Mental health professionals’ (MHPs) attitudes towards people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have been found to be consistently negative (Winship, 2010). This is concerning given the potential impact on the therapeutic relationship and treatment outcomes for people with BPD. A review of the literature (McQuillan, 2013) revealed limitations in the measurement of MHPs’ attitudes towards people with BPD and the need for a new measure with validated psychometric properties. The aim of the study was to develop and validate a new self-report measure of staff attitudes to people with BPD, based on cognitive, affective and behavioural components of attitudes. The attitudes to borderline personality disorder questionnaire (ABPDQ) was developed based on a comprehensive literature review and consultation with service users/carers and MHPs. The preliminary measure was assessed to have good face and content validity by a panel of experts in the field of personality disorders. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted as a data reduction technique and to establish construct validity on a large sample (N=289). Three underlying factors were identified consisting of a general attitude towards people with BPD which is either optimistic or pessimistic, the feelings evoked and stereotypes. Construct validity of the new measure was further verified through correlational analysis with existing measures. The ABPDQ was demonstrated to have excellent reliability (internal consistency, α=0.9). The ABPDQ is a unique measure which addresses inadequacies in the measurement of staff attitudes to people with BPD. It has the potential to be utilised widely in future research studies and clinical practice. The ultimate aim being to improve negative attitudes and the quality of care people with BPD receive.

Empirical research has demonstrated that interpretation biases have a causal effect on levels of anxiety (Mathews & Mackintosh, 2000). The dual process model of mood regulation (Forgas & Ciarocchi, 2002) however proposes that there would be an interaction between interpretation biases and anxiety. Within this model, clinical anxiety can be understood as a failure to evoke effortful, mood regulatory strategies. No previous research has explored the interaction between interpretation biases and mood, in both high and low trait anxious individuals, within a dual process model framework. Experiment One Interpretation biases using the ambiguous scenario method, were measured following a positive mood induction in both high (n=17) and low (n=21) trait anxious participants, and subsequent effects on high and low positive affect were measured. Both groups demonstrated a mood congruent response bias, however this did not serve to maintain changes in positive affect. The theoretical implications of these findings and the limitations of the methodology are discussed. Experiment Two The findings of experiment one were extended upon, with interpretation biases being measured following an anxious mood induction, in high (n=15) and low (n=20) trait anxious participants. Both high and low anxious participants demonstrated an increasingly mood incongruent interpretation bias over time. There was some evidence of a more positive response bias amongst low trait anxious participants. A subsequent decrease in negative affect was interpreted as evidence of mood decay rather than mood regulation. The reported xviii results are discussed in relation to the dual process model and evidence for an interaction between interpretation biases and anxiety. General Discussion The results of this study provide evidence of the benefits of exploring cognitive biases within a dual process model framework. The failure to find differences between high and low anxious participants is discussed in relation to methodological limitations with suggestions for areas of further research.

The research used a case study approach to explore the perspectives of six dyslexic learners, who had been identified as succeeding in school. The research took a Positive Psychology approach by seeking to distil the key factors contributing to the dyslexic learners' success. Semi-structured interviews, using a solution focussed approach, enabled pupil perspectives to be gathered. The interview questions related to how the pupils made sense of the label of dyslexia, what personal strengths and interests they had, how they had been supported within school and outside of school and ways in which this could be improved. The complementary method of a focus group was also used to gather the perceptions of the same group of dyslexic learners, regarding how support could be improved. Thematic analysis of the interview and focus group transcripts revealed four main themes. The first theme was dyslexia being a learning difference, which exists on a spectrum of need and impacts on dyslexic learners in different ways. The second theme was the importance of friendships and a desire to learn. The third theme was the belief that the school system should be inclusive and effective and finally, the fourth theme was that parents were viewed as a major source of emotional and practical support. The implications of this research project were that dyslexic learners should be construed as a heterogeneous group, with varying needs. Accompanied with this was the importance for such pupils to learn with their peers and for individual support to be age appropriate and sensitively provided. Protective factors were present in the form of key personal strengths, which were also desired in teaching and support staff. This was discussed within the Positive Psychology character strengths and virtues framework, which was found to be an effective way in which to discuss and identify personal strengths. The key interesting findings were the presence of a range of protective factors supporting the dyslexic learners in their learning. In addition, the research revealed that the learners did not want to be defined by the label of dyslexia. The implications for future research and educational psychology were discussed.

