scholarly journals NONHUMAN SYSTEMS AS A SOURCE OF INTERACTIONAL RESILIENCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS RAISED BY ALCOHOL-ABUSING CAREGIVERS IN LESOTHO

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-442
Author(s):  
Simbai Mushonga ◽  
Adrian Van Breda

Research on the resilience of young people who were raised by substance-abusing caregivers is limited. This study aims to explore the internal interactional processes between nonhuman systems and young adults raised by alcohol-abusing caregivers in Lesotho. Multiple in-depth interviews were conducted and a draw-and-write technique applied with 15 university students, six of whom described having interacted with diverse nonhuman systems in their environment. A grounded theory analysis generated two themes: (1) interacting with empowering messages from non-present writers (through songs and books) and inspirational speakers (through videos) and (2) interacting with imaginary friends and inanimate objects (dolls and tattoos) in order to enhance their resilience. Van Breda’s interactional resilience approach, developed from person-in-the-environment perspective, and Margaret Archer’s theory of agency were found to be useful in interpreting the findings. The implications of the study include the need for social workers’ greater focus on young people’s interactions with nonhuman systems for resilience building.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fortuna Procentese ◽  
Ciro Esposito ◽  
Florencia Gonzalez Leone ◽  
Barbara Agueli ◽  
Caterina Arcidiacono ◽  
...  

The spread of COVID-19 in Italy resulted in the implementation of a lockdown that obligated the first time the general populace to remain at home for approximately two months. This lockdown interrupted citizens’ professional and educational activities, in addition to closing shops, offices and educational institutions. The resulting changes in people’s daily routines and activities induced unexpected changes in their thoughts, feelings and attitudes, in addition to altering their life perceptions. Consequently, the present study explores how young adults perceived their lives under lockdown during the final week of March 2020, when the reported number of daily coronavirus infections reached its peak in Italy. The research was carried out among 293 university students (234 women and 59 men) with an average age of 20.85 years old (SD = 3.23). The researchers asked participants to describe the emotions, thoughts and experiences that characterized their time under lockdown. The study analyzed specific narratives related to time and space using grounded theory methodology, which was applied using Atlas 8 software, leading to the creation of 68 codes. The study organized these codes into three specific categories: confined in the present, confined in the past, and striving toward one’s goals. Finally, the researchers also created a core-category labeled “continuity of being.” The results showed that the closure of open spaces caused a division in participants’ perceptions of time continuity, with many viewing themselves as feeling fragmented and as living the present in a static and fixed way. Additionally, participants also saw the present as being discontinuous from the past, while, simultaneously, projecting toward the future and the changes it might bring. Finally, this study examined further implications surrounding individual projecting among young people in greater depth.


2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532096227
Author(s):  
Hannah Deakin ◽  
Graham Frize ◽  
Caroline Foster ◽  
Michael Evangeli

HIV-related stressors affecting young adults with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV+) and their siblings include parental and sibling ill-health and death, own ill-health, HIV disclosure, and stigma. Young people with PHIV+ typically share their HIV status with family members. We explored sibling relationships in young people with PHIV+. Ten participants (six females, 17–23 years old) with PHIV+ took part in a semi-structured interview, analysed using Grounded Theory. The data were condensed into three theoretical codes: (1) HIV disclosure in sibling relationship; (2) Patterns of communication about HIV between siblings; and (3) Patterns of coping and support in sibling relationship.


2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iren Johnsen ◽  
Kari Dyregrov

Friendships are very important for human beings, and especially for young people, but few studies have explored the consequences of losing a close friend. To identify and help this often overlooked population of bereaved, we need more knowledge of their bereavement processes. This study is part of a larger longitudinal study which aims to increase awareness of bereaveds’ situation after the killings at Utøya, Norway, July 22, 2011. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 young adults on the experiences of losing their close friend. Themes identified were how circumstances of the event complicate the grieving, the daily experiences of the loss, and recognition of friends as bereaved. Findings show that the loss of a close friend has had a profound effect on the young people, and the loss of a friend is also a distinct loss that is not comparable to other losses.


