Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613967973613568 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Gericke, Hermine |
| author2 | Coetzee, Bronwyne |
| author_browse | Coetzee, Bronwyne Gericke, Hermine |
| author_facet | Coetzee, Bronwyne Gericke, Hermine |
| author_sort | Gericke, Hermine |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124742 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:34.165Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124742 Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa Gericke, Hermine Coetzee, Bronwyne Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. South Africa Parents Child and adolescent mental health Mental health knowledge Parent and child -- South Africa -- Western Cape UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction. The poor mental health of children and young people is a global crisis. South African children are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems due to their exposure to multiple risk factors, including poverty, HIV/AIDS, and poly-victimisation. Children and young people who are at risk of developing a mental health problem depend on their parents or caregivers (any person responsible for the daily care of a child) to recognise problems and access appropriate mental health support. Studies, most of which were conducted in high-income countries, have shown that parents/caregivers experience a plethora of barriers and facilitators associated with recognising problems within their children and accessing services for a variety of reasons including systemic-structural, attitudinal, and family circumstances. However, it is unclear how South African parents/caregivers perceive their involvement in recognising and responding to their children’s mental health problems. In this study, I sought to explore how South African parents/caregivers conceptualise mental health and how they deal with potential mental health problems in the family context. I also sought to explore how they perceive their role in their children’s mental wellbeing, and the barriers and facilitators associated with this role. Methods. Participants were 31 parents/caregivers of primary school aged children. I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 parents/caregivers of children (aged 11–14) attending a primary school in the Western Cape area. Secondary data from interviews with a further 21 participants in similar contexts were incorporated. I analysed the data as a single corpus using reflexive thematic analysis and ATLAS.ti version 8 software. Findings. I identified four superordinate themes: (1) understandings of mental health terminology, (2) coping with mental health problems, (3) the parents’/caregiver’s role in children’s mental health and mental health services, and (4) barriers/facilitators to parent/caregiver involvement in children’s wellbeing. Although participants struggled to articulate their understanding of mental health terminology, they made use of various models to explain the cause of mental health problems and showed great awareness of the consequences if these problems are left untreated. Participants made use of several strategies to ensure their emotional availability to their children so that they could recognise and respond to mental health problems. However, participants face multiple barriers and can rely on different facilitators in their involvement. Lack of knowledge and resources to deal with wider contextual factors, such as poverty, other responsibilities, family dynamics, and poly-victimisation, often cause participants to use avoidance as a coping mechanism. Participants also found it difficult to recognise emotional distress and mental health problems and distinguish between problematic and normal adolescent behaviour. Participants often believed their children’s mental health problems were not serious enough to warrant engagement with child and adolescent mental health services, and even if they did wish to do so, they did not know where to seek support. Although participants found it acceptable to seek support from their social networks, they were often concerned over confidentiality and trust. Participants who have engaged with mental health services, often through referrals, reported positive experiences and valued a good therapeutic relationship, knowledge, and the support they received. Conclusion. The findings highlight the need for parent/caregiver support in understanding, recognising, and appropriately responding to their children’s mental health problems. Supporting parents/caregivers on these fronts will promote their availability and appropriate mental health help-seeking for children experiencing a mental health problem. The findings highlight the need for further research and the development of appropriate interventions. AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Inleiding. Die geestesgesondheid van kinders en jongmense is ‘n wêreldwye krisis. Suid-Afrikaanse kinders het ‘n hoë risiko vir die ontwikkeling van geestesgesondheidsprobleme as gevolg van hul blootstelling aan verskeie risiko-faktore