Job stress, burnout and coping strategies of South African police officers
- Authors: Myendeki, Akhona Nangamso
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Burn out (Psychology) , Stress management , Police -- South Africa , Police -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Job stress
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (C Psy)
- Identifier: vital:11859 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/136 , Burn out (Psychology) , Stress management , Police -- South Africa , Police -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Job stress
- Description: The aim of this study was to determine whether coping strategies of police officers help moderate the outcome of burnout resulting from job stress. The nature of the job demands of police officers is such that they may experience high levels of stress. A convenience sample (N = 89: n Males = 58; n Female = 29) of police officers in police stations in the Eastern Cape was surveyed. The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, Police Stress Inventory and COPE questionnaire were administered. Results for all the participants indicate that when the occupational stressor Lack of Resources occurs police officers implement Avoidance Coping (COPE) as a strategy, which leads to the experience of Exhaustion. Results also indicate that police officers use Active Coping, Cognitive Coping and Turning to Religion as means of moderating the stress-burnout relationship. Results also show that the coping strategy Avoidance Coping, used by male officers lead to Cynicism. When female police officers experience Job Demands and a Lack of Resources they make use of Seeking Emotional Support as a coping strategy. Male police officers were shown to make use of Active Coping as a strategy to regulate the stress-burnout relationship while female police officers implemented Active Coping and Turning to Religion to act as a buffer between job stress and burnout.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Myendeki, Akhona Nangamso
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Burn out (Psychology) , Stress management , Police -- South Africa , Police -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Job stress
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (C Psy)
- Identifier: vital:11859 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/136 , Burn out (Psychology) , Stress management , Police -- South Africa , Police -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Job stress
- Description: The aim of this study was to determine whether coping strategies of police officers help moderate the outcome of burnout resulting from job stress. The nature of the job demands of police officers is such that they may experience high levels of stress. A convenience sample (N = 89: n Males = 58; n Female = 29) of police officers in police stations in the Eastern Cape was surveyed. The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, Police Stress Inventory and COPE questionnaire were administered. Results for all the participants indicate that when the occupational stressor Lack of Resources occurs police officers implement Avoidance Coping (COPE) as a strategy, which leads to the experience of Exhaustion. Results also indicate that police officers use Active Coping, Cognitive Coping and Turning to Religion as means of moderating the stress-burnout relationship. Results also show that the coping strategy Avoidance Coping, used by male officers lead to Cynicism. When female police officers experience Job Demands and a Lack of Resources they make use of Seeking Emotional Support as a coping strategy. Male police officers were shown to make use of Active Coping as a strategy to regulate the stress-burnout relationship while female police officers implemented Active Coping and Turning to Religion to act as a buffer between job stress and burnout.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Managing of work stress among blue collarworkers in the mining industry in Lesotho
- Authors: Molaoa, Tsalong
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Working class , Mineral industries -- Lesotho , Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
- Identifier: vital:11550 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/187 , Working class , Mineral industries -- Lesotho , Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: There are various ways in which work can be harmful to our health. Accidents and violence on the job and exposure to noxious chemicals in factories and sealed office buildings account for substantial numbers of injuries and deaths every year. Another danger, stress affects millions of employees and costs companies millions of cash every year, but it operates in more silent and subtle way. Stress is a psychological agent that affects the health of workers, productivity, and morale worldwide. Some of the causes of stress in the workplace include work over and underload, personal and family problems, organizational design and relationships in the organization. Stress-related diseases are widespread among employees throughout the world. A national survey was conducted in the United states by a life insurance company found that nearly half of all employed adults considered their jobs to be extremely stressful. Furthermore, a major share of physical complaints may be psychosomatic, that is, actual physical disorders caused by or related to emotional factors such as stress on the job. Physical problems associated with stress include high blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease, lower back pain and cancer. Stress in the workplace is very costly to employers in terms of lower productivity, reduced motivation, and increased errors and accidents. Moderate stress is encouraged as it can help employees in achieving the goals by being productive but too much or high stress level is related to increases in turnover and counterproductive behavior, such as theft and drug and alcohol abuse.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Molaoa, Tsalong
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Working class , Mineral industries -- Lesotho , Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