2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura S. Abrams ◽  
Laura Curran

Low-income mothers in the U.S. are more likely to experience postpartum depression (PPD) and less likely to seek treatment than their middle-class counterparts. Despite this knowledge, prior research has not provided an in-depth understanding of PPD symptoms as they are experienced by low-income mothers. Through in-depth interviews, this study investigated low-income mothers' ( n = 19) experiences and explanatory frameworks for their PPD symptoms. Grounded theory analysis uncovered five main categories that linked the participants' PPD symptoms to their lived experiences of mothering in poverty, including: (1) ambivalence, (2) caregiving overload, (3) juggling, (4) mothering alone, and (5) real-life worry. The analysis further located the core experience of PPD for low-income mothers as “feeling overwhelmed” due to mothering in materially and socially stressful conditions. These findings challenge the prevailing biomedical discourse surrounding PPD and situate mothers' symptoms in the context of the material hardships associated with living in poverty.


Sexual Health ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Walker ◽  
Meredith Temple-Smith ◽  
Peter Higgs ◽  
Lena Sanci

Background Young people’s exposure to pornography has increased, as has the violent and sexist nature of mainstream porn. Contemporary content means young people are exposed to violent porn whether they like it or not, and it is no longer a question of whether they will be exposed, but rather when. Methods: Using purposive sampling, 33 in-depth interviews were conducted with young people aged 15–20 years in 2010–11, to explore the phenomenon of sexting. During initial interviews, participants raised the topic of pornography exposure as a secondary, unexpected finding. Discussions highlighted an important link between sexting and pornography. The inductive nature of the research meant this new and important area of inquiry was able to be explored. Results: Data was thematically coded and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Findings highlight that many young people are exposed to porn both intentionally and unintentionally. Furthermore, they are concerned about gendered norms that reinforce men’s power and subordination over women. A link between porn exposure, young men’s sexual expectations and young women’s pressure to conform to what is being viewed, has been exposed. Conclusions: Results are significant given this is one of few recent qualitative Australian studies to explore the issue of pornography exposure from the perspective of young people. Important implications for educators, parents and health providers have been revealed, including the need to create opportunities for young people to challenge the messages expressed in porn, and for their views to be heard in academic and public debate.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 628-628
Author(s):  
Jessica Brewer ◽  
Maria Santos ◽  
M. Pia Chaparro

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study is to assess the perceived role of food assistance programs (FAPs) in the development and prevention of overweight/obesity (OW/OB) in two low-income districts of Lima, Peru and analyze how these perceptions have changed across time. Methods In 2009, we conducted focus groups with FAP beneficiaries and in-depth interviews with FAP administrators (N = 34) from three common FAPs in two low-income districts of Lima, Peru. These data captured participants’ perceptions of OW/OB and their recommendations to address them. We conducted grounded theory analysis on this dataset to identify dominant themes and structure a second round of data collection. In January-February 2021, we are conducting in-depth interviews with FAP beneficiaries and administrators from the same programs and districts (current N = 16, expected N = 36). We will conduct grounded theory analysis on the second dataset and cross-analyze the two datasets to measure differences and similarities. Results In 2009, nearly all FAP beneficiaries and half of FAP administrators identified OW/OB as a public health problem in their community. They expressed need for more nutrition education, potentially through FAPs. Most FAP administrators and some beneficiaries also recommended offering healthier food in one particular FAP (Community Kitchens). Preliminary results from 2021 reveal that nearly all FAP beneficiaries and administrators perceived OW/OB to be a problem in their community. Educational resources about OW/OB were limited and participants continued to recommend increased outreach, potentially through FAPs. Most beneficiaries of Community Kitchens cited the need for healthier food options. Conclusions From 2009 to 2021, more FAP beneficiaries and administrators perceived OW/OB to be a problem in their communities; however, resources to address this problem remained limited. Our findings suggest the need for increased nutrition education through FAPs and adjustments to foods available in specific FAPs. Funding Sources Tulane University.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Dziro

