Abstract: Psychologists have studied influences upon both our temporary moods and our life satisfaction. Prolonged grief over the loss of a loved one or lingering anxiety after a personal trauma from child abuse, rape, terrors of war, and tragedy are not permanently depressing (Chwalisz & other 2002). Needless to say, people who experience tremendous change and a lingering problem such as losing one or both their parents experiences life-long effects throughout their lives. Considering that orphans are vulnerable to negative affects which threaten them from achieving life’s pursuit of happiness and self-satisfaction (Maslow, 1943) this study sought to look into the state of psychological well-being and happiness of these people. Methodological triangulation of qualitative study was utilized to investigate the experiences of five orphaned children who identified themselves as (a) double orphaned by both parents and (b) are under the supervision of Christian Mission Services, Phil. in Naic, Cavite. The study’s purpose was to describe and understand the orphans’ lives with special focus on Identifying factors that affect their psychological well-being. Interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations were conducted; transcripts were analyzed in terms of Smith’s (2003) descriptive categories and emergent themes. These descriptive categories included the factors affecting the orphans’ psychological well-being, and an overview of the orphans’ psychological well-being while emergent themes are factors affecting their psychological well-being which included were poverty, family value, and faith, locus of control, adopting families, social interaction and friends, stigma and discrimination, house parents, disinhibited type of RAD (reactive attachment disorder), prejudice, parental attitudes and influence, material problems, and attachment complexities. Emergent themes observed in the nature of orphans’ psychological well-being included sense of self-importance, faith and religion, skills and abilities, contentment, risking change, peer and close friend, aspirations and view of life. Findings were described alongside supportive related studies and literatures.
Keywords: Orphans, Psychological Well-being, Qualitative, Vulnerable Children.
Title: Unfolding the Psychological Well-Being of Orphans: A Qualitative Study of Filipino Children in an Orphanage
Author: Angelo Carlo D. Pilapil
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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