There is a growing need for corporate employees to be able to manage their stress levels and use stress to their own, and to the organisation’s, advantage. Various literature references show that the damage to the workplace and to the worker costs millions of rands annually. Organisations are loosing money because of employees who are not able to manage their stress levels. Employees often experience stress because of an excessive workload, a high expected work pace, difficult work schedules, role conflict, uncertainty regarding career security, poor interpersonal relationships and unpleasant working conditions and many more. This stress manifests in conflict, depression, absenteeism, headaches, hypertension, alcoholism, drug abuse and more which as a result, impacts the organisation’s profitability due to decrease in productivity. In this thesis, research was done regarding the use of play therapy mediums in a stress management programme with corporate employees. The following research question was formulated: Will the use of play therapy mediums in a stress management programme for corporate employees, have a positive effect on their stress levels? The purpose of this stress management programme was to create greater awareness amongst corporate employees regarding the effects of stress on their lives and to indicate to them how they can go about managing stress to their advantage. The aim of the research was to use play therapy mediums in a stress management programme to enable corporate employees to become aware of, and to manage their stress levels. Play therapy mediums were therefore used to aid the de-stressing of the corporate employees and to facilitate greater awareness regarding the effects of stress on their lives. The researcher applied the Gestalt Theory as theoretical framework for this study. This theory supports the notion of awareness as a tool that can be used by a person to be in control of his/her life. The Gestalt Theory as a theoretical framework emphasises the fact that healthy behaviour occurs once people reach a point where they can regulate the emotional state that they are in. The literature research has shown that when this comes about, people experience a feeling of unity and integration in their lives. It is also concerned with the total existence of a human being. The people are addressed as whole and integrated beings, who strive to gain balance in an ever-changing environment. The Gestalt Theory is holistic and can form the theoretical framework for work with any type of individual and has been used effectively with individuals, groups and in teaching. Research was done within the corporate environment. The researcher developed a stress management programme which was presented to corporate employees. The aim was to establish whether the programme would have an effect on their stress levels and whether play therapy mediums can be used successfully with corporate employees during a training programme to reduce their stress levels and to improve their awareness of the causes of stress in their lives and their reactions to stressors in their environment. This stress management programme served as an intervention because it could enhance the functioning of the corporate employees with regard to their stress levels and also their general functioning within the organisation and in their personal lives. Pre- and post-test results were compared to evaluate the effect of the programme. Play therapy is traditionally used with children but relevant literature and the researcher’s own experience from the research has shown remarkable results in the use of play therapy mediums with adults. The literature as well as the empirical study showed that play itself has a number of therapeutic elements that produce behaviour change. Furthermore play also offers opportunities to re-live past stressful events and the emotions associated with them in a safe and therapeutic environment. The research findings indicated that stress levels improved after the stress management programme was presented to the corporate employees. From the research findings the researcher developed a model as a guideline for a stress management programme using play therapy mediums in the corporate environment. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS : In hierdie studie is daar enersyds bepaal of daar spesifieke stressore aanwesig is wat tot werknemers van die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling se verhoogde stresvlakke en gepaardgaande siening van ‘n negatiewe gehalte van werklewe (GWL) bydra. Andersyds was die fokus op die effektiwiteit van die huidige Stresbeheerprogram (SBP), waar vasgestel is of deelname aan die spesifieke program tot 'n beter en meer positiewe ervaring in die werknemer se GWL bydra. Die studie het uitgebreide teoretiese perspektiewe op die gehalte van werk, stres, welstand en intervensies in die werkplek voorsien. Vanuit die literstuurstudie in gemelde hoofstukke 2, 3, 4 en 5 blyk dit duidelik dat verandering in die werksomgewing en die gevolglike stres wat dit meebring op die werknemer se belewenis van welstand en gehalte van werklewe impakteer, en dat die werknemer se reaksie op beide voorafgaande die deurslaggewende faktor in die bereiking van gesondheid en welstand is. Werkgewers het die verantwoordelikheid om ‘n gelukkige werkplek te vestig deur die benutting van intervensieprogramme ten einde werknemers in staat te stel