- Identifier: vital:11550 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/187 , Working class , Mineral industries -- Lesotho , Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: There are various ways in which work can be harmful to our health. Accidents and violence on the job and exposure to noxious chemicals in factories and sealed office buildings account for substantial numbers of injuries and deaths every year. Another danger, stress affects millions of employees and costs companies millions of cash every year, but it operates in more silent and subtle way. Stress is a psychological agent that affects the health of workers, productivity, and morale worldwide. Some of the causes of stress in the workplace include work over and underload, personal and family problems, organizational design and relationships in the organization. Stress-related diseases are widespread among employees throughout the world. A national survey was conducted in the United states by a life insurance company found that nearly half of all employed adults considered their jobs to be extremely stressful. Furthermore, a major share of physical complaints may be psychosomatic, that is, actual physical disorders caused by or related to emotional factors such as stress on the job. Physical problems associated with stress include high blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease, lower back pain and cancer. Stress in the workplace is very costly to employers in terms of lower productivity, reduced motivation, and increased errors and accidents. Moderate stress is encouraged as it can help employees in achieving the goals by being productive but too much or high stress level is related to increases in turnover and counterproductive behavior, such as theft and drug and alcohol abuse.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
The psychofortology of female psychiatric out-patients living with mood and anxiety disorders
- Authors: Steyn, Chantelle
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Anxiety disorders -- South Africa , Stress (Psychology) , Women -- Mental health -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9914 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/878 , Anxiety disorders -- South Africa , Stress (Psychology) , Women -- Mental health -- South Africa
- Description: An overview of recent literature indicates that mood and anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of all psychiatric disorders. Depression and anxiety are estimated to be two of the most important causes of disease burden in the world and appear to be more prevalent among women than men. A skewed distribution exists in mood and anxiety research with limited research being done into the area of gender, more specifically females with these disorders. The present study therefore intended to explore and describe the psychofortology of female psychiatric out-patients living with mood and anxiety disorders. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and participants were selected by means of non-probability purposive sampling. The sample consisted of 60 female psychiatric out-patients who were selected for inclusion based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Data were gathered through the administration of a biographical questionnaire, Hammer and Marting’s Coping Resources Inventory (CRI), Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29), Diener, Emmons, Larson and Griffin’s Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Kamman and Flett’s Affectometer-2 (AFM-2). These data were then analyzed according to the aims of the study by the use of descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and multivariate data analysis, namely, K-means cluster analysis. The results indicated that the female psychiatric out-patients with mood and anxiety disorders were generally experiencing lower levels of coping and subjective well-being. The results indicated three clusters which appeared to have no statistical or practical significance to each other. The first cluster could be characterized as being “of relatively high psychofortology” and patients in this cluster presented with better coping and subjective well-being. The patients in cluster two could be characterized as being “of relatively average psychofortology” and the third cluster as being “of relatively low psychofortology”. The third cluster was characterized by patients who were experiencing poorer levels of coping and subjective well-being.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Steyn, Chantelle
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Anxiety disorders -- South Africa , Stress (Psychology) , Women -- Mental health -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9914 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/878 , Anxiety disorders -- South Africa , Stress (Psychology) , Women -- Mental health -- South Africa
- Description: An overview of recent literature indicates that mood and anxiety disorders are the most prevalent of all psychiatric disorders. Depression and anxiety are estimated to be two of the most important causes of disease burden in the world and appear to be more prevalent among women than men. A skewed distribution exists in mood and anxiety research with limited research being done into the area of gender, more specifically females with these disorders. The present study therefore intended to explore and describe the psychofortology of female psychiatric out-patients living with mood and anxiety disorders. