Abstract
M.Cur.
The lack of a supportive and conducive environment due to the presence of pathologies
or disruptions in the family and the world-wide community disrupts adolescents' life.
The situation in Swaziland is likely to be the same. There is considerable evidence of the
families' opinions on the everyday life of adolescents that there are disruptions in the
everyday life of adolescents. This research was carried out for the purpose of
investigating the everyday life of adolescents from the families' perspectives. The
objectives of the research were to:
Explore and describe the everyday life of adolescents in a specific township in
Swaziland.
Describe guidelines for the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioners to assist families
to mobilize the available resources to promote, maintain and restore the mental health
of adolescents as an integral part of their health and wholeness. The paradigmatic perspective in this research was guided by the Nursing for the Whole
Person Theory (Oral Roberts University, Anna Vaughn School of Nursing Science,
1992:7-9) which reflects and provides the focus on the whole person (body, mind and
spirit) as well as the parameters for nursing services and beliefs in the nature of man,
health, illness and nursing.
A functional approach in this research was followed (Botes, 1991:2) based on the model
for conducting research (Botes, 1995:6). The qualitative, descriptive, explorative and
contextual design of Mouton and Marais (1996:43-44) was utilized. The use of in-depth
focus group interviews as data collection method was utilized in this research. Field
notes were taken after each and every focus group interview. Permission to conduct this
research was also granted by the city council and community leaders as well as the
families which participated in the focus group discussions.