Although the single-parent family is becoming an increasingly common family structure, it is associated with a great many hardships. Owing to the heavy responsibilities which fall on single parents, most fail to meet all of the needs of their children, particularly with respect to the financial needs which are entailed by providing educational necessities, safe, stable and permanent accommodation, adequate food and nutrition and healthcare. This study adopted the parental loss perspective, the economic hardship perspective and the interparental conflict perspective in investigating the experiences of young adults who were raised in single-parent families. A qualitative approach was adopted to conduct the research and data was collected from 26 male and female participants between the ages of 22 and 39 years who resided within the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. The researcher sought permission to conduct this study from all the community leaders including the councillors and chiefs, thereby acquiring the first referrals. The study made use of purposive sampling and snowballing to select the research sample. The data was collected by using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and analysed through the use of thematic analysis. The principal findings of the study indicate that although children who are raised in single-parent homes can attain high levels of education and have solid functional relationships in later life, a lack of finance and active parental involvement in their educational activities and social lives can serve to limit their development. As single-mother households face more economic hardships than any other family structures, financial assistance from both the government and their communities would undoubtedly increase the likelihood of children in single-mother families attaining their true academic potential. In addition, free counselling services would also help children who are forced to live under these circumstances overcome the emotional burden which inevitably accompanies either losing or being separated from one parent.

As youngsters become adults, the development of their personality becomes the focus of their attention. However, neither Christian youthwork nor adult education within the Protestant Church in Germany is geared towards accompanying and advising them in the midst of their religious questions and changes. There is virtually no scholarly or church literature that would focus on the age group of 18 to 30 year olds. Thus far, the Protestant Church has not yet published non-commercial programs for personality development. This dissertation focuses on evaluating a personality training program that was specially developed for young adults. The structures and the content are analyzed in order to gain insights into how such a training can be implemented in the local church. The empirical results will be complemented by insights from different studies on youth, theological and anthropological perspectives on personality and personhood, and two popular models of courses on the Christian faith. / An der Schwelle zum Erwachsenwerden steht die Entwicklung der eigenen Persönlichkeit im Mittelpunkt des Denkens von jungen Menschen. Aber weder die Jugendarbeit noch die Erwachsenenbildung sieht eine Aufgabe darin, junge Erwachsene in ihren religiösen Fragen und Veränderungen zu begleiten und zu beraten. Wissenschaftliche und gemeindepädagogische Literatur, speziell für die Altersgruppe der 18- bis 30-Jährigen, liegt kaum vor und innerhalb der evangelischen Kirche gibt es bislang keine nichtkommerziellen Persönlichkeitsprogramme für diese Personengruppe. Der Fokus dieser Arbeit ist auf die Dokumentation und die qualitative Evaluation eines Persönlichkeitstrainings gerichtet, das speziell für junge Erwachsene entwickelt wurde. Untersucht werden die Strukturen und die Inhalte des Programms, um konkrete Gestaltungshinweise für die Durchführung in einer örtlichen Kirchengemeinde zu gewinnen. Die empirischen Ergebnisse werden durch Exzerpte aus verschiedenen Jugendstudien, aus theologisch-anthropologischen Erörterungen zu Persönlichkeit und Person sein und die Bewertung von zwei christlich populären Glaubenskursen ergänzt. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

This thesis is about influences on young people's sexual risk taking. It is situated within a complex context of young people's sustained structural/self-sexualisation, significant sexual activity, unwanted outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), intended benefits such as pleasure, and recurrent interventionists' promotion of abstinence-until-marriage sexual norm to young people. The above conceptualization is tested with a mixed-methodology that recruited fifty-six students with a snowball sampling technique. McCracken's long-interview and Stones' empirical research brackets for structuration theory facilitated narrative data collection, which were subjected to structural-hermeneutic analysis. Respondents identified four broad influences on their dominantly heterosexual behaviour. They include external influences (mass media), internal influences (positive pre-dispositions to premarital sex), agency (purposeful sexual action), and (un)intended outcome (STI and pleasure). Respondents emphasize that influences are non-hierarchical, differentially combine, and are dependent on individuals, contexts and seasons. They also infer the Nigerian context concurrently constrain and enable their sexual conducts via three normative sexual behaviour options. These are (1) the dominant Nigerian culture promoted abstinence-until-marriage. (2) Modernity sanctioned safer-sex with contraceptives. (3) Collective/individuated preference for unprotected premarital sex, periodic abstinence and contraceptive use. Respondents admit they practise the latter, which is a hybridization of option (1) and (2) and is illustrative of the co-influence of structure and agency on action. The conclusion is drawn that sexual risk taking is influenced by young people's concurrent structural/self sexualisation and their pursuit of contextual, personal and collectively meaningfial goals. Consequently, dominant linear conceptualizations of sexual risk taking, e.g. problem behaviour, will continue to be limited in effectiveness because they neglect these complex, recursive and interrelated influences. Thus, pragmatic efforts to manage risk-prone sexualities must concurrently engage their complex structural and agential sources, governed by safer-sex promotion, a recognition of multiple influences and individuated/collective value that both society and young people attach to sex.