soos armoede, MIV/VIGS en poli-viktimisering. Kinders en jongmense, wie ‘n hoë risiko loop om geestesgesondheidsprobleme te ontwikkel, is afhanklik van hul ouers/versorgers (enige persoon verantwoordelik vir die daaglikse versorging van ‘n kind of jongmens) vir die herkenning van moontlike geestesgesondheids probleme en toegang tot gepaste ondersteuning. Volgens studies, wat meerendeels in hoë-inkomste lande uitgevoer is, ervaar ouers/versorgers talle hindernisse en fasiliterende faktore geassosieer met die herkenning van geestesgesondheidsprobleme en die toegang tot dienste, insluitende sistemies-strukturele faktore, gesindhede en familie omstandighede. Dit is egter onduidelik hoe Suid-Afrikaanse ouers/versorgers hul betrokkenheid in die herkenning van en reaksie tot hul kinders se geestesgesondheidsprobleme beskou. In hierdie studie het ek ten doel gehad om uit te vind hoe Suid-Afrikaanse ouers/versorgers geestesgesondheid beskou en moontlike geestesgesondheidsprobleme in die familie-konteks hanteer. Ek het ook ten doel gehad om hul sieninge rondom die rol wat hulle speel in hul kinders se geestesgesondheid en welsyn en die hindernisse en fasiliterende faktore wat hulle in hierdie kapasitiet teëkom, te ondersoek. Metodes. Die deelnemers was 31 ouers/versorgers van laerskoolkinders. Ek het in-diepte, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met 10 ouers/versorgers van laerskoolkinders, tussen die ouderdom van 11 en 14 jaar, aan ‘n Wes-Kaapse laerskool gevoer. Sekondêre data van ‘n verdere 21 deelnemers in soortgelyke omstandighede is geïnkorporeer. Ek het die data as ‘n enkele korpus geanaliseer deur die gebruik van refleksiewe tematiese analise en ATLAS.ti weergawe 8 sagteware. Bevindinge. Ek het vier hooftemas geïdentifiseer: (1) begrip van geestesgesondheidsterminologie, (2) hantering van geestegesondheidsprobleme, (3) die rol van die ouer/versorger in kinders se geestesgesondheid en toegang tot geestesgesondheidsdienste, en (4) faktore wat die ouer/versorger se betrokkendheid by die kind se welstand verhinder of fasiliteer. Alhoewel deelnemers gesukkel het om hul verstaan van geestesgesondheidsterminologie te verwoord, het hulle nietemin gebruik gemaak van verskeie modelle om die oorsake van geestesgesondheidsprobleme te verduidelik en het hulle bewustheid van die gevolge van onbehandelde geestesgesondheidsprobleme getoon. Deelnemers het van verskeie strategieë gebruik gemaak om hulself emosioneel beskikbaar te stel vir hul kinders en om geestesgesondheidsprobeleme te herken en aan te spreek. Nietemin, word deelnemers in hul betrokkendheid met verkeie hindernisse en fasiliterende faktore gekonfronteer. ‘n Tekort aan die nodige kennis en hulpbronne om die wyer kontekstuele probleme soos armoede, ander verantwoordelikhede, familie-dinamika en poli-viktimisering te hanteer, lei daartoe dat ouers/versorgers vermyding gebruik as ‘n manier om geestesgesondheidsprobleme te hanteer. Daarbenewens het deelnemers ook gesukkel om emosionele nood en geestesgesondheidsprobleme te herken en om tussen normale- en problematiese tienergedrag te onderskei. Deelnemers was meerendeels van die oortuiging dat hul kinders se geestesgesondheidsprobleme nie ernstig genoeg is om die betrokkendheid van kinder- en tiener geestesgesondheidsdienste te regverdig nie. Diegene wat wel geestesgesondheidsdienste wou betrek het nie geweet hoe om hulp te bekom nie. Alhoewel deelnemers gevoel het dat dit aanvaarbaar is om ondersteuning van hul sosiale netwerke te vra, was hulle besorgd oor aspekte soos vertroulikheid en vertroue. Deelnemers wie al betrokke was by geestesgesondheidsdienste, dikwels deur middel van verwysings, het getuig van positiewe ervarings en het waarde geheg aan ‘n goeie terapeutiese verhouding, asook die kennis en ondersteuning wat hulle ontvang het. Masters 2022-03-09T07:18:37Z 2022-04-29T09:29:49Z 2022-03-09T07:18:37Z 2022-04-29T09:29:49Z 2022-03-09 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124742 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xiv, 178 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | South Africa Parents Child and adolescent mental health Mental health knowledge Parent and child -- South Africa -- Western Cape UCTD Gericke, Hermine Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa |
| title | Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_full | Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_short | Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa |
| title_sort | caregivers perceptions of their involvement in children s mental health and mental health services a qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the western cape south africa |
| topic | South Africa Parents Child and adolescent mental health Mental health knowledge Parent and child -- South Africa -- Western Cape UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124742 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gerickehermine caregiversperceptionsoftheirinvolvementinchildrensmentalhealthandmentalhealthservicesaqualitativestudyamongstcaregiversofprimaryschoolagedchildreninthewesterncapesouthafrica |