Thesis (M.A.)--James Madison University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Project (B.S.)--James Madison University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Homeopathy)-Dept. of Homeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2007 xxxii, 285 leaves / The epidemic proportion of ADD/ADHD diagnosis is gaining widespread attention from parents, educators, doctors and other health care providers. Parents are seeking alternatives, as they are concerned about the use and side effects of methylphenidate hydrochloride (e.g. Ritalin®, Adaphen®, Concerta®) and other conventional drugs used to treat the symptoms of ADD/ADHD (Badat, 2004 and Picton, 2004). The aim of this research was to document the current practices of registered homoeopathic practitioners, with regard to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, their perceptions regarding aeitiology, treatment, management and success rate was investigated. This research took the form of a qualitative-quantitative survey (questionnaire) targeting homoeopaths practicing in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Area

In this qualitative research study the focus is on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Three respondents specialising in sensory integration in the Durbanville area were involved. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the respondents in order to gain knowledge on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by a professional other than an occupational therapist. After permission had been obtained, the interviews were captured on video tape and transcribed for use in the empirical study. Seven themes were identified from the interviews and a literature control was done with each of the themes. The researcher did not attempt to generalise the results of the research, but tried to reflect on the information that the respondents provided. The researcher summarised the findings of the empirical study and made recommendations. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Subject of the thesis was focused on the utilization of EEG biofeedback for children with an Attention deficit disorder. The objective was to draw attention to one of the possible therapy methods for Attention deficit disorder and describe the EEG biofeedback in relation with it. The theoretical part addresses the attention disorders, their diagnostics, methods of treatment and the EEG biofeedback. The practical part describes use of the EEG biofeedback in work with children with the Attention deficit disorder through a qualitative research by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews. The interviews were handled from the viewpoint of a parent with a child having the attention disorder and from the view of a professional from a specialized institution. The results of the research on the examined cases show that this method of therapy may be effective not only in relation with the attention disorders, but it could also be used for other diagnosis.

Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic)-Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2003 xiv, 86 leaves / The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy in the management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / INTRODUCTION Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) is a multifactorial and clinically heterogeneous disorder that is associated with tremendous financial burden, stress to families and adverse academic and vocational outcomes (Bierderman, 2005). ADD/ADHD is currently one of the most researched childhood conditions, yet there is still much controversy and misunderstanding surrounding it. It is also one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders of childhood development (Picton, 2005) and the prevalence of this disorder in adults is increasingly recognized (Bierderman, 2005). Parents are seeking alternatives, as they are concerned with the side effects of Methylphenidate hydrochloride and other conventional medication used to treat the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. AIM The aim of this research was to document the current practices of registered homoeopathic practitioners, with regard to ADD/ADHD. In addition, their perceptions regarding aetiology, treatment, management and success rate was investigated. This research took the form of a qualitative survey targeting homoeopaths practicing within the KwaZulu- Natal region. METHOD A total of 42 practitioners were contacted, 35 practitioners initially agreed to participate in the study, and the questionnaires were electronically sent to them via email. Of these 35 homoeopaths, 22 participated in the survey, i.e. giving an overall response rate of 62 percent. The questionnaires were electronically distributed and collected via email. The raw data was coded and captured by Google docs and the results were analysed by utilizing the SPSS for Windows version 18 SPSS/PASW 2009. RESULTS The majority of the responding homoeopaths practiced in the more urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, more specifically within the eThekwini Durban area. The majority of these homoeopaths had qualified from the Durban University of Technology, were English speaking females and were between the ages of 25-35 years old. The homoeopaths within this study found that most patients who present with ADD/ADHD symptoms are previously diagnosed by paediatrician’s neurologists or psychologists. According to the homoeopaths participating in the study, the general consensus is that the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is given far too easily, and without proper assessment, 86 percent of the homoeopaths are of the opinion that ADD/ADHD is misdiagnosed, and ninety one percent stated that ADD/ADHD is over diagnosed. The majority of the practitioners prescribe a simplex remedy, or the Simillimum, whereas only a few practitioners prescribe a complex remedy. It was found that the most common complex prescribed is Nervoheel®. Some practitioners prefer to make up their own complexes, which would be patient specific. In this study it was found that 68 percent of the practitioners reported the sycotic miasm to be most common, and 54 percent of the practitioners reported the tubercular miasm to be the second most common presenting miasm. The homoeopaths in this study stated that they prefer to use a holistic approach to obtain optimal well being, thus advice, lifestyle adjustments, education and counselling all form part of the treatment and management of a patient with ADD/ADHD, making it unique and specific to each case. Of the adjunctive therapies, Vitamins, supplements, and nutritional changes are recommended, especially if a deficiency has been identified. The most commonly prescribed supplements for ADD/ADHD are the Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) followed by Vitamin B Complexes, Multi-vitamins and Magnesium, Zinc, and Calcium. CONCLUSION The majority of the homoeopaths in this study reported that they are having a moderate to great success in treating and managing patients with ADD/ADHD. Many of these practitioners thought there to be no single cause for ADD/ADHD, however many of them found there to be a few significant contributing factors to the development or aetiology of ADD/ADHD. These factors include; genetics, environment, diet, vaccinations and family dynamics. The majority of the practitioners believe that ADD/ADHD is far too easily diagnosed and that further assessment of the mental, emotional, and physical symptoms of the patient need to be taken into consideration. The majority of the homoeopaths in this study prefer to use Simplex treatment, and consider diet, lifestyle changes, and phytotherapy the most successful adjunctive therapies when treating and managing a patient with ADD/ADHD. Many of the practitioners within this study reported that homoeopathy should be considered a primary treatment option for patients with ADD/ADHD, as the focus of the treatment is on determining the cause of the symptoms, and then managing the patient as a whole, focusing on changing the diet, altering the lifestyle, and treating the totality of the mental, emotional and physical symptoms.

