Abstract
M.A.
This study is born from the motivation to empower psychiatric social workers in South
Africa with a classification system that compares well to classification systems used by
other disciplines in the psychiatric setting.
The classification system in question is the Person-in-Environment Classification System
(PIE) and therefore this study sets out to investigate and report on the value the PIE
might have for psychiatric social work in South Africa. Another objective then is to
highlight what problems were experienced in using the PIE which will form the
foundation for recommendations on further research and possible adaptations.
The first part of this dissertation sets out the motivation and objectives of this study,
where the second part gives a thorough description of psychiatric social work, the
ecological approach in psychiatric social work, classification systems and the PIE itself.
The research process is described whereafter the results of the data are explained. The
results are discussed within the framework of three evaluative factors, namely image,
applicability and structure which gives an indication of the value the PIE has for
psychiatric social work. The conclusion can be drawn from this study that the PIE has definite value in all three
evaluative factors. It can be concluded that the PIE can serve as an empowering tool
in establishing and defining psychiatric social work's unique contribution to South African
psychiatry.