i an in-depth study of the causative factors of suicide and attempted suicide amongst adolescent ...

163 Pages·2016·0.38 MB·English

AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF SUICIDE AND
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AMONGST ADOLESCENT LEARNERS OF TSHWANE
NORTH (D3) AREA
MONGALO MARIA KGOSANA
DECEMBER 2015
I
AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF SUICIDE AND
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AMONGST ADOLESCENT LEARNERS OF TSHWANE
NORTH (D3) AREA
by
MONGALO MARIA KGOSANA
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION
in the subject
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
at the
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
SUPERVISOR: DR F. D. MAHLO
CO-SUPERVISER: MR A . A. MDIKANA
December 2015
II
DECLARATION
I declare that, AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF
SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AMONGST ADOLESCENT LEARNERS
OF TSHWANE NORTH (D3) AREA is my own work and that all sources that I
have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of
complete reference.
___________________ _____________________
M.M KGOSANA DATE
I
DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to my late mother, Magdelinah Mmamotsepe Mmelwa
(Mahape), my husband, Phake Jacob, my children, Oteng Molebogeng, Itumeleng
Kennete and Omphe Motsosi Kgosana.
II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A special gratitude goes to my Heavenly Father. Without His love, support,
strength and courage no one would have done their best. Thank you Father, you
are Holy, my Lord.
This study could not have been possible without the cooperation, involvement and
support of a number of people. I wish to express my profound gratitude to them.
I am very grateful to my former supervisor, Dr F.H. Weeks, who assisted and
guided me in all the stages of this study. Her comments and suggestions were
indispensable in crystallizing my ideas and expanding my understanding of the
topic. I was happy to have her as my supervisor before her retirement.
To my present supervisor Dr F.D. Mahlo and her co-supervisor Mr A .A. Mdikana,
who took me through the last lap after struggling for many years to submit my
study, stay blessed.
I would like to thank participants in this study for the cooperation in sharing their
experiences with me, it was tough but they really helped. I would like to thank the
educators at my school, the community and the other two schools that participated
in this study. I thank you so much, may God bless you all.
To my husband, Phake Jacob, and my children who missed spending time with
me during my studies, I love you so much. Stay blessed. To my daughter, Oteng,
who did most of the typing, I heartily thank you.
Lastly, I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend, Onnicah Sekgothe, who stood by my
side while I was tired and depressed. I thank her for her spiritual and moral
support. God bless you dear.
III
ABSTRACT
Adolescent suicide and attempted suicide is an unhealthy practice that involves
mental illness which led the suicidal behaviour to be an important public health
problem globally and in Africa. Suicide prevalence rates in young people in South
Africa and in all major ethnic groups are a significant cause for concern. The
adolescent mental illness causes sleepless nights on the education system.
Though much research has been done on this problem it still remains one of the
leading causes of death amongst adolescent learners locally and globally.
As a parent and an educator reading news articles, attending memorial services
and funerals of adolescent learners who took their own lives, gave me enough
reason for actions to be taken in order to find out what is causing adolescents to
commit suicide. During this emotional experience as the researcher, I have
discovered that the adolescent stage is a very fragile stage. I also discovered that
when life stresses strike, coping as an adolescent becomes difficult.
This study focuses on an in-depth study of the causative factors of suicide and
attempted suicide amongst the adolescent learners of Tshwane North (D3) area.
The topic was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical
investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was collected by means of focus
group discussion and one to one interview using a tape recorder and taking notes.
Participant’s answers were analysed individually and compared with all others.
Findings shows that adolescent suicide and attempted suicide is a mental disorder
that need to be addressed by including physicians and psychologists, upon
realizing the warning signs of suicide in order to minimize the practice. It is also
clear that adolescence is a fragile stage of growth and adolescents struggle to
cope with life challenges such as peer pressure, parent separations, socialization,
pregnancy, chronic illness and academic pressure.
It is recommended that NGOs in collaboration with the Health and Education
Departments need to take action by organizing workshops to address causative
factors of suicide and how to find help when realizing a suicidal adolescent
learner. The department of education needs to ensure that adolescent suicide and
attempted suicide preventative strategies should be taught from primary school
level and be added to life skills subject in all grades. Life Orientation educator’s to
IV
be trained about adolescent suicide to be well equipped to teach learners on how
to recognise warning signs especially suicidal signs in their peers and friends.
LIST OF KEY CONCEPTS
Suicide, Attempted suicide, Suicidal, Adolescent, Causative factors, Warning
signs, Behaviour, Stressors, Tshwane North (D3) area, Learner.
