Conservation of resources: A primary intervention for continuous traumatic stress in South Africa: A case study

Abstract

Within the context of continuous trauma stress in South Africa, the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory offers a transdisciplinary approach with which other mainstream approaches can be incorporated. In this article the South African situation is profiled, to contextualise the need for an alternative approach in a society where multiple traumatic occurrences are common. By applying COR to a case study, an intervention framework emerged, which focuses on assessment of variables and resources, loss and gain spirals, and designing COR intervention strategies. This article is exploratory and descriptive, and the framework for intervention that evolved is offered as a basis for further research.