Die identifisering, beskrywing en riglyne vir die ontwikkeling van veerkragtigheidskenmerke in gesinne waarvan ʼn ouer alkohol misbruik: ʼn gesinsperspektief

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Alcohol abuse is a major problem worldwide and in South Africa which not only affectsindividuals, but families and communities as well. In South Africa, the Western Cape is theprovince with the highest prevalence of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is also the most prevalentamongst the coloured population group and in rural areas. Despite the potentially negativeimpact that parental alcohol abuse can have on families, some families are capable of copingwith and overcoming this adversity. Families who have the ability to withstand and reboundfrom disruptive life challenges, such as when a parent in the family abuses alcohol, are referredto as resilient families.The main objective of this investigation was to determine which family characteristics can beassociated with positive adaptation in families in which a parent abuses alcohol in a rural areaof the Western Cape among the coloured population, based on family membersʼ views. Thesecondary objective of this investigation was to provide guidelines based on family membersʼperspectives for how these characteristics can be developed in order to help families cope withthe crisis of alcohol abuse.Although family resilience studies regarding parental alcohol abuse were found in theinternational literature, there is a lack of similar studies in South Africa. The lack of localstudies that are qualitative in nature, that focus on family resilience rather than individualresilience and where the parent is the family member that abuses alcohol, allows for aninvestigation in which the unique factors of this group of participants can be identified anddescribed.Participants were 18 families of which one or both parents had been abusing alcohol for sixmonths or longer. In 15 cases, the mother acted as the representative of the family, and in onecase the father. In two cases both the mother and a daughter who still lives with them at homeparticipated on behalf of the family. Data were collected by means of semi-structuredinterviews and analysed thematically. The results are presented in four sections, namely participants' descriptions of how theirfamilies are characterised, participants' experiences of the negative effect of alcohol abuse,participants' descriptions of family resilience characteristics, and participants' suggestions forguidelines for the development of an intervention programme for families with parental alcoholabuse. Themes that related to participants' descriptions of how their families are characterisedwere: alcohol abuse is at its worst over weekends and in the month of December; other familymembers are against alcohol abuse; domestic violence; more than one family member abusesalcohol; only the parent that abuses alcohol can help him-/herself; the parent has been abusingalcohol his/her whole life and has had relapses; the parent does not want to admit the problemor the severity of the problem; and stressors. Themes that related to participants' experiencesof the negative effect of alcohol abuse were the negative effects of alcohol abuse on finances,the community, the family, health, the marriage, children and careers.Themes that related to participants' descriptions of family resilience factors included familyproblem-solving communication, family time and routines, religion, support from communityresources, social support, and other factors. Themes that related to participants' suggestions forguidelines for the development of an intervention programme were: to emphasise theimportance of the youth; to involve families with parental alcohol abuse in the community; tolink the programme to a religious component; to help people to not start drinking, drink less orstop drinking; to make the intervention programme prolonged and continuous; as well as toreceive rehabilitation, counselling or therapy.Based on the identified resilience characteristics and advice to other families, suggestions aremade for how these factors can be implemented in order to develop a family resilienceintervention programme for families with parental alcohol abuse.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University