The study explored the experiences of young adults who have a sibling with cerebral palsy living in Nairobi, Kenya in order to establish how they made sense out of the experience of growing up with a sibling with CP. The study used a qualitative approach with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) whereby six participants all young adults aged between eighteen and twenty four years, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was undertaken according to IPA guidelines. The findings generated four super ordinate themes namely: increased sense of reward, emotional impact, family relationships and public relations. The findings revealed that there was a direct impact on sense of psychological well-being both negatively and positively. On one hand, the young adults experienced feelings of stigma, fear about the future, anger and a sense of responsibility. While on the other hand they experienced personal growth in terms of a sense of personal development and some concrete rewards. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the potential for personal development in the group studied and made a contribution to understanding the disabling impact of society on the lives of sibling due to disability by association.

This study focuses on investigating the psychological needs of orphans affected by HIV/AIDS and how these learners can be supported in order to cope effectively with the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The study needed to understand the psychological well being of learners affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS, their general performance at school, the nature and extent of social support they get from their families, communities and societies and their physical well being. Suggestions for an ecosystemic theoretical framework to be infused in all psycho-social support programmes geared to strengthen the psycho-social well-being of AIDS orphans were made. Orphans are affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially. Affected learners have fewer opportunities for schooling and education, may suffer from malnutrition. They are themselves often highly vulnerable to HIV infection and are at higher risk of developing psychological problems. In this study, a case study design was followed. Interviews were conducted with a sample of participants including orphaned learners living in a child-headed household, class-educator, an aunt and a health worker in Soweto. The researcher recruited participants by means of snowball sampling. Results revealed that learners orphaned by HIV/AIDS suffer emotional trauma and grief, illness and stress. They have scholastic problems, suffer stigmatization and discrimination, miss out on educational opportunities and experience poverty. This is an indication of a need for social support. It is for this reason that an ecosystemic support programme which schools can adopt and adapt in order to develop the psychological and social resilience of learners affected and orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is proposed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

This study focuses on investigating the psychological needs of orphans affected by HIV/AIDS and how these learners can be supported in order to cope effectively with the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The study needed to understand the psychological well being of learners affected or orphaned by HIV/AIDS, their general performance at school, the nature and extent of social support they get from their families, communities and societies and their physical well being. Suggestions for an ecosystemic theoretical framework to be infused in all psycho-social support programmes geared to strengthen the psycho-social well-being of AIDS orphans were made. Orphans are affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially. Affected learners have fewer opportunities for schooling and education, may suffer from malnutrition. They are themselves often highly vulnerable to HIV infection and are at higher risk of developing psychological problems. In this study, a case study design was followed. Interviews were conducted with a sample of participants including orphaned learners living in a child-headed household, class-educator, an aunt and a health worker in Soweto. The researcher recruited participants by means of snowball sampling. Results revealed that learners orphaned by HIV/AIDS suffer emotional trauma and grief, illness and stress. They have scholastic problems, suffer stigmatization and discrimination, miss out on educational opportunities and experience poverty. This is an indication of a need for social support. It is for this reason that an ecosystemic support programme which schools can adopt and adapt in order to develop the psychological and social resilience of learners affected and orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is proposed. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The aim of the present study was to explore and describe the psychosocial experiences of secondary school learners from child-headed households in Mankweng area, Limpopo province. A qualitative research approach, specifically the phenomenological research design was used in this study. Ten grade 8 to 10 learners (male = 5; female = 5), aged between 16 and 18 years were purposively selected and requested to participate in the study. Data were collected through structured interviews. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method was used to analyse the data. The following three categories of themes were identified: a). Circumstances leading to child-headed households; b). Socioeconomic themes category; and, c). Psychosocial themes category. Each of the three categories yielded a number of themes. There were nine psychosocial category themes that emerged from the data. These among others included the following: a). Poor scholastic performance by learners from child-headed families; b). Increased levels of sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy for the girl child; and, c). Psychosocial trauma. With regard to coping strategies, the study found that girls tended to engage in risky sexual behaviour as a way to access financial support and to cope with their challenges when compared to boys who tended to engage in more positive behaviour like garden work in order to earn a living. Based on the above findings, the study recommends that learners from child-headed households should receive counselling support from school based support teams. Special consideration should be given to the orphaned girl child who is more vulnerable to psychosocial risks when compared to a boy child from a similar family background. The study further recommends that community support centres be established in order to support learners from child-headed families with after-school care, meals and recreational activities. There is also a need for community forums to be established and to prioritise the safety of their neighbourhoods in order for all children to feel appreciated and safe in their environments. The Department of Social Development should also continue to provide the support grant to learners who have reached the age of 18 who live in child-headed households as they still need care and support.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parental bereavement has generated interest internationally, and yet very few bereavement studies have been conducted within South Africa, even though the prevalence of South African adolescents experiencing parental bereavement is on the increase. The attachment theory explains why the loss of a parental figure during adolescence could have a long lasting negative influence on adolescents’ psychological development. The present study aimed to explore the psychological experience of bereavement for 66 adolescents who recently lost either a parent or a significant caregiver who played a parental role for the bereaved adolescent. By means of a cross-sectional quantitative design the following variables were examined: depression (using the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition; BDI-II), anxiety (using the Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI), coping (using the Coping Strategy Indicator; CSI), attachment (using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment; IPPA) and social support (using the Social Support Appraisal; SSA). The results showed that the strongest significant positive correlations were between depression and anxiety, followed by positive correlations between attachment to the remaining mother figure and problem-solving coping. Furthermore, the results showed that the strongest significant negative correlations were between: depression and problem-solving coping, followed by the correlation between attachment to the remaining mother figure and peers and depression. Support from significant attachment figures in the bereaved adolescent's life was found to promote healthy adjustment to the significant loss by lowering depression and strengthening perceived social support for the bereaved adolescent. For the South African population, peer run support group interventions, based in schools or community youth groups, have been identified as best suited to promote resilience for adolescents during the bereavement process. The interventions would bring together bereaved adolescents, creating a support group for the adolescent to draw on during their bereavement. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In teenstelling met die internasionale gemeenskap geniet studies rakende ouerlike verlies in Suid- Afrika relatief min belangstelling en alhoewel gevalle van adolessente wat ouerlike verlies ondervind in Suid-Afrika vermeerder, word daar baie min sulke studies plaaslik onderneem. Die teorie van gehegtheid verklaar hoekom die verlies van ‘n ouer-figuur gedurende adolessensie langtermyn psigologiese newe-effekte kan meebring. Hierdie studie beoog om die psigologiese ondervindinge van 66 adolessente , wat onlangs ‘n ouer of voog moes afstaan, te bestudeer. Deur gebruik te maak van ‘n kwantitatiewe kruispeiling is die volgende veranderlikes bestudeer: depressie (deur gebruik te maak van die “Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition; BDI-II”), angs (deur gebruik te maak van die “Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI”), aangewassenheid (deur gebruik te maak van die “Coping Strategy Indicator; CSI”), gehegtheid (deur gebruik te maak van die “Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment; IPPA”) en sosiale ondersteuning (deur gebruik te maak van die “Social Support Appraisal; SSA”). Die resultate toon dat die sterkste betekenisvolle positiewe korrelasies tussen angs en depressie bestaan, gevolg deur positiewe korrelasies tussen gehegtheid tot ‘n oorblywende moeder-figuur en aangewassenheid. Verder toon die resultate dat die sterkste betekenisvolle negatiewe korrelasies tussen depressie en probleem-oplossings opgewassenheid gevind kan word, gevolg deur gehegtheid aan ‘n oorblywende moeder-figuur en tydgenote en depressie. Ondersteuning van figure waarteen die adolessent aangeheg voel bewys om gesonde aanpassing tot die verlies te bewerkstellig deur die aanslag van depressie te bestry en begrip van sosiale ondersteuning te bevorder. In die Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing is gevind dat ingrypende ondersteuningsgroepe, wat bestuur word deur tydgenote van die adolessent, gebaseer in skole of gemeenskap jeug groepe, die beste vaar daarin om adolessente opgewasse te maak teen die verlies van ‘n ouer of voog gedurende die treur proses. Hierdie ingrypende ondersteuning groepeer treurende adolessente saam en bevorder so die vorming van ondersteuningsgroepe waar treurende adolessente mekaar kan bemoedig.