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and participants were selected by means of non-probability purposive sampling. The sample consisted of 60 female psychiatric out-patients who were selected for inclusion based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Data were gathered through the administration of a biographical questionnaire, Hammer and Marting’s Coping Resources Inventory (CRI), Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29), Diener, Emmons, Larson and Griffin’s Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Kamman and Flett’s Affectometer-2 (AFM-2). These data were then analyzed according to the aims of the study by the use of descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and multivariate data analysis, namely, K-means cluster analysis. The results indicated that the female psychiatric out-patients with mood and anxiety disorders were generally experiencing lower levels of coping and subjective well-being. The results indicated three clusters which appeared to have no statistical or practical significance to each other. The first cluster could be characterized as being “of relatively high psychofortology” and patients in this cluster presented with better coping and subjective well-being. The patients in cluster two could be characterized as being “of relatively average psychofortology” and the third cluster as being “of relatively low psychofortology”. The third cluster was characterized by patients who were experiencing poorer levels of coping and subjective well-being.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Resilience in families living with a Type I diabetic child
- Authors: Coetzee, Mariska
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Diabetes in children -- South Africa , Diabetes -- Prevention , Stress (Psychology) , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9922 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/665 , Diabetes in children -- South Africa , Diabetes -- Prevention , Stress (Psychology) , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Description: Type I diabetes has the ability to promote change in the family. In truth, although the child with diabetes is the diagnosed patient, the whole family has diabetes. While the challenges that families have to face are many, families seem to have the ability to “bounce back” (i.e., they have resilience). Research on the construct of resilience, and more specifically, family resilience has surged in recent times. However, South African research on family resilience is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the factors that facilitate adjustment and adaptation in families that include a child living with Type I diabetes. The Resiliency Model of Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, developed by McCubbin and McCubbin (2001) served as a framework to conceptualise the families’ adjustment and adaptation process. Non-probability purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed. Sixteen families participated in this study, providing a total of 31 participants. Participants consisted of the caregivers of a family living with a child between the ages of four and 12 with Type I diabetes. The study was triangular in nature, with an exploratory, descriptive approach. A biographical questionnaire with an open-ended question was used in conjunction with seven other questionnaires to gather data. These questionnaires were: The Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Family Time and Routine Index (FTRI), the Social Support Index (SSI), the Family Problem-Solving Communication (FPSC) Index, the Family Crises-Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F-COPES), the Relative and Friend Support Index, and the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 (FACI8). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the biographical information. Quantitative data were analysed by means of correlation and regression analysis, and a content analysis was conducted to analyse the qualitative data. The results of the quantitative analysis indicated three significant positive correlations with the FACI8. These variables were family hardiness (measured by the FHI), family problem-solving communication (measured by the FPSC), and family time and routines (measured by the FTRI). The results of the qualitative analysis revealed that social support, the caregivers’ acceptance of the condition, and spirituality and religion were the most important strength factors that contributed to the families’ adjustment and adaptation. Although the study had a small sample and many limitations, the study could be used as a stepping-stone for future research on resilience in families living with chronic medical conditions and will contribute to family resilience research in the South African context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Coetzee, Mariska
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Diabetes in children -- South Africa , Diabetes -- Prevention , Stress (Psychology) , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9922 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/665 , Diabetes in children -- South Africa , Diabetes -- Prevention , Stress (Psychology) , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Description: Type I diabetes has the ability to promote change in the family. In truth, although the child with diabetes is the diagnosed patient, the whole family has diabetes. While the challenges that families have to face are many, families seem to have the ability to “bounce back” (i.e., they have resilience). Research on the construct of resilience, and more specifically, family resilience has surged in recent times. However, South African research on family resilience is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the factors that facilitate adjustment and adaptation in families that include a child living with Type I diabetes. The Resiliency Model of Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, developed by McCubbin and McCubbin (2001) served as a framework to conceptualise the families’ adjustment and adaptation process. Non-probability purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed. Sixteen families participated in this study, providing a total of 31 participants. Participants consisted of the caregivers of a family living with a child between the ages of four and 12 with Type I diabetes. The study was triangular in nature, with an exploratory, descriptive approach. A biographical questionnaire with an open-ended question was used in conjunction with seven other questionnaires to gather data. These questionnaires were: The Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Family Time and Routine Index (FTRI), the Social Support Index (SSI), the Family Problem-Solving Communication (FPSC) Index, the Family Crises-Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F-COPES), the Relative and Friend Support Index, and the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 (FACI8). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the biographical information. Quantitative data were analysed by means of correlation and regression analysis, and a content analysis was conducted to analyse the qualitative data. The results of the quantitative analysis indicated three significant positive correlations with the FACI8. These variables were family hardiness (measured by the FHI), family problem-solving communication (measured by the FPSC), and family time and routines (measured by the FTRI). The results of the qualitative analysis revealed that social support, the caregivers’ acceptance of the condition, and spirituality and religion were the most important strength factors that contributed to the families’ adjustment and adaptation. Although the study had a small sample and many limitations, the study could be used as a stepping-stone for future research on resilience in families living with chronic medical conditions and will contribute to family resilience research in the South African context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession
- Authors: Nell, Reinette Deidre
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Women teachers -- Life skills assessment -- South Africa , Work and family -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects , Life skills , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9851 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/387 , Women teachers -- Life skills assessment -- South Africa , Work and family -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects , Life skills , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: The changes that have taken place in the South African educational system over the past few years have placed teachers under increasing stress. While abundant overseas literature is available regarding teacher stress, limited studies have focused specifically on South African samples. Female teachers, and working mothers, often experience additional stressors to men. Studies on women’s health have received little attention in comparison with the magnitude of research conducted on men’s health. The aim of the current study was to explore and describe the stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession, and to explore and describe the patterns of stress and coping resources of these women. A non-experimental, exploratory descriptive study was employed. A biographical questionnaire and three paper-and-pencil measures, namely the Experience of Work and Life Questionnaire, the Coping Resources Inventory and the Personal, Home, Social and Formal Relations Questionnaire, were administered to 31 full-time primary school teachers who are married mothers of dependent children under the age of 14 years. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was employed. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were used in the data analysis. The results of the WLQ for this sample indicated that the mean score for the total level of stress fell within the high range, but with regards to the mode, the majority of the participants had average scores. The results of the CRI indicated an average level of coping resources for the present sample. The sample scored slightly above average on seven of the eleven components of the adjustment areas of the PHSF and slightly below average on the other four components. The participants in cluster one had average levels of stress and an average level of coping resources. The participants in cluster two scored very high levels of stress and average levels of coping resources. The participants in cluster three had very high levels of stress and low levels of coping resources. Suggestions were made for future research involving the stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession. Finally, the limitations as well as the value of the research were outlined.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Nell, Reinette Deidre
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Women teachers -- Life skills assessment -- South Africa , Work and family -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects , Life skills , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9851 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/387 , Women teachers -- Life skills assessment -- South Africa , Work and family -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects , Life skills , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: The changes that have taken place in the South African educational system over the past few years have placed teachers under increasing stress. While abundant overseas literature is available regarding teacher stress, limited studies have focused specifically on South African samples. Female teachers, and working mothers, often experience additional stressors to men. Studies on women’s health have received little attention in comparison with the magnitude of research conducted on men’s health. The aim of the current study was to explore and describe the stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession, and to explore and describe the patterns of stress and coping resources of these women. A non-experimental, exploratory descriptive study was employed. A biographical questionnaire and three paper-and-pencil measures, namely the Experience of Work and Life Questionnaire, the Coping Resources Inventory and the Personal, Home, Social and Formal Relations Questionnaire, were administered to 31 full-time primary school teachers who are married mothers of dependent children under the age of 14 years. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was employed. Descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were used in the data analysis. The results of the WLQ for this sample indicated that the mean score for the total level of stress fell within the high range, but with regards to the mode, the majority of the participants had average scores. The results of the CRI indicated an average level of coping resources for the present sample. The sample scored slightly above average on seven of the eleven components of the adjustment areas of the PHSF and slightly below average on the other four components. The participants in cluster one had average levels of stress and an average level of coping resources. The participants in cluster two scored very high levels of stress and average levels of coping resources. The participants in cluster three had very high levels of stress and low levels of coping resources. Suggestions were made for future research involving the stress, coping resources and adjustment of married mothers in the teaching profession. Finally, the limitations as well as the value of the research were outlined.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Indigenous trauma volunteers: survivors with a mission
