SAMMANFATTNING Bakgrund: Det finns omfattande vetenskaplig grund för att pappors delaktighet i deras barns liv främjar hälsa och gynnar en positiv utveckling hos barnen. Studier har även visat att stöd från hälso- och sjukvården främjar pappors delaktighet. Inom barnhälsovården erbjuds bland annat föräldrastöd i grupp och tanken är att män och kvinnor ska vilja medverka i lika stor utsträckning. Pappor deltar dock i mycket lägre grad än mammor. En av utmaningarna för barnhälsovården är därför att finna former för föräldrastöd i grupp som tilltalar alla föräldrar. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva utformningen av föräldrastöd i grupp samt BVC-sjuksköterskornas uppfattningar kring utformningen och pappors deltagande. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en tvärsnittsstudie med ett strukturerat frågeformulär i webbformat som datainsamlingsmetod. Materialet analyserades med icke-parametrisk statistik. Resultat: Resultatet visade att tidpunkten som föräldrastöd i grupp erbjuds på tycks vara av betydelse för pappors deltagande, både vad det gäller tid på dygnet och barnets ålder. Analysen visade på skillnader i BVC-sjuksköterskornas uppfattningar kring pappadeltagandet utifrån vilken typ av vårdcentral de arbetade på samt om de hade fortbildning i genusfrågor. Slutsats: Sociodemografiska faktorer kan ha betydelse för BVC-sjuksköterskornas uppfattningar kring pappors deltagande i föräldrastöd i grupp, men detta behöver undersökas ytterligare. / ABSTRACT Background: There is extensive scientific evidence that fathers' involvement in their children's lives promotes health and positive development in children. Studies have also shown that support from health professionals promote fathers' involvement. Group parental support is offered within the Child health care (CHC) service with the goal that mothers and fathers participate equally. Fathers, however, participate to a much lower extent than mothers. One of the challenges the CHC faces is to design parental support groups that will appeal to all parents. Aim: The aims of this study were to investigate the structure of parental support groups and the CHC nurses' perceptions of the structure and father participation. Method: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire in web format as data collection method. Data were analyzed with non-parametric statistics. Results: The results found that the time at which parental support groups are offered seems to be crucial for father participation, both with regard to time of the day and age of the child. The analysis showed that there were differences in the CHC nurses' perceptions of father participation based on the type of health center they were working in, and whether or not they had training in gender issues. Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors may be of importance for CHC nurses' perceptions of father participation, but this needs to be investigated further.

This mixed-method study explored how students in a doctoral educational leadership cohort at one university used the cohort structure as a learning community or as a method of social support. Survey data were collected from 45 past and present cohort students and qualitative data were collected from three focus groups of 15 participants total. The survey measured four factors: General Cohort Experience, Trust Within the Cohort, Network, and Community of Learners. Quantitatively, one cohort was found to be significantly different from the others in terms of Trust Within the Cohort; and the 60 hour cohorts were found to be more satisfied with the cohort experience than the 48 hour doctoral cohorts at the university studied. The theme of trust and support from and to fellow members both during and after the cohort had dissolved was a strong recurrent theme in this study. Cohort members felt that they developed and strengthened their skills professionally as a result of participating in the cohort; however, they first had to develop a sense of community and trust with their fellow members in order to learn from them.

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of behavioral factors that contribute to successful weight loss in male bariatric patients. By analyzing participant experiences and perceptions, this study contributes to a better understanding of which factors are most important in the postoperative phase of gastric bypass in males owing to successful weight loss. Although there is a tremendous amount of quantitative research within the bariatric population, there is a significant gap within the qualitative literature as it relates to male outcomes. As such, by conducting interviews with 10 postoperative male gastric bypass patients, this study was able to further understand how and why these participants obtained successful weight loss. Furthermore, by identifying relevant categories and thematic responses from the participants, this study may serve future researchers in designing other qualitative studies that target best practices in males for successful weight loss outcomes. The findings of this study indicate that participants found greater weight loss success by following proper eating behaviors and engaging in physical activity whereas support group attendance was not found to be an important factor in successful weight loss. This study also revealed that follow up with the bariatric nurse coordinator was greatly viewed as a positive step in adjusting to lifestyle postsurgery. As such, this supportive role by the nurse coordinator may provide further impetus for the ways in which bariatric personnel interact with patients who might not always be able to see their surgeon for follow-up.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Nancy Muturi / This study was designed to explore how Alzheimer’s caregivers use Facebook support groups. Specifically it describes what kinds of activities caregivers engage in when in Facebook support groups, explores the motivation behind participation, and details perceived advantages and disadvantages of the groups. Whether Facebook support groups are considered a primary and accurate source of disease information was also explored. The study was qualitative in nature and consisted of 20 caregiver interviews, conducted via phone and Skype. Guided by uses and gratifications theory (Katz, Blumler & Gurevitch, 1974), the study employed six research questions to fully explore the experiences of caregivers in Facebook support groups. Generally speaking, the study identified the primary theme of community, and three subthemes including context, advice and emotional release/support. There were also significant findings on the primacy and accuracy of information. The ability to more fully understand these themes in the context of the caregiver experience will provide health care professionals with a foundation on which they can build effective ways to tap existing Facebook support groups and bolster support as the Alzheimer’s epidemic grows exponentially between now and 2050.

