M.A. (Psychology) / South Africa in 1997 is commonly seen as one of the most violent non-war countries in the world. Crime has become so much part of the daily routine of the average South African, that it is almost accepted as the norm. This study investigates the experiences of six persons, directly affected by a violent crime. The researcher endeavours to relate the constructions the victims hold around their experience of a car-jacking as truthful as possible and thus uses the paradigm of social constructionism ...

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / South Africa is a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world, resulting in much violence and trauma. Trauma debriefing models are used with groups and individuals in an attempt to facilitate the trauma recovery process and prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There has been much debate on the efficacy of trauma debriefing over the past two decades with few qualitative studies exploring the utility of debriefing. A phenomenological methodology was used in this study, with the aim of understanding how participants experienced the process of trauma debriefing and what aspects were perceived as helpful or unhelpful. Semi-structured in- depth interviews were conducted with six adults who received debriefing following a single traumatic event, by volunteer lay counsellors from the Community Intervention Centre (CIC) based at the Milnerton Medi-Clinic.

War inevitably impacts on the lives of soldiers who participate in them. The impact often suggests a negative nature, leaving some soldiers with permanent physical and emotional scars. Some soldiers will return from war suffering from several psychological disorders as the result of their exposure to combat trauma. Pathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety and mood disorders are not uncommon. Yet, for others war has provided them with numerous positive experiences from which they can find meaning for themselves. It was Aaron Antonovsky who developed the idea of salutogenesis, mainly focussing on the psychological factors that allow individuals to find meaning in their adversity. This study attempts to investigate the impact of service rendered in the South African Special Forces during the Angolan war on current levels of well-being and sense of coherence amongst former Special Forces members. It is commonly known that these soldiers were exposed to severe battle related conditions, often working behind enemy lines for unknown periods of time whilst being self-reliant. It would seem that most of these soldiers have adapted adequately to society 15 years after their participation in the Angolan war (South Africa’s “Border War”). Some of these soldiers have achieved success in many different ways after leaving Special Forces. Some have embarked into the world of business and others chose professional careers and then there are those who became successful entrepreneurs. A sample of 32 respondents was collected. All of the respondents were members of the South African Special Forces during the Angolan war but have resigned since. The respondents were requested to complete a questionnaire consisting of a biographical information section, Antonovsky’s 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and Diener’s Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). The purpose was to determine the respondents’ current sense of coherence and level of well-being and to determine to what extent service in Special Forces has contributed to these levels. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Inferential statistics included Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, Spearman correlation coefficient and the t-test. Analysis of data suggests that the sample currently measures high on both levels of sense of coherence and well-being. The means of both OLQ and SWLS of this sample compare higher to any other samples they were administered to. However, statistically no clear correlation could be determined between service rendered in Special Forces and current levels of well-being. Respondents did however indicate that they feel that their service in Special Forces did have a positive impact on their lives and their current levels of functioning. / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

Bakgrund: Personalen är den viktigaste tillgången inom vården och därför är det viktigt att de får det stöd som de behöver för att undvika stress och psykisk utmattning. Personal som arbetar i arbetsmiljöer där kritiska och traumatiska händelser uppstår löper en större risk att drabbas av psykisk ohälsa i form av utbrändhet, depressioner samt stress och även posttraumatisk stressyndrom (PTSD). Personalstöd har visat sig leda till såväl lägre sjukfrånvaro som mindre personalomsättning. Det finns olika former av personalstöd, ute i verksamheterna används oftast kamratstöd, avlastningssamtal och debriefing. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka förekomst av riktlinjer samt att beskriva dess innehåll för personalstöd efter kritiska och traumatiska händelser på ett antal anestesiavdelningar i Sverige. Metod: Metoden som användes var av kvantitativ och kvalitativ ansats och analysen genomfördes med manifest innehållsanalys. Resultat: 28 frågeformulär skickades ut, av dessa erhölls fjorton svar och sju utav dessa hade avdelningsspecifika riktlinjer för personalstöd. Riktlinjerna granskades och tre kategorier urskiljdes; syfte och mål med riktlinjerna, förebygga och stödja samt arbetsmiljö. De stödåtgärder som framkom var avlastningssamtal, debriefing, krisstöd, enskilt krisstöd, ceremonier samt emotionellt stöd och eftersnack. Avlastningssamtal var den vanligaste stödåtgärden. Slutsats: Ungefär hälften av de anestesiavdelningarna som erhöll frågeformulär valde att inte medverka i studien. Endast sju anestesiavdelningar av de som medverkade hade riktlinjer trots att lagar och föreskrifter säger att arbetsgivaren ska tillhandahålla riktlinjer för personalstöd. Klinisk betydelse: Förhoppningen är att denna studie ska vara ett stöd för verksamheter vid utformning av riktlinjer samt vid uppdatering av befintliga riktlinjer för personalstöd efter kritiska och traumatiska händelser. / Background: The personnel are the most important asset in health care and it is therefore important that they receive the support they need to avoid stress and mental fatigue. Personnel which works in environments where critical and traumatic events occur is at a higher risk of mental illness in form of burnout, depression, stress and also post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Support to personnel has been found to contribute both to lower absenteeism as well as a lower personnel turnover. There are various forms of personnel support, the most commonly used types within operations are co-worker support, relief conversations and debriefing. Aim: The aim of this survey was to investigate the presence of guidelines and its contents for personnel support after critical and traumatic events in a number of anesthesia departments in Sweden Method: The method used was quantitative and qualitative approach, and the analysis was performed with manifest content analyze. Result: 28 questionnaires were sent out, of these were fourteen responses received and seven of these had guidelines for personnel support. The guidelines were reviewed and three categories were distinguished; purpose and goals of the guidelines, prevention and support, and work environment. Support methods that emerged was relief conversations, debriefing, crisis support, individual crisis support, ceremonies, emotional support and after talk. Relief conversations were found to be the most common method. Conclusion: Approximately half of the anesthesia departments that received questionnaires decided to don’t participate in the study. Only seven anesthesia departments of those who participated had guidelines, despite the fact that laws and regulations say that the employer shall provide guidelines for personnel support. Clinical significance: It is wished that this study will provide support for activities when developing guidelines, and also when updating already existing guidelines for personnel support after critical and traumatic events.