Deficits in theory-of-mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others, are thought to underlie many of the social difficulties that characterise autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Studies report that teaching improves performance on ToM tasks, but there is limited evidence of generalisation. Computer technology has been found to have particular utility when teaching individuals with ASD. However, there have been few studies that compare the efficacy of approaches. Twenty-seven children (mean age 7.9) with diagnoses of high functioning autism (HFA) were tested on a range of pre-intervention measures, including verbal ability, ToM tasks, and parent and teacher ratings of social functioning. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: Kar2ouche Thought-Talk Tasks, a computerised ToM intervention; a ToM intervention presented in traditional book form; or a control group. After accessing the intervention over a five week period, all subjects were re-assessed on similar measures. Assessments were repeated again three-months later. Data were analysed in a series of ANOVAs. Despite not reaching statistical significance, results indicate that subjects who accessed ToM interventions improved on their ability to pass ToM tasks, when compared to the control. Both intervention groups also improved on their ability to recognise emotions to a statistically significant level, whilst the control made no improvements. As performance on these tasks had exceeded expectations at the beginning of the study, further improvements raise important questions regarding group characteristics, as well as highlighting the potential value of ToM-based interventions. Parent ratings reported positive changes in ToM abilities over the course of the intervention, regardless of group assignment. Teacher ratings were less positive and did not differ according to group, suggesting that interventions had effect on specific skills, but generalisation was limited. Few differences were found between the computer and the book groups on any measures, indicating that in the present study, computer-technology did not appear to increase efficacy. Further research that directly compares the efficacy of ToM interventions is recommended.

This research is the first in the UK to explore siblings and Group Leader's experiences of autism specific support groups. Increasingly there is recognition of taking a systems approach to children with autism and the needs of their siblings. However, very little is known about sibling support groups in the UK and about the impact of support groups on siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The research explored the Group Leaders experiences of setting up and running autism sibling support groups and the sibling's experiences of the support groups. Semi structured interviews were carried out with siblings and group leaders. Michael Fullan's model of organisational change was used to explore group leader's experiences of setting up the groups. The FRAME (fun, relieve isolation, acknowledge feelings, model coping strategies and enhance knowledge) framework advocated by Sibs, a UK charity, was employed to explore the sibling's experiences of the groups. Theoretical `top down' thematic analysis was conducted on the two data sets. A number of conclusions were drawn from the findings. The GLs identified siblings of children with ASD as a vulnerable group which required support and so filled a gap in services by initiating and advocating for groups. The group format varied from one day to longer term. There appeared to be more benefits from attending longer term groups compared to one day groups however all groups clearly benefitted those who attended them. FRAME served as a useful framework for planning sessions for the group however it was recognised that tailoring activities to the siblings needs was important. Most GLs obtained siblings views at the start and throughout sessions to ensure their needs were being met. The sibling's experiences of living with a sibling with ASD were consistent with previous research findings and reported both positive and difficult experiences. The children reported positive outcomes from attending the siblings support groups, these were; having fun, making friends, discussing feelings, learning more about autism and learning new strategies to cope. The benefits of the support groups were threefold; they offered social, educational and therapeutic support. Finally, implications and recommendations for supporting siblings of children with ASD are discussed. The future of support groups for siblings of children with ASD relies on becoming embedded in organisation's structures and policies. This research provides evidence to advocate for holistic support to the family and not simply centre support on the diagnosed child and parents.

An increase in the prevalence of autism in recent years has meant that the needs of parents of children with autism are becoming an increasingly vital area of research. There is evidence that parents of children with autism experience higher levels of stress than parents of children with other developmental disorders and yet there is a dearth of research involving parents of children with autism, particularly research into their experiences. The aim of this open ended study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of parents of children with autism; specifically their experiences of support since their sons were diagnosed. The research was qualitative and idiographic, and the approach adopted was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Semi-structured interviews were completed with five mothers from ethnic minorities with six and seven year old boys who had received a diagnosis of autism by the age of four and who attended a mainstream school. All mothers had more than one child. Analysis generated six superordinate themes which reflected the participants' process of understanding and coming to terms with autism; needing or wanting further support or information; their role and responsibility as mother; confidence in and reliance on others; communication; and comparison. Participants identified what they had found supportive and areas in which they felt in need of further support. The findings are explored in relation to existing research and psychological theories and implications are offered. In particular, findings indicated that the label of autism can be helpful to parents both in coming to terms with autism and in gaining support. Whilst trust in professionals was evident, all five mothers gained support from other parents of children with autism. Further research is needed to investigate whether these findings can be generalised. There is also reflection upon the applicability of using IPA with participants for who English is an additional language and the impact of their cultural identities on their experiences.

