https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/14515 Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:31:35 GMT 2026-08-04T09:31:35Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32796 The experiences and challenges of families living with persons who attempted suicide: guidelines for social work practice Ngoveni, Sydney This study sought to explore the experiences and challenges faced by families living with persons who have attempted suicide. This study was conducted against the backdrop of lack of services dedicated to families living with persons who have attempted suicide despite them grappling with diverse emotional challenges. The study was conducted in the Tshwane District Municipality in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The Family Systems Theory, Resilience Theory and Strengths-Based Perspective were used as theoretical lenses. The interpretive paradigm was utilised which informed the adoption of the qualitative approach. The phenomenological and descriptive research designs were also adopted. Purposive sampling technique was utilised to select social workers and families. A sample of five families and ten social workers was selected. Data were collected through family interviews and semi-structured interviews. The Thematic Content Analysis was employed to analyse the data. Financial problems, broken family relationships, childhood traumas, failure to cope with newly diagnosed chronic disease, gender-based violence, substance and alcohol abuse were perceived to be the causes of attempted suicide. Anger and frustration, shock and disbelief, fear and uncertainty, isolation and stigma, as well as an opportunity to learn about mental health formed part of the experiences of these families. Psychological destabilisation, impact on communication patterns and lack of support from social workers emerged as challenges faced by these families. Support groups and seeking divine help from churches and traditional healers were used as coping strategies. Social workers identified the need to include services for families of patients who attempted suicide and shift from focusing on the patients alone. The study concludes that the attempted suicide discourse requires a holistic approach in terms of interventions that consider the needs for suicide attempters and their families. The study findings were used to develop social work intervention guidelines for families living with persons who have attempted suicide. The guidelines emphasise the importance of social work professional development on attempted suicide as a way of equipping them with knowledge to enable them to provide a meaningful service to the affected people. For future research, it is recommended that broader studies be conducted, utilising research methods that allow larger samples so that the iv experiences and challenges of families can be documented at a larger scale across South Africa.; Ndzavisiso lowu wu ringetile ku lavisisa mintokoto ni mintlhontlho leyi mindyangu leyi tshamaka ni vanhu lava va ringeteke ku tidlaya yi hlanganaka na yona. Ndzavisiso lowu wu endliwe eMugangeni wa Tshwane eXifundzheni xa Gauteng eAfrika Dzonga. Ndzavisiso lowu wu tirhisile Family Systems Theory, Resilience Theory na Strengths-Based Perspective tanihi tihlolo ta kona. Ku tirhisiwe endlelo ro hlamusela leri endleke leswaku ku tirhisiwa endlelo ra nkoka. Ku tlhele ku amukeriwa endlelo ra ndzavisiso wa swilo leswi endlekaka ni ndlela leyi swi hlamuseriwaka ha yona. Ku hlawuriwe vatirhi va nhlayiso wa vanhu ni mindyangu hi ku tirhisa endlelo ro hlawula hi xikongomelo. Ku hlawuriwe mindyangu ya ntlhanu ni vatirhi va khume va nhlayiso wa vanhu. Vuxokoxoko byi hlengeletiwe hi ku vulavurisana ni mindyangu ni hi ku vulavurisana ni vanhu lava nga ni ntokoto. Nkambisiso wa Tinhloko-mhaka wu tirhisiwile ku kambisisa rungula leri. Nkambisiso wa Vuxokoxoko bya Nhloko-mhaka wu tirhisiwile ku kambela vuxokoxoko Swiphiqo swa timali, ku hahluka ka vuxaka bya ndyangu, ku vaviseka ka le vuhlangini, ku tsandzeka ku langutana ni vuvabyi lebyi nga tshungulekiki hi ku olova, madzolonga ya rimbewu, ku tirhisa swidzidzirisi hi ndlela yo biha ni ku nwa byalwa ku