YOUNG SIBLINGS OF CHILDREN WITH LEUKAEMIA : A WORKSHOP INTERVENTION

Abstract

This study is focused on group intervention in relation to young siblings of children with leukaemia. The purpose of this research is to pilot test and evaluate a modified siblings program developed by Lobato (1990) that addresses young siblings' needs for simple, factual information, and personal-emotional support. A total of four siblings attended all the workshop sessions and they were also required to have pre- and postworkshop interviews with the researcher to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop conducted. In general, the results gathered indicate that most of the siblings benefited from the workshop as they showed improvement in terms of ( 1) General Knowledge of Leukaemia ; (2) Simple Problem-solving and Conflict-Management Skills ; and (3) Identification of Personal Strengths. Chapter One introduces the nature of the problem, the rationale of the study and also the research formulation. Generally, the focus is on group work with young siblings of children with leukaemia in the local context. Chapter Two consists of a discussion of the major theoretical approaches and empirical data. The main premise of the literature review emphasizes on the importance of siblings within a family system especially so in the context of a family who has a child suffering from leukaemia. Chapter Three describes the methodology and some of the limitations of this present study including problems experienced by the researcher. Chapter Four is an analysis of the results consolidated. Last but not least, Chapter Five summarises the entire research, with sections on the discussion of results, its implications to the field of social work practice and research. It also includes some possible recommendations and future directions.