Better-than-expected Outcomes through Sharing Experiences by Students Raised by alcohol-misusing Caregivers in Lesotho

ABSTRACT

Growing up with an alcohol-misusing caregiver can be chaotic and damaging for children. Nevertheless, achieving better-than-expected outcomes in the face of adversity is by no means an unusual outcome for those young people. This study presents an understanding of the interactional resilience process between 15 National University of Lesotho undergraduate students and people in their social environment as a result of sharing adverse experiences. An interactional resilience perspective that builds on from the social-ecology and person-in-environment viewpoints on resilience, informed the study. Various in-depth interviews were conducted together with a draw-and-write technique. Findings show that the sharing of similar and diverse adverse experiences between young people raised by alcohol-misusing caregivers and significant people in their social ecology improved their resilience. Given the significance of sharing adverse experiences by the participants, established in this study, support groups (e.g., at schools, churches, community centers) could be very helpful in promoting the resilience of vulnerable young people. Social service practitioners, working with young people growing up in vulnerable environments, should help these young people develop interactive skills including the ability to be more communicative and be more receptive to sharing hard to share experiences with trustworthy people.

KEYWORDS:

• Resilience
• interactional resilience
• young adults
• caregivers
• better-than expected outcomes
• alcohol misuse

Acknowledgments

To all the NUL students who volunteered to be interviewed in this study, kea leboha haholo (thank you very much) for boldly and openly sharing your lived experiences with me. I remain enthused by your strength and resilience.

My gratitude also goes to the National University of Lesotho (NUL) authorities for granting me permission to carry out this study.

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Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.