tlula mpimo, a swi tekiwa swi ri swona leswi vangaka ku ringeta ku tidlaya. Ku hlundzuka ni ku pfilunganyeka, ku hlamala ni ku nga kholwi, ku chava ni ku nga tiyiseki, ku tihambanisa ni vanhu van'wana ni ku va ni tingana, swin'we ni ku kuma nkarhi wo dyondza hita rihanyo ra mianakanyo, a ku ri swin'wana swa swilo leswi humeleleke mindyangu leyi. Ku pfilunganyeka emiehleketweni, ku khumbeka ka ndlela leyi va vulavurisanaka ha yona ni ku pfumaleka ka nseketelo wa vatirhi va nhlayiso wa vanhu swi tikombile swi ri swiphiqo leswi mindyangu leyi yi langutaneke na swona. Mintlawa ya nseketelo ni ku lava mpfuno wa Xikwembu etikerekeni ni le ka vatshunguri va ndhavuko swi tirhisiwe tanihi tindlela to langutana ni xiyimo lexi. Vatirhi va nhlayiso wa vanhu va vone swi fanerile ku katsa ni ku pfuna mindyangu ya vavabyi lava ringeteke ku tidlaya ni ku tshika ku khathalela vavabyi ntsena. Leswi kumiweke eka ndzavisiso lowu swi tirhisiwe ku endla swiletelo swa ku pfuna vanhu lava nga tshama va ringeta ku tidlaya. Swiletelo leswi swi tiyisisa nkoka wa ku hluvukisiwa ka ntirho wa vanhu eka ku ringeta ku tidlaya tanihi ndlela yo va nyika vutivi lebyi nga ta va endla va kota ku pfuna vanhu lava khumbekeke. Eka ndzavisiso lowu nga ta endliwa nkarhi lowu taka, ku bumabumeriwa vi leswaku ku endliwa tidyondzo to tala, ku tirhisiwa tindlela to endla ndzavisiso leti nga ta pfumelela tisampuli letikulu leswaku mintokoto ni mintlhontlho ya mindyangu swi ta tsariwa hi mpimo lowukulu eAfrika Dzonga hinkwayo. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32796 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32714 The perceptions and attitudes of Social Workers regarding their own mental health in Pretoria, South Africa Mbhele, Noluthando Proude Health care workers, including social workers, are exposed to high risk of mental health issues, increased anxiety, and depression symptoms due to the high caseload, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalisation associated with their work. This is because public hospitals in South Africa serve a large proportion of the population, often with constraint resources. Consequently, this qualitative study explored the perceptions and attitudes of Social Workers regarding their own mental health in Pretoria, South Africa. Descriptive, exploratory, and contextual research designs were thus adopted. A sample of social workers employed in Gauteng Department of Health, working in Pretoria, was selected using purposive sampling technique. Data was collected from participants by means of face-to-face semi-structured interviews with research questions embedded in an interview guide. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis Throughout the study the researcher adhered to ethical obligations such as informed content, confidentiality, anonymity, privacy, management of information, avoidance of harm and beneficent. The study contributes to new knowledge by bridging a literature gap identified in the scarcity of documented perceptions and attitudes of social workers regarding their own mental health. The study also identified that participants have difficulty in working with individual (colleagues) with mental illness as they feel they are unpredictable, aggressive and unable to control their emotions. The social workers are convinced that trauma debriefing sessions, team building, supervision, self-care should be promoted in the workplace to enhance mental health. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for social work practice, policy review and future research to improve the mental health of social workers in the hospital settings. Fri, 01 Mar 0026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32714 0026-03-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32627 Community perspectives on sex offenders' reintegration into the community Bulela, Ntlahla Sexual offences are one of the major criminal offences that affect communities globally. They affect not only the victims’ families but also the community at large. After serving a prison sentence, sex offenders are reintegrated back into the same communities from which they came. Government encourages communities to