om eienaarskap van hul lewens te aanvaar in die bereiking van optimale gesondheid en welstand. Die literatuurstudie is opgevolg deur ‘n empiriese ondersoek waartydens evaluatiewe navorsing benut is. Die kwantitatief-kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings met fokus op Creswell se ‘dominant- less-dominant’ model is gebruik, waar die kwantitatiewe fases as oorheersende paradigma gebruik is. Die kwantitatiewe beskrywende opname-ontwerp se ewekansige kruisseksie-opname is benut om ondersoek in te stel na die aard, omvang en impak van stres op die GWL van werknemers aan die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling. Die aangepaste ‘ASSET’-posvraelys is aan respondente van die twee gekose fakulteite en respondente van die SBP voorsien. Die kwasieksperimentele navorsingsontwerp se een-groep voortoets-na-toets ontwerp en handafgelewerde vraelyste het gedien as tweede kwantitatiewe fase van die studie. Tydens fase drie, die kwalitatiewe fase, is die gevallestudie met fokus op kollektiewe gevallestudie as navorsingstrategie gevolg waartydens semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met ‘n onderhoudskedule gebruik is om addisionele inligting te bekom. Die belewenisse en behoeftes van die respondente, wat die SBP opleiding voltooi het, is bepaal ten einde sodanige belewenisse en behoeftes tydens die aanpassings van die SBP in ag te neem. Die gestruktureerde vraelyste, sowel as die semigestruktureerde onderhoude is as voor- en na-toets gebruik om die effektiwiteit en die benuttingswaarde van die huidige SBP te bepaal. Die keuse van die onderskeie benaderings, strategie en ontwerpe, wat tydens die navorsingsproses gevolg is, was relevant en suksesvol ten einde die geformuleerde probleem aan te spreek, die navorsingsvrae sinvol te beantwoord, en die hipotese te bevestig. Die navorser kon dus daarin slaag om, deur gebruikmaking van metodologiese triangulasie, die kwantitatiefkwalitatiewe benaderings te kombineer waartydens meervoudige metodes aangewend is om alle moontlike aspekte van dieselfde fenomeen te beskou en te vergelyk, en sodoende die geldigheid daarvan te verifieer. Gebaseer op bevindinge, kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat stressore wel by werknemers van die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling aanwesig is, dat stres ‘n wesenlike impak op die GWL van werknemers het, en dat die huidige Stresbeheerprogram wel ‘n verbetering in die GWL van werknemers teweeggebring het. ENGLISH : On the one hand this study determines whether there are specific stressors present, which lead to higher stress levels and contribute to the accompanying negative quality of worklife perspective of employees at the relevant tertiary institution (QWL). On the other hand the focus is on the effectiveness of the current Stress Management Programme (SMP), in order to determine whether participation in this specific programme contributes to a better and more positive experience of the employee's QWL. This study provides extensive theoretic perspectives on the quality of work, stress, wellbeing and interventions in the workplace. From the literature review in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5, it is clear that change in the work environment, and the subsequent stress it imposes, impacts on the employee's experience of quality of worklife and wellbeing and the employee's reaction to both these is the decisive factor in reaching health and wellbeing in the workplace. Employers have the responsibility to establish a healthy workplace by utilising intervention programmes in order to enable employees to accept ownership of their lives in reaching optimum health and wellbeing. The literature review is followed by an empirical investigation during which evaluative research was utilised. The quantitative-qualitative research approaches, with focus on Creswell's ‘dominant-less-dominant’ model was used where the quantitative phases were used as the dominant paradigm. The quantitative descriptive design's random cross section is utilized to investigate the nature, extent and impact of stress on the QWL of employees at the relevant tertiary education institution. The adapted ‘ASSET’ mailed questionnaire was provided to respondents from two chosen faculties and respondents who participated in the SMP. The quasiexperimental research design's one-group pre-test / post-test design and hand-delivered questionnaires served as the second quantitative phase of this study. During the qualitative third phase, the case study, with focus on a collective case study as research strategy, was followed during which semi-structured interviews with an interview schedule were used to obtain additional information. The experiences and needs of respondents, who completed the SMP training, were determined in order to take into account these experiences and needs when the SMP is adapted. The structured questionnaires, as well as the semi-structured interviews were used as pre-test and post-test to determine the effectiveness and the utilization value of the current SMP. The choice of the different approaches, strategy and design which were followed during the research process, were relevant and successful in order to address the formulated problem, to provide a sensible answer to the research question, and to confirm the hypothesis. The researcher could therefore succeed to, by using methodological triangulation, combine the quantitative-qualitative approaches, during which multiple methods were applied to explore and compare all possible aspects of the same phenomenon and to subsequently verify the validity thereof. Based on findings, the following conclusion can be made: firstly, there are stressors present at the relevant tertiary education institution; secondly, stress has a substantial impact on the QWL of employees; and the current Stress Management Programme contributes to an improved QWL of employees. