Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Although research has shown that alcohol abuse in the Western Cape is amongst the highest
in South Africa, lesbian-identified women have largely been ignored in this area of research.
International literature has identified alcohol abuse amongst lesbian-identified women as a
significant problem, with alcohol consumption rates considerably higher than their
heterosexual counterparts. This interpretative phenomenological analysis explored lesbianidentified
women’s lived experiences (n = 25) with alcohol abuse through in-depth semistructured
interviews, in order to gain insight into their motivations for abusing alcohol and
the impact this had on their lives and relationships. The core theme that emerged from the
analysis of participants’ narratives was that alcohol abuse was related to coping with
emotional distress and pain. The emotional distress participants experienced was due to their
sexual minority status and encompassed aspects related to internalised homophobia,
escaping pain, rejection, discrimination based on sexual orientation, mental health issues,
patriarchy, heteronormativity, and homophobia. Results substantiate the need for the
development of prevention, intervention, and support strategies, aimed specifically at sexual
minority groups, in order to facilitate effective coping with sexual minority stress, mental
health issues, and other distresses related to alcohol abuse.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/6698 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | McKenzie, Sharon Lynda |
| Contributors | Padmanabhanunni, Anita |
| Publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | University of the Western Cape |
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