Background: Presymptomatic genetic testing should always involve a considered choice. Young adults are at a key life stage as they may be developing a career, forming partnerships and potentially becoming parents. Presymptomatic testing may therefore affect the future lives of consultands significantly when testing is undertaken in early adulthood. Aim: To explore presymptomatic testing for hereditary cancer in consultands aged 18-30 years with particular reference to psychosocial impact, the decision-making process and the consequent counselling needs. Methods: A mixed-methods sequential exploratory design was used, comprising a systematic review, a qualitative study and a quantitative study. Results of all phases were used to build a theoretical model regarding the process of presymptomatic testing in young adults. Findings: The systematic review indicated that many participants grew-up with little or no information concerning their genetic risk. The experience of genetic counselling was either reported as an opportunity for discussing problems or associated with feelings of disempowerment. Parents appeared to have exerted pressure on their children during the decision-making process. However, as a result of the qualitative study, the influence of other people and the decision-making process prior to counselling were identified as key factors. Further results from the quantitative phase underlined that parents felt they had control over the decisions their children made, while the majority of the young adults reported the request for the genetic test as their own decision. A new theoretical model of decision making and impact on young adults was built to synthesise the overarching experience of participants in this research project. Conclusion: Counselling approaches to this population may require modification both for young adults and their parents. Young adults may benefit from a multi-step approach to presymptomatic testing. Parents need to be more informed that genetic counselling is a forum where information can be obtained and young adults can talk about the testing decision, regardless of whether they want to be tested or not. The traditional ‘wait until they come to us’ approach by health services may be failing to meet the educational and emotional needs of this population.

Orientation: The high unemployment level in South Africa has caused even graduates to be unemployed and yet they hold university degrees. This has increased pressure on the job seeking students to develop factors that influence employability, hence the study seeks to identify whether personality and self-esteem act as predictors of employability among final year university students. Research purpose: The objectives of this investigation were to examine whether personality, as is typically found in personality type research tool such as the, (Myers Briggs personality indicator) and self-esteem positively predict employability among final year university students. Secondly, to determine the personality types that significantly predict employability among final year university students. The last objective was to determine whether self-esteem significantly predicts employability among final year university students. Motivation for the study: This investigation is particularly important because it looks at the non-academic attributes that make job-seeking students able to attain a job and also sustain that job. The 21st century workplace is ever changing, and students are required to build proactive personalities that help them increase their employability level and stand a higher chance of getting employed. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative survey research design was used and a questionnaire was self-administered to a stratified simple random sample consisting of 238 Management and Commerce final year students at the university of Fort Hare. The study used quantitative approach and a positivism paradigm. To measure personality, TIPI scale was used and had 10 items. Employability was measured using the student self-perceived employability scale and self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Main findings: The results of this study showed a similarity with others obtained in prior studies. The results drawn from the statistical analysis of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between personality types such as perceiving, extraversion and feeling with employability among final year management and commerce students at the university of Fort Hare. However, the results showed that there is no positive relationship that exists between self-esteem and employability among final year job-seeking students. Practical implications: The research findings provided evidence that personality had a positive relationship with employability in an academic context. This makes it clear that student career exploration process can only be successful when special attention is given to developing individual’s human capital skills and proactive personalities. Institutions of higher learning should take advantage of some career experts in their countries and in their universities to provide students with employability lessons and guidelines. Contribution: The most important contribution of this study is that it helps to extend knowledge and understanding on the issues concerning the relationship between personality, self-esteem and employability in an academic setting. The research magnified the frame of information in the area personality in relation to employability in academic contexts. It makes available more literature that looks into these two variables (personality and self-esteem) in an African context.

Aproximadamente 5% dos pacientes com infarto agudo do miocÃrdio tÃm idade inferior a 45 anos. As caracterÃsticas especÃficas, epidemiolÃgicas e clÃnicas desta populaÃÃo ainda nÃo estÃo bem esclarecidas. O objetivo do presente estudo à caracterizar a apresentaÃÃo clÃnica, epidemiolÃgica e cinecoronariogrÃfica em jovens submetidos à angioplastia coronariana primÃria (ATC). Foi realizada uma anÃlise retrospectiva de 150 prontuÃrios de pacientes com idade inferior a 45 anos submetidos à ATC entre janeiro de 2006 e dezembro de 2010. Foram analisados os fatores de risco, a apresentaÃÃo clÃnica e eletrocardiogrÃfica, a funÃÃo ventricular esquerda, caracterÃsticas da anatomia coronariana, o tratamento mÃdico e a evoluÃÃo hospitalar. Observou-se que a idade mÃdia dos pacientes foi de 40,1 Â5 anos, com predominÃncia do sexo masculino (68,7%). Os fatores de risco mais associados com o IAM foram o tabagismo (65%), a hipertensÃo arterial sistÃmica (50%), a histÃria familiar de doenÃa arterial coronariana (40%) e os baixos nÃveis de HDL - colesterol (60%). A prevalÃncia de diabetes mellitus foi de 19,3%. O acometimento da artÃria descendente anterior (DA) ocorreu em 53% dos indivÃduos e em 75% foi observada doenÃa em uma Ãnica artÃria. O tempo mÃdio de chegada ao hospital apÃs o inÃcio dos sintomas (delta T) foi de 5,5  3,4 horas e a permanÃncia hospitalar foi de 10,36  14,1 dias. Em 58% dos pacientes, a fraÃÃo de ejeÃÃo do ventrÃculo esquerdo foi superior a 55%. Houve apenas um Ãbito. A taxa de sucesso da ATC foi de 91%. Quanto ao tratamento do IAM, os pacientes receberam globalmente Ãcido acetilsalicÃlico (99,3%), clopidogrel (98%), inibidores da enzima de conversÃo da angiotensina (IECA) (85,3%), betabloqueadores (66%), estatinas (97,3%) e a prescriÃÃo de inibidores da glicoproteÃna IIb-IIIa foi observada em somente 10% dos pacientes. ConcluÃmos que o IAM em jovens apresenta-se como uma entidade tipicamente masculina e de bom prognÃstico na evoluÃÃo precoce, desde que instituÃdo tratamento adequado em tempo hÃbil. O tratamento mÃdico destinado a estes pacientes no Hospital de Messejana Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes contempla o que à proposto pela IV Diretriz Brasileira para tratamento do IAM com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST. / Approximately 5% of patients with acute myocardial infarction under the age of 45 years. The specific characteristics, clinical and epidemiological this population are not well understood. The aim of this study is to characterize the clinical, epidemiological and coronary cineangiography in young people undergoing primary coronary angioplasty (PTCA). We performed a retrospective analysis of 150 medical records of patients under the age of 45 years who underwent PCI between January 2006 and December 2010. We analyzed the risk factors, clinical presentation and electrocardiographic left ventricular function, characteristics of the coronary anatomy, medical treatment and hospital course. It was observed that the average age of patients was 40.1  5 years, predominantly male (68.7%). The risk factors associated with AMI were smoking (65%), hypertension (50%), family history of coronary artery disease (40%) and low levels of HDL - cholesterol (60%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 19.3%. Involvement of the anterior descending artery (AD) occurred in 53% of individuals and 75% was observed in the disease in a single vessel. The average time of arrival at the hospital after symptom onset (delta T) was 5.5  3.4 hours and hospital stay was 10.36  14.1 days. In 58% of patients, the ejection fraction of left ventricle was greater than 55%. There was one death. The success rate of PTCA was 91%. Regarding the treatment of AMI patients received aspirin overall (99.3%), clopidogrel (98%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) (85.3%), beta blockers (66%), statins ( 97.3%) and prescription of glycoprotein IIb-IIIa was observed in only 10% of patients. We conclude that in young AMI presents itself as an entity typically masculine and good prognosis in early evolution, provided that appropriate treatment instituted in a timely manner. Medical treatment for these patients at the Hospital of Messejana Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes contemplates what is proposed by the IV Brazilian Guideline for the treatment of AMI with ST-segment elevation

