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The world regards AIDS as the most disastrous health threat in the world. HIV/AIDS- related issues amongst adolescents were initially neglected due to the visible impact of this pandemic on babies and adults. Adolescents' behavior is however regarded as high-risk because of their involvement in sexual activities from a young age. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe male adolescents' views about sexual activities and their specific needs in terms of AIDS-prevention programmes in order to develop guidelines for programme developers. The target population was male adolescents between 15 and 17 years of age. The research design was based on qualitative research--because of its exploratory, descriptive and contextual nature. The collection of the data was done by means of focus group interviews and field notes reflecting the observation done during the interviews. Data was analyzed according to Tesch's approach of data reduction (Creswell, 1994) with reference to relevant literature. Applying Guba's model (De Vos, 1998) on trustworthiness ensured the trustworthiness of the research. Themes forthcoming from the study were as follows: most adolescents are sexually active; different roles and motives exist for male and female adolescents in terms of sexual activity; risks in terms of HIV/AIDS are externalized; the acceptability of involvement in sexual activity is viewed differently; underlying experiences of fear exist; and male adolescents have specific needs in terms of AIDS-prevention programmes., BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE The Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was identified during 1979 and 1980. The Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) was subsequently isolated in 1981. AIDS is regarded as [...]

The aim of this article is to discuss guidelines for support staff experiencing aggression in schools and to develop an approach for the support staff to deal with aggression to facilitate their mental health. The researchers explored the experience of aggression of the support staff in a chosen school by conducting phenomenological, unstructured interviews. Focus groups were also conducted for the purpose of data collection. The interviews and focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed according to Tesch's method. Guba's model for the validity of qualitative research was used. One central idea was identified from the data collected and this was that the support staff were not seen as human beings in their work environment. Four recurrent themes were identified: 1. Isolation of the support staff from the rest of the school 2. Unsafe work environment 3. Unfair work practice 4. Psychological breakdown of the support staff It was evident from the findings of the research that the support staff experience aggression on an emotional level. Emotional aggression is described as a form of abuse based on power and control. Themes were discussed and recommendations were made to the management of the school as well as the support staff to change the situation and facilitate the mental health of the support staff. The results of the interviews were utilised to formulate guidelines to facilitate the mental health of the support staff with regard to aggression in schools., INTRODUCTION According to Geen (in Hargie & Dickson, 2001:300) aggression 'is the delivery ... of noxious stimuli intended to harm another.' Demands, blund directives, ridicule or abuse are all aggressive [...]

Background: Parents of adolescents with intellectual disability experienced stress caused by challenges that come from having such adolescents. Those challenges affected the parents physically and emotionally, depending on the severity of the adolescent's intellectual disability. Having an adolescent with an intellectual disability becomes a burden if the challenges were not resolved. Aim: This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of parents of adolescents with intellectual disability in Giyani. Setting: This study was conducted at the participants' homes in Giyani, Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised. The main question was 'How is it to have an adolescent with intellectual disability?' Eight purposively sampled parents participated, and data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations and field notes. Data were analysed by means of thematic coding and an independent coder was consulted. Results: Four themes were identified. The study revealed that parents of adolescents with intellectual disability experienced negative emotional responses. Most parents reported a lack of support from family members and the community. They also reported caring challenges, yet some showed positive coping mechanisms. Conclusion: Parents of adolescents with intellectual disability experienced various challenges in caring for these children. A collaborative approach from relevant stakeholders could have a positive impact in supporting the parents of adolescents with intellectual disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, grandparent-headed households have emerged as one of the fastest-growing family constellations responsible for caring for grandchildren as a result of various crises, including increased death of middle-aged people. Little is known about mental health factors influencing grandmothers' daily wellbeing when raising orphaned adolescent grandsons (OAGs). The main objective of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of grandmothers raising their OAGs in uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal. In this study, a qualitative research design, which is exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature, was used. The study was based on the application of a philosophy of constructivism by conducting individual in-depth phenomenological interviews to understand the experience of grandmothers as they narrate it and the meaning they attach to raising their OAGs. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of grandmothers raising OAGs. Data saturation was reached after 10 interviews, and was supplemented by documented observations and field notes. The data was analysed using Tesch's method of open coding. The themes that emerged were the following: the burden of meeting the basic needs of their OAGs, concern about the future and their health as well as their grandsons' health, and living everything in God. The results are discussed in the context of existing literature. Many mental health conditions are undiagnosed; the study highlights the need to promote mental health strategies that will be sensitive to the challenges experienced by grandmothers raising OAGs and empower them with skills and the mobilisation of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pregnant women who experience preterm labour rush to public hospitals closest to the informal settlement in which they reside. Preterm infants are discharged when they reach a certain weight. Mothers take their preterm infants to their homes inside the informal settlements. Yet, preterm infants have special needs and require specific management. Research confirmed that nurses working in community clinics near informal settlements are unaware of the challenges faced by such mothers. Community nurses are at the heart of nursing, they work closest to the community and have a distinct opportunity to provide contextual, community-based care and support to these mothers, to promote good health and prevent diseases. Aim: This article aims to enhance community nurses' insight about the mothers' experiences in caring for their preterm infants post-hospitalisation. Setting: The study was conducted in an informal settlement in Midvaal, Gauteng. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. Indepth, phenomenological interviews were conducted with 10 purposefully sampled mothers to explore their experiences in caring for their preterm infants in an informal settlement. Data were analysed using Giorgi's coding method. Ethical approval was received from the University of Johannesburg. Measures were applied to ensure trustworthiness. Results: Three themes emerged: mothers experienced intrapersonal responses, interpersonal responses and numerous physical challenges in taking care of their preterm infants. Conclusion: Study findings revealed that mothers experienced several responses in caring for their preterm infants. Sharing their experiences can enhance community clinic nurses' insight to provide contextual health education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The authors developed a psycho-educational model as a conceptual framework of reference for university lecturers to facilitate the constructive management of experienced aggression. The model must be implemented in a workshop and in practice to confirm the if the model is effective. Aim: This article describes the implementation of a psycho-educational model in a workshop and in practice, as well as the evaluation of the effectiveness of the psychoeducational model. Setting: This study was conducted in a specific college at a university in Johannesburg in South Africa. Method: This study followed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual and theorygenerating research design. The psycho-educational model was implemented in three phases during a workshop and then for three months in practice by university lecturers. A purposive sample of university lecturers was applied. The effectiveness of the psychoeducational model was evaluated during and directly after the workshop, 1 week after the workshop and 3 months journal entries. Final evaluation was in a focus group after 3 months of implementation of the model in the workplace. Results: The participating university lecturers found the implementation of the psychoeducational model, as a conceptual framework of reference to constructively manage experiences of aggression, effective, helpful and important. The model increased their understanding of aggression in their places of work and increased their effectiveness to constructively manage experiences of aggression in their workplace. Conclusion: The implementation and evaluation of the psycho-educational model underscored the need for affective and effective facilitative support for university lecturers to be able to constructively manage experienced aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experienced workplace aggression is a lingering phenomenon and comprises an extensive body of knowledge. Experiences of workplace aggression require constructive intervention and support. These interventions and support must aim to assist university lecturers to constructively manage experiences of aggression. Aim: The aim of this article is to describe the process followed to develop, describe and evaluate a psycho-educational model for university lecturers that could be used as a conceptual framework of reference to facilitate the constructive management of experienced aggression. Setting: The model is applicable in universities where the university lecturers work and experience aggression. This study was conducted in a specific college at a university in Johannesburg in South Africa. Method: A theory-generating, qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was applied to develop a psycho-educational model. The process included four steps: concept analysis, relationship statements, description of the model and evaluation of the developed model. The criteria of clarity, simplicity, generality, accessibility and importance were used during the evaluation of the model. Results: The central concept in this study was to facilitate constructive management. The psycho-educational model as the conceptual framework of reference for facilitating the constructive management of experienced aggression was described and evaluated. University lecturers' destructive management of experienced aggression formed the basis for the psychoeducational model. Conclusion: The psycho-educational model provides a conceptual framework of reference for university lecturers that may assist them to constructively manage experiences of aggression in their places of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The introduction of antiretroviral treatment (ART) has resulted in people with HIV living longer. Antiretroviral treatment demands a lifelong commitment from patients not only in terms of adherence to the medication but also in relation to lifestyle changes in general. This poses a challenge to a student living with HIV (SLHIV) who only spends a few years at university before entering the workplace and relocating. It also means that the care, support and treatment received at the university will no longer be available to them as these services are only offered to enrolled students. It is imperative for practitioners at universities to help SLHIV effectively manage their illness. Aim: The aim of the article is to illustrate the process followed to develop a model that could serve as a frame of reference to facilitate the management of HIV as an integral part of the mental health of SLHIV within a university. Setting: The model is designed for professional practitioners in university settings who support students living with HIV in managing their illness. Methods: A theory-generative, qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual study design was utilised. The central concept was derived from the experiences of practitioners and SLHIV by conducting individual interviews using appreciative inquiry. The common themes and categories identified in the interviews served as a basis for the identification of the central concept for the study. The process included the identification, definition and classification of the central concept and essential attributes. The conceptual framework was then described. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were also adhered to in the study and approval for the study was granted (Ethical clearance #2014-071). Results: The central concept was identified as the 'facilitation of self-management'. It was defined and classified, and these definitions and classifications were used as the basis for the model. Thereafter, the model was described. Conclusion: The model can be used as a frame of reference to assist SLHIV in effectively managing their illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychiatric nurses run a high risk of being exposed to aggression. They experience aggression from clients as well as fellow colleagues. Aggression in the work environment has an overt negative psychological effect on the nurse. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe how psychiatric nurses experienced aggression amongst colleagues in the work environment. The study used a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design. Eight psychiatric nurses exposed to aggression by their colleagues in an academic psychiatric hospital in Johannesburg were purposively sampled to participate in this study. Data were collected by means of in-depth phenomenological interviews, observations and field notes until data saturation was achieved. The following question was asked: 'What is your experience of aggression amongst colleagues in the work environment?'. The findings indicated that the psychiatric nurses experienced aggression in a passive but harmful manner. The nurses experienced a suspicious and distrustful team environment. Limited support was experienced when colleagues and management did not acknowledge aggression and the nurses applied various coping and defence mechanisms when emotional stress and aggression were experienced. The aggression psychiatric nurses experienced had an effect on their experience on self, team work and providing services to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young families, as viewed through a multi-generational lens, provide the environment in which children can be nurtured and socialised. The purpose of the research is to explore and describe how the parents and grandparents of young families appreciate their family life. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual multiple case study design was used to conduct the study. Purposive sampling methods were applied to select families according to the sampling criteria, each family representing an individual case study. Appreciative inquiry interviews were conducted with the young parents and available grandparents, during which the participants were asked four open-ended questions. Data collection was enriched by means of reflective letters to participants, collages created by the young parents, and the researcher's field notes and journal inscriptions. The data collected from each individual case study was analysed and then synthesised by means of a cross-case analysis. A cross-case validation report was compiled. The themes and categories that emerged from the data were discussed. The research study concluded that when young families embarked on a journey of discovering their strengths and potential in the larger family system, they creatively envision and discovered the possibilities to transform their destiny in a purposeful and constructive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current bio-psycho-social approach in South African psychiatry refers to Engel's extended model of health care. It forms the basis of the existing collaboration between medicine, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy and social work. Psychiatry also has to bridge the multi-cultural, multi-religious and spiritual diverse reality of everyday practice. It has become important to establish how, within accepted boundaries, spirituality should be incorporated into the model for practice. Referring to methods described for nursing theory development, a defined core concept was used to construct a model. It may contribute to the discourse on spirituality in local psychiatry, health and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model development may seem a daunting task for the novice. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the steps of model development applied to a real-life phenomenon using an inductive theory-generating research approach. The value of the illustration is that nurse researchers can follow the application of the process as a point of departure for their own work. A logical stepwise discussion is followed for empirical theory development. The logical thought process from identifying the phenomenon to describing the model as a visual metaphor of the phenomenon is illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Health SA Gesondheid is the property of African Online Scientific Information System PTY LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Elsewhere, curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate psychiatry have been extended to include the role of spirituality. It has also become important to establish how, within accepted professional boundaries, spirituality should be incorporated appropriately into the current model for South African practice and training. The objectives included exploring, analyzing, and describing the views and experience of local academic psychiatrists on this topic. Methods: This study was designed as an explorative, descriptive, phenomenological qualitative investigation. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual academic specialist psychiatrists as the primary data source. Results: Data saturation was achieved after 13 interviews. "Training of spirituality in psychiatry" emerged as one of six main themes from the integrated interview and literature content. All participants proposed that spirituality must be included in undergraduate medical and specialist psychiatric training. They have suggested that a mentorship model should be considered, which implies the reorientation of the teachers of psychiatry in this regard. Conclusions: This view concurred with the international medical literature, recommending that spirituality has to be incorporated into specialist psychiatric practice and training, but within professional boundaries and with all faith traditions and belief systems considered equally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Health SA Gesondheid is the property of African Online Scientific Information System PTY LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Health SA Gesondheid is the property of African Online Scientific Information System PTY LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Health SA Gesondheid is the property of African Online Scientific Information System PTY LTD and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The researcher is the key person in obtaining data from respondents. The researcher as an instrument can also be the Achiles heel in an educational research project. In this article the authors are reasoning why she/he can cause the downfall in a research project. Different research projects were utilized to demonstrate what limitations and threats educational researchers can pose in a research project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years there has been a debate on what scientific research is about. Some researchers argue that quantitative research is the only kind of scientific research and scoff qualitative strategies, and recently visa versa has taken place. The authors of this article do not support any of these stances. They argue that scientific research depends on decisions made during the research process. The researcher is almost "funneled" in the research process through specific decisions s/he makes on the research road. For example: the problem that is identified and stated, the research question(s) and aim of the research will determine what research strategy the researcher is obliged to choose. In this way the authors do not view quantitative and qualitative research as in opposition to each other, but complementing each other in the search for the truth and the solution of research problems. They reason that qualitative inquiry actually precedes quantitative inquiry in the classical scientific method. By no means this article aims at providing research recipes, but rather attempts to demonstrate the richness and diversity in scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]