Orphanage caregivers' perceptions of children's emotional needs |
| |
Institution: | 1. University of Utah, College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, UT, United States;2. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana;1. Umeå university, Department of Social Work, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden;2. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Trabajo Social y Desarrollo Humano, Sweden;3. Kommunförbundet Västernorrland, Sweden;1. School of Nursing, Maltepe University, İstanbul, Turkey;2. Nursing Department, Ataturk University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erzurum, Turkey |
| |
Abstract: | Problems in orphan care are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where 80% of all children orphaned by AIDS live. Institutions are often the only level of care available for infant orphans, but such care may increase children's risk for psychological, emotional and developmental problems. This study explores Ghanaian institutional caregivers' views of children's emotional and relational needs with the aim of understanding these caregivers' capacities to provide effective care for orphans. Qualitative data was gathered from 92 staff at eight Ghanaian orphanages. Results indicate that while caregivers describe a basic understanding of children's emotional and interpersonal needs, they detail a lack of training and support necessary to fully attend to these needs. Specifically, training for caregivers regarding children's basic attachment needs and the particular emotional needs of orphaned children is critical. The present study suggests the need for training and interventions to strengthen orphanage caregivers' capacity to provide effective orphan care. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|