Die verband tussen psigofortigene faktore, toekomstydperspektief en lewenstevredenheid by persone na traumatiese hoofbeserings

Abstract

English: Traumatic head injuries occur fairly generally and are regarded as the leading causes of disablement and brain damage in young adults. The sustaining of a traumatic head injury can have far-reaching consequences for an individual and can affect him Iher on a physical, emotional and cognitive level. For such people it may therefore be difficult to experience a reasonable degree of psychological well-being and satisfaction with life, due to the fact that their general resistance resources are often negatively influenced by the consequences of a head injury. The aim of this study was to analyse the role of psychofortogenic factors such as sense of coherence and fortitude, as well as future time perspective in the promotion of satisfaction with life in persons that have experienced a traumatic head injury. Should it be found that such factors play an important role in the advancement and maintenance of the measure of satisfaction with life of people who have sustained head injuries, a valuable contribution can be made to effective rehabilitation programs for the head injured. In this research a dualistic framework was used, as quantitative and qualitative data-methods of analysis were applied. The research group was compiled of 26 persons between the ages of 20 and 54 years who had suffered a serious head injury. The members of the research group were either admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital or they were included in a rehabilitation program for the head injured. In addition to a biographical questionnaire the research group also completed four other questionnaires. For the quantitative research, three of the questionnaires were used to investigate the relationship between satisfaction with life and the psychofortogenic factors, sense of coherence and fortitude. The Satisfaction With Life Scale of Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffen (1985), the Fortitude Questionnaire of Pretorius (1998) and the Sense of Coherence Scale of Antonovsky (1987), were used for this study. In determining the relationships between the previously mentioned variables, hierarchical regression analyses were used. In the qualitative investigation the Motivational Induction Method of Nuttin (1985) was used, where the research group's responses were coded according to the coding directives that were provided by the compiler of the questionnaire. From the quantitative research it became evident that both the psychofortogenic factors, sense of coherence and fortitude, statistically played a significant role in the measure of satisfaction with life that the head injured experienced. However, the greatest contribution to their satisfaction with life, was due to the factor sense of coherence. From the qualitative research, a number of motivational objects were identified that could positively influence the measure of satisfaction of life of those with head injuries. The striving for personal and physical independence and positive experiences such as love, joy and peace, the setting of new goals in life and the involvement with a job or study project, appears to have a meaningful influence on their psychological well-being. A greater acceptance of the self after the traumatic occurrence, and less negative feelings towards other people's approach to those with head injuries, also have a positive influence on the measure of satisfaction with life that the subjects experienced. These factors ought to be taken into account in rehabilitation programs to facilitate the head injured's adjustment in society and to the changed circumstances.

Afrikaans: Traumatiese hoofbeserings kom redelik algemeen voor en word beskou as die leidende oorsaak van gestremdhede en breinskade by jong volwassenes. Die opdoen van 'n traumatiese hoofbesering kan verreikende gevolge vir 'n persoon inhou en hom/haar op fisieke, emosionele en kognitiewe terrein benadeel. Vir dié persone mag dit gevolglik moeilik wees om 'n redelike mate van psigologiese welstand en lewenstevredenheid te ervaar, aangesien hul algemene weerstandshulpbronne dikwels negatief beïnvloed word deur die gevolge van die hoofbesering. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die rol van psigofortigene faktore soos koherensiesin en fortaliteit, asook toekomstydperspektief in die bevordering van lewenstevredenheid by persone wat 'n traumatiese hoofbesering ervaar het. Sou daar gevind word dat sodanige faktore wel van waarde is in die uitbouing en instandhouding van die mate van lewenstevredenheid van hoofbeseerdes, kan dit 'n betekenisvolle bydrae lewer tot effektiewe rehabilitasieprogramme vir hoofbeseerdes. Die ondersoek was tweeledig van aard, aangesien kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data-ontledingsmetodes gebruik is. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 26 persone tussen die ouderdomme van 20 en 54 jaar wat 'n ernstige hoofbesering opgedoen het. Die lede van die ondersoekgroep was óf opgeneem in 'n plaaslike hospitaal se intensiewe sorgeenheid, óf het ingeskakel by rehabilitasieprogramme vir hoofbeseerdes. Benewens 'n biografiese vraelys het die ondersoekgroep ook vier ander vraelyste voltooi. Vir die kwantitatiewe ondersoek is drie van die vraelyste benut om die verband tussen lewenstevredenheid en die psigofortigene faktore, koherensiesin en fortaliteit vas te stel. Die Lewenstevredenheidskaal van Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffen (1985), die Fortaliteitsvraelys van Pretorius (1998) en die Koherensiesinskaal van Antovovsky (1987), is vir die doeleindes benut. Ter bepaling van die verbande tussen voorafgenoemde veranderlikes is hiërargiese regressieontledings uitgevoer. Vir die kwalitatiewe ondersoek is die Toekomstydperspektiefvraelys van Nuttin (1985) gebruik, waar die ondersoekgroep se response gekodeer is op grond van die koderingsriglyne wat deur die opsteller van die vraelys voorsien is. Uit die kwantitatiewe ondersoek het dit na vore gekom dat beide die psigofortigene faktore, koherensiesin en fortaliteit, 'n statisties beduidende rol speel in die mate van lewenstevredenheid wat die hoofbeseerdes ervaar, maar dat die grootste bydrae tot hullewenstevredenheid, deur die faktor koherensiesin gelewer word. Uit die kwalitatiewe ondersoek is 'n aantal motiverende objekte wat die hoofbeseerdes se mate van lewenstevredenheid positief mag beïnvloed, geïdentifiseer. Die strewe na persoonlike en fisieke onafhanklikheid en positiewe ervaringe soos liefde, vreugde en vrede, die stel van nuwe lewensdoelwitte en die betrokkenheid by In werk- of studietaak, blyk 'n betekenisvolle invloed op die hoofbeseerdes se psigologiese welstand te hê. 'n Groter aanvaarding van die self ná die traumatiese gebeurtenis, en minder negatiewe gevoelens jeens ander persone se hantering van die hoofbeseerde, het ook 'n positiewe invloed op die mate van lewenstevredenheid wat die hoofbeseerde ervaar. Hierdie faktore behoort dus in 'n rehabilitasieprogram verreken te word om die hoofbeseerde se aanpassing in die samelewing en by die veranderde omstandighede te vergemaklik.