A notable paucity in practice interventions and literature currently exists in regard to self-support in first-time mothers. Recent literature and practice interventions seem to focus largely on social support resources, highlighting the deficiency in the investigation of self-support in first-time mothers as an integral and holistic concept and/or focus point for intervention. Literature continues to illustrate the many challenges first-time mothers encounter and therefore this study focuses on self-support experiences of the first-time mother in relation to her environment by providing an original stance of enquiry. The investigator aimed to explore and describe the experiences of self-support in first-time mothers in the Cape Metropole. The study was conducted qualitatively and according to an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) research design. This provided the researcher with a dual method of investigation: The first undertaking was to describe actual accounts of the participants‟ self-support experiences, while the second was to give an interpretation of these accounts which would reflect their experiences in an understandable, yet authentic manner. The meta-theoretical framework of Gestalt Therapy Theory (GTT) was applied due to its holistic and integrative nature, while the additional theoretical frameworks of Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Positive Psychology (PP) served as contributors to deepen understanding. The sample consisted of thirteen first-time mothers from moderately diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The study succeeded in giving in-depth exploratory descriptions of their self-support experiences during the first two years of motherhood. Findings displayed that the participants‟ self-support cannot be separated from their constantly shifting environments and that self-support is an integrated and dynamic process of development. Internal elements as well as environmental factors prove to disrupt this process of self-support development. Vital components for developing self-support were assuming responsibility for own well-being as a mother; as well as arriving at insight. Joy and gratefulness as experienced by the participants were proven to serve as motivators to sustain self-support. The study further exhibits that a supportive relationship is able to exist between the first-time mother‟s self-support and her environment when she is able to effectively identify, reach out and utilise social support resources available in her environment. Self-support serves as an experiential process (as an alternative to a fixed outcome) where the first-time mother is able, through experience, to mature and become more self-supportive. Findings argue that ideal self-support during novel motherhood is the capability to be in a mature interactive relationship with the environment, constantly adapting according to the organisation of the environmental field. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

A notable paucity in practice interventions and literature currently exists in regard to self-support in first-time mothers. Recent literature and practice interventions seem to focus largely on social support resources, highlighting the deficiency in the investigation of self-support in first-time mothers as an integral and holistic concept and/or focus point for intervention. Literature continues to illustrate the many challenges first-time mothers encounter and therefore this study focuses on self-support experiences of the first-time mother in relation to her environment by providing an original stance of enquiry. The investigator aimed to explore and describe the experiences of self-support in first-time mothers in the Cape Metropole. The study was conducted qualitatively and according to an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) research design. This provided the researcher with a dual method of investigation: The first undertaking was to describe actual accounts of the participants‟ self-support experiences, while the second was to give an interpretation of these accounts which would reflect their experiences in an understandable, yet authentic manner. The meta-theoretical framework of Gestalt Therapy Theory (GTT) was applied due to its holistic and integrative nature, while the additional theoretical frameworks of Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Positive Psychology (PP) served as contributors to deepen understanding. The sample consisted of thirteen first-time mothers from moderately diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The study succeeded in giving in-depth exploratory descriptions of their self-support experiences during the first two years of motherhood. Findings displayed that the participants‟ self-support cannot be separated from their constantly shifting environments and that self-support is an integrated and dynamic process of development. Internal elements as well as environmental factors prove to disrupt this process of self-support development. Vital components for developing self-support were assuming responsibility for own well-being as a mother; as well as arriving at insight. Joy and gratefulness as experienced by the participants were proven to serve as motivators to sustain self-support. The study further exhibits that a supportive relationship is able to exist between the first-time mother‟s self-support and her environment when she is able to effectively identify, reach out and utilise social support resources available in her environment. Self-support serves as an experiential process (as an alternative to a fixed outcome) where the first-time mother is able, through experience, to mature and become more self-supportive. Findings argue that ideal self-support during novel motherhood is the capability to be in a mature interactive relationship with the environment, constantly adapting according to the organisation of the environmental field. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Malnutrition is one of the serious childhood problems that affect children under five (5) years of age, and is common in developing countries Botswana included. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of mothers of children diagnosed with malnutrition in Botswana, specifically at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital, Serowe. The said hospital is a district hospital which renders services to Serowe community and the surrounding villages, as such; participants in this study were from Serowe and other surrounding villages like Mabou, Tshimoyapula, Mmashoro and Mogorosi. Applied research was used as a type of research because it is associated with the researcher’s motivation to assist in solving a particular problem facing a particular community. Collective case study was used as a research design. The researcher explored the perceptions of mothers regarding child malnutrition; through the use of semi-structured interviews. Twelve (12) mothers of children with malnutrition were interviewed using systematic random sampling method and subsequently data was analysed according to Creswell’s model. Literature study was done and the following aspects were discussed: Child malnutrition in developing countries; child malnutrition in Botswana; description of child malnutrition; causes of child malnutrition; symptoms of child malnutrition; treatment of child malnutrition; prevention of child malnutrition; psychosocial implications of child malnutrition on the patient, family and community and social work intervention (therapy and prevention). Literature was also compared with research findings when analysing data. The study revealed that mothers had limited knowledge on malnutrition as a condition, the signs and symptoms thereof; causes; prevention and treatment of child malnutrition. This lack of knowledge made mothers to have wrong perceptions about child malnutrition. It was revealed that mothers did not perceive malnutrition as a serious problem that can result in admission for treatment in a hospital, they expected a different diagnosis. They perceive malnutrition as a secondary diagnosis. The majority of mothers had a Setswana diagnosis for their children’s condition. Mothers perceived the signs and symptoms of malnutrition as those of Thibamo, Phogwana (fontanel), or Ntsana. They interpret malnutrition as a Setswana ailment that can be treated traditionally. Factors that were identified to be contributing to malnutrition among children at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital in Serowe were found to be; lack of knowledge about malnutrition, wrong perceptions of malnutrition by mothers, illiteracy and unemployment, and cultural factors like taking a child to a traditional healer instead of a medical health facility. The study shows that mothers’ social functioning is disrupted by their children’s illness and hospitalization and thus a need for support from the hospital multi-disciplinary team, especially the social worker who is a trained counselor. The social worker should provide ongoing supportive counseling during the process of the child’s illness. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted