The psychological functioning of patients admitted to a rural western cape hospital following an episode of non-fatal suicidal behaviour: stress, coping and perceived social support

Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is associated with feelings of depression, anxiety and hopelessness, as well as ineffective coping strategies and perceived lack of social support. The data from interviews conducted with 34 patients admitted to a rural Western Cape hospital following an episode of non-fatal suicidal behaviour, was used for this study. The study set out to examine the relationship between stress; determined by depressive symptoms, symptoms of anxiety, and symptoms of hopelessness; and various coping strategies; as well as the relationship between stress, coping and perceived social support. Furthermore, the study aimed to determine whether these relationships offered insight into the roles of coping strategies and social appraisal, and whether these should be addressed in intervention and prevention programmes. Quantitative research was conducted by means of interviewer-administered questionnaires. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between symptoms of depression and anxiety; followed by a significant positive relationship between symptoms of depression and hopelessness; symptoms of anxiety and hopelessness; and symptoms of depression and avoidant coping. The results showed a significant negative correlation between symptoms of depression and social support-seeking coping, and between social support appraisal and anxiety. Hopelessness emerged as a positive predictor of depression. In addition, social support-seeking coping was positively correlated with social support appraisal, which in turn has emerged as a significant negative predictor of stress (symptoms of depression and anxiety). Possible support for Lazarus and Folkman’s stress-coping model and Farberow and Shneidman’s communication theory was established and inferences were made for possible intervention and prevention programmes. It is recommended that further research includes longitudinal studies in order to gain a better understanding of the potentially changing nature of the underlying psychological functioning of patients following an episode of non-fatal suicidal behaviour.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Selfmoord is een van die hoof oorsake van sterftes wêreldwyd en word geassosieer met gevoelens van depressie, angstigheid en hopeloosheid, asook oneffektiewe hanteringsstrategieë en ‘n tekort aan sosiale ondersteuning. Die data wat voortgespruit het uit die vraelyste van 34 pasiënte, opgeneem in ‘n landelike Wes-Kaapse hospitaal weens nie-noodlottige selfmoordgedrag was gebruik vir hierdie studie. Die studie het gepoog om die verhouding te ondersoek tussen stres; insluitend simptome van depressie, simptome van angstigheid en simptome hopeloosheid; en verskeie hanteringsstrategieë; sowel as die verhouding tussen stres, hanteringsstrategieë en die ervaring van sosiale ondersteuning. Verder het die studie gepoog om vas te stel of hierdie verhoudings insig bied in die rolle van hanteringsstrategieë en sosiale ondersteuning, en of dit moet aangespreek word in intervensie- en voorkomingsprogramme. Kwantitatiewe navorsing was uitgevoer deur middel van onderhoudvoerder-geadministreerde vraelyste. Die resultate dui op ‘n beduidend positiewe korrelasie tussen depressie en angstigheid, gevolg deur ‘n beduidend positiewe verhouding tussen simptome van depressie en hopeloosheid; simptome van angstigheid en hopeloosheid; asook simptome van depressie en vermydingsomgaan. Die resultate dui ook op ‘n beduidend negatiewe korrelasie tussen simptome van depressie en sosiale ondersteuningsoekende omgaan, asook tussen vermeende sosiale ondersteuning en simptome van angstigheid. Hopeloosheid het as ‘n beduidend positiewe voorspeller van depressie na vore gekom. Verder was daar ‘n beduidende positiewe korrelasie tussen sosiale ondersteuning-soekende omgaan en sosiale ondersteuning, wat weer om die beurt as ‘n beduidende negatiewe voorspeller van stres (simptome van depressie en angstigheid) na vore gekom het. Moontlike ondersteuning vir Lazarus en Folkman se stres-hanteringsmodel en Farberow en Shneidman se kommunikasie teorie was gevind en afleidings was gemaak vir moontlike intervensie- en voorkomingsprogramme. ‘n Aanbeveling vir verdere navorsing, insluitende langtermyn studies, ten einde ‘n beter verstaan te ontwikkel van die moontlike veranderende natuur van die onderliggende sielkundige funksionering van pasiënte na ‘n episode van nie-noodlottige selfmoordgedrag.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Panic attacks, UCTD, Non-fatal self-harm, Suicidal behavior, Depression, Mental
Citation