Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves: [28]-31)

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Leicester in association with University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71). Also available in print.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Harding Graduate School of Religion, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-58).

M.Cur. (Psychiatric Nursing) / Globally, the use of substances which seem to be harmful in all life dimensions appear to be an alarming problem. Recent studies indicate that the use and abuse of these substances is more prevalent among adolescents than any other age group. This is so because there are enormous changes to the physical, psychological and social dimensions at this stage. The use of these substances is a daily occurrence and reality for many people. However, for some individuals, the use of drugs can become overwhelming and be the focus of their lives and their existence. Among all abused substances, alcohol remains the dominant substance of abuse across sites. In South Africa too, adolescents abuse substances than other age groups. Substance abuse is commonly observed among adolescents who dropped out of school before completion of matric, those who completed matric but failed to go for tertiary education due to financial constraints, and those who are already in tertiary institutions thus making it difficult for them to complete their careers. Adding up on alcohol as commonly used substances are marijuana and hallucinogens. Some contributing factors of adolescent substance abuse have been identified as family environment factors, conflicting parental monitoring, peer group influence, psychiatric conditions and attention. To explore this problem of adolescents, the researcher conducted a study on the life stories of adolescents who abuse substances. The objectives of the study were to:- -Explore and describe the life stories of adolescents who abuse substances. -Describe the guidelines for advanced psychiatric nurses to facilitate the mental health of adolescents who abuse substances. This study was undertaken within the framework of Caplan's model of health promotion and prevention of illness based on the resources of community mental health care (Kaplan & Sadock 2003:1376). A qualitative, explorative and descriptive research design was used to answer the research questions. In depth, semi-structured phenomenological interviews were conducted with adolescents who met the sample criteria. Steps were taken throughout the research to ensure trustworthiness. Data analysis was done according to (Cresswell 1994:155) Tech's model. The results of this study indicate that adolescents abuse substances in certain behaviours which lead to substance abuse, face challenges in the physical, social and psychological dimensions. However, positive feelings of determination and courage to quit the substance abuse behaviour are also expressed. Conclusions were drawn and recommendation made concerning psychiatric nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research.

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / Childhood sexual abuse transcends boundaries of social class, race, age and gender. Research suggests that its effects are so profoundly debilitating that even in adulthood, victims struggle with a range of emotional, psychological and behavioural challenges. Nationally, South Africa has experienced a high prevalence of childhood sexual abuse, with a noticeable reporting of sexual abuse amongst children whose mothers survived childhood sexual abuse. The current study was aimed at exploring and describing the experiences of maternal survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) whose children also disclosed childhood sexual abuse. It furthermore explored the maternal intergenerational transference of sexual abuse and its influence on parenting, as well as exploring how the experience of childhood sexual abuse influences maternal parental practice and confirms or negates whether sexual abuse is generational. A qualitative research design was used to explore the experiences and perceptions of seven mothers who experienced sexual abuse as children, whose children also disclosed sexual abuse. The sample was purposefully drawn and the interviews were conducted at the premises of two counselling organisations, where they (mothers/children) were receiving counselling. The researcher made use of in-depth interviewing with maternal survivors of childhood sexual abuse whose children also disclosed childhood sexual abuse. The data was collected using an interview schedule with open-ended questions, which facilitated the interview process. Interviews that were conducted with the maternal survivors of childhood sexual abuse were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data from the study was analysed using thematic analysis, with all data managed manually. Ethical considerations were deliberated to participants who provided signed, informed consent for participation in the study. The findings were revealed in four themes. Theme one describes the experience of loss as a result of the CSA, which included loss of childhood, loss of relationships with family and friends, and loss of parental attachment. Theme two describes the interpersonal and psychological challenges resulting from CSA. A range of psychological and interpersonal sequelae resulting from the CSA experience poses many challenges for the maternal survivor of CSA. These include post-traumatic stress, cognitive distortions, emotional distress, avoidance, and interpersonal difficulties. Theme three describes the barriers affecting the maternal survivor's sense of Self, which includes negative body image and negative self-image. Maternal survivors of CSA struggle with issues pertaining to negative body image, which is as a result of the CSA experience. Issues pertaining to negative self-image were also captured. Theme four describes the parental practice of the maternal survivor and coping capacity, which includes challenges affecting the parental role, the maternal survivor's reaction to her children’s disclosure, as well as the coping strategies adopted to cope and move on. The results of the study show that maternal survivors of CSA experienced a shared feeling of loss, both on a personal level and a relational level. The findings furthermore indicate that the interpersonal and psychological challenges experienced by the maternal survivor are a direct consequence of the CSA and adversely affect the parental role of the maternal survivor. The findings indicate that in cases of intra-familial CSA, the chances are increased for CSA to re-occur in subsequent generations when contact with the mother's perpetrator is maintained. The findings indicate that when CSA occurs in a subsequent generation, regardless of whether intra-familial or extra-familial, maternal survivors are supportive towards their children’s disclosures, as they are confronted with their own CSA experience.

