'n kombinasie van strategieë van beide die orgarusaste en die persoon geïmplementeer moet word om werksverwante stres te oorkom en dus uitbranding by mediese maatskaplike werkers te voorkom.

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study attempts to investigate the sources of stress and burnout in the social work profession and specifically in mental health settings. In order to achieve this, a literature study is undertaken which identified the sources of stress and burnout as external and internal stresses. External stresses can be identified as the administrative function of supervision, the educational function of supervision, and the relationship between the supervisor, the social worker and the client, aspects in the social work profession and the organisation. The personality and gender of the social worker are discussed as internal sources of stress. Social workers' experiences of stress and burnout are explored against the background of the socio-economic and political changes after the first democratic election in 1994 in South Africa. The literature review also indicated that there are peculiar stresses in mental health settings due to the clients' mental conditions. An exploratory study was undertaken in which 17 social workers in the Peninsula, working in mental health settings, participated. Information on the research topic was obtained by means of anonymous questionnaires. A group interview was arranged to ensure that all the questionnaires were received. It was found that since the 1994 democratic election, social workers worked under more stressful circumstances due to limited resources, restructuring, decreased manpower, a higher caseload, deinstitutionalisation of mental patients and an increased amount of uncertainty with regard to job security. Aspects in the social work profession that caused the most stress were identified as insufficient salaries and limited opportunities for promotion. The participants revealed uncertainty with regard to their future in the social work profession. Social workers acknowledge the importance of the supportive function of supervision but are also of the opinion that individuals should take responsibility to address burnout. Strategies that can be used by the social worker, the organisation and the supervisor to address burnout, are discussed. On the basis of the results and conclusion of the study, recommendations are made to supervisors, as well as further research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word ondersoek ingestel na die bronne van stres en uitbranding in die maatskaplikewerkberoep en spesifiek in 'n geestesgesondheidsopset. Ten einde hierin te slaag, word 'n literatuurstudie onderneem en word die bronne van stres en uitbranding geïdentifiseer as eksterne stressors soos byvoorbeeld die administratiewe funksie van supervisie, die onderrrigfunksie van supervisie, die verhouding tussen die supervisor en die maatskaplike werker, die klientsisteem, aspekte in die maatskaplikewerkberoep en die organisasie, en interne stressors waaronder die maatskaplike werker se persoonlikheid en geslag bespreek is. Die sosio-ekonomiese en politieke veranderinge wat ingetree het na die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in 1994 in Suid-Afrika is in ag geneem en maatskaplike werkers se belewing van stres en uitbranding is teen hierdie agtergrond verder ge-eksploreer. Die literatuurstudie dui aan dat eiesoortige stressors in 'n geestesgesondheidsopset bestaan wat hoofsaaklik verband hou met die unieke kliëntsisteem en hul siektestoestand. 'n Verkennende studie is onderneem waartydens maatskaplike werkers in die skiereiland wat in 'n geestesgesondheidsopset werk, betrek is. Inligting is bekom deur middel van anonieme vraelyste. 'n Groeponderhoud het verseker dat al die vraelyste terug ontvang is. Daar is bevind dat maatskaplike werkers onder meer stresvolle omstandighede voor die 1994 verkiesing vanwee beperkte hulpbronne, herstrukturering, verminderde mannekrag, verhoogde gevalleladings, deïnstitusionalisering van pasiënte en groter onsekerheid met betrekking tot werksekuriteit. Aspekte in die maatskaplikewerkberoep wat die meeste stres veroorsaak is onder andere onvoldoende vergoeding en beperkte bevorderingsgeleenthede. Die respondente weerspieël 'n onsekerheid met betrekking tot hul toekoms in die beroep. Maatskaplike werkers erken die belangrikheid van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie, maar is ook van mening dat individue 'n verantwoordelikheid het om self uitbranding aan te spreek. Strategieë wat die maatskaplike werker, die organisasie en die supervisor kan aanwend om uitbranding aan te spreek word derhalwe bespreek. In die lig van die bevindinge van die ondersoek, word aanbevelings aan supervisors gemaak ten opsigte van verdere navorsing.