Background: Substance abuse by adolescents may be a problem that contributes to their mental illness. Substance abuse does affect not only the individual who is abusing it but also friends, family and the whole community. The adolescent abusing substances may be mentally unstable and have unpredictable behaviour. There is no research on the experiences of parents with adolescents abusing substances in Giyani, South Africa.Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of parents with adolescents abusing substances admitted to a mental health institution in Giyani.Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. Data were collected by means of conducting individual, in-depth, phenomenological interviews, observations and field notes. The following central question was asked to the participants: ‘How is it for you to have an adolescent who is abusing substances’. Data were analysed by using a thematic method of coding. An independent coder analysed data together with the researcher, and consensus was reached.Results: Four themes emerged from the data: parents experienced uncontrolled thoughts regarding their adolescent abusing substances, not being able to control their adolescent abusing substances through discipline, negative feelings regarding their adolescent abusing substances and negative consequences regarding their adolescents abusing substances.Conclusion: From the study result, it is clear that parents with adolescent abusing substances need professional assistance and support as evidenced by the challenges faced in terms of promoting, maintaining and restoring their mental health. Psychiatric nurses should take responsibility to educate the community about substance abuse, for example offering school health programmes. Further research studies can also be conducted in other villages to gain a greater understanding of those parents’ experiences with an adolescent abusing substances.

There is limited understanding of the experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. It was therefore decided to discover how women living with this disorder would tell their life story. For the researcher, who worked in a psychotherapy ward where most women were living with borderline personality disorder, the care of these women was of vital importance, as they were less understood by mental health care providers.The research aimed to explore and describe the experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual study design was used. Data was collected through in-depth phenomenological interviews that focused on the central question, "Tell me your life story". Eight participants living with borderline personality disorder were interviewed. Tesch's method for data analysis was used (Creswell, 2009:186), along with an independent coder. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were applied throughout the research.From the findings obtained by means of the interviews of women living with borderline personality disorder, it was evident that there were childhood experiences of living in an unsafe space, related to unhealthy family dynamics, boundary violations and educational challenges. They experienced chronic feelings of emptiness in their relationships with the self. They also presented with a pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships and compromised mental health, which was apparent through the early onset of mental problems, emotional upheaval, looking for emotional escape and having different trigger factors. Lastly, all these women yearned for facilitated mental health.

Background: Borderline personality disorder is characterised by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, affects and marked impulsivity.Objective: : The objective is to define the central concept of “facilitation of self empowerment”.Method: Analysis and synthesis reasoning methods as indicated by Walker and Avant (2011) were used to define the central concept.Results: A definition of the concept “facilitation of self-empowerment” was formulated from the dictionary and subject definitions.Conclusion: The central concept is important for developing a model as a frame of reference to assist psychiatric nurse practitioners in facilitating the mental health of women living with borderline personality disorder.

Borderline Personality disorder Women a b s t r a c tThere is limited understanding of the experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. It was therefore decided to discover how women living with this disorder would tell their life story. For the researcher, who worked in a psychotherapy ward where most women were living with borderline personality disorder, the care of these women was of vital importance, as they were less understood by mental health care providers.The research aimed to explore and describe the experiences of women living with borderline personality disorder. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual study design was used. Data was collected through in-depth phenomenological interviews that focused on the central question, "Tell me your life story". Eight participants living with borderline personality disorder were interviewed. Tesch's method for data analysis was used (Creswell, 2009:186), along with an independent coder. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were applied throughout the research.From the findings obtained by means of the interviews of women living with borderline personality disorder, it was evident that there were childhood experiences of living in an unsafe space, related to unhealthy family dynamics, boundary violations and educational challenges. They experienced chronic feelings of emptiness in their relationships with the self. They also presented with a pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships and compromised mental health, which was apparent through the early onset of mental problems, emotional upheaval, looking for emotional escape and having different trigger factors. Lastly, all these women yearned for facilitated mental health.

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