Thesis advisor: Belle Liang / Traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors often experience isolation from their primary support network following their injury (Marsh, Kersel, Havill, & Sleigh, 1998). Computer-mediated support groups (CMSGs) offer a virtual platform for individuals with complex medical concerns to exchange emotional and informational support (Braithwaite, Waldron, & Finn, 1999). To date, no research has examined the use of CMSGs, such as TBI-related Facebook support groups, for TBI survivors. There is also limited research investigating how emotional and informational support provided and received (i.e., supportive exchanges) relate to well-being and online relational health (Liang et al., 2002). This study examined the relationship between four supportive exchanges and well-being and relational health for TBI survivors using TBI-related Facebook support groups, as well as whether a gender norm—emotional control—and network preference moderated these relationships. Participants included 191 TBI survivors recruited across 14 TBI-related Facebook support groups. Multiple regression analyses tested whether four supportive exchanges directly predicted well-being and relational health after controlling for age and extraversion. Results revealed that supportive exchanges did not predict well-being. However, emotional support provided, emotional support received, and informational support received all predicted higher levels of online relational health. Informational support provided predicted lower levels of online relational health. Additional multiple regression analyses tested whether emotional control and four aspects of network preference moderated the relationship between supportive exchanges and well-being and relational health. Although higher levels of emotional control directly predicted lower levels of relational health, and a preference for weak-tie support networks (e.g., online acquaintances) predicted lower levels of well-being, the moderating effects were generally not significant. The findings underscore the importance of supportive exchanges in developing online relational health for TBI survivors using Facebook support groups. It also suggests that this relationship was not dependent on emotional control and network preference. Future research should investigate other factors affecting supportive online communication for TBI survivors and when they may benefit most from online support. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

A presente dissertação procura colaborar na compreensão dos entraves existentes na Fundação Casa quanto à aplicação da medida sócio-educativa - sob a ótica da teoria de René Kaës - no que se refere às produções inconscientes tecidas pelos sujeitos do grupo, tendo os temas da violência e das formações psíquicas intermediárias primazia na discussão. Remeterá ainda o leitor à história das instituições voltadas ao atendimento da infância e juventude, a fim de situar a Fundação Casa em sua dimensão \'transgeracional\'. Para tanto, apresentamos uma investigação sobre os processos históricos de atendimento à infância e juventude assim como o atual panorama da violência em nossa sociedade. Na pesquisa de campo foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos: entrevistas grupais com a equipe pedagógica, técnica, de segurança e adolescentes de uma unidade de internação; foi feita uma análise qualitativa dos discursos daí surgidos, a partir da teoria psicanalítica, segundo a abordagem de Kaës. A discussão aponta para existência de alianças inconscientes que impedem a ligação de processos psíquicos entre os grupos da instituição e sustenta a violência como mantenedora da estrutura institucional. / The present dissertation intends to understand the obstacles in social and educational measure application by Fundação Casa - under René Kaës\' theory - concerning unconscious productions maintained by the group subjects. In our discussion, we give priority to violence and intermediaries\' psychic formations. It still mentions the history of youth and infancy care institutions, aiming to situate Fundação Casa in its \'transgenerational dimension\'. By this way, we investigated the historical process of youth and infancy attendances as well as the contemporary violence view in our society. Further to the field research we used the following instruments: group interviews with pedagogical, technical and security staff and young internees followed by a qualitative analysis of discourses, by Kaës\' group psychoanalysis theory. The discussion suggests the existence of unconscious alliances that obstructs the link psychic process among institutional groups and sustains the violence as the maintainer of institutional structure

