Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context

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dc.contributor.advisorThomas, Kevinen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSchrieff, Leighen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorOosthuizen, Deirdreen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-03T08:31:54Z
dc.date.available2014-11-03T08:31:54Z
dc.date.issued2010en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 101-115).en_ZA
dc.description.abstract[Background] The effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be devastating not only for the child that sustains the injury but also for his or her family. A TBI can negatively affect a child cognitively, emotionally, and behaviourally. In developing countries such as South Africa these negative effects of TBI are often compounded by the impact of other health crises such as HIV / AIDS, as well as by the existence of relatively few economic resources and a lack of rehabilitation services. Injury-related consequences, further compounded by developing world contexts, seem to suggest that families of children with TBI have many stressors and strains that need to be addressed. Aims. The current study sought to explore the needs and stressors of caregivers of children with TBI, and how local contextual factors contribute to those needs and stressors. [Methods] The sample consisted of four groups (n = 18 caregivers in each). These four groups included parents/caregivers who cared for a child with either a mild head injury, a moderate/severe head injury, or an orthopaedic injury, and a control group of caregivers with healthy children. The Parenting Stress Index, Family Burden of Injury Interview, and Family Needs Questionnaire were administered to each participant. [Results] South African caregivers of children with TBIs are critically stressed. Much of their stress is related to the child's behaviour and ways of relating to their caregiver. Caregivers in the Moderate/Severe TBI group reported experiencing particular difficulty with their own reactions to the injury, and reported feeling depressed and incompetent, as well as isolated and restricted by their role as parent. Caregivers also reported experiencing a need for health information, professional support, community support, involvement in the child's care, and emotional support. They reported, however, that few of these needs were being met. Results also showed that South African caregivers of children with TBI displayed more stressors and needs than similar samples in developed countries. [Conclusions] We suggest that a better understanding of the experience of families of children with TBIs is needed amongst TBI service providers. It is hoped that this study's results will aid that understanding, and that they will provide information for policy makers who can set into motion a sequence of services that more adequately aid both the child with TBI and his/her family.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationOosthuizen, D. (2010). <i>Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9041en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationOosthuizen, Deirdre. <i>"Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9041en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationOosthuizen, D. 2010. Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Oosthuizen, Deirdre AB - [Background] The effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be devastating not only for the child that sustains the injury but also for his or her family. A TBI can negatively affect a child cognitively, emotionally, and behaviourally. In developing countries such as South Africa these negative effects of TBI are often compounded by the impact of other health crises such as HIV / AIDS, as well as by the existence of relatively few economic resources and a lack of rehabilitation services. Injury-related consequences, further compounded by developing world contexts, seem to suggest that families of children with TBI have many stressors and strains that need to be addressed. Aims. The current study sought to explore the needs and stressors of caregivers of children with TBI, and how local contextual factors contribute to those needs and stressors. [Methods] The sample consisted of four groups (n = 18 caregivers in each). These four groups included parents/caregivers who cared for a child with either a mild head injury, a moderate/severe head injury, or an orthopaedic injury, and a control group of caregivers with healthy children. The Parenting Stress Index, Family Burden of Injury Interview, and Family Needs Questionnaire were administered to each participant. [Results] South African caregivers of children with TBIs are critically stressed. Much of their stress is related to the child's behaviour and ways of relating to their caregiver. Caregivers in the Moderate/Severe TBI group reported experiencing particular difficulty with their own reactions to the injury, and reported feeling depressed and incompetent, as well as isolated and restricted by their role as parent. Caregivers also reported experiencing a need for health information, professional support, community support, involvement in the child's care, and emotional support. They reported, however, that few of these needs were being met. Results also showed that South African caregivers of children with TBI displayed more stressors and needs than similar samples in developed countries. [Conclusions] We suggest that a better understanding of the experience of families of children with TBIs is needed amongst TBI service providers. It is hoped that this study's results will aid that understanding, and that they will provide information for policy makers who can set into motion a sequence of services that more adequately aid both the child with TBI and his/her family. DA - 2010 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2010 T1 - Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context TI - Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9041 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9041
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationOosthuizen D. Families of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African context. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2010 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9041en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPsychological Researchen_ZA
dc.titleFamilies of children with traumatic brain injuries : stressors and needs in the South African contexten_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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