- Authors: Moultrie, Alison
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Volunteers -- Job stress , Volunteer workers in community development -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Psychic trauma , Burn out (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3027 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002536 , Volunteers -- Job stress , Volunteer workers in community development -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Psychic trauma , Burn out (Psychology)
- Description: There is a growing body of literature on the risk for secondary trauma amongst professional trauma workers. Nonetheless, there is scant published literature on the impact of trauma work on volunteers; particularly when such volunteers are indigenous to the highly traumatized communities which they serve. The study examined a group of parents (N=16) who volunteered in a school-based trauma support project in an impoverished, gang-ridden South African urban community in which they themselves reside. Aims were to 1) Explore the psychological impact of indigenous trauma volunteerism; 2) Explore volunteers’ perceptions of costs and benefits of volunteerism. Data collection was chiefly qualitative, using focus group and individual interviews. The Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Subscales (Stamm, 2002) were administered in order to determine risk for burnout, risk for compassion fatigue and potential for compassion satisfaction. The Stressful Life Experiences Screening Short Form (Stamm, 1997) was administered in order to gather descriptive information regarding personal trauma histories. Project documentation was reviewed. Analysis and interpretation of qualitative data involved a combination of both etic (theory-based) and emic (data and context-based) techniques. The volunteers’ experiences were co-constructed in interaction with three settings: 1) Experiences of training and supervision were affirming and empowering; 2) Experiences of the school context were mediated by the degree of access and integration into the school environment; 3) Experiences of the community context were mediated by the dynamics of identification, role fluidity and inter-setting negotiation. The primary cost of involvement was distress relating to limitations on capacity to help fellow community members with whom they strongly identified, and whom they felt intrapsychically, interpersonally and socially pressured to assist. These limitations included limited client resources, limited personal resources, limited occupational resources and limited systemic resources. Other sources of distress included context-related boundary management difficulties, institutional (school-related) stressors, difficulties in persuading children to disclose abuse and material costs of volunteering. Coping was facilitated by empowering training, supervision, peer support, and self-care practices. Benefits included acquisition of psychological, interpersonal and occupational skills, improved personal relationships, social support, validation, personal healing and role satisfaction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Moultrie, Alison
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Volunteers -- Job stress , Volunteer workers in community development -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Psychic trauma , Burn out (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3027 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002536 , Volunteers -- Job stress , Volunteer workers in community development -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology) , Psychic trauma , Burn out (Psychology)
- Description: There is a growing body of literature on the risk for secondary trauma amongst professional trauma workers. Nonetheless, there is scant published literature on the impact of trauma work on volunteers; particularly when such volunteers are indigenous to the highly traumatized communities which they serve. The study examined a group of parents (N=16) who volunteered in a school-based trauma support project in an impoverished, gang-ridden South African urban community in which they themselves reside. Aims were to 1) Explore the psychological impact of indigenous trauma volunteerism; 2) Explore volunteers’ perceptions of costs and benefits of volunteerism. Data collection was chiefly qualitative, using focus group and individual interviews. The Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Subscales (Stamm, 2002) were administered in order to determine risk for burnout, risk for compassion fatigue and potential for compassion satisfaction. The Stressful Life Experiences Screening Short Form (Stamm, 1997) was administered in order to gather descriptive information regarding personal trauma histories. Project documentation was reviewed. Analysis and interpretation of qualitative data involved a combination of both etic (theory-based) and emic (data and context-based) techniques. The volunteers’ experiences were co-constructed in interaction with three settings: 1) Experiences of training and supervision were affirming and empowering; 2) Experiences of the school context were mediated by the degree of access and integration into the school environment; 3) Experiences of the community context were mediated by the dynamics of identification, role fluidity and inter-setting negotiation. The