Text in Afrikaans / Die studie fokus op die effek van krisiswerk op die helper in terme van stres, die uitbrandingsindroom en posttraumatiese stresversteuring (PTSV). Salutogeniese konstrukte as moderatorveranderlikes in die stres-siekte-verhouding word ook ondersoek. 'n Beskikbaarheidsteekproef van 52 ambulansmanne en 52 kontrolegroepwerkers is verkry. Biografiese, koherensie-, uitbrandings-, PTSV- en stresvraelyste is ingevul en statisties verwerk. Resultate dui daarop dat ambulansmanne hul werk as buitengewoon stresvol beleef en dat meer ambulansmanne diagnoseerbare PTSV vertoon. Daar blyk geen verskil tussen die twee groepe te wees nie met betrekking tot die voorkoms van uitbranding en streservaring. 'n Negatiewe verband tussen koherensiebelewing en die voorkoms van stressimptome en uitbranding is verkry. Ambulansmanne het 'n buitengewoon stresvolle werk en vertoon meer simptome van stresversteurings as mense in ander beroepe. Aanbevelings word gedoen oor hoe om die negatiewe konsekwensies van stres te verminder. / The study focuses on the effect of crisis work on the assistant in terms of stress, the burnout syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Salutogenic constructs as moderator variables in the stress-illness relationship are also investigated. An availability sample of 52 ambulancemen and 52 control group workers was obtained. Biographic, coherence, burnout, PTSD and stress questionnaires were completed and statistically processed. Results indicate that ambulancemen experience their work as exceptionally stressful and that more Ambulancemen display diagnosable PTSD. There appears to be no difference between the two groups in respect of the incidence of burnout and experience of stress. A negative connection between the experience of coherence and the incidence of stress symptoms and burnout was obtained. Ambulancemen have an exceptionally stressful job and display more symptoms of stress disorders. Recommendations are made on how to reduce the negative consequences of stress. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

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)

Bakgrund:  Compassion fatigue hos sjuksköterskor beskrivs som en minskad förmåga att känna empati till följd av att ha levt sig in i andra människors trauman, samtidigt ses empati som en av kärnorna i omvårdnaden. Många sjuksköterskor saknar kunskap i ämnet men drabbade sjuksköterskor beskriver det som en överväldigande känsla av att något är fel. Detta kan leda till att många sjuksköterskor funderar på att lämna yrket. Syfte: Syftet var att kartlägga faktorer till uppkomsten av compassion fatigue hos sjuksköterskor. Metod: En litteraturöversikt enligt Fribergs metod som baserades på elva kvantitativa och en kvalitativ artikel. Resultat: Resultatet presenterades utifrån fyra teman: empati, skuldkänslor och moralisk stress, personliga och sociala faktorer, arbetsrelaterade och organisatoriska faktorer samt ålder, arbetslivserfarenhet och professionalism. Några faktorer som orsakar compassion fatigue var hög grad av empatisk förmåga och hanteringsstrategier. Diskussion: Watsons teori om mänsklig omsorg och Conti O´Hares theory of the nurse as a wounded healer användes som teoretiska referensramar. Watson beskriver empati som en av kärnorna i hennes teori. Samtidigt som litteraturöversiktens resultat visade att högre grad av empati hos sjuksköterskan ger större risk att drabbas av compassion fatigue. Detta kan ses som motsägelsefullt då empati är en förutsättning för god omsorg. Conti O´Hares teori och resultatet stämmer överens i det avseende att om trauman hanteras på ett negativt sätt leder det till ohälsa. / Background: Compassion fatigue among nurses is described as a reduced ability to feel empathy due to being exposed to other peoples trauma, at the same time empathy is seen as one of the core values in nursing. Many nurses lack knowledge about the subject but affected nurses describes it as an overwhelmingly feeling that something is wrong. This may lead to a lot of nurses thinking about leaving the profession. Aim: The purpose was to identify the factors that lead to compassion fatigue in nurses. Method: A literature review according to Friberg´s method that is based on eleven quantitative articles and one qualitative article. Results: The results were presented on the basis of four themes: empathy, feelings of guilt and morol distress, personal and social factors, work related and organizational factors and also age, work experience and professionalism. Some of the factors that cause compassion fatigue were degree of empathetic ability and personal coping strategies. Discussion: Watson´s theory of human caring and Conti O´Hare´s theory of the nurse as a wounded healer was used as theoretical frame of reference. Watson describes empathy as one of the core values in her theory of human caring, at the same time the results of the literature review showed that nurses with a higher degree of empathy were at higher risk to develop compassion fatigue. This can be seen as contradictory when empathy is a condition in caring. Conti O´Hare´s theory and the result agree in the regard that if trauma is not handled in a positive way it may lead to illness.

