Abstract
Ph.D. (Educational Psychology)
Medical and mental healthcare practitioners worldwide are aware of increased anxiety and depression amongst preschool children. If these conditions are not identified, diagnosed and treated in preschool children, it has been shown that they will become recurring, chronic and a precursor for mood disorders in school age children, adolescents and adults. This is a serious concern, particularly in third world countries, such as South Africa, where current social economic factors, systemic challenges and limited resources often result in the negation of the emotional needs of very young children. Furthermore, to date there has been a paucity of research in South Africa on the effects of the social and emotional well-being of preschool children, not only on themselves, but also their families. This could also become a burden to government in terms of managing resources and facilities needed to support preschool children experiencing anxiety and depression in their families, schools, and communities. As such the purpose of this qualitative research inquiry was to explore risk and resilience factors contributing to anxiety and depression in preschool children from both single- and double-parent families. A multiple case study design was used to collect data about preschool children who presented with high symptoms of anxiety and depression. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews with parents and educational psychologists, informal interviews with preschool children and focus group interviews with preschool teachers; as well as from artworks, an assessment measure and an observation checklist.
Content analysis of the data collected revealed that both internal and external risk factors contributed to anxiety and depression amongst preschool children. Internal risks were identified in terms of the temperament of the preschool child as well as the presence of a developmental delay. External risk factors were identified in the home environment (family structure, conflicting parenting styles and parent disposition); in the school context (role confusion and curriculum demands); in the community context (crime, socio-economic factors and lifestyle); and also the pervasive lack of knowledge and understanding among all stakeholders.
Furthermore, resilience factors, which contributed towards preventing anxiety and depression in preschool children, were identified. These included internal factors, such as the temperament of the child and the absence of a developmental delay; and as external factors, such as social, emotional and psychological support for the child within the home, school and community context...