Highly skilled nurses amongst the OR team, are needed in the operating room (OR) to ensure optimal patient safety. Shortages in experienced OR nurses and a stressful working environment prove to have a negative influence on effective safe patient care as well as a negative effect on nurses’ own well-being. The research focused on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation therapy (SST) to strengthen the well-being of nurses in the OR of a private hospital in the North-West Province. SST, better known as Snoezelen™, is a blend of sight, sounds, textures, aromas and motion providing stimulation to the primary senses (Collier, McPherson, et al., 2010:698). The five primary senses are gently stimulated without any intellectual activity needed. A particular aim with SST is to improve the well-being of individuals by setting them at ease. The well-being of OR nurses was studied from a resilience viewpoint assuming that, if exposure to stressors was limited and the individual did have an opportunity to recover, stressors may have a positive, toughening effect. Well-being and resilience was used interchangeably in the study. The objectives of the study were to explore and describe OR nurses‟ needs for SST, to explore and describe OR nurses’ suggestions with regard to the implementation of SST in an OR and to explore and describe the effectiveness of a SST intervention to strengthen the well- being of OR nurses in a private hospital in the North-West Province. An explorative, descriptive quasi-experimental design within a quantitative approach was used. Seventy two participants from two private hospitals in the North-West Province voluntarily participated in the research. A pre-/post-test design was used. One pilot group, one intervention group and one comparison group were identified. Participants from all three the participating groups completed a self administered resilience scale questionnaire before and after the implementation of a SST intervention. Before the intervention 100% participants from the pilot group, 100% participants from the intervention group and 96% participants from the comparison group completed the self administered resilience scale questionnaire. Participants of the intervention group also completed a self report questionnaire from which their needs could be determined and suggestions were made on the implementation of a SST intervention. A 98% response rate was obtained for these self report questionnaires. After the intervention the intervention group’s participants were invited to write narratives regarding their experiences after visiting the SST room. The intervention was implemented for a period of two consecutive months in the OR of one of the private hospitals. After the intervention an 88% response rate from the pilot group, 100% response rate from the intervention group and a 63% response rate from the comparison group, completing self administered resilience scale questionnaires, were obtained. Data was analysed with the assistance of a statistical consultant at the North-West University in Potchefstroom by using STATISTICA (version 10) and SPSS (version 20, release 20.0.0) (StatSoft Inc., 2011, SPSS Inc., 211). Results indicated that there was no statistical difference between the three participating groups regarding their resilience before the intervention. However, after the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated a statistical increase in their resilience levels. Based on these results, as well as on conclusions of relevant literature and the feedback from participants in their written narratives, recommendations were formulated with regard to nursing education, nursing practice and further research. Briefly it means that there should be more consideration for OR nurses’ well-being by means of a SST program providing for their needs. Recommendations included the benefits of a SST room in a hospital environment as well as complete instructions on how to create and to furnish such a room. Attributes of resilience, factors influencing resilience levels and methods to increase resilience levels in the workplace should be included in a regular in-service training program. For future research the researcher recommended further studies in order to determine the resilience levels in various departments of private hospitals. This could mean the successful implementation of a SST room in other departments as well which will eventually lead to the improved well-being of all nursing staff. The researcher is willing to act as a consultant if the need arises for the comparison groups to implement a SST intervention in their different departments. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a highly stigmatised condition for people living with HIV or AIDS (PLHA) and people living close to them (PLC) within the African context as well as in other countries. PLC often take part in HIV stigmatisation, but they are likewise often the victims thereof. This research was executed in three phases. The research objectives for the first phase of the study was to explore and describe how HIV stigma and disclosure experiences at present impact on the lives of PLHA in a country where the HIV infection rate is the highest in the world, and to explore whether there are differences between urban and rural settings. The objective of the second phase of the research was to describe the implementation of a comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction and wellness enhancement intervention that focused on PLHA as well as PLC from six designated groups, namely partners, children, family members, friends, spiritual leaders and community members. The objective of the third phase was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of both the PLHA and PLC by the six designated groups after they had undergone a comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction and wellness enhancement intervention. Attention was focused on their expressed experiences of the workshop and projects executed by them in their communities. During the first and third phases of the research a qualitative interpretive description approach was followed. A holistic multiple case study design was