No description available.

In 2009, South African police statistics revealed that more than 68 332 women were raped in the country. The evidence from independent researchers has shown that SAPS statistics are highly susceptible to under-reporting and the actual figure is more than double this amount. One pervasive feature of the phenomenology of rape is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a highly debilitating condition with severe individual and societal costs. The condition takes a critical toll on occupational functioning, schooling and personal relationships and is associated with depression, suicide risk, self-harming behaviours and alcohol-abuse problems. The Ehlers and Clark (2000) cognitive model represents the most efficacious treatment for PTSD but the approach is severely under-utilised by South African practitioners working with sexual trauma. The reasons for such under-utilisation relate to a lack of exposure and training surrounding the model and concerns about the transportability of the treatment to a multi-cultural context. One method of addressing these barriers to treatment delivery is through systematic case-based research. Systematic case-based research offers a complementary means of refining theory and developing evidence-based practice in the context of a developing country. The method offers an intensive analysis and description of the particular phenomena under study within its real-life context. It allows the researcher to intensively examine and identify the specific aspects of the therapist’s responses and client’s reactions that contributed to significant change. Unlike efficacy studies, generalisability in case-study research is based on replication on a case-by-case basis and the creation of case law. This research study uses a systematic-case study approach to investigate the applicability of the Ehlers and Clark (2000) model in the treatment of rape-related PTSD in South Africa. The study aims to demonstrate the transportability of the model and develop a needed evidence base for service providers in the country. Seven women participated in the project and lent their treatment process to the research. The participants varied in terms of age, race, culture, socio-economic status and the nature of their sexual trauma. Through synoptic thematic analysis of their therapy process specific client-related personal aspects, client-related contextual factors and state-level factors were found to impede treatment delivery and implementation. The implications of these aspects for clinical practice and social policy are comprehensively discussed.

