Becoming a parent is a lifechanging event that can be demanding in todays' stressful living. Carrying babies with baby-carrier/baby-slings is becoming more and more acceptable in the society. To meet the requirements of promoting health and growth among children the nurse need greater understanding of parent's experiences of carrying their babies close with the help of a baby-carrier or baby-sling. The aim of this study was to exam parent's experience of carrying their child with the help of a baby-carrier or baby-sling. In this qualitative study eleven parents were interviewed with the help of a semi-structured question guide. Content analyse where used as a method and two themes emerged; Parent-perspective and Child-perspective. The parent's perception of using a baby-carrier or baby-sling was that it is a tool in everyday life as well as a good way to promote bonding and attachment. Parents need information about carrying babies with the help of a baby-carrier or baby-sling and desire it from healthcare professionals. The nurse specialist has a great responsibility in promoting good cooperation with parents and to promote health and growth for the children. It is therefore important that the nurse encourages parents to have their babies close. Using a baby-carrier or baby-sling is an easy tool that can help parents to have their baby close.

The overall objective of this study was to delve into the intricacies of the therapeutic process and the therapeutic relationship from an attachment perspective. A single retrospective child case study was conducted, which entailed the construction of a narrative synopsis of the process. The hermeneutic approach of a Reading Guide Method was applied, and through a repeated re-reading of the narrative, pertinent themes emerged that shed light on therapy as a process in motion. Specifically, the motion of the therapeutic process manifested through a scrutiny of the therapeutic relationship in view of the participant’s attachment style. The results of this study revealed the capacity of the participant to move away from an avoidant and somewhat ambivalent organisation of defences by virtue of establishing a secure base and exercising her faculty for emotional and self-expression. Accordingly, it can be established that in view of psychotherapy from an attachment perspective, the seemingly imperceptible vicissitudes of change are indeed appreciable.

My thesis aims to prove the hypothesis that there is an influence of an attachment organization on the development of an emotionally stable personality. According to the model of development psychopathology a secure attachment organization constitutes a protective factor and is associated with a desirable development of an individual. It has positive connections with competence in peer relationships, effective self-regulation and better social adaption in early adolescence. An insecure attachement represents a specific vulnerability for further development of a child and it shows links with lower social competence, less effective emotional regulation and social adaption or with psychic disorders. The practical part of this thesis focuses on findings of correlations between an attachement organization to parents in early childhood and the extent of social adaption (determined by the extent of the occurence of behaviour disorders). From among demographic factors, the effect of age on connections between indicators of emotional attachment, parents{\crq} representation, behaviour strategy and mental defects is investigated. The part of a research sample is made up of children with diagnosed behaviour disorders. The theoretical part covers the problems of attachment and family relations, behaviour disorders and development features of children of a given age category.