give offenders a second chance and to provide the support they need. The aim of this study was to explore the community perspectives on sex offenders’ reintegration into the community. The theoretical framework used in this study was the ecological systems approach. In employing the qualitative research approach an interpretivism paradigm was used. This encompassed explorative, descriptive and contextual designs to explore, describe and contextualise the community perspectives on sex offenders’ reintegration into the community. The research population consisted of community members based in Mamelodi Township, Pretoria. The sample of participants was selected in utilising purposive sampling. Semi structured interviews, guided by an interview guide with open-ended questions, were used to collect the data. The data were analysed using Tesch’s steps. The verification of data was conducted using Guba and Lincoln’s model and the four aspects of trustworthiness identified by them were applied. In conducting the research, the researcher adhered to the ethical considerations outlined by the University. The study adds to existing discussions on community perspectives regarding sex offender reintegration within the South African context. The findings revealed that community views on the reintegration of sex offenders are mixed, emotional, fearful, and stigmatised. Although some recognised that offenders deserve rehabilitation and second chances, concerns were raised about community safety, lack of information, and insufficient support for successful reintegration. The study also revealed that social workers play a critical role in mediating between offenders, victims, and communities by providing education, psychosocial support, and community meetings, highlighting the importance of enhancing community-based interventions and collaborative reintegration efforts. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32627 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32528 Challenges and coping strategies of male adolescents in Waterberg District child and youth care centres Maela, Lebo Ignitius Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) play a critical role in safeguarding and supporting vulnerable children, yet adolescents in these centres often face complex challenges adapting to institutional life. This study explored the challenges experienced by male adolescents residing in CYCCs and examined their coping strategies, alongside the roles of Child and Youth Care Workers (CYCWs) in supporting these adolescents. The research was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, which provided a framework for understanding how environmental and individual factors interact to shape adolescent experiences in residential care. A qualitative phenomenological approach, complemented by exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research designs, was employed. The study was conducted in CYCCs in the Waterberg District Municipality, Limpopo Province, involving nine male adolescents aged 13–18 and seven CYCWs selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using the seven-phase qualitative analysis process outlined by Lochmiller and Lester (2017). Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability, while ethical standards such as informed consent, confidentiality, and minimisation of harm were strictly maintained. The findings revealed that male adolescents in CYCCs face multifaceted challenges. Key issues included identity and belonging, with adolescents struggling to navigate cultural identity and social isolation; family separation, which led to feelings of abandonment; and emotional and psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, often linked to unresolved trauma. Institutional experiences were varied, with some adolescents benefiting from structure and support, while others felt constrained by rules. Coping strategies ranged from adaptive mechanisms, such as self-reflection, behavioural adjustment, and seeking peer or caregiver support, to maladaptive strategies, including withdrawal and substance use. CYCWs played a critical role in facilitating coping and resilience, though