The desire to understand young adults’ transition into adulthood from informal kinship-based foster care has been growing. This article examines the challenges encountered by, and the opportunities available to, young adults as they transition from informal kinship-based foster care to independent living in the Bikita District of Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 young people who had left care and key informants. Data were analyzed using a thematic framework. Key findings included the young adults’ need for proper preparation in formal education, health, social welfare, and employment to ward off the challenges they face before they leave informal kinship-based foster care. The opportunities available to the young adults included cultural identity, social capital, and training in independent life skills within their kinship group. Recommendations are made for better preparation and support to young people transitioning out of informal kinship-based care in Zimbabwe.


Young ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 485-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maya Lavie-Ajayi

Youth practitioners are commonly acknowledged to play an important role in supporting the sexual health of young people. However, there is relatively little literature that documents, conceptualizes and theorizes the unique nature and potential of informal sex education provided by youth practitioners such as social workers and youth workers. Using the theoretical framework of critical pedagogy, this article seeks to conceptualize informal sex education practices by youth practitioners, from the practitioner’s point of view. Eight semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with youth practitioners, working in a variety of programmes and provisions for young people across Israel. The data were thematically analysed. The analysis identified three key concepts, drawn from critical pedagogy, which underscore the unique potential of informal sex education by youth practitioners: dialogue, the language of possibility and language of critique.


2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Rogers

Recent years have seen a shift away from youth transitions being understood as a linear progression towards conventional goals. Instead, it is now argued that youth transitions tend to be highly chaotic, often involving non-linear and fragmented movement between dependence and independence. This article discusses how young people leaving the state care system are seldom afforded the luxury of a more gradual and non-linear transition. Instead, for them, the possibilities of adult futures remain marked by chronic and continuing exclusion as they move abruptly into ‘instant adulthood’, with no opportunity to return to the child welfare system should they find themselves unable to make it on their own. Drawing from findings of 30 in-depth interviews with young care leavers, social workers and further and higher education institutions in the UK, the article considers the experiences of young people leaving state care, including their perceived lack of ‘care’, and the importance they place on unconditional and emotional support and contact.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S18-S19
Author(s):  
Mikaela D'Arcy-Smith ◽  
Marta Buszewicz

AimsTo assess the impact of common mental health disorders (CMHDs) on university students’ function and wellbeing. To understand the barriers to receiving adequate support for CMHDs during both adolescence and at university. To provide feedback to healthcare professionals about how young people perceive the support provided when initially seeking help for psychological distress. To explore which forms of support students find the most useful.MethodA literature review was initially undertaken, identifying the lack of prior research in this area. The current study addressed the gap by considering the needs of students with CMHDs in the context of primary care services, with a retrospective exploration of their views about support received during adolescence. 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with both current university students and recent graduates from across the UK, transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis. The study population included 7 men and 8 women, between the ages of 18–25 years.ResultFive main themes emerged from the data:The Journey to Disorder – Explored the difficulties faced by adolescents, and how these might contribute to their experience of CMHDs and their management.Attitudes Towards Help-Seeking – Many participants had little trust in healthcare professionals as adolescents. This contributed to limited trust in university support systems as young adults.Primary Care Support - Perceived effectiveness of General Practitioner (GP) support during adolescence in this cohort was highly variable. Although some participants described good experiences, others felt their views were ignored, with responsibility diverted to their caregivers. A lack of understanding from GPs about CMHDs in adolescents resulted in trust issues for them as young adults.Recommendations for Change - Participants reflected on their previous and current experiences to inform suggestions for changes to tackle issue of psychological distress in adolescents.ConclusionPrevious experiences of the care they had received when presenting with CMHDs during adolescence potentially affected the long-term wellbeing of university students and graduates; the initial support received was inconsistent with the needs of this age group. Recommendations for change included a greater emphasis on the importance of adolescent mental health education, tailoring interventions to personal growth and maturity, and ensuring primary healthcare providers are equipped with the skills required to manage psychological distress in young people.


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