As transformações advindas com a modernidade e com a pós-modernidade alteraram de forma significativa a relação entre as gerações mais novas e as mais velhas. Nas sociedades tradicionais, havia uma hierarquia entre o saber adulto, pautado no passado e na tradição, e a aceitação deste saber por parte dos mais novos. A contemporaneidade e seus discursos fornecem um cenário bastante diferente, no qual a adolescência é tida como ideal, a velocidade das transformações são espantosas e o novo, o moderno, têm seu lugar de destaque nos valores do homem contemporâneo. Neste sentido, imagens solidificadas pelo tempo e pela tradição se alteram, trazendo reflexos nas relações entre jovens e adultos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a imagem de adulto que os adolescentes de hoje carregam, a partir da avaliação que os últimos fazem dos adultos de hoje, do sentido que os jovens atribuem a este lugar e do que valorizam em um adulto. Participaram da pesquisa um total de 520 alunos do Ensino Médio de escolas públicas e particulares e o instrumento utilizado consistiu em um questionário com 24 questões, cada qual contendo quatro opções de respostas, e duas questões abertas. Os resultados demonstraram uma tendência dos jovens a avaliarem negativamente os adultos em relação a suas atuações na esfera pública (política, meio ambiente, educação e mídia) e a desconfiarem da capacidade dos adultos quanto àqueles atributos tradicionalmente referidos a este lugar (confiança, sabedoria, modelo a ser seguido, ética) e, no entanto, 63% dos sujeitos acreditaram dever obediência aos adultos de hoje. O dinheiro, o desemprego e a competição no mundo do trabalho mostraram-se como uma das preocupações mais importantes dos adultos de hoje e dos jovens em relação ao futuro. Aparentemente, a imagem do adulto, lugar de saber e de guia dos mais novos não apresenta a consistência que tinha no passado e poucos parecem ser os modelos passíveis de admiração disponíveis aos jovens hoje. O significado de ser adulto e de ocupar este lugar parece tender a um trabalho e a uma construção exclusivamente pessoal e individual. / The transformations took place during modernity and post-modernity changed in a significant way the relationship between the younger and older generations. In traditional societies, there was a hierarchy between the adult knowledge, based on past and tradition, and the acceptance of this knowledge by the younger people. The contemporary and its discourses provide a different scenario indeed, in which the adolescence is taken as an ideal, the speed of transformations is astonishing and the new, the modern has a predominant place in the values of the contemporary man. In that sense, images solidified by time and tradition change, altering relationships between young people and adults. The aim of this work was to investigate the image of adulthood that todays adolescents have, from the evaluation that they make of todays adults, from the sense that young people have of this place and from what they value in an adult. Participated in the research a total of 520 students from public and private high schools and the tool consisted of a questionnaire with 24 questions, each containing four options, and two open questions. The results reveal a tendency from young people to evaluate negatively the adults concerning their performances in the public sphere (political, environment, education and media) and question the adults capacity on those attributes traditionally attributed to that place (confidence, wisdom, model to be followed, ethical) and, nevertheless, 63% of individuals believed to owe obedience to todays adults. Money, unemployment and competition for jobs in the world were revealed as some of the greatest concerns of todays adults and of young people about their future. Apparently, the image of an adult, place of knowledge and guide for the younger ones doesnt show the consistency that it had in the past and few seem to be the possible models of admiration available for today\'s young people. The meaning of being an adult and occupying that place seems to lean toward a work and a construction exclusively personal and individual.

