Department of Social Work

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Browsing Department of Social Work by Subject "Adolescents -- Substance abuse"

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    Uitdagings van maatskaplike werkers wat dienste lewer aan volwassenes met metamfetamienafhanklikheid in een landelike gebied
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Krige, Hannelie; Slabbert, Ilze; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Methamphetamine dependency has a detrimental effect in rural areas on a micro- meso- and macro level and poses health and social challenges. Social workers in rural areas are confronted with the complexity of methamphetamine dependency daily and have to render services in the midst of challenges that result in a continuous staff turnover in the programme. This study aimed to explore and describe the challenges of social workers who render services to adults with a methamphetamine dependency in one rural area. A qualitative research approach with some quantitative elements was followed in this study. All data were gathered online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews as well as two focus groups with twenty social workers as participants. The empirical findings were analysed to answer the research questions. Six themes with relevant sub-themes and categories were identified, namely the effect of methamphetamine dependency; the causes of methamphetamine dependency; the nature of service rendering to adults with a methamphetamine dependency; the challenges of social work in the methamphetamine dependency field and possible solutions for social work service rendering to adults with a methamphetamine dependency. This study found that methamphetamine dependency has devastating consequences for the adult on a micro level, dysfunctional families on a meso level and communities submersed in chaotic circumstances on a macro level. From the ecological perspective it was found that if individual and environmental factors, the physical and spiritual well- being as well as the social functioning have an adverse influence on an individual and the person-in-environment: fit will be imbalanced. This could be a risk for methamphetamine dependency. Such an imbalance that often leads to methamphetamine dependency increases the pressure on social work service delivery. It was further found that social work service delivery is insufficient in the rural areas, as the demand is higher than the services that are offered. Underlying to poor social work service delivery is that services are not developmental in nature and that cooperation and coordination of services are lacking. Furthermore, neoliberal implications are reflected in the poor social work service delivery, increasing chaotic work circumstances as well as challenging the social work profession. These findings further indicate the increased workloads of social workers, resulting in more pressure and burnout. Again, the important role of social work supervision as well as the function of training and support were highlighted that can act as a buffer against burnout, especially in a complex field such as methamphetamine dependency. The study thus found that it is not only the individual, the family and the community who are affected by methamphetamine dependency, but social workers who render services in this field also experience the negative impact on a micro-, meso- and macro level. The social workers’ knowledge and skills are challenged on a micro level. On a meso level, social workers experience inadequate working environments and on a macro level, the global business principles influence the social work profession, preventing an effective implementation of the developmental approach. Furthermore, rendering services in the methamphetamine dependency field adds to social workers’ feelings of burnout that results in inadequate social work services. There is also only a small portion of the rural areas that require services in this field that are reached, as the demand is bigger than the available social work services. This study has indicated how methamphetamine dependency challenges the social work profession as well as social workers’ professionalism. The overall conclusion is the necessity and relevancy of effective social work supervision and continuous professional development to help develop social workers’ professionalism to establish effective social work services in this challenging field of methamphetamine dependency.