Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the current study was to investigate factors that help single-parent families cope
with the news that a family member has been diagnosed with HIV. The theoretical model that
underpinned the study is the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation
of McCubbin and McCubbin (1996). A salutogenic perspective offers a view of human
suffering that moves away from pathology to focus on factors that support successful coping,
hence the focus of the current study on resilience. A cross-sectional survey research design
was used, incorporating a combination method inclusive of both a qualitative and quantitative
component. A total of 109 families, represented by an adult and a child, answered a
qualitative question about what they considered to have helped them cope, and completing a
biographical questionnaire and five questionnaires based on the theoretical model. Analyses
included the Grounded Theory Method, a qualitative analysis method of Strauss and Corbin
(1994; 1998), Pearson correlations and ANOVAs (for a categorical independent variable –
employment status) to compute the significance of correlations between a dependent variable
and a number of independent variables, and regression analysis.
The results of the qualitative investigation revealed that families considered internal strength
(or hardiness), social supports, communication, a sense of hope, using denial (both positive
and negative behaviours to get on with life despite the presence of hardship), changing or
reframing thoughts about the stressor, and material support to have been helpful. The
quantitative results supported the qualitative results and showed that family hardiness
(working together, viewing stressors as challenges and having a belief in own coping
abilities), the availability of social support, supportive communication, use of reframing,
accepting help from others and spiritual support all contributed to families functioning well
under adverse conditions. It was also shown that inflaming types of communication, such as
fighting and doing nothing about a crisis situation, negatively influenced the family
functioning. It was interesting to note that family size had a significant, positive correlation with the parents’ views of family functioning, and that the higher the children’s level of
education, the lower they rated their family functioning to be.
Recommendations for further studies include a focus on resilience in various family types, a
focus on families successfully coping with HIV diagnoses in their families, and the
development of intervention programmes, inclusive of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die huidige studie was om ondersoek in te stel na faktore wat enkelouer gesinne
met ‘n MIV-gediagnoseerde gesinslid ondersteun het. Die studie is teoreties gebou op
McCubbin en McCubbin (1996) se Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and
Adaptation. Salutogenese bied ‘n siening of waardering van die manier waarop mense
terugslae hanteer wat weg beweeg van die tradisionele fokus op patologie om te fokus op
faktore wat suksesvolle aanpassing ondersteun ten spyte van die teenwoordigheid van
genoemde krisis. Hierdie benadering bepaal dus die fokus op veerkragtigheid of
gesinsveerkragtigheid wat hierdie studie rig. ’n Deursnee- steekproefontwerp is vir die
navorsing gebruik en het ‘n kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe komponent ingesluit. ‘n Totaal van
109 gesinne is bestudeer, elk deur een volwassene en een kind verteenwoordig. Die
deelnemers het ‘n kwalitatiewe vraag beantwoord oor wat hulle as ondersteunend ten opsigte
van hulle eie krisishantering beskou het, en het ook ‘n biografiese vraelys en vyf vraelyste wat
verskillende aspekte van die teoretiese model gemeet het, voltooi. Die deelnemers se response
is ontleed deur middel van Strauss en Corbin (1994; 1998) se Grounded Theory Method vir
die kwalitatiewe komponent; Pearson se korrelasies en ANOVA’s (ten opsigte van ‘n
katogoriese onafhanklike veranderlike – werkstatus) is gebruik om die korrelasies tussen die
afhanklike en ‘n aantal onafhanklike veranderlikes te bereken en regressie-ontledings is
gedoen.
Die kwalitatiewe resultate het aangedui dat die volgende faktore deur die gesinne beskou is as
ondersteunend van hulle vermoë om krisisse te hanteer: innerlike sterkte, sosiale
ondersteuning, kommunikasie, ‘n gevoel van hoop, die gebruik van ontkenning (beide
positiewe en negatiewe gedrag om met die lewe aan te gaan ten spyte van die swaarkry),
verandering van of herbesinning oor die stressor, en materiële ondersteuning. Die
kwantitatiewe bevindinge het die kwalitatiewe resultate ondersteun en getoon dat
gesinsgehardheid (saamwerk, beskouing van stressors as uitdagings en ‘n vertroue in eie vermoëns), die beskikbaarheid van sosiale ondersteuning, ondersteunende kommunikasie, die
gebruik van herbesinning, aanvaarding van hulp van ander en geestelike ondersteuning almal
gehelp het om die gesin onder ongunstige toestande goed te laat funksioneer. Daar is ook
gevind dat opruiende soorte kommunikasie, soos baklei en niks oor ‘n krisissituasie te doen
nie, ‘n negatiewe invloed op gesinsfunksionering gehad het. Dit was interessant om te vind
dat gesinsgrootte positief met die ouers se beskouing van gesinsfunksionering gekorreleer het,
terwyl ‘n hoër vlak van opvoeding onder die kinders gekorreleer het met ‘n laer skatting van
gesinsfunksionering.
Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing sluit in ‘n fokus op gesinsveerkragtigheid in verskillende
gesinstipes, ‘n fokus op gesinne wat ‘n MIV-diagnose in die gesin suksesvol hanteer, en die
ontwikkeling van ingrypingsprogramme gebaseer op die beginsels van Kognitiewe
Gedragsterapie en Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17892 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Strauss, Werner F. |
| Contributors | Greeff, A. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 248 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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