OPINIONS OF SOCIAL WORKERS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN CHILD AND YOUTH CARE CENTRES

Abstract

The scanty literature on social workers’ opinions on mental health-related challenges encountered with children and adolescents in child and youth care centres prompted the researchers to undertake this contextually designed exploratory-descriptive qualitative research. The study was conducted in South Africa’s Gauteng province, where data were collected through semi-structured online interviews with nine social workers who were recruited through purposive sampling. The data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s data analysis method, while the trustworthiness of the study was rated with reference to Guba and Lincoln’s criteria of credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability. The opinions shared by social workers addressed general challenges associated with child and adolescent mental health; the impact of these challenges on other people within the centre; and the availability of resources for children and adolescents with mental health-related issues in these centres. The findings indicated the need for partnerships between care centres and training institutions to train social workers, house parents and members of the public.