BACKGROUND: Borderline personality disorder is characterised by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, affects and marked impulsivity. Objective : The objective is to define the central concept of "facilitation of self-empowerment". METHOD: Analysis and synthesis reasoning methods as indicated by Walker and Avant (2011) were used to define the central concept. RESULTS: A definition of the concept "facilitation of self-empowerment" was formulated from the dictionary and subject definitions. CONCLUSION: The central concept is important for developing a model as a frame of reference to assist psychiatric nurse practitioners in facilitating the mental health of women living with borderline personality disorder.

There is limited understanding of the experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. It was therefore decided to discover how women living with this disorder would tell their life story. For the researcher, who worked in a psychotherapy ward where most women were living with borderline personality disorder, the care of these women was of vital importance, as they were less understood by mental health care providers. The research aimed to explore and describe the experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual study design was used. Data was collected through in-depth phenomenological interviews that focused on the central question, "Tell me your life story". Eight participants living with borderline personality disorder were interviewed. Tesch's method for data analysis was used (Creswell, 2009:186), along with an independent coder. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were applied throughout the research. From the findings obtained by means of the interviews of women living with borderline personality disorder, it was evident that there were childhood experiences of living in an unsafe space, related to unhealthy family dynamics, boundary violations and educational challenges. They experienced chronic feelings of emptiness in their relationships with the self. They also presented with a pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships and compromised mental health, which was apparent through the early onset of mental problems, emotional upheaval, looking for emotional escape and having different trigger factors. Lastly, all these women yearned for facilitated mental health.

South Africa is a country with exceptionally high levels of frustration and trauma. Research shows that a third of all people in South Africa are exposed to some kind of violence. This causes insecurity and fear, which creates high levels of stress. High stress levels fuels aggression in the workplace. It was observed that female teachers often experience aggression in the workplace. This has a negative effect on their overall sense of well-being as well as their mental health. A purposive sample was selected through two private schools in Gauteng, South Africa, and consisted of eight female teachers. Data was collected by means of in-depth phenomenological interviews, field notes, naive sketches and observation. One central question was posed to the purposefully selected participants: What is your experience of aggression in your workplace? Thematic coding was used to analyse the data. Three themes were identified: different perceptions influenced female teachers' experience of aggression; the pressure in the school system formed an integral part of the experience of aggression and the experienced effect of aggression on the female teachers.

Suid-Afrika is 'n land met hoë vlakke van frustrasie en trauma. Navorsing toon aan dat een derde van alle persone in Suid-Afrika al aan die een of ander vorm van geweld blootgestel was. Die gevolge hiervan is onsekerheid en vrees wat lei tot hoeë vlakke van stres. Hoë vlakke van stres bevorder dikwels aggressie in die werkplek. Dit is waargeneem dat vroulike onderwysers aggressie in die werkplek beleef. Dit het 'n negatiewe uitwerking op hulle algemene welsyn asook hulle geestesgesondheid. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef is getrek uit twee privaatskole in Gauteng, Suid-Afrika en het bestaan uit agt vroulike onderwysers. Data is met behulp van indiepte fenomenologiese onderhoude, veldnotas, na'iewe sketse en waarneming ingesamel. Een sentrale vraag is aan die doelgerig-gekose deelnemers gestel: Wat is jou ervaring van aggressie in jou werkplek? Tematiese kodering is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Drie temas is ge'identifiseer: verskillende persepsies het vroulike onderwysers se belewing van aggressie be'invloed, die druk in die skoolstelsel het 'n integrale deel van die belewing van aggressie gevorm en die beleefde uitwerking van aggressie op die vroulike onderwysers.

BACKGROUND: Genuineness was highlighted as an important concept when nurses' perceptions of facilitating a therapeutic relationship were assessed in a study conducted in private general hospital wards. Training courses are mainly professionally orientated and little attention is given to genuineness, which is underpinned by values and influenced by culture and self-awareness. Reflection on patients' feelings enables mindfulness in the nurse-patient relationship, but nurses often act on instinct or rely on learned knowledge and skills. Despite the increased emphasis on virtue ethics and honest disclosure, hope is offered but nurses are often not honest with themselves or in their response to patients. This poses a challenge when genuineness is facilitated. In this article, nurses' perceptions of facilitating genuineness will be discussed. METHOD: To assess nurses' genuineness, a quantitative, contextual, deductive and descriptive study was conducted. A purposive sample of nurses was taken from private general hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa. Nurses' (n = 181) perceptions of facilitating genuineness in a nurse-patient relationship were self-assessed on a five-point scale in a questionnaire. DATA ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical techniques were used. Specific hypotheses were tested to identify whether statistically significant differences in perceptions of facilitating genuineness existed between two or more groups. RESULTS: When groups were compared, statistically significant differences were identified in nurses' perceptions of facilitating genuineness with respect to age, years' experience as a nurse and qualifications. It is recommended that nurses' awareness of genuineness and its facilitation should involve learning through socialisation and self-awareness.