Certain individuals, such as police officers, are exposed to traumatic events as part of the occupational roles they fulfill. In order to prevent psychological illnesses; namely the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that results from work-related traumatic incidents, psychological interventions have been developed such as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences and the perceptions of police members stationed at the South African Police Service (SAPS) Head Office in Pretoria, regarding the effectiveness of Trauma Debriefing within the SAPS environment. The researcher was motivated to choose this subject as a result of the challenges he faced while working as a Psychometrist and a Debriefer within the SAPS. Furthermore, the lack of research and literature studies concerning the effectiveness of trauma debriefing motivated the researcher to conduct the study. The qualitative approach was utilized in this study, and interviews were used to gather data about the experiences and perceptions of police members regarding the effectiveness of trauma debriefing. Utilizing an interview schedule, the researcher interviewed 10 respondents who were functional members of the SAPS. A systematic sampling method was used to select suitable respondents for the study. The type of research used was that of applied research, as the intention was to answer practical questions about the effectiveness of trauma debriefing within the SAPS. The exploratory design was utilized in this study, since there was limited information about the experiences and perceptions of police members in existence. The purpose of using this design was thus to explore the perceptions and experiences of police members regarding the effectiveness of trauma debriefing in order to provide new information about the topic. The researcher believes that this research will provoke some thought about new scientific research into this field of study. A discussion on the theoretical overview on trauma debriefing focused on the goals and theories of debriefing. In addition, a theoretical overview of the debriefing model adopted by the SAPS, the benefits of debriefing, the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and critical perspectives with regard to the effectiveness of trauma debriefing. The research findings indicated that trauma debriefing has been viewed and experienced by most respondents as good. Most police members perceived trauma debriefing as effective. Furthermore, police members perceived trauma debriefing as management=s support. The research findings however also indicated that trauma debriefing should be pro-active rather than reactive. Some respondents felt that debriefing should include an element of monitoring members, in order to check their progress. In addition, the study showed that there is a lack of follow-up services to debriefing cases attended. / Dissertation (MSoc.Sci (Employee Assistance Programme))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work / unrestricted

The death of a parent is one of the most serious stressors that can occur in a child’s life. The aim of this study was to describe an 11-year-old child’s journey through traumatic grief after the violent death of her mother. The conceptual framework utilised was Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT). The case study approach was applied as it provided a suitable research design in which to give an account of the subject in a therapeutic situation. A purposive sampling technique was utilised to select the research subject in the study. The following three principles of data collection were adhered to: a) using multiple sources of information, b) creating a case study database, and c) maintaining a chain of evidence. Irving Alexander’s content-analysis technique in conjunction with Guba’s model of trustworthiness was employed for data analysis. The finding that emerged from the study was the resilience shown by Linda in relation to her adaptive functioning following the trauma of witnessing the violent death of her mother. Conclusions and recommendations were made following the findings based on the information obtained during the therapy sessions.