O autismo é uma síndrome comportamental que compromete o desenvolvimento infantil e apresenta múltiplas etiologias. Tem como sintomas típicos, aparentes antes do 3o ano de vida: prejuízo social, dificuldade na comunicação e ausência de atividades imaginativas, que são substituídas por comportamentos repetitivos. A taxa de prevalência varia de 3 até 16 crianças em cada 10.000, e a incidência é maior em meninos. A falha no contato afetivo e o déficit na habilidade em partilhar experiências internas têm sido objeto de investigações. Os resultados desses estudos têm demonstrado que as crianças com autismo desenvolvem apego em relação aos seus cuidadores, porém manifestam de uma forma não convencional. Esse estudo teve como objetivo investigar os indicadores de apego em crianças com autismo, a partir de um sistema de codificação dos comportamentos de apego que levou em consideração as idiossincrasias dessa população. Participaram desse estudo 10 crianças com autismo (AU), 10 crianças portadoras de síndrome de Down (SD), com idades entre 3 e 8 anos, e 10 crianças com desenvolvimento típico (DT) com idades entre 1 e 3 anos, todas do sexo masculino. Uma sessão de observação de brincadeira livre, constando de cinco episódios, foi filmada para avaliar os comportamentos interativos entre a mãe e a criança e entre esta e uma pessoa estranha. Os vídeos foram codificados por dois observadores independentes e “cegos” quanto à categoria dos grupos, e cálculos de fidedignidade foram realizados entre os dois observadores. Não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre os três grupos na maioria dos episódios analisados e nem nas reações das crianças aos encontros, separações e reencontros com a mãe e a pessoa estranha. As crianças com AU apresentaram maior freqüência de comportamento de esquiva apenas no 1o episódio, o que pode decorrer da dificuldade dessas crianças para lidar com situações novas. Ao comparar os resultados do 1o e do 5o episódios, no grupo com AU, no qual as crianças permaneciam somente com a mãe, verificou-se uma freqüência maior dos comportamentos de Interação à Distância e Esquiva no 1o episódio. Na comparação dos resultados do 1o (Mãe/Criança) e do 3o (Criança/Estranho) episódios, no grupo com AU, o comportamento de Interação a Distância foi mais freqüente em relação à mãe do que ao estranho. Esses resultados sugerem a ocorrência de apego entre a criança com AU e suas mães e mostram as vantagens de se usar análises que considerem as peculiaridades desses comportamentos. / Autism is a comportamental syndrome that commits the child’s development and presents multiple etiologies. Typical symptoms are social damage, difficulty in verbal and no-verbal communication and absence of imaginative activities, that are replaced by repetitive behaviors. The symptoms must be apparent in the first 36 months of life. Prevalence rate varies of three up to 16 children in each 10.000, and the incidence is larger in boys. Some of the central characteristics of autism, as the flaw in the affective contact and the deficit in the ability of sharing internal experiences as intentions and feelings, have been object of investigations. Results of these studies show that the children with autism develop attachment in relation to their caretakers, although they do it in a non conventional way. This study aims to investigate the attachment behaviors in children with autism, using a code system that takes into account the idiosyncrasies of this population. Ten boys with autism (AU), 10 boys with Down syndrome (SD), with ages between 3 and 8 years, and 10 boys with typical development (DT) with ages between 1 and 3 years, participated in the study. A free-play session was used to observe the interactive behaviors either between the child and the mother, and also the strange. The videos were coded by two independent observers “blind” to the category of the groups. The results showed that the children with AU presented larger frequency of avoidant behavior, then the other groups, only in the 1o episode, which suggests children's difficulty to deal with new situations. It was not found significant differences among the three groups in the others episodes, nor in the reactions of the autistic children to the separations and reunion with the mother. When comparing the results between 1o and the 5o episode, in which the autistic children stayed only with the mother, there was a larger frequency of Distance Interaction and Avoidance, in the 1o episode than in the other one. The comparison of the 1o (Mother/Child) and the 3o (Child /Strange) episode, showed that Distance Interaction behavior was more frequent in relation to mother than to the stranger, in the autism group. These results, altogether, suggest the ocorrence of attachment behavior of the autistic children to their mothers and showed the advantages of using a code system that takes into account the specifities of these behaviors in autism group.

abstract: Numerous studies have examined the attachments individuals have to the places they visit, and that those attachments are formed through experiencing a place in person. This study is unique in that it examines pre-trip place attachment formation via the use of mobile technology and social media. It proposes that media experienced through the use of a participant's smartphone can foster the development of positive emotions, which in turn, facilitates greater mental imagery processing that ultimately influences pre-trip place attachment formation. An experimental design was constructed to examine how text and video on a destination's Facebook page influences an individual's emotions, mental imagery, and subsequently attachment to that destination. Specifically, a 2 (narrative text vs. descriptive text) x 2 (short, fast-paced video vs. long, slow-paced video) between-subjects design was used. A total of 343 usable participant responses were included in the analysis. The data was then analyzed through a two-step process using structural equation modeling. Results revealed no significant influence of textual or video media on emotions although the choice in text has a greater influence on emotions than choice in video. Additionally, emotions had a significant impact on mental imagery. Finally, mental imagery processing had a significant impact on only the social bonding dimension of place attachment. In conclusion, while media had no significant impact on emotions, the effect of previous traveler's retelling of personal accounts on the emotions of potential travelers researching a destination should be examined more closely. Further, the study participants had no prior experience with the destination, yet emotions influenced mental imagery, which also influenced social bonding. Thus further research should be conducted to better understand how potential traveler's image of a destination can be affected by the stories or others. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Community Resources and Development 2013

