Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients

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dc.contributor.advisorGraser, Rolanden_ZA
dc.contributor.authorVan der Walt, Riaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-08T09:46:15Z
dc.date.available2014-09-08T09:46:15Z
dc.date.issued2003en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves 195-200.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractFibromyalgia is a complex syndrome of diffuse pain associated with non-restorative sleep, fatigue, numerous tender points, depression and other conditions that often does not respond well to treatment posing a dilemma to health professionals. The aim of this study was to explore expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with eleven fibromyalgia patients at the former Princess Alice Orthopaedic Hospital, Cape Town. It focused on abandonment/rejection by caregivers during childhood, death as a form of abandonment, abandonment/rejection in adulthood by family, spouse and family-in-law, by friends, colleagues and employers, by government and society, the hospital and doctors, and by fellow group members and the facilitator. The study is exploratory, interpretative and explanatory in nature with a purposive non-probability sample. The qualitative research method was used to gain insight into the subjective experiences of the lives and illness of the participants. The method of data collection was mainly the tape recorded and transcribed words of the participants over thirty-three group therapy sessions in eleven months and observations by the researcher as full participant observer. The data was sorted and analysed into emerging themes, patterns and categories. All participants had had repetitive experiences of abandonment/rejection, which they had denied, suppressed and avoided, as it was too painful. Due to a lack of inner and external resources, or any intervention, feelings of abandonment, fear and anger were internalized as an unresolved reservoir of emotional pain. This seemed to have escalated into an eventual expression of physical pain (somatisation). From the findings of this study, there appears to be a relationship between adverse psychosocial factors and stress, particularly experiences of abandonment/rejection and fibromyalgia. However, due to the qualitative nature and small sample, the findings cannot be extrapolated and generalized to the broader population of fibromyalgia patients, and quantitative studies are needed for verification.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationVan der Walt, R. (2003). <i>Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6941en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationVan der Walt, Ria. <i>"Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6941en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVan der Walt, R. 2003. Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Van der Walt, Ria AB - Fibromyalgia is a complex syndrome of diffuse pain associated with non-restorative sleep, fatigue, numerous tender points, depression and other conditions that often does not respond well to treatment posing a dilemma to health professionals. The aim of this study was to explore expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with eleven fibromyalgia patients at the former Princess Alice Orthopaedic Hospital, Cape Town. It focused on abandonment/rejection by caregivers during childhood, death as a form of abandonment, abandonment/rejection in adulthood by family, spouse and family-in-law, by friends, colleagues and employers, by government and society, the hospital and doctors, and by fellow group members and the facilitator. The study is exploratory, interpretative and explanatory in nature with a purposive non-probability sample. The qualitative research method was used to gain insight into the subjective experiences of the lives and illness of the participants. The method of data collection was mainly the tape recorded and transcribed words of the participants over thirty-three group therapy sessions in eleven months and observations by the researcher as full participant observer. The data was sorted and analysed into emerging themes, patterns and categories. All participants had had repetitive experiences of abandonment/rejection, which they had denied, suppressed and avoided, as it was too painful. Due to a lack of inner and external resources, or any intervention, feelings of abandonment, fear and anger were internalized as an unresolved reservoir of emotional pain. This seemed to have escalated into an eventual expression of physical pain (somatisation). From the findings of this study, there appears to be a relationship between adverse psychosocial factors and stress, particularly experiences of abandonment/rejection and fibromyalgia. However, due to the qualitative nature and small sample, the findings cannot be extrapolated and generalized to the broader population of fibromyalgia patients, and quantitative studies are needed for verification. DA - 2003 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2003 T1 - Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients TI - Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6941 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6941
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationVan der Walt R. Exploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patients. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development, 2003 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6941en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Social Developmenten_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClinical Practice in Social Worken_ZA
dc.titleExploring expressions of abandonment and rejection that emerged from group therapy with fibromyalgia patientsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSocScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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