Complex trauma and its relation to hope and hopelessness among young people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Informed by an existing hope scale, we explored the roles of hope, happiness, and life satisfaction in adolescent risk behaviours in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a setting with high HIV prevalence. In 2016 data were collected from two resource-limited communities using in-depth interviews, group discussions and lifeline-drawings with 53 young people (aged 15 to 17 years). Applying both deductive and inductive approaches, thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Young people felt that there was nothing to do in their communities and no way out of their adverse situations. They experienced trauma of loss due to HIV-related deaths, and lack of support and guidance which they wanted if they were to be more hopeful. Continual and extended exposure to adverse experiences such as community violence and economic hardship had a negative impact on young people's lives and increased participation in risk behaviours. To develop HIV prevention and resilience interventions in such communities, there is a need to take account of the context of young people's lives. Rather than ignoring the structural causes of the infection, risk factors should be contextualised as a key component of any attempts to change behaviours. Resource and power inequalities should be addressed rather than developing individualised interventions which may inadvertently increase social inequalities.

Early Child Adversity and Delinquent Behavior in Foster Care Youth: Do Future Expectations and Sexual Identity Moderate the Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress?

“…Other research has shown that optimists, compared with pessimists, more frequently used active coping tactics when confronted with aversive situations (Wrosch & Scheier, 2003). It is worth reinforcing that we found youth with more ACEs who are more optimistic have fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to those who are less optimistic consistent with its usefulness for contributing to avoidant modes of coping, including engaging in negative behavior (Ngwenya et al, 2021).. This is important because, in the present study, about 1 in 3 sexual minority youth and 1 in 4 heterosexual youth who were removed from their home reported at least three ACEs prior to foster care entry.…”

Families and Collective Futures: Developing a Program Logic Model for Arts-Based Psychosocial Practice With South African Rural Communities

“…Programs take place in schools and community centers. The aims of their organization are to strengthen the family unit and the communities within which they live, through using creativity and imagination to activate a sense of ‘futurity’ requiring social change and healing from trauma ( Barnes and Peters, 2002 ; Paulissen, 2009 ; Berman, 2014 ; Ngwenya et al, 2021 ). (Jones, 2005, p. 16) states that a culturally sensitive philosophy requires “…co-operation, collective responsibility and interdependence…”.…”