This study makes an original contribution to the evidence base for service user involvement in the teaching of interpersonal skills. The study is a synthesis of three different types of research activity. Firstly a systematic review which reviews the evidence base for service user involvement in interpersonal skills teaching. This review used inclusion criteria that restricted its scope to research that included elements that used outcomes, either qualitative or quantitative related to mental health service users involvement in teaching interpersonal skills. Four quantitative and eight qualitative studies met the criteria for inclusion. All the quantitative studies were methodologically weak. Qualitative studies lacked clear statements of qualitative methods used. Overall the studies reviewed provided some evidence of the efficacy of service user involvement. Qualitative findings included some negative effects of involvement. The second research approach used was reliability and validity testing of the Observed Assessment of Interpersonal Skills Scale (OAISS) using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Alpha. The OAISS is an observational instrument intended to measure an observer’s impression of another’s interpersonal skills during simulated interviews. Two factors were retained that accounted for 34% of the variance within the scale. Internal consistency of the scale was good. Two factors were interpreted to produce subscales called feedback and collaborative reflection and listening. The final study used mixed methods including a quasi-experiment and interview based qualitative data gathering. The quasi-experimental part of the study examined the effects on the student nurses (n = 75) interpersonal skills of a teaching intervention run by mental health service users. The experiment used a pre-test post-test design with a teaching as normal control group compared with the service user-teaching group. No significant difference was found between the two groups on measures of interpersonal skills. Qualitative results indicated that students had been affected by the service user teaching. Evidence was found of changes in empathic responses, attitudes and deep reflection on practice. Some polarization of views was also found particularly regarding the shocking nature of some of the personal accounts used in service user teaching and student concerns related to the representativeness of service users involved in teaching.

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Background Regarding adolescence developmental psychopathology and the psychological correlates associated with the onset of severe and enduring mental health in adolescence, this thesis proposes that early attachment related experiences underlie the successful ability to regulate emotions, negotiate interpersonal interactions, assess and utilise social support and develop the necessary mentalizing skills for organizing and understanding both the self and others. Insecure attachment and poor reflective function appear to be linked to clinical samples yet the underlying mechanisms for how these constructs affect adolescent psychopathology and subsequent psychological adaptation have still to be examined. Objectives A quantitative cross sectional design was utilised to investigate the following research questions; 1) Is attachment and reflective function directly and indirectly associated with psychological adaptation to mental health difficulties in adolescence? 2) Do emotion regulation, interpersonal difficulties and social support mediate the effect of attachment and reflective function? Methods 75 participants were recruited from three Tier IV Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Edinburgh. They were asked to complete questionnaires measuring the variables of mood, interpersonal difficulties, emotion regulation and social support. The Adult Attachment Interview was administered and coded to ascertain the individual‟s attachment classification and was scored to measure their levels of reflective function when considering their childhood experiences. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. Results The emergent clinical picture of this sample was one of adolescents with interpersonal difficulties, moderate distress and poor psychological adaptation. The dominant attachment classification was insecure/ dismissing. The observed level of reflective function indicated that participants could refer to mental states but that these references were not made explicit and their understanding of the intentions of others was likely to be general or superficial. SEM analysis demonstrated that reflective function significantly and directly predicted psychological adaptation but not low mood. In contrast attachment demonstrated a significant indirect path to adaptation, being fully mediated by internally dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies. These maladaptive emotion regulation strategies directly predicted low mood and indirectly predicted psychological adaptation. In terms of the social support construct, the discrepancy between the support desired and the support received directly predicted adaption and partially mediated the relationship between reflective function and and psychological adaptation. Discussion The theoretical implications of the results centred on the importance of investigating the underlying mechanisms of attachment and mentalization in the psychological adaptation of adolescents with severe and enduring mental health difficulties. Emotion regulation, interpersonal difficulties and social support were found to play a significant role in low mood and adaptation thus enhancing the current understanding of psychological distress and chronic difficulties for this population. Further clinical implications were discussed concerning the recommendation of promoting and utilizing a mentalization based approach when working with clinical adolescent populations.

Objectives of the study were to determine an accurate estimate of the rate of Early Trauma (childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse and emotional and physical neglect) as measured by the CTQ instrument, amongst clients in contact with Mental Health Services in Aberdeen. To investigate the hypothesis that clients in contact with Mental Health Services in Aberdeen who report high levels of Early Trauma (as measured by the CTQ instrument), will have significantly higher levels of psychological distress, (as measured by the SCL-90-R instrument) than clients who report none or low levels of Early Trauma. To estimate the prevalence of personality disorder (as measured by the PDQ-4 instrument) amongst clients in contact with Mental Health Services in Aberdeen. To investigate the hypothesis that there is a significant association between Early Trauma (as measured by the CTQ instrument) and the presence of Personality Disorder (as measured by the PDQ-4 instrument) amongst clients in contact with Mental Health Services in Aberdeen. 136 inpatients at the Royal Cornhill Hospital were surveyed.  The survey used three questionnaires forming a structured interview: The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) and The Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ-4). A high percentage (66%) of this inpatient population reported moderate/severe early trauma (ET): males (65%), females (68%), prevalence rates for early trauma were: Emotional Abuse 47% (64 inpatients), Physical Abuse 34% (46 inpatients), Sexual Abuse 34% (46 inpatients), Emotional Neglect 40% (55 inpatients), and Physical Neglect 25% (34 inpatients). Inpatients with high levels of ET did not report higher levels of psychological distress when compared to inpatients with none/low ET for all ET categories. Male inpatients who reported high levels of emotional abuse had significantly higher levels in global severity index values.  Female inpatients regardless of high or none/low levels ET, in all the categories, reported similar symptom levels. 70% of participants have significant personality disturbance: males (78%), females (60%), but only 21% of the participants who have significant personality disturbance have a recorded diagnosis of Personality Disorder (PD). This study shows that ET has a specific effect on males; for males, significant associations were found between PD and emotional abuse and physical abuse.  Males who reported high levels of emotional abuse also had significantly higher levels of overall psychological distress.

