As shown in table 5.13, most (80.3%) family members are of the view that in order for them to be assisted and supported to manage living with a family member diagnosed with PTSD, the SAPS organisation must offer adequate family counseling services. These should be incorporated with home visits to render required the spiritual, social and psychological support required by families.
Presentation of life skills empowerment programmes such as men and women health and wellness, financial management and family enrichment programmes to families, were perceived to be of critical importance in supporting families. This is what they said to substantiate this aspect:
“Arrange for family visits and support counselling sessions at least once a month …”
“… psychology does help … how frequent they offer counselling can also help ...”
“… talking to the families helps because they suffer as much as the patients”
“Support, counsel them, and check if everything is o k…” “Make sure that he gets professional help ..., show that you care, and show that he is still a co-worker …”
“We also need counselling and as a family …” “… check up on him if he is coping well at work and do not give him traumatising work again …”
“They must come and visit him at home or hospital; they must call and check how he is doing because he is part of SAPS …”
“… Find counselling from SAPS ... Debt counsellors should be there and offer information on debt counselling and arrange financial management sessions for families, help them manage their financial situation … arrange programmes such as men and women’s programmes, where men and women will talk about issues affecting them, conducted weekly and identify certain problems ...”
Two (4.1%) family members’ raised the view that in order to resolve the problem of family separation caused by job transfers, the SAPS should ensure that families are transferred together and that the EHW personnel should be kept within the organisation. This is what they had to say about these issues:
“… transfer the member to where support is ... to work nearer to her family …”
“There is a problem of separation ... currently my parents are living far apart because of my father's job placement … there is no unity … we need a father figure when we are growing up.”
“… married couples should be transferred together...this issue causes marital and financial problems in homes because we spend too much for where he is transferred to and at home …”
“… SAPS is losing professional people, but they are not keeping them. They should be empowered and kept within the organisation ... we feel comfortable with people who used to counsel us before as compared to new ones.”
One (5.2%) family member thought that if families could receive study bursaries from the SAPS organisation, they will be financially supported. This is what she had to say:
“… offer bursaries for family members because we try to study and it is not easy having to take care of the PTSD patient/ husband and studying ...”
One (5.2%) member reported that another financial support the SAPS organisation should render to families is by ensuring adequate medical assistance to avoid medical aid funds being exhausted. Here is his comment:
“The SAPS must provide adequate medical assistance, to avoid funds being exhausted, it affects us financially …”
Offering job promotion and appreciation for hard work commitment and loyalty for the SAPS workers diagnosed with work-related PTSD was viewed by 1 (5.2%) family member as essential. This is his verbal response:
“… He did not get the promotion though he deserved it ...”
“I hear people talk about how much my father worked ... but he does not get rewarded for that … the issue of lack of promotion contributed a lot to the health condition ...there was no fair treatment.”
Table 5.13 Family members’ opinions and recommendations for the management of living with a family member diagnosed with PTSD (N=23)
Opinion Frequency Percentage
The SAPS organisation must offer combined family counselling sessions, home and hospital visits and life skills empowerment programs
18 80.3
The SAPS organisation must offer study bursaries for families of
workers diagnosed with PTSD 1 5.2
The SAPS organisation must transfer workers diagnosed with PTSD near families and retain EHW professionals within the SAPS organisation
2 4.1
The SAPS organisation must ensure adequate medical assistance
for workers diagnosed with PTSD 1 5.2
Offer job promotion and hard work reward for workers diagnosed
with work-related PTSD 1 5.2
Total 23 100.0
5.15 CONCLUSION
This chapter presented and described the findings of the current study on participants’ demographic information, work and non-work-related traumatic incidents leading to the development of PTSD. In addition, findings on national and local PTSD prevalence, and the health and social impact that PTSD has on this specific group of workers were documented. Other sections in this chapter captured participants’ verbal comments and suggestions on PTSD management. The findings on their coping strategies were also presented in this chapter.
The next chapter discusses inferences drawn on the basis of the current study’s findings.
CHAPTER 6
DISCUSSION ON RESEARCH FINDINGS
6.1 INTRODUCTIONThis chapter discusses the findings from the results presented in the previous chapter. The discussion on the findings considers the results from both groups of participants; namely the SAPS workers and their immediate family members. Data is presented in two sections, in which the first section discusses the findings from the SAPS workers and the second focusing on the family members’ data.
6.2 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD 6.2.1 Research purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines to assist the SAPS organization to provide appropriate interventions for workers diagnosed with PTSD in the Mahikeng area. Furthermore, the guidelines sought to assist the workers’ immediate family members to cope with living with a member diagnosed with PTSD, and ultimately promote both the SAPS workers and the family member’s well-being through the provision of a conducive and supportive work and family environments.
6.3 SECTION A: PARTICIPANTS’ DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS − DISCUSSION