used for the second phase. Purposive voluntary sampling was used for the PLHA and snowball sampling for the PLC. Data collection during the first and third phases took place using in-depth interviews in an urban and a rural setting in the North West Province, South Africa. The data was manually analysed through open coding. Phase 2 had open coding as well as document analysis. Findings of Phase 1 indicated that HIV stigma and disclosure themes for experiences in the urban and rural settings were mostly similar, with very few differences. Experiences of stigma were still very prevalent, but also led to negative self-judgement. The intervention proved to have been successful, as was reported during the case study and in participants‟ expressed experiences. All participants reported a better understanding of HIV stigma and how to cope with it. Relationships between PLHA and PLC were enhanced. HIV stigma reduction projects developed by PLHA and PLC were executed successfully and the wider community was reached. Leadership skills were developed in order to go out into the community and be part of HIV stigma reduction actions. Some considerations for strengthening the intervention were provided. The intervention in its comprehensive nature was shown to be successful and promising for future use in reducing HIV stigma and enhancing wellness. / PhD (Nursing), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Literature indicates that pharmacists of South Africa experience high levels of stress as a result of their working conditions. Seeing that the definition of subjective well–being (SWB) entails that a person feels positive affect (positive moods) and experience infrequent feelings of negative affect (such as stress), pharmacists have low SWB since they experience high levels of stress. It is thus vital to lessen the stress seeing as this low SWB may entail a danger to the profession as well as the patients' safety. Based on this leisure proves to enhance well–being by producing positive affect (such as happiness) and reducing negative affect (such as stress or depression). Leisure (taking a holiday) is furthermore a means of buffering stress and therefore the perfect solution to pharmacists' stress. Hence the purpose of this research was to determine the role of holiday taking on South African pharmacists' overall well–being. To achieve this goal a database was obtained from The South African Pharmacy Council. This database consisted out of 8000 e–mail addresses of pharmacists registered at the Pharmacy Council. From the 1500 e–mails that were send out 207 completed questionnaires were obtained. A thorough literature analysis on socio–demographic characteristics, travel motives, independent choices and preferred activities when taking a holiday was done in Chapter 2. This chapter gives a detailed understanding of how the afore–mentioned factors influence the decision to take a holiday and the effect of taking a holiday on subjective well–being. Article 1 (Chapter 3) and Article 2 (Chapter 4) was based on this chapter's literature. Chapter 3 (Article 1) of this study determined whether holidays lead to positive SWB of pharmacists. In order to achieve this aim, the chapter made use of the Affectomer 2 and Satisfaction with life Scale to determine the pharmacists' subjective well–being before and after taking a holiday. Dependent t–tests were then applied to compare the A distinction on the other hand can be made amongst pharmacists that imply different working conditions and working hours. Therefore Chapter 4 (Article 2) of this study determined all the factors that influence the different groups of pharmacists' holiday taking which ultimately could lead to the enhancement of the profession's well–being. To achieve this, the chapter made use of factor analysis, ANOVAs and chi–square tests to find differences between different pharmacists. The results showed that the three groups of pharmacists (private, government, and industry), differ based on sociodemographic characteristics. These socio–demographic characteristics furthermore influence the different groups of pharmacists' decisions to take holidays which leads to higher subjective well–being. The results of Chapters 3 and 4 indicate that pharmacists experience enhanced wellbeing after taking a holiday and which have implications for different role players. This study is the first to determine the profile of pharmacists and give an indication of their travel behaviour that will assist destinations to alter their product/services to better suit the profile or travel behaviour of pharmacists. Employing companies on the other hand can have financial benefits in the form of low staff turnover and satisfied patients. Although pharmacists are seen as a homogeneous group, pharmacists differ based on socio–demographic characteristics and therefore the Pharmacy Council may enforce the design of different policies for the different groups of pharmacists to reduce the pharmaceutical profession's stress. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The aim of orientation programs at tertiary academic institutions is to introduce newcomers to the attitudinal and behavioral standards of their new academic and social situation, and these programs usually have a formal and an informal component. Formal orientation is officially developed and monitored by the university. Informal orientation is associated with socially orientated initiation or hazing activities administered by senior students in the seclusion of hostels and are often not monitored by the university, resulting in human rights violations such as racial discrimination, physical abuse and psychological bullying. Because both components of orientation take place during the same time frame and in the same broader context, orientation programs as a whole have been receiving negative attention and criticism in the media. Research has, however, also uncovered many positive elements in orientation programs - in both the formal and informal components. Literature suggests that universities put in place a high quality formal and informal orientation program to ensure the well–being of first–year students. Well–being is regarded as the