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Limited research has investigated the stress-related experiences of South African nursing students. Moreover, there is a scarcity of empirical studies that have reported on the development and evaluation of psycho-educational stress-management programmes that focus on both pathogenic, as well as positive and meaning-related factors among nursing students. The aim of this investigation was to study compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and meaning in life among a sample of nursing students with the aim of developing, and then empirically evaluating, a psycho-educational stress-management programme. The psycho-educational stress-management programme was articulated from a logotherapy-based perspective. A research design, consisting of three interdependent phases, was used to pursue the aim of the study. The aim of phase 1 was to describe the (1) prevalence of, and (2) correlations between, the deleterious and positive and meaningful effects of caring and among a sample of 80 nursing students (Mage = 22.40 years, SD = 11.1, female = 91.25%). The results indicated that participants may benefit from a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. The purpose of phase 2 of the study was to develop a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme for nursing students. The goal of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was to assist participants to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities that may be required to address deleterious challenges, and enhance positive and meaning-related opportunities. In phase 3 the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was presented to a sample of 42 first year nursing students (Mage = 20.21, SD = 1.57, female = 79.31%). A convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. Quantitative results indicated (1) a reduction in compassion fatigue and burnout, and (2) an increase in compassion satisfaction and meaning in life, scores over the course of the programme. Qualitative analysis supported the quantitative results. It was subsequently concluded that the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was effective in assisting participants to address the deleterious , as well embrace the positive and meaning-related effects of caring. However, ongoing support may be required to fully assist nursing students to address stressful challenges. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Limited research has investigated the stress-related experiences of South African nursing students. Moreover, there is a scarcity of empirical studies that have reported on the development and evaluation of psycho-educational stress-management programmes that focus on both pathogenic, as well as positive and meaning-related factors among nursing students. The aim of this investigation was to study compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction and meaning in life among a sample of nursing students with the aim of developing, and then empirically evaluating, a psycho-educational stress-management programme. The psycho-educational stress-management programme was articulated from a logotherapy-based perspective. A research design, consisting of three interdependent phases, was used to pursue the aim of the study. The aim of phase 1 was to describe the (1) prevalence of, and (2) correlations between, the deleterious and positive and meaningful effects of caring and among a sample of 80 nursing students (Mage = 22.40 years, SD = 11.1, female = 91.25%). The results indicated that participants may benefit from a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. The purpose of phase 2 of the study was to develop a logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme for nursing students. The goal of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was to assist participants to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities that may be required to address deleterious challenges, and enhance positive and meaning-related opportunities. In phase 3 the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was presented to a sample of 42 first year nursing students (Mage = 20.21, SD = 1.57, female = 79.31%). A convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme. Quantitative results indicated (1) a reduction in compassion fatigue and burnout, and (2) an increase in compassion satisfaction and meaning in life, scores over the course of the programme. Qualitative analysis supported the quantitative results. It was subsequently concluded that the logotherapy-based psycho-educational stress-management programme was effective in assisting participants to address the deleterious , as well embrace the positive and meaning-related effects of caring. However, ongoing support may be required to fully assist nursing students to address stressful challenges. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)