Positive psychology has significantly advanced our understanding of well-being, yet there remains a need to better understand the how, what, and why of both positive and negative well-being. This study combined positive psychology and job loss perspectives to investigate the subjective experience of well-being following job loss. Using a qualitative-focused case study methodology, this three article dissertation explored the experiences of 20 workers who were displaced from the Ottawa, Canada technology sector from 2000-2006. The first article explored the experience of well-being from a bottom-up, naturalistic point of view and compared these inductive notions with existing a priori theories. Findings support integrated conceptualizations of hedonia and eudaimonia, while also potentially identifying new notions of well-being. Identified themes include (a) life evaluation, (b) transitory experiencing, (c) growth and grounding, (d) environmental mastery/stability, (e) mental ill-being/ill-health, and (f) motivational mindsets/conditions. This study showed well-being to be a rich, pluralistic construct. It included the non-dualistic notions of both subjectivity and objectivity, as well as encompassing notions related to the what and how of well-being. The second and third articles present inductively derived themes which helped to explain the relationship between job loss and well-being (i.e., the how and why). Three externally focused themes were reported in the second article: (a) systemic factors (e.g., broader business environment), (b) interpersonal factors (e.g., social support), and (c) chance (e.g., luck and serendipity). The third article identified two internally focused major themes: (a) differential coping responses and processes and (b) protective and sensitizing processes. Coping specifically consisted of problem-focused coping, meaning-making, attitudes and expectancies, behavioural processes, and emotional processes. Protective and sensitizing processes included identity and self-esteem, the impact of past adversity, and personal resources and characteristics. Implications for theory, research, and practice for both positive psychology and job loss are discussed. Keywords: positive psychology, job loss, unemployment, qualitative research, case study, hedonia, eudaimonia, coping, meaning, meaning-making, resilience, post-traumatic growth, social support, relationships, theory, processes

M.A. / This study comments on the debate surrounding behavioural indicators on the child that has been sexually abused. The basic objective of this study is to determine whether behavioural differences can be identified between the child that has been sexually abused and a child that has not been abused. For this research study the quasi-experimental design and specifically the comparison post-test-alone is utilized. The experimental group was exposed to sexual abuse and the comparison group was not exposed to sexual abuse. The result of this study indicates a statistically significant difference toward behavioural indicators, between the experimental group and the comparison group. Children in the experimental group experienced higher levels of psycho-social problems. Therefore it can be accepted that sexual abuse resorts in behavioural changes. It is therefore recommended that behavioural changes are utilized in practice by social workers to verify sexual abuse.

This study focused on the impact of the revelations at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings on 30 female victims of all races. An explanatory model, the TRC Revelation Aftermath Model was designed to direct the research and to interpret the data. Researcher made use of a non-probability sampling strategy. Five respondents were selected by purposive sampling and 25 were selected by means of the snowball sampling. The sample of this study consisted of three components, namely ten Commissioners of the TRC, ten Coordinators who worked in the TRC offices, as well as 30 female victims of all races. The Commissioners were interviewed to validate the data obtained from the victims while the Coordinators were consulted merely to obtain general information on the criteria which was used to process the applications submitted by the victims in order to receive the reparations. The analysis of the data revealed that the respondents accepted three assumptions, namely, they were invulnerable with regard to trauma such as that caused by the revelations of the TRC. In addition to this they viewed life as meaningful and that they also had a positive attitude towards it before the political conflict of the apartheid era in South Africa impacted on them. These assumptions were interpreted in terms of Janoff-Bulman and Frieze's theory. The research findings indicated that the assumptions were not only affected by the revelations but that they also influenced the way in which these women experienced the TRC process. It was found that the victim respondents, whose family members had disappeared and were never confirmed dead, had suffered exacerbated emotions which were characterised by denial. This was the result of repressed memories associated with the grief. Of importance too, was the finding that a few of the victims were successful in deriving meaning from their suffering, while others, who could not achieve this, could not reconcile with their perpetrators and this was determined by their age. As the former were willing to forgive their perpetrators they had thus found inner peace. During the interviews, the victims mentioned that although the TRC had appeared to be necessary before they made their submissions, however, after it had disappointed them by not granting them reparations, this exacerbated their suffering as they felt that they had been discriminated against in favour of the perpetrators who were granted amnesty irrespective of not having made full disclosures. According to Parsons General Action System all the respondents experienced their trauma as biological entities, and thus suffered symptoms related to psychosomatic illnesses such as, inter alia, headaches, insomnia, and ulcers. These were accompanied by personality characteristics such as anger, aggression, as well as hatred. As the victims could not function in isolation, they also endured ostracisation related to cultural stereotypes and in this way, their suffering was perceived as secondary to that of males. Furthermore, within the social system, the victims who perceived the TRC as biased, believed that it had caused the country embarrassment by bringing up the conflict of the apartheid era. However, others verbalised that the Commission was a good initiative for South Africa so that peace as well as reconciliation could be facilitated for the sake of unity. It is crucial to stress the finding that some of the respondents, although few, who had been granted reparations, were satisfied with the TRC and perceived it as fair and thus could reconcile with their perpetrators. The research report concludes with a number of recommendations for the establishment of support services for the traumatised victims as well as integrative mechanisms, which could encourage co-operation between the citizens of South Africa so that the reconciliation which the TRC facilitated can be sustained. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, amnesty, violence, human rights, reconciliation, apartheid, trauma, grief, bereavement. / Thesis (DPhil (Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

This thesis examines the captivity narrative, Three Came Home, written in 1947 by Agnes Newton-Keith, and the poverty narrative, Without a Net: Middle Class and Homeless (with Kids) in America: My Story, written in 2005 by Michelle Kennedy. When examined together through the lens of Trauma Theory, these narratives provide evidence of how similar the survival skills and strategies are between the American female POW's and the American females experiencing downward mobility. This thesis will also show how language uncovers and decodes the presence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder not often associated with women in poverty.