Pakistani orphanage caregivers' perspectives regarding their caregiving abilities, personal and orphan children's psychological wellbeing

Abstract

Background Pakistan is home to 4.6 million children who have been orphaned. Limited data on caregiving in orphanages suggests that caregivers do not have specialized training and experience heavy workloads and high‐stress levels. Supporting these caregivers to provide responsive and consistent caregiving can improve their well‐being along with the psychological and physical development of children who have been orphaned. This research explored the main caregiving‐related challenges faced by caregivers in orphanage settings, their professional and personal needs and perceived emotional and behavioural problems manifesting in children under their care. Method This research adopted a qualitative research design with a thematic analysis approach. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 14 caregivers who were currently caring for four to 12‐year‐old children in Pakistani orphanages. Results Five main themes: (1) religiosity, (2) economic relief, (3) caregivers' needs and well‐being, (4) caring for children who have been orphaned and (5) need for context specific training, emerged from the data, which included several subthemes. Findings revealed the presence of positive religious views regarding the upbringing and care of children who have been orphaned. Work‐provided accommodation was an important economic relief. Caregivers' psychological, physiological and personal lives were affected by job‐related stress and demands. Many helpful and unhelpful parenting practices were documented, and challenges such as children's verbal and physical aggression, stealing, non‐cooperation and poor social skills were reported. The main professional issues included low salary, high numbers of children in care and lack of context specific professional caregiving training provided. Conclusion This study established the need for a tailored programme that suits the context specific caregiving needs in Pakistani orphanages to support the training and professional growth of caregivers and promote their wellbeing along with positive developmental outcomes in the children under their care.

Assessment of Physical and Mental Health of Children Living in Orphanages in Islamabad- A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Numerous reports and studies indicate that in Pakistan orphans encounter various obstacles related to their physical and mental health (19,20). Research has revealed that orphans in Pakistan are at a greater risk of developing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).…”

Orphan’s Social Engagement and Demographic Relationship: A Preliminary Investigation From Pahang Orphanages

“…Burnett (2021) mentioned that the experience of social rejection due to their destitution, poor living conditions, and appearance affects lower interpersonal contacts. Besides, it will language, attachment, and emotional maturity, as well as behavioral issues (Khalid et al, 2022). Therefore, the result for first research objective proved that overall social engagement among orphans in Pahang orphanages is moderately highly but still need continuous social support and social participation from caregiver, NGO, regulators and public.…”

Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of the Group Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program in Pakistani orphanages

“…It has been reported that orphanage caregivers are typically under stress and exhausted, due to workload and lack of context‐specific training in child development and management of children's emotional and behavioural issues (Furlong et al, 2012; Khalid et al, 2022a). Findings corroborate that maltreatment by caregivers in institutional settings is associated with job‐related stress, primarily attributed to a lack of caregiving knowledge and skills (Çatay & Koloğlugil, 2017; Hermenau et al, 2015; Isnaeni et al, 2021).…”

“…In a study with caregivers in Ukrainian orphanages, Raskin et al (2015) found that caregivers' job-related stress negatively affected both work motivation and child development. Khalid et al (2022a), through exploring the expressed professional caregiving needs of Pakistani orphanage caregivers, strongly suggested training caregivers in positive caregiving strategies for promoting positive caregiver-child relationships and healthy management of emotional and behavioural problems of orphaned children. Positive, healthy and secure attachment practices can boost children's cognitive, social and emotional development and psychological health (Huynh et al, 2019;Pulla et al, 2018).…”