| Summary: | Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parental bereavement has generated interest internationally, and yet very few bereavement
studies have been conducted within South Africa, even though the prevalence of South African
adolescents experiencing parental bereavement is on the increase. The attachment theory explains
why the loss of a parental figure during adolescence could have a long lasting negative influence
on adolescents’ psychological development. The present study aimed to explore the
psychological experience of bereavement for 66 adolescents who recently lost either a parent or a
significant caregiver who played a parental role for the bereaved adolescent.
By means of a cross-sectional quantitative design the following variables were examined:
depression (using the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition; BDI-II), anxiety (using the
Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI), coping (using the Coping Strategy Indicator; CSI), attachment
(using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment; IPPA) and social support (using the Social
Support Appraisal; SSA).
The results showed that the strongest significant positive correlations were between
depression and anxiety, followed by positive correlations between attachment to the remaining
mother figure and problem-solving coping. Furthermore, the results showed that the strongest
significant negative correlations were between: depression and problem-solving coping, followed
by the correlation between attachment to the remaining mother figure and peers and depression.
Support from significant attachment figures in the bereaved adolescent's life was found to
promote healthy adjustment to the significant loss by lowering depression and strengthening
perceived social support for the bereaved adolescent.
For the South African population, peer run support group interventions, based in schools or
community youth groups, have been identified as best suited to promote resilience for
adolescents during the bereavement process. The interventions would bring together bereaved
adolescents, creating a support group for the adolescent to draw on during their bereavement. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In teenstelling met die internasionale gemeenskap geniet studies rakende ouerlike verlies in Suid-
Afrika relatief min belangstelling en alhoewel gevalle van adolessente wat ouerlike verlies
ondervind in Suid-Afrika vermeerder, word daar baie min sulke studies plaaslik onderneem. Die
teorie van gehegtheid verklaar hoekom die verlies van ‘n ouer-figuur gedurende adolessensie
langtermyn psigologiese newe-effekte kan meebring. Hierdie studie beoog om die psigologiese
ondervindinge van 66 adolessente , wat onlangs ‘n ouer of voog moes afstaan, te bestudeer.
Deur gebruik te maak van ‘n kwantitatiewe kruispeiling is die volgende veranderlikes
bestudeer: depressie (deur gebruik te maak van die “Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition;
BDI-II”), angs (deur gebruik te maak van die “Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI”), aangewassenheid
(deur gebruik te maak van die “Coping Strategy Indicator; CSI”), gehegtheid (deur gebruik te
maak van die “Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment; IPPA”) en sosiale ondersteuning (deur
gebruik te maak van die “Social Support Appraisal; SSA”).
Die resultate toon dat die sterkste betekenisvolle positiewe korrelasies tussen angs en
depressie bestaan, gevolg deur positiewe korrelasies tussen gehegtheid tot ‘n oorblywende
moeder-figuur en aangewassenheid. Verder toon die resultate dat die sterkste betekenisvolle
negatiewe korrelasies tussen depressie en probleem-oplossings opgewassenheid gevind kan word,
gevolg deur gehegtheid aan ‘n oorblywende moeder-figuur en tydgenote en depressie.
Ondersteuning van figure waarteen die adolessent aangeheg voel bewys om gesonde aanpassing
tot die verlies te bewerkstellig deur die aanslag van depressie te bestry en begrip van sosiale
ondersteuning te bevorder.
In die Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing is gevind dat ingrypende ondersteuningsgroepe, wat bestuur
word deur tydgenote van die adolessent, gebaseer in skole of gemeenskap jeug groepe, die beste
vaar daarin om adolessente opgewasse te maak teen die verlies van ‘n ouer of voog gedurende die
treur proses. Hierdie ingrypende ondersteuning groepeer treurende adolessente saam en bevorder
so die vorming van ondersteuningsgroepe waar treurende adolessente mekaar kan bemoedig.
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