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jordana de Oliveira.pdf: 782345 bytes, checksum: 34d3a1f6ac29ccaefb1e90d96f2a4102 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-16 / Arising from the Statute of the Institution of Child and Adolescent - ECA in 1990 and the formation of a new standard alluding to the adoption, emerged the so-called the Adoption Support Groups in order to break the targeted adoption goodwill and create a new right culture guided the ACE based on the principle adoption as children's rights guarantee and adolescents. It was at this juncture that came the Support Group to Adoptions Needed - GAAN in Ponta Grossa - PR from an extension project of the State University of Ponta Grossa - UEPG and was later continue his work to turn into an Organization Institute - NGO. On this basis, the this work study object was the formation of citizenship of children and adolescents from the work done by GAAN in the adoption process, and the universe of research the GAAN and as sample participants and significant subject in the formation of GAAN who were selected from the technical Snowball methodology. The research is qualitative in nature, because the attention was turned to social facts and their interpretation. It was also made use of exploratory research in the process. Research instruments consisted of the bibliographical research, documentary research, systematic observation and semi-structured interview. The analysis of the data occurred from the content analysis which were established four categories from the speeches of the subjects being: mobilization, demands around the adoption perspectives on the adoption and citizenship. It was observed during the research that GAAN enables the formation of citizenship from the adoption from work carried out in support of the necessary adoptions and enable children and adolescents who have their rights secured by way of adoption, most prepared parents to receive them. It was noted also that the group won its place in society pontagrossense and performs his actions today from a networking with the Children and Youth Court. / Decorrente da instituição do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente – ECA no ano de 1990 e da formação de uma nova norma alusiva à adoção, surgiram os denominados Grupos de Apoio à Adoção com o intuito de romper com a adoção voltada a benevolência e criar uma nova cultura de direito pautada no ECA tendo como princípio a adoção como garantia de direitos da criança e do adolescente. Foi nesta conjuntura que surgiu o Grupo de Apoio às Adoções Necessárias – GAAN no município de Ponta Grossa – PR a partir de um projeto de extensão da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa – UEPG e posteriormente houve continuidade ao seu trabalho ao transformar-se em uma Organização Não Governamental – ONG. Com base nisto, o objeto de estudo deste trabalho foi a formação da cidadania das crianças e adolescentes a partir do trabalho realizado pelo GAAN no processo de adoção, sendo o universo da pesquisa o GAAN e como amostra os sujeitos participantes e significativos na formação do GAAN que foram selecionados a partir da técnica metodologia Snowball. A pesquisa é de caráter qualitativa, pois a atenção foi voltada aos fatos sociais e a sua interpretação. Foi feito uso também da pesquisa exploratória no decorrer do processo. Os instrumentos de pesquisa utilizados consistiram na pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental, observação assistemática e entrevista semiestruturada. A análise dos dados levantados se deu a partir da análise de conteúdo onde foram estabelecidas quatro categorias a partir das falas dos sujeitos, sendo: mobilização, demandas em torno da adoção, perspectivas acerca da adoção e formação da cidadania. Observou-se no decorrer da pesquisa que o GAAN possibilita a formação da cidadania a partir da adoção decorrente do trabalho realizado em prol das adoções necessárias e por possibilitar a criança e ao adolescente, que tem seus direitos garantidos pela via da adoção, pais mais preparados para recebê-los. Notou-se ainda que o grupo conquistou o seu espaço na sociedade pontagrossense e realiza suas ações hoje a partir de um trabalho em rede com a Vara da Infância e Juventude.

Grandparent caregivers to their grandchild(ren) is a growing population that is not completely understood. This study explored the challenges faced by grandparent caregivers to their grandchild(ren) and how being part of a kinship support group can help in addressing the challenges. A qualitative research design was used for the purpose of gathering first account narratives from the participants in the study. California Family Life Center, a kinship support agency was contacted and allowed the researcher to reach out to grandparents who were interested in taking part of the study. Seven participants took part in this study. This study concluded that grandparent caregivers are presented with challenges such as: an impact in their social life, making adjustments to their retirement plans and learning to cope through support from the kinship support group. The Loss and Grief Theory and Erikson’s Developmental Stages, generativity vs. stagnation provided an analysis and a better interpretation from the data collected from the participants. Results from the study suggest that being part of a kinship support group for participants has been beneficial to them as they come to better understand their current situation through the kinship support group. Nevertheless, the challenges are still present in their everyday lives. Implications for practice, policy and research are also discussed.