Understandings of bulimia nervosa (bulimia) may be conceptualised as being embedded within psychiatric, psychological and socio-cultural paradigms of understanding. Research within these paradigms has largely devalued the constitutive role of language in the construction of bulimia. I propose that a discursive paradigm for understanding bulimia is congruent with counselling psychology values. Self-help book reading constitutes a vital therapeutic option for bulimia that may be researched within this discursive paradigm. Accordingly, my research project employed a social constructionist, discursive analytic approach to the exploration of language use self-help books for bulimia. In particular, I aimed to explore how features of language may be used to construct varying accounts (interpretative repertoires) of bulimia, and to analyse the effects that this language use may achieve. Three self-help books for bulimia were selected for analysis. The analysis presents five mam interpretative repertoires of bulimia - "pathological disorder", "female disorder", "powerful force-passive victim", "control is possible", and "psychological causality". The analysis demonstrates that a myriad of complex and diverse rhetorical strategies are deployed in the construction of these repertoires, including, the use of metaphor, the use of anecdotal accounts and the use of a scientific style of writing. I argued that the five repertoires are reflective of conflicting cultural ideals relating to medical, individualist and collectivist frameworks. I present suggestions for how this research could be applied to enhance counselling psychology practice and service development. I conclude with a personal reflection on how this research process has shaped my practice.

The present research aimed to investigate social exchange reasoning, moral reasoning and the behavioural coordination abilities of adults on the Autistic Spectrum; three areas of social cognition hypothesised to use `theory of mind'. The performance of participants both with and without a diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was compared, using three measures. A Wason Card Selection Task was used to investigate the social contract reasoning abilities of the two groups. The groups' moral reasoning was compared using a newly developed Moral Judgement Task and a novel Moral Judgement Task. A novel set of behavioural coordination problems were used for the first time. A qualitative analysis of the behavioural coordination tasks was conducted in addition to the quantitative analysis to provide a more complex examination of the processes involved in solving these tasks. Results from a neu ropsychological battery showed that the participants were well matched except on one measure of executive function. There were no significant differences in the performance of the groups in terms of social exchange reasoning. On the moral reasoning tasks there were also no significant differences in the performances of the two groups. In terms of the new behavioural coordination problems, several differences were noted. The participants were asked to verbalise their thought processes when answering these problems and the results were analysed using a thematic analysis. In terms of processes involved in answering it appeared that theory of mind inferences, empathy and social knowledge were utilised. The groups differed in their ability to i) make and use theory of mind inferences; ii) show empathy and iii) make use of the entire available context. They also differed according to how they perceived the ease of the task and in the types of knowledge bases they relied on to inform their answers. It is hoped that results from these new tasks will open up new avenues for tests of social cognition in addition to a fuller understanding of impairments of social cognition in those with an ASD diagnosis.

Personality disorder is a commonly diagnosed set of psychiatric disorders that are used to denote a stable and enduring pattern of experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from cultural expectations. The construct is widely acknowledged to be problematic on the grounds of its scientific reliability and validity and there is a debate in the literature regarding the re-conceptualisation of personality disorder using a dimensional model. This study employs a genealogical methodology to carry out a philisophico-historical analysis of the politio-medical conditions of emergence of the construct. The work looks at the way in which disparate discourses have transformed and merged to take on increasingly essentialist, scientised and rarefied forms during the course of the twentieth century. The emergence of personality as a multi-dimensional statistically knowable phenomenon amenable to professional and technical management is also explored. The study goes on to apply the ideas from two papers, Leeming and Boyle's (2004) paper on Shame as a social phenomenon and Moncrieff's (2008) chapter on Neoliberalism and Psychiatry, to the historical material drawn upon, in order to explore possible implications from a psychological as well as a political perspective. There are some concluding remarks on the possible value of reflexivity when attempting to address complex issues. 3

Autism was "discovered" by Leo Kanner (1943) and Hans Asperger (1944), and has subsequently been described as a "spectrum" condition (Wing, 1981). This diagnostic class aggregates individuals with a diverse range of behaviour. Following Eyal et al. (2010) and Nadesan (2005) this thesis describes the social and historical emergence of the construct of autism, in particular, the use of this category to apply control strategies over what is constructed as a deviant and abnormal population. A key issue in the development of autism as a construct is the attempt to find the "cause" of the condition. A dominant psychological approach to this is the "theory of mind" model that suggests that autism is caused by impairment in ability to infer mental states in others, and thereby understand and predict their behaviour. Theory of mind ability is typically presented as biologically determined and innately developing. As such this is an a-historical and non-contingent account of autism, in contrast to the social and historical account of autism previously outlined. A post-modern epistemology is outlined, following the work of Foucault (2000) and Baudrillard (1983), with the aim of suggesting that the historical and the ToM account of autism are both different simulations of this disorder, with no valid way in which to decide between them. The aim of this thesis is to complete a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of ten articles or chapters concerning theory of mind and autism with a view to assimilating these to the historical account, and by so doing suggest how this model serves to construct an abnormal subject to which practices of social control can be applied. Another aim is to consider the rhetorical strategies used within the text to justify and maintain the theory of mind model of autism. There then follows a discussion of the implications for clinical psychology as a discipline, and some remarks concerning a "reflexive" critique of the thesis.