primary cost of involvement was distress relating to limitations on capacity to help fellow community members with whom they strongly identified, and whom they felt intrapsychically, interpersonally and socially pressured to assist. These limitations included limited client resources, limited personal resources, limited occupational resources and limited systemic resources. Other sources of distress included context-related boundary management difficulties, institutional (school-related) stressors, difficulties in persuading children to disclose abuse and material costs of volunteering. Coping was facilitated by empowering training, supervision, peer support, and self-care practices. Benefits included acquisition of psychological, interpersonal and occupational skills, improved personal relationships, social support, validation, personal healing and role satisfaction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Psychological resilience: the role of unconscious and conscious coping strategies in the mediation of stress in high risk occupational contexts
- Authors: Alexander, Debra Geraldine
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Hazardous occupations , Teachers -- South Africa -- Job stress , Police -- South Africa -- Job stress , Emergency medical personnel -- South Africa -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3092 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003059 , Hazardous occupations , Teachers -- South Africa -- Job stress , Police -- South Africa -- Job stress , Emergency medical personnel -- South Africa -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: This study investigates the role of unconscious and conscious coping strategies in the mediation of stress in high risk occupational contexts. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, the Multidimensional Coping Inventory and the Defense Style Questionnaires were completed by 194 police, ambulance and teaching personnel. A sample of 37 teachers served as a non high risk occupation control group. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, analysis of variance, analysis of difference and principal component analysis were performed on the data. Results indicated minimal significant between group differences. Within group variances were yielded. A minor relationship between levels of stress and usage of positive and negative mechanisms was observed. The significance of these findings is discussed and recommendations made for further study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Alexander, Debra Geraldine
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Hazardous occupations , Teachers -- South Africa -- Job stress , Police -- South Africa -- Job stress , Emergency medical personnel -- South Africa -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3092 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003059 , Hazardous occupations , Teachers -- South Africa -- Job stress , Police -- South Africa -- Job stress , Emergency medical personnel -- South Africa -- Job stress , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: This study investigates the role of unconscious and conscious coping strategies in the mediation of stress in high risk occupational contexts. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, the Multidimensional Coping Inventory and the Defense Style Questionnaires were completed by 194 police, ambulance and teaching personnel. A sample of 37 teachers served as a non high risk occupation control group. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, analysis of variance, analysis of difference and principal component analysis were performed on the data. Results indicated minimal significant between group differences. Within group variances were yielded. A minor relationship between levels of stress and usage of positive and negative mechanisms was observed. The significance of these findings is discussed and recommendations made for further study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
The importance of personal and collective resources in coping with stressors related to industrial action at the Coldstream sawmill
- Authors: Besseling, Elizabeth Anne
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Stress (Psychology) , Stress (Physiology) , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Case studies , Coldstream (South africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2932 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002441 , Stress (Psychology) , Stress (Physiology) , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Case studies , Coldstream (South africa)
- Description: The main purpose of the study is to investigate whether the stress response moderators served as effective variables in reducing the stress of the strike. For instance, if individuals differ in' their ability to actualise resources, does someone with a high SOC utilise friendships or supportive relationships more than someone with a low SOC? Does someone who has a high score for religious practice become less depressed when faced with a significant stressor than someone less involved in church activities?
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Besseling, Elizabeth Anne
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Stress (Psychology) , Stress (Physiology) , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Case studies , Coldstream (South africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2932 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002441 , Stress (Psychology) , Stress (Physiology) , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Case studies , Coldstream (South africa)
- Description: The main purpose of the study is to investigate whether the stress response moderators served as effective variables in reducing the stress of the strike. For instance, if individuals differ in' their ability to actualise resources, does someone with a high SOC utilise friendships or supportive relationships more than someone with a low SOC? Does someone who has a high score for religious practice become less depressed when faced with a significant stressor than someone less involved in church activities?
