Thesis (PhD)--Universiteit van Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Most researchers agree that for a child the death of a parent constitutes a
psychological risk. Some of these children might experience the first onset of
psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety or substance use disorder) prior to age 20,
with a peak age of occurrence at 18. Within the South African context children are
more and more confronted with parental death due to the upsurge of violence, the
increase in HIV, aids and tuberculoses, as well as many fatal traffic accidents. The
need for psychological support of these children within the school system was brought
to the attention of the researcher by concerned surviving parents. Society tends to
expect an early (often premature) return of survivors to the activities of everyday life.
The adult or child thus often finds him-/herself isolated in grief. In family context on the
other hand, the single parent has to deal with the personal loss of a spouse, the
children's loss of a parent and often also the grandparents' loss of a child.
Furthermore, roles within the family have to be reallocated so as to accommodate the
lost person's functions. The surviving parent is therefore often not adequately
available for the child who, having had his/her personal world and belief system
shattered, does not always understand the consequences of death, primarily due to
cognitive immaturity. They may react with anxiety, irrational beliefs and suppression,
thus blocking a healthier course of grief.
The aim of this study was to design and implement a psycho-educational grief
resolution program and to investigate the effect thereof on the mood states, coping
skills and self-concepts of 17 urban adolescents who had experienced parental death.
Using the General Systems Theory as metatheory and the Intervention Designand-
Development research methodology (Thomas & Rothman, 1994), a model of
adolescent grief resolution was devised which served as basis for the design of the
program. The participants were requested to reappraise personal resolution of grief
tasks and were introduced to cognitive restructuring (for example the relinquishment of
suppression and the disputing of irrational beliefs). With a clearer understanding
and the skills to control emotions and behaviour, they were encouraged to attribute
(now with hindsight) meaning to the experience of having lost a loved one, and to
incorporate the event into a personal narrative. Statistical analyses of test-retest results indicated, amongst others, that adolescents
tend to prematurely avow acceptance of the loss; that the experimental group
demonstrated less fatigue-inertia after attending the program than the control group;
and that a high risk group, comprised of members of both the experimental and control
groups, showed more depression during the re-test situation. The last finding indicates
that a high risk group should rather receive psychotherapy than participate in a psychoeducational
program which is not primarily of a psychotherapeutic nature. On the
other hand taking part in the program caused those adolescents to become aware of
their need for psychotherapy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die meeste navorsers is dit eens dat die dood van 'n ouer vir die kind sielkundige
risiko's inhou. Sommige van dié kinders mag voor die ouderdom van 20 jaar (met die
grootste aantal teen 18 jaar) psigiatriese probleme soos depressie, angs of middelmisbruik
vertoon. Suid-Afrikaanse kinders word tans toenemend aan ouersterfte
blootgestel weens die toename in geweld, die Hl-virus, vigs, tuberkulose en verkeersongelukke.
Agtergeblewe ouers het die behoefte aan sielkundige ondersteuning van
dié kinders binne skoolverband onder die aandag van die navorser gebring. Dit blyk
dat die gemeenskap 'n vroeë (dikwels voortydige) terugkeer van die treurende na die
gewone daaglikse aktiwiteite verlang. Die treurende beleef hom-/haarself dus dikwels
as alleen in smart. In gesinsverband word daar verder hoë eise aan die enkelouer
gestel, soos om die verlies van 'n huweliksmaat te verwerk, om kinders wat 'n ouer
verloor het, en moontlik ook grootouers wat 'n kind verloor het, te ondersteun. Verder
moet die rolle binne die gesin herverdeel word om ook die oorledene se funksies te
vervul. Die beskikbaarheid van die agtergeblewe ouer is dus ingekort, en die kind wie
se leefwêreld en oortuigings aan flarde is, het weens veral kognitiewe onrypheid, selde
begrip vir die nagevolge van sterwensverlies. Hulle mag reageer met angs, irrasionele
denke en onttrekking wat die rouproses kan inhibeer.
Die doel van die studie was die ontwerp en toepassing van 'n verliesverwerkingsprogram
Cn psigo-ontwikkelingsprogram) en die bepaling van die programeffek op
die gemoedstoestand, streshanteringsvaardighede en selfkonsep van 17 stedelike
adolessente met ouerverlies. Met die Algemene Sisteemteorie as metateorie en
die Intervensie-Ontwerp-en-Ontwikkelingsnavorsingsparadigma (Thomas & Rothman,
1994) kon 'n adolessente verliesverwerkingsmodel saamgestel word wat gedien het as
basis vir die ontwerp van die program. Die deelnemers kon die eie verwerking van
routake herbeoordeel en kognitiewe herstrukturering waar nodig toepas (onder meer
deur die opheffing van onderdrukte gedagtes en die betwisting van irrasionele
aannames). Met beter begrip vir die eie situasie en beheer oor emosie en gedrag kon
ook betekenisgewing (terugskouend oor die verliesgebeure) volg en kon die ervaring
geïnkorporeer word in 'n persoonlike lewensverhaal. Statistiese ontleding van die toets-hertoetsresultate het onder meer daarop gedui dat
adolessente neig om voortydig aanvaarding van die verlies aan te dui; dat die
eksperimentele groep, vergeleke met die kontrolegroep, minder vermoeid-lusteloos
was na programdeelname; en dat hoë risikodeelnemers uit beide die eksperimentele
en kontrolegroepe met die na-toetsing meer depressief voorgekom het. Laasgenoemde
bevinding dui daarop dat die hoë risikogroep eerder op psigoterapie aangewese was.
Diegene uit die hoë risikogroep wat wel aan die program deelgeneem het, het nogtans
bewus geword van die behoefte aan sodanige terapie en dit daadwerklik opgevolg.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52049 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | De Villiers, Reniette Hofmeyr |
| Contributors | Van Der Westhuijsen, T.W.B., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology . |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 510 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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