subjective appraisals that people make about the quality of their lives based on their experiences, relationships, feelings and overall functioning in life. Two approaches towards subjective well–being are identified: the first is the hedonic approach, focusing on emotional well–being (EWB) and is equated to positive feelings, subjective happiness and satisfaction with life; the second is the eudaimonic approach, focusing on psychological well–being (PWB) and social well–being (SWB) which not only conceptualizes well–being in terms of meaning and purpose, but also as positive functioning in life on personal and social levels. The aim of this study was to determine the shifts in well–being of first–year students during an orientation program (with both the formal and informal components included) at a tertiary institution and to explore the experiences associated with these shifts. A sequential mixed method research design was used where quantitative and qualitative research approaches were combined to provide an in–depth understanding of the phenomenon. A convenience sample of first–year hostel residing students (mean age=19 years) was used for the quantitative study. Students completed the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC–SF) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) before (n=102), during (n=371) and after (n=358) the orientation program. Twenty–one demographically representative first–year hostel residing students (mean age=18.5 years) were purposive selected to participate in the qualitative study consisting of a focus group discussion and semi–structured in–depth individual interviews which took place after the programs’ completion. The quantitative results indicated that first–year students’ well–being remained unchanged before, during and after orientation in all facets except in SWB. First–year students’ SWB increased practically significantly over the course of the orientation program. The qualitative findings suggested that first–year students’ well–being fluctuated from high before the orientation program to low during the program’s initial phase to high again after the program’s completion. Experiences associated with SWB were perceived to be the central experience associated with an increase in well–being. Recommendations are made regarding the promotion of the social and personal well–being of first–year students during an orientation program. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Literature indicates that pharmacists of South Africa experience high levels of stress as a result of their working conditions. Seeing that the definition of subjective well–being (SWB) entails that a person feels positive affect (positive moods) and experience infrequent feelings of negative affect (such as stress), pharmacists have low SWB since they experience high levels of stress. It is thus vital to lessen the stress seeing as this low SWB may entail a danger to the profession as well as the patients' safety. Based on this leisure proves to enhance well–being by producing positive affect (such as happiness) and reducing negative affect (such as stress or depression). Leisure (taking a holiday) is furthermore a means of buffering stress and therefore the perfect solution to pharmacists' stress. Hence the purpose of this research was to determine the role of holiday taking on South African pharmacists' overall well–being. To achieve this goal a database was obtained from The South African Pharmacy Council. This database consisted out of 8000 e–mail addresses of pharmacists registered at the Pharmacy Council. From the 1500 e–mails that were send out 207 completed questionnaires were obtained. A thorough literature analysis on socio–demographic characteristics, travel motives, independent choices and preferred activities when taking a holiday was done in Chapter 2. This chapter gives a detailed understanding of how the afore–mentioned factors influence the decision to take a holiday and the effect of taking a holiday on subjective well–being. Article 1 (Chapter 3) and Article 2 (Chapter 4) was based on this chapter's literature. Chapter 3 (Article 1) of this study determined whether holidays lead to positive SWB of pharmacists. In order to achieve this aim, the chapter made use of the Affectomer 2 and Satisfaction with life Scale to determine the pharmacists' subjective well–being before and after taking a holiday. Dependent t–tests were then applied to compare the A distinction on the other hand can be made amongst pharmacists that imply different working conditions and working hours. Therefore Chapter 4 (Article 2) of this study determined all the factors that influence the different groups of pharmacists' holiday taking which ultimately could lead to the enhancement of the profession's well–being. To achieve this, the chapter made use of factor analysis, ANOVAs and chi–square tests to find differences between different pharmacists. The results showed that the three groups of pharmacists (private, government, and industry), differ based on sociodemographic characteristics. These socio–demographic characteristics furthermore influence the different groups of pharmacists' decisions to take holidays which leads to higher subjective well–being. The results of Chapters 3 and 4 indicate that pharmacists experience enhanced wellbeing after taking a holiday and which have implications for different role players. This study is the first to determine the profile of pharmacists and give an indication of their travel behaviour that will assist destinations to alter their product/services to better suit the profile or travel behaviour of pharmacists. Employing companies on the other hand can have financial benefits in the form of low staff turnover and satisfied patients. Although pharmacists are seen as a homogeneous group, pharmacists differ based on socio–demographic characteristics and therefore the Pharmacy Council may enforce the design of different policies for the different groups of pharmacists to reduce the pharmaceutical profession's stress. