The present study explored the effect of the birth of a child with a cleft lip and palate on family
functioning within the context of family systems theory. Five families, each with a child who was
born with a cleft lip and palate, were included in the study. The five couples were all married
and they were the biological parents of their children whose ages ranged from two months to
five years. All five sets of parents were initially interviewed together and then had separate
individual interviews where the Family Assessment Measure-III was administered. The results
reflected each family's distinctive patterns of interaction and how they adapted to the birth of a
child with an orofacial cleft. Factors found to affect family functioning included: External support
systems, individual coping skills, family rules and boundaries, open communication and
cohesion among family members. / Psychology / M. A. (Psychology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/2553 |
| Date | 31 October 2003 |
| Creators | Rich, Eileen Patricia |
| Contributors | Visser, E., Nieuwoudt, J. M. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | 1 online resource (216 leaves) |
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