Die rol van sosiale ondersteuning in die lewenstevredenheid van MIV-geaffekteerde adolessente

Abstract

English: South Africa is characterised as a country with high levels of socioeconomic inequalities, poverty, violence and a high incidence of HIV/AIDS, which imply numerous challenges for living conditions of South Africans. These contextual factors cause South African adolescents to be exposed to multiple life stressors. One of the greatest life threats confronting young South Africans is the loss of control over their lives caused by HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV/AIDS threatens the survival and normal development of children and adolescents. The most destructive effect of the pandemic on children and adolescents is the disintegration of traditional social support structures and social networks. Social support is regarded as one of the most important predictors of physical health and life satisfaction and plays an important role in the relationship between life stressors and life satisfaction. It functions as a buffer to decrease the impact of stress and to increase coping abilities when people find themselves in stressful situations. Social support is provided by parents, family, extended family, friends, teachers and the broader community and plays an important role, because these sources of support can soften the impact of stressful life events. With reference to the details stated above, the purpose of the research was to determine the role of social support in the life satisfaction of a group of adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS. This study was undertaken with a group of 218 HIV/AIDS-affected adolescents from the Northern Cape Province. A qualitative approach was used. A biographical questionnaire including aspects such as sex, race, home language and the parents' marital status and socioeconomic status was developed to measure the biographical variables. The Satisfaction with Life Questionnaire was used to obtain a measure of their life satisfaction. The Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends Questionnaire and the Life Stressors and Social Resources Inventory – Youth Form (LISRES-Y) were used to obtain a measure of their social support. An analysis of the research results indicates that some biographical variables do play a role in the life satisfaction and social support of this group of adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS. Differences in sex and age, socioeconomic status, race and the family structure seem to play a role in the social support and life satisfaction of these adolescents. In addition, it is apparent from the research that social support by the family and friends plays a significant role in the differences in respect of adolescents with high and low levels of life stressors and life satisfaction. However, throughout the study it was clear that adolescents affected by HIV/AIDS experienced lower levels of life satisfaction, regardless of the level of social support.

Afrikaans: Suid-Afrika word gekenmerk as 'n land met hoë vlakke van sosio-ekonomiese ongelykhede, armoede, geweld en 'n hoë voorkoms van MIV/VIGS, wat talle uitdagings vir die lewensomstandighede van Suid-Afrikaners inhou. Hierdie kontekstuele faktore veroorsaak dat Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente aan veelvuldige lewenstressors blootgestel word. Een van die grootste lewensbedreigings wat jong Suid-Afrikaners konfronteer, is die verlies van beheer oor hul lewens wat deur MIV/VIGS veroorsaak word. Die invloed van MIV/VIGS bedreig die oorlewing en die normale ontwikkelling van kinders en adolessente. Die mees vernietigende effek van die pandemie op kinders en adolesente is die disintegrasie van tradisionele sosiale ondersteuningstrukture en sosiale netwerke. Sosiale ondersteuning word as een van die belangrikste voorspellers van fisieke gesondheid en lewenstevredenheid beskou en speel 'n belangrike rol in die verband tussen lewenstressors en lewenstevredenheid. Dit funksioneer as 'n buffer om die invloed van stres te verlaag en om hanteringsvermoëns te verhoog wanneer mense in stresvolle situasies verkeer. Sosiale ondersteuning deur ouers, familie, uitgebreide familie, vriende, onderwysers en die breë gemeenskap speel 'n belangrike rol, aangesien hierdie bronne van ondersteuning die invloed van stresvolle lewensgebeure kan versag. Na aanleding van die bogenoemde uiteensetting was die doel van die ondersoek om te bepaal wat die rol van sosiale ondersteuning in die lewenstevredenheid van 'n groep MIV/VIGS-geaffekteerde adolessente is. Hierdie studie is onderneem met 'n groep van 218 MIV/VIGS-geaffekteerde adolessente uit die Noord-Kaap Provinsie. 'n Kwalitatiewe benadering is gevolg. Vir die meting van die biografiese veranderlikes, is 'n biografiese vraelys ontwikkel wat aspekte soos geslag, ras, huistaal, huwelikstatus en sosio-ekonomiese status van ouers insluit. Om 'n meting van hul lewenstevredenheid te bekom, is die Lewenstevredenheidsvraelys gebruik. Die Waargenome Sosiale Ondersteuningsvraelys deur die gesin en vriende, asook die Lewenstressors- en Sosiale Bronnelys –Jeugvorm is gebruik om hul meting van sosiale ondersteuning te bekom. 'n Ontleding van die navorsingresultate dui daarop dat enkele biografiese veranderlikes 'n rol in die lewenstevredenheid en sosiale ondersteuning van hierdie groep MIV/VIGS-geaffekteerde adolessente speel. Geslag- en ouderdomsverskille, sosioekonomiese status, ras en die struktuur van die gesin blyk 'n rol te speel in die sosiale ondersteuning en lewenstevredenheid van hierdie adolessente. Uit die ondersoek blyk verder dat sosiale ondersteuning deur die gesin en vriende 'n beduidende rol in die verskille ten opsigte van adolessente met hoë en lae vlakke van lewenstressors en lewenstevredenheid speel. Deurgaans in die ondersoek was dit duidelik dat adolessente wat deur MIV/VIGS geaffekteer word, met beide lae en hoë vlakke van sosiale ondersteuning, redelik lae vlakke van lewenstevredenheid ervaar.