Abstract
M.A. (Psychology)
This study regarding the long-term effects of the Westdene bus-disaster which was undertaken after a period of seven years, had the following objectives:
(1) A literature survey regarding the theory of disaster psychology;
(2) An investigation of the long-term effects of traumatic events in the primary victims of
the Westdene bus-disaster;
(3) A survey to establish the long-term effects of therapeutic inputs in the primary
victims.
The first part of this study is devoted to a theoretical investigation which gives an overview of the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Since the concept of stress is essential to the understanding of this syndrome, it is also closely examined. The conclusion was reached that the concept of stress and how stress is measured should be reconsidered. Stress should be seen as a contextual phenomenon and not just physioloqical and intra-psychological one. The specific types of disasters are also examined in the literature survey. The way in which children and adolescents experience stress differently to adults is also discussed. This is largely due to the dynamic processes involved during development which allows them (within
the context of supportive systems) to absorb elements of healing faster and more effectively. The processes involved in development are also discussed in the literature survey. Research was done mainly in a qualitative way. The results of the research suggest that the experiencing of serious trauma by adolescents negatively influence the process of becoming independent and forming of an identity. This appears to be a function of the adolescent's in ability to separate from his/her family of origin and/or the inability of the family of origin to allow the adolescent to become independent. It further appears that the presence of PTSS in victims of a traumatic event is not a linear matter which follows automatically after exposure to a certain amount of stressful events. There appear to be other factors that play a causal role in the extent to which the victim experiences " events as stressful or not. These factors operate as "mediating factors" with regards to the victim's experience of an event as stressful or not. Such factors include social networks and whether vicitim's experience events as ideologically meaningful or not. With regards to psychological help/therapy and the long-term effects of such interventions, the researcher came to the conclusion that developmental processes in interaction with a supportive psychological climate can be a powerful antidote for the experiencing of PTSS symptoms in the long-term.
Criticism against this study is that due to the long lapse of time between the taking place of the disaster and the of the study factors other than the disaster maybe responsible for the current functioning of the primary victims,as well as the fact that the group used for research purposes was to a degree self-selective.