Previous research has clearly established the efficacy of behavioral parent training approaches for the treatment of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a parent training program utilizing cognitive-behavioral strategies of self-instruction with ADHD children. Parents of 35 elementary school-age children referred for treatment of their children's chronic inattention, impulsivity, and restlessness were randomly assigned to one of three groups: behavioral parent training, self-instructional parent training, or a parent support group. Outcome measures collected prior to and after treatment and at a 1-month follow-up included a parent-report measure of child behavioral problems in the home, parent-report of behavior problem pervasiveness across home settings, and a teacher-report measure of school behavior. The integrity of treatment procedures was assessed via process inventories completed by parents following each session and by expert ratings of session audiotapes. No systematic differences between conditions were noted with respect to the group leader's style, and integrity of the treatment groups was validated by the expert audiotape ratings. The results indicated that self-instructional and behavioral parent training appeared to produce significant reductions in parent-rated measures of global behavior problems and ADHD-related behaviors which were maintained at 1-month follow-up. There was no generalization of treatment effects to the school setting for any group. The results suggest that self-instructional parent training is an effective treatment for ADHD children.

The overall aims of this thesis were to develop and evaluate a screening instrument designed to detect gaming addiction symptoms in adolescents, to study associations between problematic gaming and psychiatric symptoms, to investigate the stability of problematic gaming, and to examine possible associations between gaming at baseline (W1) with problem gambling three years later (W2). The study population consisted of adolescents from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland SALVe Cohort (adolescents in Västmanland born in 1997 and 1999, and their parents), in two waves (2012, n = 1887; 2015, n = 1576), and adolescents from child and adolescent psychiatric clinics in Västmanland (2014, n = 242). The development of the Gaming Addiction Identification Test (GAIT) was based upon the research literature on gaming, gambling, and addiction. An expert panel estimated the content validity of the GAIT and found it to be excellent. Additional psychometric evaluations of the GAIT and the parent version, GAIT-P, were conducted and it was found that both versions showed promising psychometric results, with high internal consistency, high concurrent validity, high concordance, unidimensionality, and high factor loadings, although poor model fit in exploratory factor analysis. Self- and parent-rated prevalence of gaming addiction symptoms were estimated at 1.3% with the GAIT and 2.4% with the GAIT-P in 13- and 15-year-olds. Self-rated problematic gaming above the cutoff had a boy to girl ratio of approximately 5:1 in both the SALVe Cohort and the clinical sample, whereas more girls than boys reported symptoms above the cutoff for ADHD, depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like-experiences. ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms were associated with odds ratios of 2.43, 2.47, and 2.06, respectively, in relation to coexisting problematic gaming. Furthermore, problematic gaming was stable over time, and problematic gaming at the first wave was associated with problem gambling three years later. It is important to screen for possible co-occurring symptoms among those who seek treatment and among those who appear to have symptoms of gaming, gambling, or psychiatric symptoms. Ongoing evaluation of adequate screening and diagnostic measurements, and the development and evaluation of treatments for problematic gaming, gaming addiction, and comorbid conditions are needed.