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The use of drugs amongst adolescents and youth has become a global phenomenon and South Africa is no exception. This paper aims to explore the familial contexts and childhood experiences leading up to the drug-taking pathways of young drug users. A qualitative approach was utilized to gather demographic from a purposive sample of 41 young (14–19 years) drug users, at five drug treatment centres in the Western Cape of South Africa. Additionally, participants could agree to participate in an in-depth interview or to provide a written life history account. A thematic data analysis was applied, and the results uncovered a range of family-related risk factors such as family structure (single motherhood and absent fatherhood), and other negative family functioning and practices such as troubled parent-child relationships, poor family communication/interactions, parental/family substance abuse, and conflict-ridden, stressful and often violent and abusive family situations. The findings suggest that prevention initiatives should focus on strengthening family functioning by reducing high conflict, stress, violent and abusive family situations, as well as aim to enhance the caregiver-child relationship. Prevention strategies should encourage live-in and non-live-in fathers to be actively involved in the lives of their children and should aim to reduce parental/caregiver substance abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social work profession has become critical in assisting victims of violent crime at social service agencies in South Africa. Social workers have been spearheading efforts to help trauma victims at the expense of their mental health. For Black South African social workers, the mental burden of working with victim collides with historical trauma to create new ways of experiencing mental health challenges. The study aimed to explore the experiences of social workers working with victims of violent crime at select social service agencies in Johannesburg. The study was qualitative in nature and a case study design was used. Data was collected using in-depth interviews. The researchers used purposive sampling and data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results from the study showed that Black South African social workers working in the field of violent crime face challenges such as prolonged sadness, emotional exhaustion and vicarious trauma. All these psychological problems are amplified by the fact that social workers in South Africa work under strenuous conditions. This increases the impact of psychological problems on social workers. Therefore, this paper argues that when the psychological effects of working with victims of violent crime, intersect with historical trauma, it produces unique ways of experiencing trauma for Black South African social workers. This study has strong implications for research about the health and wellbeing of social work practitioners working with trauma victims. The study exposes the need to prioritize the wellbeing of social workers especially those working in contexts with a traumatic past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how individuals living with multiple sclerosis experience their disorder in the South African working environment. In this paper we present the experiences of office-based workers living with multiple sclerosis, their challenges, and coping mechanisms. We purposively recruited seven participants who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the last five years. Participants were interviewed telephonically. Interviews were guided by a semi-structured interview schedule which was supplemented with additional probes. Interviews were analysed thematically using a qualitative software programme. We identified two superordinate themes: bringing multiple sclerosis into the workplace and adapting to multiple sclerosis in the workplace. The findings demonstrated the diverse manner in which participants chose to disclose their multiple sclerosis and manage co-workers' perceptions of multiple sclerosis. Participants employed practical strategies, such as making using of mobility aids, taking notes, conserving energy, and adapting responsibilities. Participants also negotiated accommodations, such as changing working hours, to overcome their unique challenges. Participants emphasised the importance of keeping a general positive attitude but showed reluctance to prepare for their future decline. Our findings indicate that participants manage the disclosure of their diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in order to maintain a favourable relationship with the workplace. Further, despite various physical and psychological limitations, participants were mostly able to adapt to their work environment. Although further research is required, employers and clinicians should consider focusing on the current needs of individuals living with multiple sclerosis to mitigate work-related challenges, rather than planning for future decline. For individuals living with multiple sclerosis and in employment in South Africa, disclosure, management of perceptions and providing accommodations are key aspects in the experience of multiple sclerosis in the workplace. Finding ways to help those in employment disclose their MS diagnosis to employers and co-workers, is an important avenue and next step for intervention research in this field. Early adjustment and adaptation to MS in the workplace is challenging and further negotiation with line-managers regarding accommodations is often required. Employers and clinicians should focus on accommodating the needs of those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as they arise, rather than focusing solely on the accommodations needed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]