Substance abuse and psychological strengths as predictors of coping amongst adolescents
| dc.contributor.advisor | Botha, A. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Naidoo, P. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Barnes, Monique | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-07-15T12:20:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-07-15T12:20:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015-08 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: Adolescence is a period of significant physical, cognitive and socio-emotional changes. In addition, South African adolescents are exposed to a variety of environmental stressors daily. These stressors include poverty, conflict within the family, and inequality in schooling environments. Furthermore, the lack of resources within the South African context increases stress. Coping effectively with these stressors is, therefore, imperative for South African adolescents’ well-being. Adolescents who lack adequate coping strategies are at risk for psychological and behavioural problems. Both substance abuse as a risk factor and psychological strengths as protective factors might influence an individual’s ability to cope. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the variance in coping, caused by substance abuse and psychological strengths, amongst adolescents in the Free State. The role of gender on this relationship was also investigated. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational design was used in this study. The measuring instruments included a biographical questionnaire, the Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS 2) and the Coping Schema Inventory (R-CSI). The data were analysed by conducting a multivariate regression analysis. The results indicated that psychological strengths have a significant influence on adolescent coping. School engagement specifically relates to an increase in coping abilities amongst adolescents. Substance abuse, however, influenced only religious coping. Significant gender differences were reported for only religious coping. Furthermore, the results indicated low levels of psychological strengths and coping abilities for the adolescents in the Free State. These findings emphasise the importance of further research on the topic of adolescent coping and psychological strengths within the South African context, because it is evident that more knowledge and insight into the process of coping amongst adolescents is needed. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Adolessensie is ’n tydperk van beduidende fisiese, kognitiewe en sosio-emosionele veranderinge. Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente word boonop daagliks aan ’n verskeidenheid omgewingstressors blootgestel. Hierdie stressors is onder meer armoede, gesinskonflik en ongelykheid in die skoolomgewing. Die gebrek aan hulpbronne in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks dra ook by tot toenemende stres. Die doeltreffende hantering van hierdie stressors is dus noodsaaklik vir Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente se welsyn. Adolessente wat ’n gebrek aan coping-strategieë het, loop die risiko om sielkundige en gedragsprobleme te ontwikkel. Substansmisbruik as ’n risikofaktor, sowel as sielkundige sterk punte as beskermingsfaktore, kan ’n individu se vermoë om te cope affekteer. Die oogmerk van hierdie studie is dus om ’n ondersoek te doen na die variansie in coping, wat deur substansmisbruik en sielkundige sterktes punte veroorsaak word, onder adolessente in die Vrystaat. Die rol van geslag in hierdie verwantskap is ook ondersoek. ’n Kwantitatiewe, nie-eksperimentele, korrelatiewe ontwerp is in die studie gebruik. Die meetinstrumente het ’n biografiese vraelys, die Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS 2) en die Coping Schema Inventory (R-CSI) ingesluit. Die data is deur middel van ’n meerveranderlike regressieontleding geanaliseer. Die resultate toon dat sielkundige sterk punte ’n beduidende invloed op adolessente se coping het. Skoolbetrokkenheid spesifiek lei tot ’n toename in coping-vermoë onder adolessente. Substansmisbruik het egter net ’n invloed op godsdienstige coping. Beduidende geslagsverskille is gemeld vir slegs godsdientige coping. Die resultate toon ook lae vlakke van sielkundige sterk punte en coping-vermoëns vir die adolessente in die Vrystaat. Hierdie bevindinge beklemtoon die belangrikheid vir verdere navorsing oor die onderwerp van adolessente coping en sielkundige sterk punte binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks omdat dit duidelik blyk dat meer kennis en insig in die coping-proses onder adolessente nodig is. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/3321 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.A. (Counselling Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2015 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Coping | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Substance abuse | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Psychological strengths | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Stress | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Adolescents | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Gender | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Substance abuse and psychological strengths as predictors of coping amongst adolescents | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |