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Orphanage Staff's Perceptions of Children's Psycho‐social Needs
Author(s) -
Bettmann Joanna Ellen,
Mortensen Jamie M.,
Akuoko Kofi O.,
Tatum Callie A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/chso.12164
Subject(s) - perception , warrant , qualitative research , psychology , social needs , special needs , nursing , medical education , public relations , sociology , medicine , political science , psychiatry , social science , health care , business , finance , neuroscience , law
More than three quarters of all children orphaned by AIDS live in sub‐Saharan Africa. Significant portions of these children live in institutions. This study explores institutional caregivers’ views of children's psycho‐social needs. The authors gathered qualitative data from 92 staff at eight orphanages in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Results suggest that while staff's descriptions portray some understanding of children's psycho‐social needs, they suggest a possible deficit in organisational training or resources to adequately address these needs. Such findings warrant strengthening of orphanage caregivers’ capacity to provide optimal orphan care.