Bakgrund: Varje år drabbas 800 tonåringar och unga vuxna av cancer i Sverige. Unga människor ställs inför många utmaningar i både diagnos och utveckling och deras unika upplevelse av att leva med cancer har ingen stor plats i tidigare forskning. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturöversikten var att belysa tonåringar och unga vuxnas erfarenheter av en cancersjukdom. Metod: Litteraturöversikten är baserad på elva vårdvetenskapliga artiklar: sju kvalitativa studier och fyra kvantitativa studier. En övergripande analys enligt Friberg (2017) har använts i denna översikt, den består av reduktion, analys och tematisering. Resultatet av detta presenterades i form av sex teman. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras i sex teman; Trötthet; Förlust av kontroll; Normalitet; Psykisk hälsa; Socialt stöd och relationer; samt Den förändrade kroppen. Resultatet i denna litteraturöversikt visar att unga med cancer erfar utmaningar gällande den fysiska kroppen och dess begränsningar, psykiska utmaningar, samt gällande de sociala relationerna. De upplevde också sig förlora kontrollen då de kände sig maktlösa inför den vård och behandling de genomgick. Vidare visade resultatet att unga också uppfattat cancerdiagnosen och behandling som positiv då den gett dem en annorlunda syn på livet och sig själva. Studien påvisade också dessa patienter upplever isolering samt hur viktigt de upplever det att bibehålla sina sociala kontakter. Diskussion: Författarna valde att använda Calista Roys adaptionsmodell i resultatdiskussionen för att redogöra vilka anpassningsmetoder de unga människorna använder sig av när de ställs inför t.ex. utmaningar som trötthet, kontrollförlust och ångest samt oro. / Background: Every year in Sweden 800 teenagers and young adults are diagnosed with cancer. Young people face many challenges during this period concerning development and diagnosis and their unique experiences have not been researched enough. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to illustrate adolescent and young adults’ experiences of a cancerous disease. Method: Eleven scientific articles were used in this study; seven articles are qualitative, four are quantitative. The articles are analyzed and categorized into six themes based on their findings. An overviewing analyze according to Friberg (2017) was used. It consists of reduction, analyze and categorization. Results: This study identifies the following six themes: Fatigue; Loss of Control; Normality; Psychological Health; Social Support and Relations; and Changed Appearance. The findings of this study shows that adolescents and young adults with cancer experience challenges when it comes to the body and its limitations, mental health and challenges within the changed relationships. They also experienced loss of control when it comes to the care and treatment. This review also shows that the young people with cancer experience the disease and the treatment as positive due to the fact that it gives them a different view on their self and life. It also shows that these patients experience isolation and that they find it important to have social connections during the treatment. Discussion: The authors chose the adaptation model by Callista Roy in the discussion to further describe the coping methods used by adolescents and young adults with cancer.

