The psychosocial needs and coping strategies of black African 
mothers following the birth of a child with Down Syndrome: 
Implications for indigenisation of South African Social Work 
practice. 
 
 
 
MBAZIMA SIMEON MATHEBANE 
9702361D 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the 
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of 
Arts in Social Work. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Johannesburg 
2006 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Declaration 
 
 
 
I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own, unaided work. I have given full 
acknowledgement to the sources that I have used. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Mbazima Simeon Mathebane     Date 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 II
 
 
Acknowledgements 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks to the Almighty for granting me the physical, intellectual and emotional 
abilities to successfully carry out the study. 
 
I would like to thank the following people for their immeasurable support, 
guidance and contribution to the success of the study: 
 
? Mrs D Maseko and Mrs Linda Smith, my supervisors whose helpful 
comments have been appreciated.  
? The Down Syndrome Association (Tshwane), particularly Mrs Dawn 
Molepo, facilitator of the Attridgeville Down Syndrome Support Group 
for allowing me access to the mothers. 
?  All the mothers of children with Down Syndrome who participated in the 
study without whose time and co-operation, the study would have not 
been possible. These mothers kindly welcomed me into their homes and 
their lives and openly shared their experiences with me. I dedicate the 
study to them. 
? Mrs Beverly Kriel for her input, support and advice, the Gauteng 
Department of Health for funding my studies and my family whose love 
and support has constantly given me the impetus to keep going.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ABSTRACT 
 
This is a qualitative study aimed at exploring the psychosocial needs and coping 
strategies of black African mothers following the birth of a child with Down 
Syndrome (DS), in order to highlight implications of such needs for the indigenisation 
agenda of Social Work in the South African context. The study adopted a qualitative 
research design, purposive sample and utilised a method of a focus group discussion 
of seven participants, as well as four individual interviews to collect the data. The 
research sample was drawn from existing DS support groups in Tshwane.  The 
analysis of collected data was done using a method for analysing qualitative data 
adapted from Terre Blanche and Kelly in Terre Blanche and Durrheim (1999: 139). 
The method outlines 4 steps in data analysis; namely, familiarisation and immersion, 
inducing themes, coding, elaboration and lastly interpretation and checking.  
 
The study reveals that, despite attempts by contemporary African practitioners to 
transform Social Work practise in order to align it to the needs and aspirations of 
African consumers, a lot of work is still required. The findings show that mothers 
need on-going psychosocial support ranging from the individual, family and 
community level to assistance with practical needs such as grants and stimulation of 
the child; as well as information about the condition. The study also shows that, in 
coping with the incidence of giving birth to a child with DS, black African mothers 
turn to the elders for support as well as to God and in some cases traditional healers 
and prophets. In the light of the above responses, the researcher further found that 
there is a general lack of fit between the conventional professional approach to 
psychosocial support and understanding of needs of black social work clients. Such 
lack of fit results in failure on the part of professional helpers to tap into various 
personal and family resources.  
 
It is therefore recommended that current intervention models be modified to include 
professional values and principles that are in line with general cultural beliefs and 
norms of African people. Such modification would include more emphasis on a 
systemic approach to problem solving that would view an individual as a part of a 
whole (i.e. the family system, particularly the extended family systems).  
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Declaration        II 
Acknowledgements       III 
Abstract        IV 
Table of contents       V 
 
1. Chapter 1: Introduction 
 
1.1 Introduction       1 
1.2 Aims of the study       2 
1.3 Rationale         3 
1.4 Anticipated value of the study     4 
1.5 Underlying Assumptions      4 
1.7 Research methodology      5 
1.7.1 Research Design      5 
1.7.2 Research Sample      5 
1.7.3 Research tools       6 
1.7.4 Data Gathering       6 
1.7.5 Data Analysis       7 
1.7.6 Limitations of the study      7 
1.8 Ethical Issues       8 
1.8.1 Introduction       8 
1.8.2 Potentially emotions provoking study    9 
1.8.3 Respondent?s right to informed consent   9 
1.8.4 Confidentiality of personal information   9 
1.9 Definition of terms      10 
 
2. Chapter 2: Literature review 
 
2.1 Introduction       11 
2.2 Down Syndrome       11 
 V
2.3 Down Syndrome in South Africa     13 
2.4 Prevention and Management of Down Syndrome  13 
2.5 Effects of Down Syndrome on the individual and family 17 
2.6 Forms of support       20 
2.7 The origin of the social work profession    21 
2.8 Indigenisation of social work in the black African context 22 
2.8.1 Introduction       22 
2.8.2 Comparative analysis of black African social life and  
social work practice      23 
2.8.3 The indigenisation challenge for African social work 
 practice       25  
 
2.9 Conclusion       26 
 
3. Chapter 3: Methodology 
 
3.1 Research Design       28 
3.2 Research Methodology      28 
3.2.1 Sampling       28 
3.2.2 Data Collection       29 
3.2.2.1 Introduction       29 
3.2.2.2 Focus Group       30 
3.2.2.3 Individual Interviews      32 
3.3 Data Analysis       32 
3.4 Limitations of the study      33 
 
4. Chapter 4: Presentation and analysis of findings 
       
4.1 Demographic details      35 
Table 1. Summary of participants? characteristics   35 
4.2 Emotional and Social needs     35 
4.2.1 Initial disclosure of bad news     35 
4.2.2 Practical needs and resources     36 
4.2.3 Participant?s emotional reactions and ascribed meaning 38 
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4.3 Formal support or Social Work intervention   40 
4.4 Family reactions and ascribed meaning by other informal systems 42 
4.5 Impact of Support Group      44 
 
5. Chapter 5: Summary of the study, main findings and recommendations 
 
5.1 Introduction       45 
5.2 Main findings       46 
5.2.1 Black African mother?s needs and coping strategies  46 
5.2.2 Handling of their needs at a formal or professional level 47 
5.2.3 Handling of their needs through informal support systems 47 
5.2.4 The extent to which social work intervention is informed  
by the needs of the mothers     48  
 
       
5.2.5 Implications for the indigenisation agenda of  
Social Work in South Africa               48 
 
5.3 Conclusion       49 
5.4 Recommendation       50 
 
6. Appendices 
 
6.1 Appendix A: Ethical clearance certificate    52 
6.2 Appendix B: Letter of permission of access from DSA   53 
6.3 Appendix C: Participants information sheet for individual interview 54 
6.4 Appendix D: Participants information sheet for focus group interview   56 
6.5 Appendix E: Participants consent form for individual interview  58 
6.6 Appendix F: Participants consent form for a focus group interview 60 
6.7 Appendix G: Interview guide for individual interviews   62 
6.8 Appendix H: Focus group prompts     64 
 
 Reference List        65 
 
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