Browsing by Author "Gericke, Hermine"

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    Caregivers' perceptions of their involvement in children's mental health and mental health services: A qualitative study amongst caregivers of primary school aged children in the Western Cape, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-03-09) Gericke, Hermine; Coetzee, Bronwyne; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction. The poor mental health of children and young people is a global crisis. South African children are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems due to their exposure to multiple risk factors, including poverty, HIV/AIDS, and poly-victimisation. Children and young people who are at risk of developing a mental health problem depend on their parents or caregivers (any person responsible for the daily care of a child) to recognise problems and access appropriate mental health support. Studies, most of which were conducted in high-income countries, have shown that parents/caregivers experience a plethora of barriers and facilitators associated with recognising problems within their children and accessing services for a variety of reasons including systemic-structural, attitudinal, and family circumstances. However, it is unclear how South African parents/caregivers perceive their involvement in recognising and responding to their children’s mental health problems. In this study, I sought to explore how South African parents/caregivers conceptualise mental health and how they deal with potential mental health problems in the family context. I also sought to explore how they perceive their role in their children’s mental wellbeing, and the barriers and facilitators associated with this role. Methods. Participants were 31 parents/caregivers of primary school aged children. I conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 parents/caregivers of children (aged 11–14) attending a primary school in the Western Cape area. Secondary data from interviews with a further 21 participants in similar contexts were incorporated. I analysed the data as a single corpus using reflexive thematic analysis and ATLAS.ti version 8 software. Findings. I identified four superordinate themes: (1) understandings of mental health terminology, (2) coping with mental health problems, (3) the parents’/caregiver’s role in children’s mental health and mental health services, and (4) barriers/facilitators to parent/caregiver involvement in children’s wellbeing. Although participants struggled to articulate their understanding of mental health terminology, they made use of various models to explain the cause of mental health problems and showed great awareness of the consequences if these problems are left untreated. Participants made use of several strategies to ensure their emotional availability to their children so that they could recognise and respond to mental health problems. However, participants face multiple barriers and can rely on different facilitators in their involvement. Lack of knowledge and resources to deal with wider contextual factors, such as poverty, other responsibilities, family dynamics, and poly-victimisation, often cause participants to use avoidance as a coping mechanism. Participants also found it difficult to recognise emotional distress and mental health problems and distinguish between problematic and normal adolescent behaviour. Participants often believed their children’s mental health problems were not serious enough to warrant engagement with child and adolescent mental health services, and even if they did wish to do so, they did not know where to seek support. Although participants found it acceptable to seek support from their social networks, they were often concerned over confidentiality and trust. Participants who have engaged with mental health services, often through referrals, reported positive experiences and valued a good therapeutic relationship, knowledge, and the support they received. Conclusion. The findings highlight the need for parent/caregiver support in understanding, recognising, and appropriately responding to their children’s mental health problems. Supporting parents/caregivers on these fronts will promote their availability and appropriate mental health help-seeking for children experiencing a mental health problem. The findings highlight the need for further research and the development of appropriate interventions.