Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has transformed its mental health service provision from in-hospital care to
community-based rehabilitation. Although the idea is sound, the process places the caregiving
families under an immense pressure. The aim of this study was to explore the
impact that the de-institutionalisation process has had on the families as they care for
their child with intellectual disability.
The study was conducted by means of qualitative, unstructured interviews with families
that have had a child de-institutionalised from Alexandra Hospital in the Western Cape.
All of the patients were diagnosed with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and
mental illness. Even though the patients were in group-homes or attended a day care
centre, final responsibility for the patients lay with the parents.
Three main themes emerged from the interviews that describe the impact of deinstitutionalisation,
viz. the characteristics of the family member with intellectual
disability (aggressive, abusive and self-destructive behaviour of the patient), the effect
that these characteristics had on the family (marital stress and health risks to the care
giver), and community and resource factors.
The study placed the family central to its environment and discussed the impact deinstitutionalisation
had on its environment as a whole.
It was concluded that the burden that de-institutionalisation places on the families far
exceeded their ability to cope with these circumstances. This status quo could be
improved if adequate resources and skills are given to families prior to de-institutional / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika is geestesgesondheidsorg van hospitaliserende na gemeenskapsgebaseerde
rehabilitasie, omskep. Terwyl hierdie stap wel as lewensvatbaar mag
voorkom, plaas die proses ‘n hewige las op die sorggewende gesin. Die doel van hierdie
studie was om die omvang van die impak hiervan op ‘n gesin met ’n lid met intellektuele
gestremdheid en psiegiatriese siekte, te bepaal – nadat so ‘n pasient uit die inrigting
ontslaan is.
Die ondersoek is uitgevoer by wyse van kwalitatiewe, ongestruktureerde onderhoude met
gesinne wie se lede met die diagnose uitgeplaas is deur die Alexandra Hospitaal in die
Wes-Kaap. Elkeen van die pasïente is gediagnoseer met ernstige intellektuele
gestremdheid, asook bykomende gedragsafwykings. Ten spyte van die feit dat die
betrokke pasïente deur groepshuise of dagsorg eenhede versorg word, bly hulle hul ouers
se verantwoordelikheid.
Drie temas het ontstaan wat die impak van ontslag uit die inrigting omskryf, te wete die
karaktertrekke van die gestremde gesinslid (aggressie, misbruikende en vernielsugtige
gedrag van die pasïent), die effek van hierdie karaktertrekke op die gesin (stres op die
huwelik en potensiële gesondheidsrisiko wat dit vir die versorger inhou), en die
gemeenskap en ondersteunende faktore.
Tydens die ondersoek is die gesin sentraal geplaas ten opsigte van die omgewing. Die
impak van ontslag van die gediagnoseerde pasïent uit die inrigting op die omgewing as
geheel, word bespreek.
Daar is tot die slotsom gekom dat die vermoë van die gesin wat die las moet dra as
gevolg van die ontslag, ver oorspan word. Hierdie toedrag van sake sou egter verlig kon
word indien toereikende hulpbronne en vaardighede aan sulke gesinne beskikbaar gestel
word alvorens so ‘n pasïent ontslaan is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2231 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Kock, Elizabeth |
| Contributors | Carolissen, R., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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