Suicide is an irreversible and tragic act that often leaves people confused and stigmatised. Immediately after a completed suicide, people’s thoughts usually turn to the suicide victim. Yet, the real victims of this tragedy are those individuals who are left behind to cope with the emotional trauma to loose a significant other. They often struggle with unanswerable questions, self-blaming and an inability to move on with their lives. This thesis aims to address two pertinent issues. The first is that little is known regarding the qualitative aspects of adolescent suicide survivors’ emotional experiences, meaning-making and coping behaviour. The second is that formal and informal caregivers have a need for psychoeducational resource material to effectively support adolescent suicide survivors during postvention. A psychological-phenomenological approach has been chosen as the fundamental ideological stance within the psycho-educational programme development structure of the study. Furthermore, the methodological assumptions of the phenomenological interview were enriched with some narrative principles and an arts-based component. The situation analysis’ research participants comprised of female late adolescents (17-22 years old) whom were recruited by means of criterion sampling. The most important specific inclusion criterion was that they had direct experience of being a suicide survivor; the suicide victim could be any significant person with whom the participant had had a meaningful relationship, such as a close friend, relative or direct family member. Data collection during the situation analysis primarily consisted of face-to-face phenomenological interviews. A pre-interview task to create a personalised collage was given to the research participants. These self-created collages served as narrative-facilitators during the interviews. Some of the participants provided additional documentary material in the form of personal diaries, letters and poems. ABSTRACT vi The data analysis basically followed Giorgi’s phenomenological method, especially due to its strong psychological sensitivity. Some supplementary analysis principles from the phenomenological approaches of Kruger and Wertz were integrated into Giorgi’s method to strengthen and support its psychological and educational inclinations. The principles of Guba’s model were employed in the verification of the research process. The themes that emerged from the phenomenological analysis were categorised into peri-suicide experiences (those experiences in the days around the suicide events that ended with the funeral) and post-suicide experiences (those experiences in the weeks, months and years following the direct suicide events). Each of these two parts consists of three experience clusters. The experience clusters for the peri-suicide experiences are the following: “Awareness of victim’s suicide-associated behaviour directly prior to the suicide”; “Immediate reactions on becoming aware of the suicide” and “Reactions in the days following the suicide”. The experience clusters for the post-suicide experiences are the following: “Falling apart”; “Being shattered” and “Putting the pieces back together”. The research participants’ experiences of the collage-making process per se, as well as the actual process of collage-making that they engaged in are also addressed. A web-based psycho-educational programme was developed from the rich research results obtained during the situation analysis. This programme can be used as a postvention resource instrument by adolescent survivors and caregivers of suicide survivors alike. / Prof. C.P.H. Myburgh

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 348-360). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2000. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 348-360).

This study examines the impact of issues of loss on adolescents. It was hypothesized that adolescents who experienced incidents of loss which were not adequately supported or processed to the point of resolution are much more likely to exhibit more angry and defiant behaviors than those who did not have such life experiences. Three instruments were used to identify loss and related impact. The first is the Interview Process, designed to identify issues of loss and screen for problematic behavior. This tool is used to qualify the participant for the study, and to designate which study group the participant will be assigned. The Family Constellation Exercise is an experiential assessment tool that exemplifies how emotionally close or distant the participant feels in relation to his or her nuclear family members. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Assessment - Adolescent version (MMPI-A) is used to identify behaviors and thought patterns associated with anger and defiance.The study was able to conclude that there is a strong potential for unresolved loss to negatively impact an adolescent. The study also discovered that many teenagers who do not exhibit angry or defiant behaviors have also experienced loss, yet do not act out anger. Suggestions are made as to why this is so, and implications for future research are made.

South Africa is one of the countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, and the impact on children living in affected households and communit ies is significant. The loss of a parent or caregiver due to an AIDS. related illness has le ft many children orphaned. Understandings of bereavement. particularly amongst African adolescents. and adults’ responses to orphans’ psychological and emotional d ifficulties, remains under.developed. This paper explored adolescents’ experiences of par ental AIDS.related illness and bereavement. Ten adolescents participated in this s tudy. Qualitative methods such as observation, individual interviews and a focus grou p were the means of data collection. Key findings of the study were that: adolescents we re profoundly affected by the death of their parents with some showing signs of great anxi ety in relation to their future; were in need of emotional and material support; and were af fected by the intense stigma associated with HIV/AIDS which resulted in secrecy and shame. This study suggests that if we listen to the voices of children, we will learn about thei r emotional, psychological, developmental, and behavioural needs, which in turn will inform interventions working with vulnerable and orphaned children. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

The aim of this research was to uncover and understand the experiences, and the coping strategies employed by African teenagers in coming to terms with the death of a loved one, the support needs in relation to this, and the need to provide guidelines on how they would like to be supported by social workers. A qualitative research approach was employed, following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The study was conducted in Cullinan near Pretoria in Gauteng Province. Data were collected, using structured interviews with a purposively selected sample of African teenagers who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. The data were analysed, according to the framework provided by Tesch to ensure the trustworthiness of the qualitative data was to be employed for the data verification. The findings included seven identified themes, the sub-themes and categories of which were supported by the extracts from the interview transcripts, and the literature reviewed for this research. The research report, together with the conclusions and recommendations, based on the conclusion, were drawn from the research- thereby, showing how the goals of the study were achieved. / Social Work / M. Soc. Sc. (Mental Health)

The aim of this research was to uncover and understand the experiences, and the coping strategies employed by African teenagers in coming to terms with the death of a loved one, the support needs in relation to this, and the need to provide guidelines on how they would like to be supported by social workers. A qualitative research approach was employed, following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The study was conducted in Cullinan near Pretoria in Gauteng Province. Data were collected, using structured interviews with a purposively selected sample of African teenagers who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. The data were analysed, according to the framework provided by Tesch to ensure the trustworthiness of the qualitative data was to be employed for the data verification. The findings included seven identified themes, the sub-themes and categories of which were supported by the extracts from the interview transcripts, and the literature reviewed for this research. The research report, together with the conclusions and recommendations, based on the conclusion, were drawn from the research- thereby, showing how the goals of the study were achieved. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

This study was undertaken as a qualitative needs assessment of emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. Five participants in their adolescent life phase (14 to 18 years) with a terminally ill parent, participated in the study. Individual unstructured interviews were conducted with each participant, in order to assess their need for emotional support. With the consent of the parents and adolescents, the interviews were video-recorded and transcribed. Eight recurring themes were selected from the case studies and verified with the existing literature. The result of the study is the assessment of the need for emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)(Social Work)

During the researcher's work with looked after children for the past four years, it became clear that adolescent placements were much more likely to break down than others. Although there is some literature about foster placement breakdowns, the researcher did not really get an answer as to the causes of adolescent placement breakdowns. This study therefore explores causal factors of adolescent placement breakdowns as seen by foster carers, adolescents and professionals. It is evident from this study that there are no easy answers. Although the adolescent, as much as any other child, craves to belong, to be listened to and be respected, it seems that it is not always possible for foster carers to put this into practice, given the challenging behaviour that adolescents often display. Recommendations are based on relevant literature and the empirical study, in the hope that it might be useful to those with an interest in this field. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study was undertaken as a qualitative needs assessment of emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. Five participants in their adolescent life phase (14 to 18 years) with a terminally ill parent, participated in the study. Individual unstructured interviews were conducted with each participant, in order to assess their need for emotional support. With the consent of the parents and adolescents, the interviews were video-recorded and transcribed. Eight recurring themes were selected from the case studies and verified with the existing literature. The result of the study is the assessment of the need for emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)(Social Work)