Thesis (MA(Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Increased globalisation and competition have implications for organisational renewal and change and increasingly cost cutting, by retrenching employees, is part of the search for competitive advantage and sustainability. Within the South African context, retrenchments are no exception. The study explored the experiences of those who are tasked with the role of implementing the retrenchment, the so-called retrenchment implementers. Despite implementers being key to ensuring organisational success and profitability in the aftermath of retrenchment, research on their experiences is limited not only internationally, but also locally. The study was conducted amongst participants employed at various South African organisations. Qualitative data was obtained via semi-structured interviews with the implementers of retrenchments. Following content analysis, three key themes emerged: implementers’ experiences of procedural aspects as per s189 and s189A of the Labour Relations Act 66, of 1995 (as amended); implementers’ personal experiences of performing the retrenchment act and organisational and personal enabling strategies to assist with preparing implementers for the retrenchment task. Results indicate mixed responses in terms of complying with the relevant legislation. Insofar as their personal experiences are concerned, results indicate that while some implementers had found ways to adjust to their managerial function of implementing retrenchments, others experienced discomfort with their role, suffering from amongst others guilt and feelings of responsibility, role conflict, role overload, decreased emotional well being, a sense of isolation, negative self-perceptions and feelings of job insecurity. In the majority of cases, implementers experienced limited organisational emotional support and assistance in dealing with their emotions during the retrenchment conversation. These results support the limited non-South African literature. The results from the present study also added insight into the ways in which implementers are personally prepared for their role as well as ways in which organisations can assist them emotionally for their task.

Thesis (M. A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The aim of this study was to determine the psychological experiences of family caregivers of children with an intellectual disability. The study was conducted along the lines of an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. Firstly, 15 family caregivers were purposively sampled as participants. They described their experiences of caring for children with a formal diagnosis of mild intellectual disability. The research question, which was used as a “grand-tour” question, was: “What are the psychological experiences of family caregivers of children with an intellectual disability?” Themes that emerged included the following: understanding intellectual disability; disclosure of the disability as a result of schooling difficulties; reaction to the disclosure of the disability; challenging behaviour of the child’s integration into the family system, unemployment and financial strains due to the child’s condition and community reaction; social support and stigmatisation. In the quantitative aspect of the study, the researcher used a close-ended questionnaire to collect data from one hundred self-declared primary family caregivers (one per household) of children with an intellectual disability. Results of regression analysis indicated that psychological wellbeing as measured by the Psychological General Well Being Index and its dimensions was predicted mainly by psychological stress and family support. Significant other support and support from friends only predicted life satisfaction. Policy recommendations are advanced based on the findings of the study.