abstract: Inner city high schools today are struggling to create and maintain connections between students' values and schools requirements. Schools attempt to develop ways to help students become a vital part of the school community and provide them with resources to be successful both socially and academically. This study examined how an urban high school in the southwest implemented an academic advisory program to build and maintain the student/school relationship along with hoping to provide the resources to help increase student achievement in core academic programs. Research has identified the importance relationships have on academic achievement and the strong bonds that need to be developed with students and those there to support them. Previous attempts to provide students with the academic support through traditional tutoring in after-school programs have not proven to be successful in providing support students need. These after school tutoring programs have multiple challenges including being voluntary and students having other commitments they are involved with. Incorporating academic advisory programs during the school day is an attempt to overcome these challenges that are experienced with other programs. Using math and English course letter grade distribution comparisons were made to determine if changes in academic achievement occurred after implementation of academic advisory, whether participation in the program for more than one year made a difference on student academic achievement, and finally if academic advisory had any different effect on students that are high, middle, or low achieving. This study could not identify and specific correlation between the academic advisory program and academic achievement. When looking at letter grade distribution data from before implementation and after implementation similar growths and declines are seen with no identifiable trends during the program implementation. Consideration needs to be taken for the limitations identified and the school may want to conduct further review by addressing the limitations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2014

abstract: This ethnographic research focuses on the specific creative processes of one dance-maker who worked collaboratively with seven dancers, a sound designer, a costume designer, and a narrative speaker. Together they created an evening-length dance work entitled "The Now Creature." Throughout the creative process, the dance-maker was interested in noticing attachments, finding freedom from these attachments, and being aware of how the work was affected by the choice to detach or remain attached to certain ideas. This interest stemmed from the dance-maker/researcher's interest in Buddhist philosophy and a system of decision-making she had been developing since childhood. The creative process for "The Now Creature" began with experiments in chance procedures as a method of non-attachment. After the first public showing of the piece, the process shifted to include intuition and aesthetic integration. "Embodied nowness," or the awareness of one's physical and mental sensations in the present moment, played an important role in rehearsals and in the overall process of letting go of attachments. All collaborators kept journals and were usually given specific prompts about which to write. The researcher/dance-maker also conducted one-on-one verbal interviews and group discussions with the collaborators. These data informed the development of the work presented on January 31-February 2 at Arizona State University, Findings from this research can be applied to any kind of creative process, or any life situation that includes decision-making. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.F.A. Dance 2014

O autismo é uma síndrome comportamental que compromete o desenvolvimento infantil e apresenta múltiplas etiologias. Tem como sintomas típicos, aparentes antes do 3o ano de vida: prejuízo social, dificuldade na comunicação e ausência de atividades imaginativas, que são substituídas por comportamentos repetitivos. A taxa de prevalência varia de 3 até 16 crianças em cada 10.000, e a incidência é maior em meninos. A falha no contato afetivo e o déficit na habilidade em partilhar experiências internas têm sido objeto de investigações. Os resultados desses estudos têm demonstrado que as crianças com autismo desenvolvem apego em relação aos seus cuidadores, porém manifestam de uma forma não convencional. Esse estudo teve como objetivo investigar os indicadores de apego em crianças com autismo, a partir de um sistema de codificação dos comportamentos de apego que levou em consideração as idiossincrasias dessa população. Participaram desse estudo 10 crianças com autismo (AU), 10 crianças portadoras de síndrome de Down (SD), com idades entre 3 e 8 anos, e 10 crianças com desenvolvimento típico (DT) com idades entre 1 e 3 anos, todas do sexo masculino. Uma sessão de observação de brincadeira livre, constando de cinco episódios, foi filmada para avaliar os comportamentos interativos entre a mãe e a criança e entre esta e uma pessoa estranha. Os vídeos foram codificados por dois observadores independentes e “cegos” quanto à categoria dos grupos, e cálculos de fidedignidade foram realizados entre os dois observadores. Não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre os três grupos na maioria dos episódios analisados e nem nas reações das crianças aos encontros, separações e reencontros com a mãe e a pessoa estranha. As crianças com AU apresentaram maior freqüência de comportamento de esquiva apenas no 1o episódio, o que pode decorrer da dificuldade dessas crianças para lidar com situações novas. Ao comparar os resultados do 1o e do 5o episódios, no grupo com AU, no qual as crianças permaneciam somente com a mãe, verificou-se uma freqüência maior dos comportamentos de Interação à Distância e Esquiva no 1o episódio. Na comparação dos resultados do 1o (Mãe/Criança) e do 3o (Criança/Estranho) episódios, no grupo com AU, o comportamento de Interação a Distância foi mais freqüente em relação à mãe do que ao estranho. Esses resultados sugerem a ocorrência de apego entre a criança com AU e suas mães e mostram as vantagens de se usar análises que considerem as peculiaridades desses comportamentos. / Autism is a comportamental syndrome that commits the child’s development and presents multiple etiologies. Typical symptoms are social damage, difficulty in verbal and no-verbal communication and absence of imaginative activities, that are replaced by repetitive behaviors. The symptoms must be apparent in the first 36 months of life. Prevalence rate varies of three up to 16 children in each 10.000, and the incidence is larger in boys. Some of the central characteristics of autism, as the flaw in the affective contact and the deficit in the ability of sharing internal experiences as intentions and feelings, have been object of investigations. Results of these studies show that the children with autism develop attachment in relation to their caretakers, although they do it in a non conventional way. This study aims to investigate the attachment behaviors in children with autism, using a code system that takes into account the idiosyncrasies of this population. Ten boys with autism (AU), 10 boys with Down syndrome (SD), with ages between 3 and 8 years, and 10 boys with typical development (DT) with ages between 1 and 3 years, participated in the study. A free-play session was used to observe the interactive behaviors either between the child and the mother, and also the strange. The videos were coded by two independent observers “blind” to the category of the groups. The results showed that the children with AU presented larger frequency of avoidant behavior, then the other groups, only in the 1o episode, which suggests children's difficulty to deal with new situations. It was not found significant differences among the three groups in the others episodes, nor in the reactions of the autistic children to the separations and reunion with the mother. When comparing the results between 1o and the 5o episode, in which the autistic children stayed only with the mother, there was a larger frequency of Distance Interaction and Avoidance, in the 1o episode than in the other one. The comparison of the 1o (Mother/Child) and the 3o (Child /Strange) episode, showed that Distance Interaction behavior was more frequent in relation to mother than to the stranger, in the autism group. These results, altogether, suggest the ocorrence of attachment behavior of the autistic children to their mothers and showed the advantages of using a code system that takes into account the specifities of these behaviors in autism group.