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
Discovering the meaning of stress: a qualitative approach
- Authors: Crowley, Michelle Laureen
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2957 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002466 , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: The aim of the study was to understand the meaning of stress, and towards this end eleven individuals who claimed to have experienced the phenomenon during the six months prior to data collection were asked to describe their experience. These transcribed protocols were explicated in terms of a phenomenological praxis, and the emotional content of descriptions subjected to taxonomic analysis. In addition, a literature review for the purposes of tracing the development of contemporary stress models and related constructs was conducted. The latter critiqued current conceptualisations of stress, and attempted to highlight some important contributions. Explication in terms of phenomenological praxis identified seven central features associated with lived stress, namely, lived stress as : the perception of personal cost; a sense of entrapment; persistent coping efforts; learned helplessness; embodiment; and, poor social relations. In addition, the unfolding nature of the experience suggested stress as a continuous process of adjustment to worldly demands, and furthermore, highliJhted several variations of structure. The latter themes were used to develop a more inclusive model of lived stress as a dynamic and unfolding process. Dialogue with existing literature was able to confirm the self-world split proposed by the transactional approach to stress as legitimate, and furthermore, confirmed the primacy of cognition for the stress phenomenon. In addition, the link between stress and personality factors, psychopathological conditions and related fields of enquiry (such as anxiety and burnout) as well as more positive modes of being (such as creativity) were discussed. Furthermore, lived stress was shown to involve a threat to the individual's continued existence, both with respect to his/her the desired self and its unfolding and his/her physicality, while the presence of mutual hostility between self and world was also noted. The study concludes with reflection concerning the methodologies employed, and suggests that while qualitative and interpretive methods are both cumbersome and time consuming if rigorously applied, they do enrich the understanding of complex experiential phenomena. Finally, several suggestions are made for further research and refinement in the stress field, the most pertinent of which appears to be that of establishing the relationship between lived stress and the development of more debilitating psychopathological conditions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
- Authors: Crowley, Michelle Laureen
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2957 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002466 , Stress (Psychology)
- Description: The aim of the study was to understand the meaning of stress, and towards this end eleven individuals who claimed to have experienced the phenomenon during the six months prior to data collection were asked to describe their experience. These transcribed protocols were explicated in terms of a phenomenological praxis, and the emotional content of descriptions subjected to taxonomic analysis. In addition, a literature review for the purposes of tracing the development of contemporary stress models and related constructs was conducted. The latter critiqued current conceptualisations of stress, and attempted to highlight some important contributions. Explication in terms of phenomenological praxis identified seven central features associated with lived stress, namely, lived stress as : the perception of personal cost; a sense of entrapment; persistent coping efforts; learned helplessness; embodiment; and, poor social relations. In addition, the unfolding nature of the experience suggested stress as a continuous process of adjustment to worldly demands, and furthermore, highliJhted several variations of structure. The latter themes were used to develop a more inclusive model of lived stress as a dynamic and unfolding process. Dialogue with existing literature was able to confirm the self-world split proposed by the transactional approach to stress as legitimate, and furthermore, confirmed the primacy of cognition for the stress phenomenon. In addition, the link between stress and personality factors, psychopathological conditions and related fields of enquiry (such as anxiety and burnout) as well as more positive modes of being (such as creativity) were discussed. Furthermore, lived stress was shown to involve a threat to the individual's continued existence, both with respect to his/her the desired self and its unfolding and his/her physicality, while the presence of mutual hostility between self and world was also noted. The study concludes with reflection concerning the methodologies employed, and suggests that while qualitative and interpretive methods are both cumbersome and time consuming if rigorously applied, they do enrich the understanding of complex experiential phenomena. Finally, several suggestions are made for further research and refinement in the stress field, the most pertinent of which appears to be that of establishing the relationship between lived stress and the development of more debilitating psychopathological conditions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1991
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