Assignment Task
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the Corona Virus, there has been relatively high prevalence of sudden deaths globally. In South Africa, 215 855 positive cases and 3 502 deaths were recorded as of 07 July 2021 (Blumberg et al., 2020:1). As a result, the measurements to curb the spread of the coronavirus were implemented which forced the South African citizens to the lifestyle that they are not necessarily accustomed to. For the same reason, the researcher was interested in how the youth, specifically students, would be affected by the experience of loss during this stressful era. Therefore, the purpose of this study investigate and explore the psychosocial effects that death had on the tertiary students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was done to explore if the COVID-19 pandemic would affect the grieving process of the students. The study began by means of formulating the research question and goals aligned with the aim. The aim was to engage in an exploratory and descriptive study of the psychosocial effects endured by the tertiary students who have experienced loss during the COVID -19 pandemic. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate the coping mechanisms that the bereaved students have utilised in order in order to determine how the grieved students could be empowered
The study consisted of a quantitative study which was designed for the students who are enrolled at University of the Free State, in the faculty of Humanities. The data of the study were collected utilising a questionnaire which was distributed electronically. Also, the participants were given 24 hours to complete the questionnaires at the comfort of the respective homes. Based on the completed questionnaires, it was found that the students were affected psychosocially, financially and behaviourally.
CHAPTER 1: METHODOLOGICAL ORIENTATION
Since December 2019, an increasing number of cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)–infected pneumonia have been identified in Wuhan (Li et al., 2020). Since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in South Africa was reported on 5 March 2020, the cases have been escalating and have affected the citizens in various ways.
Choice of topic
The topic is relevant because as future social workers, the students will at some point encounter cases that are related to loss. Though there are already existing studies on loss, the researcher is particularly interested in how losing a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic have affected South African students as well as the coping mechanisms that they resorted to. Considering that the epidemic of the corona virus occurred unexpectedly, resulting in sudden deaths and required individuals to adapt to the unaccustomed lifestyle . For instance, the expectation to bury the deceased within fewer days than normal after their passing. In some cases, students are enrolled in Higher Education Institutions that are outside their native towns. Thus, the limited amount of time between travelling, grieving the deceased and keeping track of academics most likely to have taken a toll on the students.
The theoretical framework to be utilised for this study is the Resilience theory. According to Masten and Obradovic (cited by Pamela, 2021) Resilience theory is defined as the conceptual framework for understanding how some individuals can bounce back in life after experiencing an adverse situation in a strength-focused approach. Therefore, the strengths, in the form of coping mechanisms, that the tertiary students resorted to after losing their loved ones will be examined thereof. This research topic is needed because it will inform the disciplinary professionals such as social workers on the coping mechanisms that the students favoured and their effectiveness in accord to the psychosocial effects that resulted from losing a loved one.
The point that the researchers are raising here is that even though people (including the students) are bound to experience loss of a loved one, the nature of the attachment, whether the deceased provided strength, security, or ambivalence in the relationship will be influential to the healing process (Kanel, 2017:117). Also, the era in which loss is experienced play a role in the grieving process.
1.2 Research problem and questionsThe research problem and questions pertaining this study will be discussed respectively.
1.2.1 Research problem
The study intends to explore the psychosocial effects experienced by tertiary students as the result of losing a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic and the coping mechanisms that they resorted to.
With the a prevalence of depressive symptoms of 72% among the young participants, which is high and worrisome when compared to mental health results among youth gathered outside of the COVID-19 context (Mudiriza & De Lannoy, 2020: 15). The researchers are interested in analysing whether the psychosocial effects that the tertiary students endured after losing a loved one during the era of the Ccorona virus affected the grieving the process. In other words, if the coping mechanisms that these particular students resorted to were effective in aiding the healing process.
1.2.2 Research questions
Given the research problem, the following research questions give direction to the investigation:
What are the psychosocial effects that were endured by the tertiary students who have experienced loss during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Which coping mechanisms did the grieved tertiary students resort to?