V
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................... 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................... 2
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................. 3
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................... 4
1.5 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY. ............................................................ 4
1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................................ 5
1.6.1 Research approach. ................................................................................... 5
1.6.2 Data collection ........................................................................................... 6
1.7 DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................. 7
1.8 CLARIFICATION OF CONCEPTS ................................................................... 9
1.8.1 Suicide ..................................................................................................... 10
1.8.2 Attempted suicide .................................................................................... 10
1.8.3 Causative ................................................................................................. 10
1.8.4 Depression ............................................................................................... 11
1.8.5 Stress. ...................................................................................................... 11
1.8.6 Adolescence ............................................................................................ 11
1.8.7 Siblings .................................................................................................... 12
1.8.8 Primary school ......................................................................................... 12
1.8.9 Middle school ........................................................................................... 12
1.8.10 High school ............................................................................................ 13
1.8.11 Outline of the study ................................................................................ 13
1.9 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 13
CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................. 15
2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 15
2.2 CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF SUICIDE ............................................................ 17
2.3 FAMILY FACTORS ........................................................................................ 18
2.3.1 Psychological problem ............................................................................. 18
2.3.2 Single-parenting ....................................................................................... 18
2.3.3 Parental childrearing methods ................................................................. 20
2.3.4 Mother-daughter and father-son communication ..................................... 21
2.3.5 Parents/guardian unemployment effect the learner ................................. 22
2.3.6 Interpersonal parents/guardian-child conflicts .......................................... 23
2.4 POST-SUICIDAL FACTORS .......................................................................... 24
2.4.1 Sub-optimal behavioural coping patterns ................................................. 25
VI
2.5 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS ..................................................................... 26
2.5.1 Peer pressure influence ........................................................................... 26
2.5.2 Community influence ............................................................................... 26
2.5.3 Socio-cultural influence ............................................................................ 27
2.6 POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER FACTOR ..................................... 28
2.7 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ...................................................................... 29
2.7.1 Suicidal ideation ....................................................................................... 29
2.7.2 Bullying as influenced by the environmental factors ................................ 30
2.7.3 Drug abuse .............................................................................................. 30
2.7.4 Depression ............................................................................................... 30
2.7.5 Chronic illnesses ...................................................................................... 31
2.7.6 School and community violence and victimisation ................................... 31
2.8 CAUSATIVE FACTORS IN SOUTH AFRICA ................................................. 31
2.9 CAUSATIVE FACTORS INTERNATIONALLY ............................................... 32
2.10 GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIES TO REDUCE ADOLESCENT SUICIDE . 32
2.10.1 The school ............................................................................................. 33
2.10.2 The educators ........................................................................................ 33
2.10.3 The peer group ...................................................................................... 33
2.10.4 The parents ............................................................................................ 33
2.10.5 Siblings .................................................................................................. 34
2.10.6 The community ...................................................................................... 34
2.11 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 36
CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................. 37
3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 37
3.2 THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER IN THE RESEARCH ............................ 37
3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN ..................................................................................... 38
3.3.1 Research approach. ................................................................................. 38
3.3.2 Sampling .................................................................................................. 39
3.3.3 Data collection ......................................................................................... 39
3.3.4 Data analysis ........................................................................................... 42
3.4 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE RESEARCH ...................................... 43
3.4.1 Informed consent ..................................................................................... 44
3.4.2 Confidentiality/ Anonymity and Privacy .................................................... 45
3.4.3 Exposure of respondents to harm ............................................................ 46
3.4.4 Violation of privacy ................................................................................... 46
3.4.5 The choice of the participants .................................................................. 46
3.5 TRUSTWORTHINESS OF RESEARCH ........................................................ 46
VII
3.5.1 Dependability ........................................................................................... 47
3.5.2 Triangulation ............................................................................................ 47
3.5.3 Credibility ................................................................................................. 48
3.5.4 Transferability .......................................................................................... 49
3.5.5 Confirmability ........................................................................................... 49
3.6 DATA MANAGEMENT ................................................................................... 50
3.7 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 51
CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................. 52
4.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 52
4.2 CAUSATIVE FACTORS ................................................................................. 52
4.2.1 Family factor ............................................................................................ 52
4.2.2 Peer pressure factor ................................................................................ 56
4.2.3 Social / personality factor ......................................................................... 58
4.2.4 Chronic illness factor ................................................................................ 61
4.2.5 HIV / AIDS ............................................................................................... 62
4.2.6 Rearing factor .......................................................................................... 63
4.2.7 Grieving factor.......................................................................................... 64
4.2.8 Educational factor .................................................................................... 68
4.2.9 Behavioural factor .................................................................................... 71
4.2.10 Parenting styles factor ........................................................................... 73
4.2.11 Identity and cultural factors .................................................................... 75
4.2.12 Neighbourhood influence factor ............................................................. 77
4.2.13 Post-traumatic stress disorder ............................................................... 78
4.3 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 81
CHAPTER 5 .................................................................................................. 82
5.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 82
5.2 SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS ..................................................................... 82
5.2.1 Family factor ............................................................................................ 83
5.2.2 Post- suicidal factor .................................................................................. 84
5.2.3 Socio-economic factor ............................................................................. 84
5.2.4 Post-traumatic stress disorder factor ....................................................... 85
5.2.5 Environmental factor ................................................................................ 86
5.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ...................................................................... 86
5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .............................................. 87
5.5 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 88
5.6 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 90
Bibliography. ......................................................................................................... 91
VIII