The purpose of the present study is to develop an operationally defined standard of psychological health which will be proposed as: 1) one of the goals of psychotherapy; 2) a device for aiding in the evaluation of psychotherapy, and 3) a tool for screening those individuals in the general population who are in need of counseling in order to maintain their mental health.

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A thesis to be submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Hygiene, University of the Witwatersrand. / The introduction to the problem covers mainly three sections, namely. Biblical, Historical and Psychological. Various tests are then named and described. This is followed by the section dealing with the Test Results, statistical methods used and finally a summary and conclusion. The summary and conclusion are of necessity brief, and cannot be expected to cover the whole field. Special mention must here be made of & B. Cutten whose book Speaking with Tongues is considered by the present writer to be the most scholarly and extensive account of the historical aspect of GLOSSOLALIA yet systematised. Portions relevant to the present investigation were either quoted in toto or epitomised because the writer felt they could not be improved upon. An intimate knowledge of the historical instances quoted by Cutten is essential to a complete understanding of the scope of the present work. The only originality claimed lies in the selection and presentation of the material to be found in Cutten's invaluable work. Extensive references and/or quotations have also been taken from the works of A. Schweitzer - Mysticism of St. Paul the Apostle and E.B. Tylor - Primitive Culturo, both of whom are regarded as being leaders of thought in their respective fields. / WHSLYP2017

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The intent of this research was to investigate the relationship between a measurement of burnout and semantic differential profiles involving personal and vocational life variables. Participants were employees of a residential facility for developmentally disabled persons. The statistical analysis was to involve the use of multiple linear regression for the null hypotheses and a judgmental evaluation was to be utilized for determining levels of differences between burnout and semantic profiles. / A pilot study was completed to investigate potential problems existing in the administration and in response to two questionnaires (burnout and semantic differential profile). Corrections were made prior to administration to the primary research facility. / From the primary research administration, a total of 250 questionnaires were returned. A sample size of 169 was predetermined as adequate for use of the multiple linear regression anaylsis. However, only 81 responses were adequate in terms of completed questionnaire items. The limited responses prevented the anticipated analysis at the statistical levels prespecified. A follow-up interview with the participants revealed problems with reading comprehension and a defensive attitude about this research effort. A review of the demographic data suggested different descriptive factors between the 81 respondents and the 169 nonrespondents. / The results provided were limited to descriptive data which reflected research findings of the applicable literature review and provided impetus for this research experience; the results also offer indications for modifications in administration and future replications of this research effort. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-08, Section: B, page: 2495. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

College student veterans may experience a variety of challenges as they transition from military life to student life, including adjusting to the academic environment, coping with mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, redefining their identities, and balancing multiple roles (e.g., family, school, and work). In addition, research indicates that veterans may experience difficulty in finding meaning and purpose outside of the military. The purpose of the current study was to add to the career development literature related to college student veterans and explore variables which may influence meaning and purpose in their lives, specifically career thoughts and depression. The current study utilized a passive observational research design to survey 132 college student veterans attending higher education institutions across different geographic locations in the United States. Regarding demographic characteristics, participants ranged across ages, military branches, and classification levels. Career thoughts was measured using the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI), and depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale – Revised (CESD-R). Meaning in life was assessed using the presence of meaning and the search for meaning subscales of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). A linear multiple regression analysis was used to determine if the total scores on the CTI and the CESD-R were significant positive predictors of scores on the MLQ. In addition, Pearson correlation analyses were utilized to understand the relationship between meaning in life and depression, as well as meaning in life and career thoughts. Moreover, beyond career thoughts and depression, this study also sought to explore whether or not there were differences in meaning in life scores among particular demographic variables, including gender and ethnicity. ANOVA analyses were used to examine differences in meaning in life scores among participant gender and ethnicity. Results of the analyses revealed that both career thoughts and depression were statistically significant predictors of the presence of meaning in one’s life, with 46% of the variance in the presence of meaning in life scores accounted for by total scores on the CTI and the CESD-R. Pearson correlation results indicated that all variables were statistically significant at alpha level of .01. Furthermore, results of ANOVA procedures showed no statistically significant differences in the presence of meaning in life scores, as well as in the search for meaning in life scores, for the gender and ethnicity variables. Limitations of the study and areas for future research are discussed. Lastly, implications for practitioners working with student veteran populations are included. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / April 18, 2016. / career development, career thoughts, college student veterans, depression, meaning in life, mental health / Includes bibliographical references. / Janet Lenz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Christopher Schatschneider, University Representative; Debra Osborn, Committee Member; James Sampson, Committee Member.