they require adequate training and resources to effectively meet adolescents’ complex needs. Overall, the study highlighted the importance of trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and holistic support systems that integrate emotional, social, and educational interventions. The findings provided practical insights for improving care practices, guiding policy, and informing future research, ultimately aiming to enhance the well-being, resilience, and development of male adolescents in residential care.; Tisenthara ta Nhlayiso wa Vana na Vantshwa (tiCYCC) ti tirha ntirho wa nkoka swonghasi emisaveni hinkwayo eka ku sirhelela na ku seketela vana lava nga sirhelelekangiki. Hambiswiritano, vakondlo-a-ndzi-dyi kotala va langutana na ku tikeriwa ko tivikana eka ku tifambelanisa na mbangu lowu. Ndzavisiso lowu wu lavisisile mitlhontlho leyi fanaka yi ri yoxe leyi tokotiwaka hi vaxinuna va vakondlo-a-ndzi-dyi lava tshamaka eka tiCYCC naswona wu kamberile tindlela ta vona to kondzelela endzeni ka ndhawu leyi. Rimba ra ntivontokoto wa mpimarisima ri amukeriwile, ri tatisiwa hi mitivomaendlelo yo valanga, yo hlamusela hi vutalo, na ya mbangu. Ndzavisiso lowu wu kongomise eka vakondlo-a-ndzi-dyi va 12–18 wa malembe hi vukhale na Vatirhi va le ka Nhlayiso wa Vana na Vantshwa (tiCYCW) eka tiCYCC leti kumekaka eka Masipala wa Xifundzatsongo wa Waterberg. Masampulelo lama nga na xikongomelo ya tirhisiwile ku hlawula vatekaxiave, ku tiyisisa mfambelano na swikongomelotsongo swa ndzavisiso lowu. Mihlokohliso leyi nga na xivumbekohafu yi endliwile ku hlengeleta switiviwa, leswi endzhaku ka swona swi xopaxopiweke hi ku tirhisa endlelo ra nxopaxopo wa mpimarisima wa swiyimo swa nkombo, leri katskanyiweke hi Lochmiller na Lester (2017). Tiphurosese ta ntiyisiso wa vuenti ti tirhisiwile ku tiyisisa vutshembeki bya switiviwa, vutiyisiseki, vuhundziseleki, na vutshemberi. Mipimo ya matikhomelonene yi landzeleriwile hi ndlela ya vurhonwana, leyi katsaka mpfumelelo u ri na vutivi, xihundla, ku hungutiwa ka ku vaviseka, na ku rhangisiwa emahlweni ka nhlayiseko wa vatekaxiave. Hi ku tlakusa marito ya vaxinuna va vakondlo-a-ndzi-dyi lava nga eka tiCYCC, ndzavisiso lowu wu tirhana na vangwa leri vonaka eka matsalwa lama nga kona naswona wu hoxa xandla eka ntwisiso wo enta wa mitokoto ya vona leyi hanyiweke; Disenthara tša Tlhokomelo ya Bana le Baswa (di-CYCC) di šoma mošomo wo bohlokwa lefaseng ka bophara go šireletša le go thekga bana bao ba lego kotsing. Le ge go le bjalo, batšwamahlalagading gantši ba lebeletšana le mathata a magolo a gore ba ka tlwaela tikologo ye. Nyakišišo ye e nyakišišitše ditlhohlo tša moswananoši tšeo di itemogetšwego ke batšwamahlalagading ba e lego banna bao ba dulago ka gare ga di-CYCC le go hlahloba mekgwa ya bona ya go lebeletšana le maemo ka gare ga lefelo le. Foreimiweke ya ponagalo ya khwalithethifi e amogetšwe, ya tlaleletšwa ka mekgwa ya go nyakišiša, ya tlhalošo le ya diteng. Dinyakišišo di be di lebeletše kudu baswa ba mengwaga ye 12–18 le Bašomi ba Tlhokomelo ya Bana le Baswa (di-CYCW) ka gare ga di-CYCC tšeo di lego Mmasepaleng wa Selete sa Waterberg. Go šomišitšwe sampole ya ka morero go kgetha bakgathatema, go kgonthiša gore go be le tshepetšano le maikemišetšo a nyakišišo. Dipoledišano peakanyo-seripa di dirilwe go kgoboketša datha, tšeo ka morago di sekasekilwego ka go šomiša mokgwa wa tshekatsheko ya khwalithethifi wa dikgato tše šupa, bjalo ka ge o hlalošitšwe ke Lochmiller le Lester (2017). Ditshepetšo tše di tiilego tša kgonthišo di šomišitšwe go kgonthiša gore datha ke ye e botegago, tiišetšegago, fetišetšegago, gape ye go ka ithekgwago ka yona. Maemo a boitshwaro a latetšwe ka botlalo, a akaretša tumelelo ka tsebo, sephiri, phokotšo ya kotsi le ketišopele ya boiketlo bja bakgathatema. Ka go godiša mantšu a batšwamahlalagading ba e lego banna ka gare ga di-CYCC, nyakišišo ye e rarolla sekgoba se se lemogegago ka dingwalong tše di lego gona gape e tlaleletša kwešišong ye e tseneletšego ya maitemogelo a bona ao ba a phetšego Abstract in English with Venda and Sepedi translations Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/32528 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z