This study uses a multiple regression correlational (MRC) analytic approach to examine the association between witnessing violence and reactive aggression, post-traumatic stress, and insecure attachment. One hundred adult male California State University students were surveyed using the Conflict Tactics Scale, the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment scale, the Child Report of Post Traumatic Symptoms scale, the Conduct Disorder scale, and the Modified Impact of Events scale.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / An Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is considered one of the most stressful work environments. Copious literature has demonstrated that emergency service work has an undesirable impact on the health and wellbeing of personnel. In South Africa, research findings described that emergency services personnel are among the highest group of professionals at risk of suffering from job-related stress. In spite of the fact, previous studies have examined the association between critical incidents and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms including the psychological influence of trauma, a minority studies have explored the EMS personnel’s traumatic experiences and the subsequent coping strategies applied. This study sought to explore and describe the lived experiences of Emergency Medical Personnel in Capricorn District and to develop a user led model for mitigating occupational stress among EMS personnel. The principal aim of this study was achieved through the following objectives; to profile work related stress and the lived experiences of EMS personnel in Capricorn District, to Identify and appraise coping strategies employed by EMS personnel, to establish how accessible and user friendly EAP services are to EMS personnel, to determine the nature of social support (colleagues and supervisors) EMS personnel receive and to develop a user-led model for EMS personnel. This study was rooted in three theories, namely; trauma theory, resilience theory and the strengths perspective theory. The three theories were appropriate in this study to offer a perspective of situation and to analyse the situation under study to provide an understanding into the way in which EMS personnel make sense of their situation of the challenges they come across and make use of the available resources. The three theories interlaced together played a critical role in this study as they both align with building resilience, recognise individual’s innate strengths and coping in the face of hardship. Owing to the inimitability role of the emergency personnel and the services’ work context, the study adopted a qualitative approach. The purpose of the study was exploratory descriptive in nature. Exploring both their experience of critical incidents and the coping strategies employed by them to mitigate work-related stress and traumatic incidents from this qualitative perspective allowed the researcher to employ phenomenological research design for this study. A sample size of 21 emergency employees comprising 7 station managers and 14 EMS personnel) was obtained through purposive sampling technique. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data.  The findings suggest that life in the emergency field can possibly have an undesirable long-term effect on employees’ overall health and welfare and higher risk of PTSD. The distressing incidents were those in which the participants experienced feelings of vulnerability and had no control of the situations. The study established that emergency personnel find it most hard to deal with incidents involving children and colleagues. Emergency personnel suffer from emotional and physical stress owing to high job demands and repeated exposure to traumatic incidents. Regardless of the traumatic nature of emergency work and the inimitable role of emergency personnel, this study discovered that fact several stressors originate from organisational failure such lack of involvement in decision-making process, lack of training and shortage of staff. Unsupportive work environment, Lack of personal and job resources were found to be the extensive contributory factors to the job pressure experienced by which lead to compassion fatigue and exhaustion. It was also discovered the current EAP programme in the Department of Health (DoH) is not known and inaccessible to EMS personnel. The coping strategies utilised by emergency personnel were not adequate to prevent the aftermath of critical incidents. However collegial and social support from supervisors were found helpful in dealing with work-related stress. The study findings revealed that emergency personnel were unaware of the available support services within the DoH in Capricorn District. Collectively, the findings confirm that there is a need for an extensive marketing strategy of the EAP services and the user-led model which will be implemented by the organisation. The researcher recommends that EAP policies should form part of package given to new recruits during induction or orientation programme and diverse marketing strategies should be adopted to familiarise employees with EAP services available to them. The DoH should consider decentralisation of EAP services to enhance accessibility.

Background: Compassion-fatigue is a condition which therapists are forced into as a consequence of the nature of their work. The phenomenon has historically, and to some extent currently, been described as secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. The goal of this paper is to bring clarity as to what the phenomenon is and how it has been used in research, how common it is, what factors have been identified in the research that increase or decrease risk of developing it and lastly if any attempts have been made to develop a specific approach in preventing and/or treating the condition. Method: This current paper is a scoping review with a systematic approach.12 published studies, quantitative and qualitative in nature, were included and passed for review. Results: The result of the review indicates a deficit in data regarding prevalence of the phenomenon in the population and a general lack of randomized and experimental data. Most of the published studies were exploring psychologist experiences and secondarily attempting to identify factors predicting the development of compassion-fatigue. In conclusion, the phenomenon, regardless of what term is used, seems to be clearly delineated from conditions more akin to exhaustion and depression. Discussion: According to this study compassion-fatigue seems to be a condition that is sparked by the extraneous use of one’s empathic abilities past a tolerable point. Increased exposure by psychologists to work with patients with trauma may increase the risk of developing compassion-fatigue. It is still unknown what the mechanisms are that causes the condition and its prevalence among the population and further research, preferably randomized and experimental with comparison groups, is needed in order for this area to be fully mapped and explained.

This quasi-experimental study investigates neuropsychological functioning differences between 63 active duty soldiers who were placed into three groups (MTBI, PTSD, control) to provide better information for differentiating PTSD and MTBI. The ANAM and MicroCog were utilized to measure psychomotor speed, memory, and attention. Participants with PTSD performed worse on most measures of psychomotor speed and attention, and endorsed more symptoms of depression and anxiety when compared to MTBI and control participants. Further, attention appears to be the best cognitive domain for differentiating PTSD from MTBI, whereas memory variables did not differentiate these groups. Clinical and research implications of these findings are discussed.

This study acknowledges the fact that compassionate witnesses working with traumatised clients suffer from secondary traumatisation. Weingarten (2000, 2001, 2003) and Figley (1995) are some of the authors on this subject. The study is based within the Zimbabwean context, which is going through a period of transition involving political and economic factors. Survivors of political violence seek assistance from counselling agencies like CONNECT and Mopane Trust. Mopane Trust chose to specialise in this work through counselling and research. This study explores how Mopane Trust trauma counsellors cope with secondary trauma. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)