BACKGROUND: Referral between psychiatrists and spiritual workers (e.g. Christian pastoral care workers, traditional healers, imams, rabbis and others) in the heterogeneous South African (SA) society is complicated and requires investigation to establish appropriate norms OBJECTIVE: To capture the views of some local psychiatrists on referral and collaboration between SA psychiatrists and religious or spiritual advisers. METHODS: This explorative qualitative study involved in-depth, semistructured interviews with 13 local academic psychiatrists selected through purposive sampling. Each participant had a single interview with the aim of exploring themes related to the referral and collaboration process between psychiatrists and spiritual advisers. Theme content analysis of interview transcripts was done. Results for one of the six identified themes are reported; other results are reported elsewhere. RESULTS: Within the theme 'referral and collaboration between psychiatrists and spiritual professionals, three subthemes were identified: facilitating appropriate referral and intervention for individual users; information sharing and mutual awareness between disciplines; and addressing stigmatisation of users with psychiatric conditions. CONCLUSION: Dialogue between psychiatrists and religious or spiritual advisers should be developed on an individual practitioner and facility basis, as well as on an organised basis between representative societies. The process of formalising a relationship between local psychiatrists and different spiritual workers may, however, still have some way to go.

CONTEXTO: A importância de ter de considerar o papel da espiritualidade na saúde, saúde mental e psiquiatria na África do Sul tem sido especialmente enfatizada pela recente legislação sobre práticas tradicionais de saúde na África. OBJETIVO: Explorar as opiniões e experiências de psiquiatras locais sobre o papel da espiritualidade na prática e no treinamento de especialistas em psiquiatria na África do Sul. MÉTODO: Este estudo é uma pesquisa qualitativa, exploratória, descritiva, contextual, fenomenológica e geradora de hipótese. A fonte principal de dados foram entrevistas semiestruturadas com psiquiatras filiados a uma universidade local. Para assegurar de que os dados fossem confiáveis, as seguintes medidas foram incluídas: credibilidade, transferibilidade, confiabilidade, e confirmabilidade. RESULTADOS: A consciência da espiritualidade, "mindfulness", e uma abordagem de mente aberta sobre a espiritualidade, segundo os participantes, devem ser facilitadas na prática e no treinamento psiquiátrico. Seis temas foram identificados por meio de códigos abertos. DISCUSSÃO: Todos os participantes, independentemente de suas próprias visões sobre espiritualidade e religião, concordaram que, sob certas condições, a espiritualidade deve ser incorporada na abordagem biopsicossocial atual na prática local e no treinamento de especialistas em psiquiatria.

BACKGROUND: The importance of having to consider the role of spirituality in health, mental health and psychiatry in South Africa has in particular been emphasized by recent legislation on African traditional health practice. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the views and experience of local psychiatrists regarding the role of spirituality in South African specialist psychiatric practice and training. METHOD: This study is an explorative, descriptive, contextual, phenomenological and theory-generating, qualitative investigation. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with individual academic psychiatrists affiliated to a local university were conducted as primary data source. Measures to ensure trustworthiness included credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. RESULTS: Awareness of spirituality, "mindfulness" and an open-minded approach about spirituality should, according to participants, be facilitated in psychiatric practice and training. Six themes were identified through open coding. DISCUSSION: All participants, disregarding of their own views on spirituality and religion, agreed, that under certain conditions, spirituality must be incorporated into the current bio-psycho-social approach in the local practice and training of specialist in psychiatry.

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the basic needs and resources for meeting the needs of the elderly in the peri-urban and rural communities in the Hhohho region in Swaziland. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. The study population consisted of the male and female elderly aged from 60 years old and above, and key informants (health motivator, community leaders and members from welfare organizations that serve as advocates for the elderly in Swaziland). Purposive sampling was utilized to select participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using focus groups and individual in-depth face-to-face interviews till data saturation was achieved as evidenced by repeating information. Tesch's method of qualitative data analysis was utilised to identify themes. A total of 30 elderly persons and eight key informants participated in this research. From the study findings the researcher identified the following themes: need for resources because of poverty; need for support because of the burden of caring for others; need for health care because of health challenges; need for company because of loneliness, and need for protection because of abuse of elderly persons. Recommendations were made for community nursing practice, nursing education, nursing research and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Caring for good people is difficult enough; to care for people who are either aggressive or violent is even more difficult. This is what psychiatric nurses working in the psychiatric institution in which research was done are exposed to on a daily basis. The aim of the research was to explore and describe the lived experience by psychiatric nurses of aggression and violence from patients in a Gauteng psychiatric institution. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual study design was utilised. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and naive sketches. Tesch 's (Creswell, 2004: 256) method of open coding and an independent coder were utilised for data analysis. This study shed some light on the lived experience by psychiatric nurses of aggression and violence from patients in a Gauteng psychiatric institution. The findings show that the level of violence and aggression to which psychiatric nurses are exposed is overwhelming and the consequences are alarming. The contributing factors to this violence and aggression are: the mental status and the conditions in which patients are admitted; the staff shortage; the lack of support among the members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT); and the lack of structured and comprehensive orientation among newlv appointed staff members. As a result, psychiatric nurses are emotionally, psychologically, and physically affected. They then respond with the following emotions and behaviour: fear, anger, frustration, despair, hopelessness and helplessness, substance abuse, absenteeism, retaliation and the development of an "I don't care " attitude.