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Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.440902 Counselling, wellbeing and community services

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    Social media and mental wellbeing : how can social media be used to support the mental health and wellbeing of young adults : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Williams, Nathan Joseph
    This research aimed to explore the role of social media in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young adults (18 to 24 years old) in Aotearoa New Zealand. The literature highlighted that young adults in Aotearoa New Zealand experience a range of impact from various aspects of society on their mental health and wellbeing. Research also highlighted how young adults utilise social media platforms, and how these platforms impact the mental health and wellbeing of young adults, such as by providing psychoeducation and normalising mental health concerns. However, there are also negative effects of social media use by young adults, such as the concepts of self-diagnosing and misinformation. This research project utilised semi-structured interviews with 7 young adults, using a theoretical framework grounded in social constructionism. Participants highlighted their experiences around mental health and wellbeing, and social media. Key findings showed the significance of developing online communities to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes for young adults, and the possibility for young adults to develop and strengthen their coping strategies and skills from various social media platforms. Additionally, this research found concerns with misinformation, and the need for better verification processes, and concerns with the growing culture of self-diagnosing by young adults. Lastly, research showed that social media allows for social services to improve engagement with young adults, which increases the potential to support mental health and wellbeing outcomes. From the data, five key recommendations were derived including for social services to purposefully engage with social media platforms to provide psychoeducation on mental health and wellbeing, and on coping skills for young adults. Social services could also better use social media platforms to provide information about their services to enhance engagement with young adults. Additionally, around the need for increased fact checking in online communities, regarding mental health and wellbeing, to ensure accurate information is provided to community members by social services and clinicians. Social services should also review policy and practice relating to social media use of staff, to allow staff have time to post and provide accurate information, or to hire specific staff to manage social media accounts. Further research is recommended on how to best engage with young adults on social media platforms and provide effective psychoeducation to young adults in an online environment.
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    Foster parent’s experiences caring for infants in Aotearoa/New Zealand : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, by distance, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024) Vere-Jones, Sharlene
    While fostering of infants shares similarities with the fostering of older children, they also make unique demands on foster parents. Given that such infants often have encountered various forms of trauma, they further demand a specialised set of skills from those who foster them. Currently there is a large body of research related to the foster system and the provision of care. In particular this focuses on children’s experiences and needs, with a growing focus on foster parent experiences, though usually in relation to primary age children and adolescents. Less represented is research related to the foster parents of infants, especially in the context of Aotearoa-New Zealand (A-NZ). This study therefore aims to contribute to this latter area, by further developing our understanding of the experiences and insights of foster parents in A-NZ who foster infants. Accordingly, this thesis explores the experiences of seven A-NZ based sets of participants. The participants were interviewed about their experiences and the transcripts analysed using thematic analysis. Five main themes were subsequently developed: Motivation and commitment, Nurturing from bud to bloom, External elements, Wellbeing and functioning, and Network of supportive relationships. Interwoven across these themes is the core notion of Relationships and interactions. The analysis demonstrates that fostering infants is more than just caring for vulnerable high needs infants, it involves being part of a complex dynamic system, a system that needs to support, train and equip, listen and include, and recognise the special work and contribution such foster families make in A-NZ. The analysis highlights the specific resources and support that need to be made consistently available to enable foster parents of infants to give the best care possible.
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    The impact of individualised funding on the wellbeing of mothers raising an autistic child in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Priestley, Racheal Marie
    How best to support the wellbeing of mothers raising autistic children is an emerging issue of importance due to the growth in autism diagnosis. Meanwhile, the Aotearoa New Zealand government is reviewing systems to deliver better health and disability support services for all Aotearoa New Zealanders to achieve more equitable and efficient outcomes through individualised funding by providing personalised and self-directed support for disabled people. While such supports have been globally recognised as a viable and beneficial way to enhance quality of life among disabled people and their family, currently there is limited research examining how this funding has impacted on a mother’s perception of the challenges of caring for their autistic child, as well as improving their wellbeing. In this qualitative study, seven mothers raising an autistic child were interviewed regarding their experiences with individualised funding and its impact on their disabled child and their own wellbeing. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Key findings indicated that caring for an autistic child has an ongoing negative impact on mothers’ overall wellbeing and the individualised funding did not seem to ease the stresses of caring. For these mothers, wellbeing requires the funding support to see the family as a unit of care instead of individualisation of a child’s needs, which has further perpetuated exclusion and social isolation for mothers and families. Results of this research support the need for social and healthcare professionals in the disability sector to call for the government to consider the wellbeing of parents raising an autistic child in a more flexible and holistic way to meet the unique circumstances of a family.
