This study was informed by a phenomenon observed by a variety of members from the multidisciplinary team at an acute psychiatric facility, where the researcher works daily. It appeared to clinicians as if the individual between the ages of 18 and 25 years was reluctant to engage in therapeutic intervention. The researcher considered current literature and discovered that this phenomenon seems to be globally relevant and an issue in the field of mental health. Emerging adulthood is the developmental phase that occupies the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood. The life phase is an essential developmental phase where an identity is established and skills are acquired to equip the individual through his/her life process. Emerging adulthood is predominantly defined by the individual’s progress to independence and autonomy and the establishment of a personal and societal identity. Developmental tasks include taking responsibility for him/herself, deciding on future career paths and re-evaluating introjected values to form an independent belief system. Literature indicates that emerging adults’ life phase can cause severe distress due to a variety of social and personal stressors. Emerging adults who are enrolled in university often face additional stressors with regards to adapting to campus life, academic pressure and a need to establish themselves within their new environments. A high prevalence and onset of mental health disorders is noted not only in the general emerging adult population, but also in the population of emerging adults who attend university. Despite the increase in stressful experiences the percentage of emerging adults who experience distress is not reflected in the percentage of emerging adults who actually seek and receive therapeutic intervention as a means to manage their distress. As therapeutic intervention is seen as an effective tool in managing distress, the fact that emerging adults negate the help is a clear area of concern. This urged the researcher to closely consider which factors might lead to negation of therapeutic services by the emerging adult. The study was performed at a South African university where students residing in campus residences where approached to volunteer their participation. In total fifteen participants participated in one of three focus groups with the focus on understanding which factors contribute to the negation of therapeutic services by emerging adults. The data crystallised into eleven main themes with different subthemes to support and describe the relevant main theme. The themes clearly emphasised the lack of awareness, pervasiveness of stigmatisation and the internalised beliefs emerging adults have about themselves and therapy that induce help negation. In addressing the issue of help negation in emerging adults this study suggests solutions and actions to the role players involved in the therapeutic intervention of emerging adults that would support the promotion of mental wellbeing and mental health awareness. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study was informed by a phenomenon observed by a variety of members from the multidisciplinary team at an acute psychiatric facility, where the researcher works daily. It appeared to clinicians as if the individual between the ages of 18 and 25 years was reluctant to engage in therapeutic intervention. The researcher considered current literature and discovered that this phenomenon seems to be globally relevant and an issue in the field of mental health. Emerging adulthood is the developmental phase that occupies the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood. The life phase is an essential developmental phase where an identity is established and skills are acquired to equip the individual through his/her life process. Emerging adulthood is predominantly defined by the individual’s progress to independence and autonomy and the establishment of a personal and societal identity. Developmental tasks include taking responsibility for him/herself, deciding on future career paths and re-evaluating introjected values to form an independent belief system. Literature indicates that emerging adults’ life phase can cause severe distress due to a variety of social and personal stressors. Emerging adults who are enrolled in university often face additional stressors with regards to adapting to campus life, academic pressure and a need to establish themselves within their new environments. A high prevalence and onset of mental health disorders is noted not only in the general emerging adult population, but also in the population of emerging adults who attend university. Despite the increase in stressful experiences the percentage of emerging adults who experience distress is not reflected in the percentage of emerging adults who actually seek and receive therapeutic intervention as a means to manage their distress. As therapeutic intervention is seen as an effective tool in managing distress, the fact that emerging adults negate the help is a clear area of concern. This urged the researcher to closely consider which factors might lead to negation of therapeutic services by the emerging adult. The study was performed at a South African university where students residing in campus residences where approached to volunteer their participation. In total fifteen participants participated in one of three focus groups with the focus on understanding which factors contribute to the negation of therapeutic services by emerging adults. The data crystallised into eleven main themes with different subthemes to support and describe the relevant main theme. The themes clearly emphasised the lack of awareness, pervasiveness of stigmatisation and the internalised beliefs emerging adults have about themselves and therapy that induce help negation. In addressing the issue of help negation in emerging adults this study suggests solutions and actions to the role players involved in the therapeutic intervention of emerging adults that would support the promotion of mental wellbeing and mental health awareness. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Exploration of factors that lead to early termination of therapeutic services to sexually abused children at TygerBear Unit. Some children referred to TygerBear Unit because of sexual abuse did not complete their therapeutic intervention programmes and possibly did not receive sufficient time to work through the trauma of sexual abuse. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the factors that result in the early termination of sexually abused children’s therapeutic services at TygerBear Unit. Applied research that is exploratory and descriptive in nature, with the case study method as strategy, was followed. Data were collected through telephonic and/or one-on-one semi-structured interviews, in addition to the use of notes in personal records. Respondents included parents and/or caregivers of children whose therapy was terminated early, as well as social workers involved with play therapeutic service delivery to these children. Information was analysed with reference to the Field Theory, Ecological Theory and the relevant literature. Several factors that influenced parents and/or caregivers to terminate therapeutic services early were identified. / Die verkenning van faktore wat lei tot voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by TygerBeer Eenheid. Sommige kinders wat na TygerBeer Eenheid verwys word weens seksuele mishandeling, voltooi nie hul terapeutiese intervensieprogramme nie. Die kinders is moontlik nie genoeg tyd gegun om deur die trauma van seksuele mishandeling te werk nie. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om faktore te verken en te beskryf wat lei tot die voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by die TygerBeer Eenheid. Toegepaste navorsing van 'n verkennende en beskrywende aard is gebruik, met die gevallestudiemetode as strategie. Data is versamel deur middel van telefoniese en/of een-tot-een semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en persoonlike rekords. Respondente het bestaan uit ouers en/of versorgers wat hul kinders of voogde se terapie voortydig termineer het, asook maatskaplike werkers betrokke by spelterapeutiese dienslewering aan kinders. lnligting is ontleed met verwysing na die Veldteorie en Ekologiese Teorie, asook die relevante literatuur. Verskeie faktore is geidentifiseer wat ouers en/of versorgers noodsaak om terapeutiese dienste voortydig te termineer. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Exploration of factors that lead to early termination of therapeutic services to sexually abused children at TygerBear Unit. Some children referred to TygerBear Unit because of sexual abuse did not complete their therapeutic intervention programmes and possibly did not receive sufficient time to work through the trauma of sexual abuse. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the factors that result in the early termination of sexually abused children’s therapeutic services at TygerBear Unit. Applied research that is exploratory and descriptive in nature, with the case study method as strategy, was followed. Data were collected through telephonic and/or one-on-one semi-structured interviews, in addition to the use of notes in personal records. Respondents included parents and/or caregivers of children whose therapy was terminated early, as well as social workers involved with play therapeutic service delivery to these children. Information was analysed with reference to the Field Theory, Ecological Theory and the relevant literature. Several factors that influenced parents and/or caregivers to terminate therapeutic services early were identified. / Die verkenning van faktore wat lei tot voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by TygerBeer Eenheid. Sommige kinders wat na TygerBeer Eenheid verwys word weens seksuele mishandeling, voltooi nie hul terapeutiese intervensieprogramme nie. Die kinders is moontlik nie genoeg tyd gegun om deur die trauma van seksuele mishandeling te werk nie. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om faktore te verken en te beskryf wat lei tot die voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by die TygerBeer Eenheid. Toegepaste navorsing van 'n verkennende en beskrywende aard is gebruik, met die gevallestudiemetode as strategie. Data is versamel deur middel van telefoniese en/of een-tot-een semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en persoonlike rekords. Respondente het bestaan uit ouers en/of versorgers wat hul kinders of voogde se terapie voortydig termineer het, asook maatskaplike werkers betrokke by spelterapeutiese dienslewering aan kinders. lnligting is ontleed met verwysing na die Veldteorie en Ekologiese Teorie, asook die relevante literatuur. Verskeie faktore is geidentifiseer wat ouers en/of versorgers noodsaak om terapeutiese dienste voortydig te termineer. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)