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The aim of orientation programs at tertiary academic institutions is to introduce newcomers to the attitudinal and behavioral standards of their new academic and social situation, and these programs usually have a formal and an informal component. Formal orientation is officially developed and monitored by the university. Informal orientation is associated with socially orientated initiation or hazing activities administered by senior students in the seclusion of hostels and are often not monitored by the university, resulting in human rights violations such as racial discrimination, physical abuse and psychological bullying. Because both components of orientation take place during the same time frame and in the same broader context, orientation programs as a whole have been receiving negative attention and criticism in the media. Research has, however, also uncovered many positive elements in orientation programs - in both the formal and informal components. Literature suggests that universities put in place a high quality formal and informal orientation program to ensure the well–being of first–year students. Well–being is regarded as the subjective appraisals that people make about the quality of their lives based on their experiences, relationships, feelings and overall functioning in life. Two approaches towards subjective well–being are identified: the first is the hedonic approach, focusing on emotional well–being (EWB) and is equated to positive feelings, subjective happiness and satisfaction with life; the second is the eudaimonic approach, focusing on psychological well–being (PWB) and social well–being (SWB) which not only conceptualizes well–being in terms of meaning and purpose, but also as positive functioning in life on personal and social levels. The aim of this study was to determine the shifts in well–being of first–year students during an orientation program (with both the formal and informal components included) at a tertiary institution and to explore the experiences associated with these shifts. A sequential mixed method research design was used where quantitative and qualitative research approaches were combined to provide an in–depth understanding of the phenomenon. A convenience sample of first–year hostel residing students (mean age=19 years) was used for the quantitative study. Students completed the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC–SF) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) before (n=102), during (n=371) and after (n=358) the orientation program. Twenty–one demographically representative first–year hostel residing students (mean age=18.5 years) were purposive selected to participate in the qualitative study consisting of a focus group discussion and semi–structured in–depth individual interviews which took place after the programs’ completion. The quantitative results indicated that first–year students’ well–being remained unchanged before, during and after orientation in all facets except in SWB. First–year students’ SWB increased practically significantly over the course of the orientation program. The qualitative findings suggested that first–year students’ well–being fluctuated from high before the orientation program to low during the program’s initial phase to high again after the program’s completion. Experiences associated with SWB were perceived to be the central experience associated with an increase in well–being. Recommendations are made regarding the promotion of the social and personal well–being of first–year students during an orientation program. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

South African adolescents are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviours, because they are exposed to high-risk environments that have a negative impact on them. The choices that adolescents make during this explorative life stage will influence and determine certain outcomes of their adult lives. Therefore, it is crucial to improve adolescents’ psychological well-being, as they are the future generation adults. Adolescents with behaviour problems form a unique population who do not respond effectively to traditional therapy, and researchers are continuously searching for more effective ways to reach this population. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an intervention that has been proven to be effective with this population and to provide better outcomes than traditional psychotherapy. Although the value and positive effects of EAT has been proven, there is a gap in the literature concerning research on this topic, especially with regard to research conducted by means of quantitative methods. The overarching goal of this study was to evaluate and refine an EAT programme aimed at improving the psychological well-being of boys in a school of industry. This goal was attained by utilising a quantitative, experimental research design. The Solomon four-group design was applied, because it effectively controls pre-test sensitisation and provides the best control against threats to internal validity. The sample was selected from a school of industry near Bloemfontein, which provides residence to a group of adolescent boys who display behaviour problems. The 40 boys (N = 40) included in the sample were divided into two experimental groups of 10 boys each and two control groups of 10 boys each. During the course of the study, one of the boys withdrew and the sample was reduced to 39 boys. The programme was administered to the boys in the experimental groups. Before the programme commenced, one of the experimental groups and one of the control groups completed the pre-test. The psychometric instruments used were a biographical questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced Questionnaire. The boys then completed the EAT programme which consisted of eight sessions, each with its own outcomes and designed to improve subjective well-being and coping. After completion of the programme, all four groups completed the post-test consisting of the same psychometric instruments as the pre-test. The results showed that the programme significantly improved the boys’ subjective well-being. The boys’ problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and dysfunctional coping were also increased significantly. These improvements can be attributed directly to the programme, because pre-test sensitisation was controlled. The study found that the EAT programme had a significant positive effect on the boys’ subjective well-being and coping. The conclusion can be drawn that the programme significantly improved the boys’ psychological well-being. The programme was evaluated and refined, and recommendations were made for its future use. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

South African adolescents are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviours, because they are exposed to high-risk environments that have a negative impact on them. The choices that adolescents make during this explorative life stage will influence and determine certain outcomes of their adult lives. Therefore, it is crucial to improve adolescents’ psychological well-being, as they are the future generation adults. Adolescents with behaviour problems form a unique population who do not respond effectively to traditional therapy, and researchers are continuously searching for more effective ways to reach this population. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an intervention that has been proven to be effective with this population and to provide better outcomes than traditional psychotherapy. Although the value and positive effects of EAT has been proven, there is a gap in the literature concerning research on this topic, especially with regard to research conducted by means of quantitative methods. The overarching goal of this study was to evaluate and refine an EAT programme aimed at improving the psychological well-being of boys in a school of industry. This goal was attained by utilising a quantitative, experimental research design. The Solomon four-group design was applied, because it effectively controls pre-test sensitisation and provides the best control against threats to internal validity. The sample was selected from a school of industry near Bloemfontein, which provides residence to a group of adolescent boys who display behaviour problems. The 40 boys (N = 40) included in the sample were divided into two experimental groups of 10 boys each and two control groups of 10 boys each. During the course of the study, one of the boys withdrew and the sample was reduced to 39 boys. The programme was administered to the boys in the experimental groups. Before the programme commenced, one of the experimental groups and one of the control groups completed the pre-test. The psychometric instruments used were a biographical questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced Questionnaire. The boys then completed the EAT programme which consisted of eight sessions, each with its own outcomes and designed to improve subjective well-being and coping. After completion of the programme, all four groups completed the post-test consisting of the same psychometric instruments as the pre-test. The results showed that the programme significantly improved the boys’ subjective well-being. The boys’ problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and dysfunctional coping were also increased significantly. These improvements can be attributed directly to the programme, because pre-test sensitisation was controlled. The study found that the EAT programme had a significant positive effect on the boys’ subjective well-being and coping. The conclusion can be drawn that the programme significantly improved the boys’ psychological well-being. The programme was evaluated and refined, and recommendations were made for its future use. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The teaching profession is widely regarded as being very stressful (Klassen, Usher & Bong, 2010; Otero, Castro, Santiago & Villardefrancosl, 2010). South African teachers, especially Black teachers working in previously disadvantaged areas, have to cope with serious stressors such as overcrowded classrooms and limited resources on a daily basis (Ngidi & Sibaya, 2002; Moloi, 2010). Occupational stress of this nature is known to have significant negative implications for well-being, and chronic stress has been linked to mood and anxiety disorders, and other forms of psychopathology (Bellingrath, Weigl & Kudielka, 2009; Brock & Buckley, 2012; Mundai, 2010). However, psychological buffers could enable individuals to sustain normal development and even experience well-being, despite the presence of long-term stress (Friborg, Hjemdal, Rosenvinge & Martinussen, 2003; Ryff & Singer, 2003). Noted among these so-called protective factors, the process of self-regulation has been found to be predictive of positive outcomes with regard to physiological and psychological well-being (Hofer, Busch & Kärtner, 2011; Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Self-regulation has, however, been found to represent a resource susceptible to depletion with repeated use, and there have been contradictory reports regarding the long-term sustainability of self-regulation capacity (Converse & DeShon, 2009; Ryan & Deci, 2008). No longitudinal studies could be found that explore the natural progression of self-regulation in a highly stressful context, and how changes in self-regulation are associated with changes in stress and well-being levels. This thesis consists of three sub-studies that are reported in three manuscripts. In the first of these sub-studies the levels of occupational stress and mental well-being in a cohort of Black South African teachers were investigated, including how these two variables are related to each other. The second sub-study aimed firstly to investigate the association between self-regulation and Black South African teachers’ self-reported levels of mental well-being. Secondly, it aimed to determine the role of the sub-constructs of the self-regulation process in the teachers’ selfreported levels of mental well-being. The aim of the third article was also two-fold. It first aimed to determine the natural progression of self-regulation within a highly stressful work context over a period of three years. It then aimed to determine how long-term changes in the selfregulation of individuals finding themselves in high-stress working conditions are associated with changes in their self-reported levels of stress and mental well-being. Black South African teachers (N=200, 101 men, 99 women) of ages ranging from 25 to 65 years from the North-West province of South Africa participated in the baseline phase of the SABPA project in 2008. Of the original 200 participants, a total of 173 teachers (88 men, 85 women) took part in data collection for the follow-up study in 2011. Data were collected by making use of quantitative measures (Teacher Stress Inventory (Boyle, Borg, Falzon & Baglion, 1995); General Health Questionnaire-28 (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979); Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (Keyes, 2006); Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Carey, Neal & Collins, 2004)) that have been validated for use in the South African context. The findings indicate that this group of teachers experienced high levels of stress, and symptoms indicative of mental illness to an extent that warrants psychiatric intervention. However, participants also reported higher than expected levels of mental health. The findings further indicated that self-regulation contributed positively to the participants’ mental health levels. The longitudinal findings also indicated improvements in this group of teachers’ selfregulation levels over time, and that these long-term changes in self-regulation were positively associated with changes in participants’ mental health. Recommendations for future investigations on the role of self-regulation in well-being that flowed from this research include extending research to other cultural groups and general populations; use of multiple or mixedmethod approaches to provide more insight into the participants’ short- and long-term experience of their working environment, their levels of stress and well-being and their self-regulation levels; investigating the psychological perspective on stress and exploring the concept of optimal self-regulation and the maintenance thereof. The study provided a holistic insight into the importance of self-regulation as protective factor in a highly stressed context, especially with regards to the promotion of mental well-being on a short term and long term basis. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The health and wellbeing of pregnant women are considered to be an international priority by the World Health Organization (WHO). Even though pregnant women constitute a large part of the population globally and in South Africa, there is a lack of research regarding their psychological wellbeing. It is known that a psychologically well-functioning pregnant woman has the capacity to attach to her baby and to be an effective parent. The WHO places emphasis on the health of pregnant women not only because they are crucial to the survival and reproduction of humanity, but also because they are more vulnerable during pregnancy and need extra support. Pregnancy is associated with many physical and psychological changes and has a major impact on a woman’s life. Although there are challenges associated with pregnancy, it can also be a special experience of psychological and personal growth. Most previous studies have focused on the medical, biological, and pathological aspects of pregnancy. Although this research is important, it is crucial that psychological well-being during pregnancy is investigated in order to find ways to proactively strengthen it. Research showed that women whose psychological well-being is lacking are vulnerable and prone to developing mental disorders. A pregnant woman who is psychologically well is better equipped to form a healthy attachment with her baby, cope with her newfound parenthood, and is less likely to develop pregnancy-related mental illness. It is clear that the presence of meaningfulness in life leads to enhanced psychological well-being. This study is conducted from a psychofortological perspective and focuses on exploring and gaining a deeper understanding of first-time pregnant women’s experiences of meaningfulness during their pregnancy. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used to gain a deep understanding of the women’s experience of meaningfulness. Reflexive journals and the Mmogo-method® were used to gather data. After a thematic analysis was done on the visual (the presentations and participant’s explanations thereof) and textual (reflexive journals) data a deeper understanding was gained of the participants’ experiences of meaningfulness during pregnancy. According to the data spirituality and relationships contributed most to their experience of meaningfulness during pregnancy. This study focused only on how meaningfulness was found in the participant’s various relationships during their pregnancy. The main relationships that were identified were with their husband, their unborn baby, and with their parents. A rich description of these relationships helped to deepen our understanding of the first-time pregnant women’s experience of meaningfulness. The findings from this study make a valuable contribution to the improved understanding of the concept meaningfulness in the specific life domain of relationships and in the context of pregnancy. This confirmed the structure of the Meaning Model of Wissing and Delle Fave (2014) and deepened our understanding of the ‘meaningfulness in life’ category. This understanding is valuable as it can be used proactively to develop programmes to enhance pregnant women’s psychological well-being. No previous research in this regard in the South African context specifically could be found. Literature indicated that there is a lack of research to better our understanding of meaningfulness in different life domains and contexts, especially from a psychofortological perspective. This study’s contribution is significant as it not only deepens our understanding of meaningfulness experienced during pregnancy and the role relationships play, but also because it can make a valuable contribution to informing, developing, and implementing intervention programmes to proactively enhance the psychological well-being of pregnant women in South Africa. / MA (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015