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    Working well together : the roles of rural Men's Sheds in the lives of their members and the life of their local communities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa (Massey University, Manawatū), Aotearoa (New Zealand)
    (Massey University, 2019) Robinson, John Darrell
    There are international concerns about the state of men’s health that are mirrored in an Aotearoa New Zealand context. Men in this country die at least four years earlier than their female counterparts largely from life-style related, non-communicable diseases that are potentially preventable through a proactive health promotion approach that promotes social connectedness. Given this, there is an imperative to understand the benefits of groups that promote and support men’s health and wellbeing. Men’s Sheds are one such group that have been operating internationally for thirty years and for twenty-five years in this country. Men’s Sheds have a growing, evidence-informed, reputation for being hubs of male wellbeing. This research investigates the connection between the health and wellbeing of men involved in Men’s Sheds in provincial Aotearoa New Zealand and that of their local rural communities. A generic qualitative approach to gathering and analysing data was chosen for this study. This approach utilized semi-structured key informant interviews and focus groups from two rural Men’s Sheds located in the same region. Thematic analysis was used to locate, order, and offer explanation of themes from the data corpus. The findings of this study endorse current literature regarding Men’s Sheds strongly enhancing the social connectedness of men with commensurate and significant benefits to their mental health and potentially to their physical health. Men’s Sheds are contexts for productive work that harnesses and develops, cognitive and physical skills and facilitates capacity building and collective wellbeing in their communities through constructions projects, events, and mentoring. As unique community organisations, Sheds face several challenges pertaining to material and social resources. Implications of this research include supporting the development of existing Sheds in the context of their communities and those communities considering developing their own Shed. Also implied is facilitation of reciprocal engagement with organizational stakeholders and supporting professionals invested in individual and community wellbeing. The physical and mental wellbeing, learning, mentoring and community development and capacity building outcomes of Sheds. Detailed recommendations regarding policy and practice based on these implications at local and national levels are provided together with a specially developed, comprehensive tool for Shed review based on this research project. It is hoped that these outputs contribute to Aotearoa Sheds and communities as they build on their history of working well together.
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    Single-mother led families with disabled children in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master in Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Lee, Jane
    It is estimated that 11% of children who live in Aotearoa New Zealand are disabled children, with approximately 30% of these children living in a one-parent family. Currently, the vast majority, approximately 84%, of one-parent families are headed by women. Within the Aotearoa New Zealand context, relatively little is known about the space where these two spheres overlap: single mothers raising disabled children. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of single-mother led families with a disabled child/children in Aotearoa New Zealand. This research employed a qualitative approach, guided by social constructionism, to conduct interviews with six single mothers with a disabled child/children to explore their experiences. The topics covered included supports, networks and resources that the mothers and families have or use, experiences of accessing support services, what quality of life meant for the mothers and their family, coping mechanisms, and future considerations. A thematic analysis of the interviews was carried out. Findings from this research indicated that single mothers with a disabled child face many financial, emotional, practical and societal challenges. Despite this, mothers in this research overwhelmingly preferred their current single-parent status, valued themselves as experts in their child’s life, and redefined their identity as mother-presence as opposed to the absence of a father. The findings of this study call for critical transformation of perceptions of single mothers and disability, and urge social work and healthcare professionals to challenge stereotypes and biases towards single mothers.
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    Voices of resilience : female experiences in and out of youth justice residence : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Goodwin, Jamie Marie
    This project critically examines the notion that young women experience being admitted to a youth justice residence as turning point in their lives as well as their experiences of transition back to the community. Residential care has the potential to be a fundamental agent of change for serious female youth offenders. Retrospectively, understanding the experiences and knowledge of female young people who have been through the youth justice residential care system is essential in order for professionals working in this field to be able to respond to their needs and engage in purposeful and meaningful interventions. Understanding the way females transition back to the community from residence provides information about how the system supports young women to transition into young adult/adulthood and build on the change they created while they were in residence. The retrospective lens that was used for this project will draw on the experiences of former female residents of youth justice residential care and their transition back into the community. Prospective participants were recruited using key informants, Facebook and snowball sampling methods. A small group of participants were interviewed about their experiences, knowledge, issues and solutions for the youth justice system in New Zealand. Data collection was carried out utilising semistructured interviews applying a descriptive interview approach, with a total of six interviews that were completed, transcribed and approved for use by the research participants. The thematic analysis that was used to analyse the data helped to create the key themes to present the findings and discussion chapters. The key findings from that data that was discussed further include the findings that contribute to the knowledge about female youth offenders and their life experiences that led to their involvement in the youth justice system; how their sense of self developed throughout their time in the system; the impact and support the youth justice residence provided for young women; the experiences of transition back to the community and the support that was provided during this process; and lastly the implications these findings have for social work practice within the system as a whole, for youth justice residence, and for transition services. The participant experiences highlight how the youth justice system responds to its responsibility to successfully develop the wellbeing of young women to create lives they are proud of.