Análisis sensorial de las diferentes formulaciones de los pasteles

2.18.1 Improved quality of life

PTSD can have an adverse effect on a person’s life. Effective management is crucial as it leads to improved quality of life for trauma survivors. Thus, there is a need for psychological support after a police worker has experienced a traumatic incident (Tull 2010:1). The author further states that by seeking to effectively deal with work-related trauma, the employer reflects a humanitarian concern for fellow human beings.

Furthermore, a work force that feels secure and well catered for is likely to be productive. The employer, in such a situation, reflects legal responsibility of a duty to care, as enshrined in both common and statute law: the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA); which states that “It should be the duty and responsibility of every employer to ensure so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all its employees”. By so doing the organisation also acknowledges the impact of trauma on the individual worker and on the organisation, thus providing a supportive environment of normalising the effect that trauma has on police workers and giving permission for police workers to take care of their wellbeing (Bell, Kulkani & Dalton 2003:466; Tehrani 2004:36; Maabela 2011:16; Tehrani 2011:117).

A supportive environment allows for worker’s vacations and rest periods, and creates opportunities for police workers to vary their workload and work activities, participate in continuing education and develop and make time for other self-care activities (Bell et al 2003:46).

2.18.2 Decreased risk to the development of vicarious trauma

The implementation of support and intervention work-place programmes within the SAPS organisation will curb the development of vicarious trauma or secondary trauma. These intervention programmes also reduce emotional residue and re-traumatisation due to exposure to trauma of various forms, including pain, fear; and terror that the SAPS workers, including the professionals from the EHW often encounter. Chaplains, social workers, psychologists and psychometrists deal with and empathise with

traumatised clients and community members who are victims of violence and abuse, thus reducing the chances for the development of vicarious trauma (Tehrani 2011:101; Macritchie 2006:8; Van Lelyveld 2008:1; Jonas 2003:4; Pillay 2008:39; Gumani 2012:423; Silver, Portnoy & Peters 2004:854; Bell et al 2003:464; APA 2013:2).

Working with victims of trauma has been found to have both positive and negative effects on workers. On a positive note, it leads to a sense of connection with others, and increases feelings of self-esteem after helping victims regain a sense of wholeness, meaning and control of their lives. However, the reality is that there are also negative effects including feelings of blame and helplessness in protecting clients and keeping them safe, and feeling authentically worried about client situations, even after work hours (Silver et al 2006:853; Macritchie 2006:17).

A quantitative study by Van Leyveld (2008:1) aimed at determining the prevalence of vicarious trauma within the SAPS organisation, evaluated how rank, marital status, level of education, duration of service, and workload affected the existence of vicarious trauma and its effects on SAPS workers’ lives. The study sample comprised of 60 SAPS workers from the Limpopo Province’s Lebowakgomo and Mankweng police stations. Results showed the presence of high levels of vicarious trauma among the participants, with the workers’ duration of service and marital status having had an influence on the vulnerability to vicarious trauma (Van Lelyveld 2008:57)

Silver et al (2006:847) assessed the effect of stress, burnout, vicarious trauma and other emotional realities in the lawyer-client relationship. The results showed that the lawyers’ work exposed them to continuous trauma in the form of empathetic and compassionate engagement with traumatised clients. Thus, trauma becomes the centerpiece of, for instance divorce or refugee cases which lawyers have to engage as a critical mass of legal data and evidence (Silver et al 2006:860). Feelings of helplessness, work pressure, mental drain, dealing with expectations and demands of highly emotional clients were reported, and the lawyers indicated that they were especially traumatised by abused children as well as human rights cases (Silver et al 2006:859).

Another study conducted in the legal work environment, by Jaffe, Crooks Dunford- Jackson and Town (2003:6) investigated symptoms of vicarious trauma, coping strategies and prevention suggestions among 105 judges. The findings showed that a

experiences. Female judges reported more symptoms than those with seven or more years of experience. In addition, more female judges reported difficulties in internalising traumatic symptoms while judges with more experience reported higher levels of eternalising and hostility symptoms. The study yielded a multi-domain coping and prevention strategies, including personal, professional assistance and societal awareness and support for judges (Jaffe et al 2003:7).

2.19 CONCLUSION

This chapter reviewed literature revolving around the research objectives. It discussed an outline of trauma and PTSD and how they impact on various facets of life, on the SAPS as an organisation and on the SAPS workers and their immediate families. It also highlighted the epidemiology, incidence and prevalence of PTSD among the SAPS workforce, and other international countries. The chapter also highlighted PTSD legislation and available SAPS workplace support structures and programmes and finally reported on the compensation that can be accessed for disablement due to PTSD Chapter 3 discusses the theoretical framework used in the current study.

CHAPTER 3

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter discusses the Wits Trauma Model (WTM) that underpinned and provided grounding for the current study. According to the encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health (2003:1), a conceptual framework is an organization of concepts that provides a focus for research.The chapter, thus, introduces and describes the model that provided justification for the existence of the research problem investigated in this study.