To what extent did the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to the grieving process of the bereaved tertiary students?
How can the resilience theory contribute to the understanding of how the youth can be empowered to be more resilient in times of loss?
1.3. Aim of the Research
The proposed research aims to engage in an exploratory and descriptive study of the psychosocial effects endured by the tertiary students who have experienced loss during the COVID -19 pandemic. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate the coping mechanisms that the bereaved students have utilised and to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to their grieving process.
1.3.1. Goals
In order for the above-mentioned aim to be achieved, the following primary and secondary goals of the study will be distinguished.
Primarily, there is striven to:
Investigate how the tertiary students were psychosocially affected by the death of their loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic and if they were able to recover.
Secondarily there is striven to:
Identify the strategic ways in which the tertiary students can improve their resilience in order to survive loss or trauma.
To contribute to the existing knowledge and frameworks that are currently available in the profession of social work such as the five stages of grieve by Kubler Ross.
Incorporate the resiliencet theory as a form of guidance when suggesting preventative social work intervention that could improve the resilience of the youth in times of bereavement.
1.4. Research Methods and ProceduresThe following research methods are measures that researchers will follow when conducting the study with the research participants. This includes the literature review, empirical investigation, research approach, research paradigm, research design, sampling, method of data collection, interpretation and ethics
1.4.1. Literature review
In the literature study, the resilience theory and its emphasis on the strengths in coping with adversities such as loss of a loved one is presented as a conceptual framework for the investigation. An overview of the available literature on the psychosocial effects of death experienced by tertiary students (the youth) is performed and includes a comprehensive description of the concept psychosocial effects, the strengths in the form coping mechanisms that can be deployed in coping with death as well as the contribution of the COVID-19 pandemic on the process of grieving. The discussion is presented continuously through the interpretation of details from the literature that pertains to the conceptual framework. In this way, the psychosocial effects that result from loss and the coping mechanisms utelisedutilised, in terms of the stated topic of this investigation, are explored from a resilience theory and the contribution of COVID-19 pandemic on the process of grief, is described accordingly. Additionally, the effects of the rendering of social work services for this particular phenomenon is explored in the literature study (Ferreira, 2020:21).
1.4.2. Empirical Investigation
Based on the findings in the literature review (Sher, 2020) the empirical study aims to explore how tertiary students were affected by the loss of their loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic and how they dealt with the loss. For the empirical analysis, a questionnaire will be distributed among participants as a form of gathering information. The distribution of the questionnaire will be mailed to the participants in order for them to get an opportunity to answer the questionnaire at their own time.
1.4.3. Research Approach
The research approach that strengthens this particular study will be quantitative research. According to Matthews and Ross (2010:141), quantitative research methods are primarily concerned with gathering and working with structured data and can be presented numerically. Moreover, empirical evidence includes statistics on how many and the degree to which young adults are affected by the deaths of their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic to support this study.
1.4.4. Research Paradigm
The purpose of the research is to understand human behaviour and people’s interactions with their environment. Thus, the proposed research will be conducted from a stance of the positivism paradigm. This is influenced by the quest to discern the psychosocial effects that young adults endured due to losing their loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. According to Bryman (cited by De Vos et al., 2011:6), many positivist accounts suggest that scientific knowledge is arrived at by accumulating verified facts. Hence, this research will analyse the psychosocial effects among the tertiary students post the death of their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic and to verify the results as empirical evidence. For instance, should a young adult experience death of a loved one, practitioners may want to consult the findings of this research regarding psychosocial effects brought about by the loss. Also, existing literature studies in conjunction with the empirical investigation, will be utilized for this research.
1.4.5 Research design
A randomized cross-sectional survey that falls under the Quantitative-descriptive (survey) design will be utilized in this study. This particular research design is chosen because it is more quantitative, requiring questionnaires as a data collection method (Fouche & De Vos, 2005:137). Since this research seeks to analyze psychosocial effects endured by tertiary students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications thereof, the practicality of this research will be achieved by involving the tertiary students (between the ages of 18 and 35) who have experienced the loss of a loved one during the Covid-19 pandemic and are enrolled at University of the Free State.