Background: Research has shown that attachment has a powerful impact on the developing brain of a child (Lieberman, 2004). Prevention focusing on the earliest signs of mental illness has the greatest potential for decreasing the risk of mental issues in later life (Ammitzbell et al., 2016). Purpose: The purpose of this project was to train nurses working at the Easter Seals Blake Foundation Nurse Family Partnership Program on the Child Behavior Checklist. The study focused on identification of children who are at risk of mental health problems, largely based on attachment problems, and provide early interventions. Design: The initial step of this study consisted of training home visiting Nurses working at a Nurse Family Partnership Program site in Pima County on the Child Behavior Checklist. The Child Behavior Checklist was meant to be implemented into the program as a secondary mental health screening tool if a child who was 18- or 24-months old was found to be “at-risk” using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social and Emotional Tool. The Child Behavior Checklist, served as a more detailed screening tool if a child was found “at-risk.” Results: During this project, a training on the Child Behavior Checklist was performed. Seven nurses participated in the initial survey, which assessed their thoughts on the current protocols at the Nurse Family Partnership Program. Then their client charts were reviewed to determine if the Child Behavior Checklist was utilized. Lastly, a post survey was sent out to inquire about their thoughts and potential for implementing the Child Behavior Checklist. Implications: From the post survey, it was determined that most nurses thought the Child Behavior Checklist is a great, detailed tool to use if a child is found to be “at-risk.” However, most nurses also stated they did not need to use it due to lack of children having an “at-risk” score using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social and Emotional tool.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that a history of childhood maltreatment can lead to significant negative consequences across multiple domains of functioning. A significant minority of individuals remain resilience to such negative consequences, necessitating further research into the factors which protect against negative outcomes in young people who have experienced adversity. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in order to assess the evidence base for factors that predict adolescent resilience following childhood maltreatment. Several factors across the individual, family and community level were identified, however, evidence regarding these factors was mixed. Factors that have been shown to predict resilience in other age groups require further validation within adolescent samples. Aim: The first aim of this study was to investigate the role of resilience in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological distress. The second aim was to address a possible role for attachment in mediating the relationship between childhood maltreatment and resilience. Method: Adolescents aged 13 – 17 who were attending Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services were asked to complete measures of childhood maltreatment, individual resilience, attachment and psychological distress. Results: Resilience was shown to mediate the relationship between maltreatment and psychological distress. Attachment avoidance was found to mediate the relationship between maltreatment and resilience but not when emotional reactivity was included in the resilience index. Attachment anxiety did not mediate the relationship between maltreatment and resilience, however, maltreatment history was found to moderate the relationship between attachment anxiety and resilience. Discussion: Generalisability of this study was limited due to possible bias within the recruited sample. Implications of the significant results are discussed along with suggestions for future research.