M.A. / Late adolescence/young adulthood is characterised by turbulence and major life transitions, and individuals in this life stage are confronted with stressors on a daily basis (Santrock, 2003). This situation necessitates adequate coping so that these young people can negotiate the transition between childhood and adulthood successfully. Health practitioners and educators need to establish ways to enhance adequate coping in young people in order to minimise their stress and ward off negative and unwanted consequences of stressors; consequences such as addictions, suicide, depression and other pathologies (Frydenberg & Lewis, 2004; Puskar, Hoover & Miewald, 1992). Research shows that more and more young people are reporting that their lives seem hopeless and meaningless (Santrock, 2003). Clearly it is beneficial to investigate the relationship between meaning, well-being and coping with stress in young adults. Past research has investigated meaning in life and sense of coherence and other wellbeing measures on adults who have already established themselves, and very specific samples, such as elderly people, the terminally ill and employees in the workplace (for example Marais & Stuart, 2005; Shek, 2003; Strümpfer & Mlonzi, 2001; Yiu-Kee & Tang, 2005). However, researchers have debated the extent to which any real progress has been made in the field of stress and coping (see Coyne & Racioppo, 2000; Lazarus, 2000; Lewis & Frydenberg, 2002; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Somerfield & McCrae, 2000). These and other studies have been critically evaluated in the current study, and it is clear that research is needed on meaning in life and well-being in late adolescence/young adulthood in order to assess how young people cope with stressors. Furthermore, research is needed on young people in SouthAfrica, in order to ascertain how they cope with stressors that may be countryspecific. The overall aim of the study was to establish whether there are relationships between meaning in life, sense of coherence and the ability to cope in young adults. More specifically, the study aimed to ascertain whether the extent to which an individual has discovered meaning in life and the extent to which he/she has developed a sense of coherence predicts coping with stress in a late adolescent/young adult population. A quantitative research methodology was conducted on a sample of male and female young adults (N=258). The participants were selected from a tertiary institution and had an average age range of 17 to 21 years. The measurement instruments have been used in previous research and were deemed culturally fair with valid and reliable psychometric properties. All three questionnaires were self-report measures. In order to assess the extent to which an individual has found meaning in their lives, the Purpose in Life Test (Crumbaugh & Maholick, 1981) was used. To ascertain whether or not an individual had developed a strong sense of coherence, the Orientation to Life questionnaire, also known as the Sense of Coherence scale (Antonovsky, 1987) was used. The Adolescent Coping Scale (Frydenberg & Lewis, 1993) was used to determine the ability to cope in young people. Various statistical analyses were conducted on the raw data collected from the questionnaires. Factor analyses were conducted to determine the internal validity and reliability of the measuring instruments. The distribution of the data within the subscales was tested for normality. Analysis of variance was used to determinewhether certain biographical variables could account for any differences in meaning in life, sense of coherence and ability to cope. Pearson product moment correlations were used. Thereafter both multiple regression and logistic regression were performed to determine if meaning in life and sense of coherence can predict differences in ability to cope. The results indicate that the constructs explored, as measured by the questionnaires, were not influenced by the age, gender, home language or direction of study of the participants. The sample could therefore be regarded as fairly homogeneous and the effect of confounding variables limited. However, as a result of this homogeneity, the findings of this study cannot necessarily be generalised to other populations. Findings indicate that there are relationships between meaning in life and the ability to cope. This finding points to the possibility that the extent to which an individual has discovered meaning in life, or the extent to which an individual views his or her life as meaningful is related to his or her ability to select effective coping strategies. Furthermore it was found that there are relationships between sense of coherence as well as the individual components of sense of coherence, namely comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness, and the ability to cope. This finding suggests that the extent to which an individual has developed a sense of coherence is related to his or her ability to select effective coping strategies.

Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work / unrestricted