1.4.6 Sampling
This study is conducted at University of the Free State, the Humanities Faculty. Thus the population includes the students who are enrolled at University of the Free State and are studying towards obtaining a degree in the Faculty of Humanities. Gravetter and Forzano (cited by Strydom, 2005:198) argue that in probability sampling, the odds of selecting a particular individual are known and calculated. Moreover, the type of sampling that the researchers have decided to utilise simple random sampling as each individual case in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample (de Vos et al., 2005:200). Therefore, the participants will only complete the questionnaire once, and 30 questionnaires will be used in this study. The researchers will make a public announcement through academic emails requesting the students who are registered at University of the Free State, in the faculty of Humanities, to complete the questionnaires. Afterwards, 30 of the students who have completed the questionnaires will be randomly selected by the researchers and will thus be notified via emails that their information will be utilised in the study.
1.4.7 Method of data collection and interpretation
For the purpose of data collection, the method of a survey in the form of questionnaires will be utilized. The questionairequestionnaire includes a predetermined set of questions that are given to the research participants (Kabir, 2016:244) . In this case, the researchers will issue out self-administered questionnaires (see addendum B) to a population of 30 students who are enrolled at the University of the Free State, in the faculty of Humanities and have experienced loss of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding data presentation, data will be presented through histograms to indicate the number and the extent to which the participants are affected by the loss of their loved ones. Once conclusions are drawn concerning the data that has been collected, the researchers will compile a presentation of the findings. The outcomes of the physiological effects endured by the students as a result of losing their loved ones during the pandemic will be demonstrated. In the end, the researchers will write a report expressing the data.
1.4.8. Ethics
Ethics are applying moral rules and professional codes of conduct to the collection, analysis, reporting, and publication of information about research subjects (Encyclopedia.com, 2021). Below is a discussion of ethical considerations pertaining to this study.
Informed consent
Informed consent forms will accompany the research questionnaires that will be published publicly. These forms provide sufficient information regarding the purpose of the research, procedures of the research study and risk factors of sensitive information that might trigger the participants (De Vos et al., 2011:59). They will also include information on who will have access to the questionnaires and who to contact if the participants have any questions. Furthermore, the forms serve as evidence that the participants were well informed about the research study and will give their permission by means of a signature to voluntary participation.
Voluntary participation
Voluntary participation asserts that no participant should be forced to take part in a study against their will (Babbie & Mouton, 2018:526). The researchers will send the questionnaires publicly to all the students who are enrolled at the University of the Free State, in the faculty of Humanities and only 30 volunteers will be selected. In this way, none of the participants would have been forced to partake in the study.
Competence of the researcher
The researchers will be ethically obliged to ensure that they are competent and adequately skilled to undertake the investigation (de Vos et al., 2011:63). This includes being transparent, remaining constant to attaining the exercise and seeking advice from superiors (the study supervisor in this case). The researchers will also ensure that they will conduct the research well in line with necessary prescripts and legislation. The researchers will ensure that they have the required equipment to conduct the research. Lastly, the questionnaires will be constructed in a manner in which consistent outcomes can be attained.
Privacy, anonymity and confidentiality
Sieber (cited by Strydom, 2005) views confidentiality as a continuation of privacy, “which refers to agreements between persons that limit others’ access to private information”. The researchers will disclose in the consent forms that personal information of the participants will be treated as confidential should they provide any of their personal information. For the purpose of this research, the participants will not be required to fill in their personal information such as names or identity numbers in the questionnaires in order to preserve anonymity.
Avoidance of harm
Avoidance of harm aims to protect the participants by ensuring that no physical or emotional injury occurs (Strydom, 2011:115). Considering that the participants are vulnerable as they share sensitive information regarding the personal experiences of loss. Thus, this study will be treated with great sensitivity to ensure that no emotional harm is brought upon the participants.
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