Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The study aims at assessing the stress and dysfunction among families affected
by the sudden reality of experiencing physically deteriorating family members
due to HIV/AIDS progression, and to identify resilience factors that moderate the
impact. Three-hundred and sixteen families were conveniently selected to
participate in this study. The experimental group of the HIV/AIDS affected
families (n=122), with two control groups of families caring for family members
ailing because of a non- HIV/AIDS physical ailment (n=132) and the families not
involved in the caring of any family member (n=62). Family resilience and stress
questionnaires were used to collect the data. Family resilience questionnaires
included Family Hardiness Index (FHI), Social Support Index (SSI), Relative and
Friend Support (RFS), F-COPES, Family Time and Routine Index (FTRI), Family
Problem Solving Communication (FPSC) Family Attachment and Changeability
Index 8 (FACI 8). The family caregiver stress was measured by the Relative
Stress Scale. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used to
determine the moderating effect of the family qualities on the stress levels, and
specific qualities unique in the families that bounce back.
Stress was found to be high in the HIV/AIDS affected families when compared
with the control families. Furthermore, the demographic information indicated
that more stress was experienced in the HIV/AIDS affected families with a
younger sick member and in poor economic conditions as well as when the sick
person was a breadwinner. This indicated that stress elevation in the HIV/AIDS
affected families was a function of economic conditions in the families and that
caregivers may have experienced stress due to lack of proper resources and the
stress of having sympathy for a young sick person who was expected to have a
long life ahead of him or her. Social support (SSI), relative and friend support
(RFS), and spending time together and engaging in similar routine collectively
(FTRI) were found to moderate stress in HIV/AIDS affected families.
Further research is needed to highlight the dynamics and the relationship with
stress elevation around the new trend of HIV/AIDS infection of the younger age
group as well as the economic burden or the impact of lack of resources in caring
for the infected. More in-depth research must also be done with an emphasis on
the dynamics between stigmatisation, stress moderation and resilience of
families using more diverse families engaging in various caregiving situations of
sick family members within various ecological and socio economic conditions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ul/oai:ulspace.ul.ac.za:10386/1207 |
| Date | 20 April 2015 |
| Creators | Setwaba, M. B. |
| Contributors | Mashego, T. A. B. |
| Publisher | University of Limpopo |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 138 leaves |
| Relation |
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