3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item A pilot study evaluating depression in mothers with children diagnosed with Down syndrome in state healthcare(2017) Swanepoel, MelissaParenting a child who has an intellectual disability has been shown to increase the risk for developing depression. The purpose of this study was to screen for depression in mothers with a child diagnosed with Down syndrome in state health care in Johannesburg, and to identify associated sociodemographic variables. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess depression in participants along with a 10-item sociodemographic questionnaire, administered to 30 biological mothers of children postnatally diagnosed with Down syndrome. Eight mothers (26.7%) screened positive for depression with an EPDS score of 13 or greater. A statistically significant association was found between an HIV positive status and mothers who had an EPDS score of 13 or greater (p = 0.01). No significant association between a positive screening score for depression and various other sociodemographic factors were identified. Mothers with children diagnosed with Down syndrome, may be vulnerable towards developing depression.Item Mothers experiences of genetic counselling in Johannesburg, South Africa(2014-02-19) Morris, MeganGenetic counselling is an expanding profession, with many services now being offered in multicultural settings. The way in which individuals respond to genetic disorders varies greatly between countries, socio-economic groups, families, communities, religions and cultural groups. Together, these perspectives may influence how people experience genetic counselling with regard to satisfaction of the service, understanding heritability, communication, support and general healthcare provision. To address these issues standardised healthcare and genetic counselling models may need to be adjusted to prevent disparities in healthcare communication for different communities across the globe. South Africa provides a unique setting for genetic counselling because of the rich multicultural and linguistic diversity, as well as the many health and socioeconomic challenges that the country faces. Due to these diversities and challenges, further exploration into individuals‟ experiences of genetic counselling in South Africa is required to gain insight into the service needs for individuals.Item 'How do I speak about the past?" Bernhard Schlink and the genre of Vaterliteratur(2013-09-11) Wheeler, Alexandra-MaryThis dissertation functions as an exploration of German author Bernhard Schlink’s engagement with the genre of Vӓterliteratur (Literature about Fathers). By examining how Schlink has used adaptations of this genre in his novels The Reader (1998), Homecoming (2009) and short story Girl with Lizard (2002), this project will attempt to ascertain the extent to which one can view these texts as part of a new wave of father writing that has emerged in the German post-unification space. The question dominating this research project and contained in the first part of the title: “How do I speak about the Past”, implies that part of this research will examine Schlink’s portrayal of the second-generation’s attempt to understand and give voice to their experiences in postwar Germany. As such, my work engages with the emergence of Vӓterliteratur as being the result of an incomplete attempt by second-generation Germans to confront Germany’s national traumatic past during the 1968 Student Movement. However, while Schlink’s work demonstrates a familiarity with the content, structure and themes present in the first wave of Vӓterliteratur he appears to rewrite these into a fictionalised format, demonstrating the continued need in German society to work through the past. In many respects the texts selected for analysis in this dissertation deviate from the traditional conventions found within the earlier father novels, and interestingly appear to emphasise the previously marginalised role of women both during and postwar. What I will demonstrate is that while Schlink’s work makes use of the conventions found in Vӓterliteratur, and by doing so explores the postwar relationships between fathers and sons, it also indirectly engages with the experiences of German women and their own perpetration of, or suffering as a result of the patriarchal attitudes present in, Nazism. Through this dual portrayal (the presence of both men and women) Schlink gives a new perspective to the complexities of German postwar life as seen through the eyes of the second-generation.Item Shaping identity : personal narratives of women's birth experiences.(2013-03-15) Verrall, Sandi-LynnThe purpose of this study was to explore the childbirth narratives of first-time mothers in order to understand and describe the ways in which experiencing birth for the first time shaped their personal identities and identities as women. The study was guided by a qualitative postmodern research approach and involved conducting in-depth interviews with eight South African first-time mothers. The narrative accounts of these mothers were then analysed in two stages in order to present the findings. Firstly, using a holistic-content narrative analysis approach, significant themes that emerged from the data analysis were contextualised and organised in relation to the holistic accounts and interpretations of participants’ experiences in order to present how their personal identities were shaped through the experience of giving birth for the first time. Secondly, by conducting a qualitative thematic content analysis, shared common themes emerging from participant’s narratives were presented to understand in what ways individual elements interrelated to all participants’ identities in general, with a focus on female-gender identity. The findings reinforce the message that women’s personal and shared social identities are indeed significantly shaped by their first time childbirth experiences. These findings lend voice to women’s experiences and may serve to deepen insight for individuals and professionals working with perinatal women.