The availability of online support communities creates new opportunities for caregivers of children affected by health conditions to manage their illness-related uncertainty. This dissertation includes two studies that examined the presence of uncertainty management behaviors in online interactions among parents (caregivers) of children with clubfeet, and empirically tested the applicability of the uncertainty management theory to online behaviors. The Uncertainty Management Theory provided the theoretical foundation for both studies. For the first study, a content analysis of messages exchanged in an online support community dedicated to parents of children with clubfeet was conducted. Most messages were authored by women. The majority of the emotions expressed in the messages were positive. The most frequent information-seeking behaviors were direct questioning and self-disclosure. Information exchanges as a strategy to manage uncertainty included names of health care professionals and medical information. Five major types of social support (informational, tangible, network, esteem, and emotional) were identified. Informational support was the most frequent type of support provided, followed by emotional and esteem support. A third of the messages included combinations of two or more types of social support. For the second study an online survey was distributed using a snow-balling technique. Based on the survey data structural equation modeling was used to empirically test the uncertainty management framework. Positive relationships were identified between knowledge and information seeking, information seeking and social support, social support and sense of virtual community, uncertainty and stress. The results suggested that the uncertainty management theory may need to be adapted for use in online contexts. Uncertainty seems to be an important part of the experience of parents caring for children with clubfoot. Online communities dedicated to these parents represent a promising setting for studying illness-related uncertainty and its potential causes. Such studies can be a critical source of information to inform priorities for research and practice. This dissertation is the first step in better understanding the audience and provides an initial exploration of uncertainty management and communication processes present in an online support community. As we learn more about the parent audience, the importance of communicating with them becomes increasingly clear.

The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of uncertainty in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), which is a chronic illness involving curvature of the spine and is typically diagnosed in late childhood or early adolescence. The timing of most AIS diagnosis and its subsequent treatment occurs at a critical point developmentally and may place strain on adolescents with AIS and their parents. This dissertation includes two studies. The first study used Cash's (2011) cognitive-behavioral perspective on body image as the framework to assess whether brace treatment had a negative impact on body image appraisals in female adolescents participating in a clinical trial. Contrary to previous studies, this study found that brace treatment did not have a negative impact on female adolescents' body image and that poor body image did not result in brace treatment non-adherence. However, this study found significant correlations in adolescents with AIS between poorer body image and poorer quality-of-life. The second study used Uncertainty Management Theory as the framework for exploring adolescents' and parents' AIS-related uncertainties that were participating in online support groups. Results from this study suggest that adolescents with AIS and parents of a child with AIS are managing their uncertainties regarding the illness and its treatment however, the way they manage the uncertainty is different, in particular regarding appraisals of the uncertainties, whether they are seeking or avoiding information, and the types of social support that is being sought and provided. Parents of a child with AIS tended to seek information regarding the uncertainty surrounding the AIS condition, including information regarding doctors/hospitals and research, while adolescents tended to be participating in the online support groups for the purposes of seeking and providing support to other adolescents that have been or currently are in similar situations, such as wearing a brace. These findings are critical, because differences in uncertainty management behaviors between adolescents and parents, such as the ones that were found in the AIS-related online support group, could result in differences in understandings, concerns, preferences, and expectations regarding the illness and its treatments, which may result in family conflict, poor clinical health outcomes in adolescents and poor psychosocial outcomes in adolescents and in their parents. This study is significant in that it explored AIS-related uncertainty in two entirely different settings where theoretical applications are rare, in a clinical trial and in online support groups. The results from this dissertation suggest that Uncertainty Management Theory and Cash's (2011) cognitive-behavioral perspective on body image may be adapted for these contexts. The synthesis of the findings from across this dissertation suggests that the clinical and psychosocial health outcomes of adolescents with AIS and the psychosocial outcomes of their parents, may be improved through communication tools, such as adolescents, their parents, and providers working together through a treatment decision flow chart to elicit AIS-related current understandings, concerns, preferences, and expectation, which will result in shared decisions. Finally, as new technologies expands and are integrated into decisions regarding illness, findings from this dissertation can be used to improve health communication, support interventions, and policy development.