Childhood incest and sexual abuse was explored in depth to determine the coping skills used by victims, based upon their descriptive recall of these events. Eighteen adult women, who were group therapy members and leaders, were interviewed about their experiences as sexually abused children and adolescents. The critical incident technique was used to identify what hindered or facilitated the victims coping in the eighty-one abuse experiences collected. Each incident was categorized according to the identifiable stress, and the type of coping method used. Three categories of identifiable stress emerged from the data which were labelled offenders, significant others, and victims. Of these, the largest number of incidents related to stress created by offenders. In this sample, victims utilized direct action, inhibition of action, and intrapsychic coping methods, but not information seeking. Of these, direct action was most frequently employed. Independent judges found these categories reliable. Results are examined according to theoretical frameworks in coping theory and current perspectives on sexual abuse. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Afrikaans: Substansafhanklikheid is 'n universele verskynsel wat nie diskrimineer tussen ouderdom, geslag, status en beroep nie. Substansafhanklikheid ontsien geen beroepsgroep nie en ook nie die mediese beroep, met spesifieke verwysing na geneeshere nie. In Suid-Afrika is daar nog geen navorsing oor die substansafhanklike geneesheer gedoen nie. Internasionale navorsing oor substansafhanklikheid onder geneeshere is egter beskikbaar. 'n Behoefte aan beter begrip en kennis van die substansafhanklike geneesheer is 'n onderwerp wat aandag behoort te geniet met die oog op meer effektiewe dienslewering aan die teikengroep. Uit die literatuur blyk duidelik dat die substansafhanklike geneesheer unieke problematiek ervaar wat verband hou met sy beroep. Die doelstelling van hierdie navorsing was om die profiel van die substansafhanklike geneesheer saam te stel met die oog op die formulering van behandelings- en voorkomingsriglyne vanuit 'n maatskaplikewerkperspektief. In hierdie ondersoek is nie 'n hipotese geformuleer nie aangesien 'n verkennende ondersoek van 'n relatief onbekende terrein onderneem is. 'n Navorsingsvraag is wel gestel wat rigtinggewend vir die navorsing was. Hierdie ondersoek bestaan uit 'n Iiteratuurstudie en 'n empiriese ondersoek. Die doelwitte vir die ondersoek was om deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie inligting in te samel oor substansafhanklikheid as verskynsel by geneeshere, die profiel, psigososiale implikasies en belewenis van die substansafhanklike geneesheer en ook behandelings- en voorkomingsriglyne. 'n Verder doelwit was om deur middel van empiriese navorsing die profiel van die substansafhanklike geneesheer saam te stel, asook die psigososiale implikasies van substansafhanklikheid by die substansafhanklike geneesheer te ondersoek. Aan die hand van die ingesamelde data is aanbevelings vir behandeling en voorkoming geformuleer. Die literatuurstudie sluit in die etiologie en ontwikkeling van substansafhanklikheid, die omvang en wetgewing betreffende substansafhanklikheid en die substansafhanklike geneesheer. Ten slotte word die dinamika van die substansafhanklike geneesheer, behandelingsfasiliteite, behandelingsbenaderings en die behandelingsproses vir die substansafhanklike geneesheer bespreek. Die Iiteratuurstudie het as raamwerk gedien waarbinne die empiriese ondersoek gedoen is. In die empiriese ondersoek is 'n gekombineerde kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benadering gevolg, naamlik die dominante-minder-dominanteontwerp van Creswell. In die ondersoek is van toegepaste navorsing gebruik gemaak, wat fokus op die verkryging van nuwe kennis en spreek onmiddellike problematiek aan wat in die praktyk ondervind word. In die ondersoek is daar verder van die verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak. Die navorsingsprosedure wat ten opsigte van die kwantitatiewe benadering gevolg is, is die opnameprosedure wat die administrering van vraelyste as data insamelingsmetode behels het. Die navorsingsprosedure ten opsigte van die kwalitatiewe benadering was die voer van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met behulp van 'n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule. Die vertrouenswaardigheid van die kwalitatiewe deel van die navorsing is aan die hand van Guba se model geevalueer. Daar is by beide benaderings in die ondersoek gebruik gemaak van doelgerigte steekproefneming. Die kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe bevindinge van die ondersoek was aanvullend tot mekaar en het wedersyds bevindinge bevestig. Vanuit die bevindinge wat verkry is, is die navorsingsdoelstelling en navorsingsvraag beantwoord en is sekere aanbevelings vir voorkoming- en behandeling van substansafhanklikheid by die substansafhanklike geneesheer geformuleer. Verdere navorsing ten opsigte die ontwikkeling van 'n behandelingsprogram spesifiek vir geneeshere word aanbeveel. English: Substance dependency is a common phenomenon. Substance dependency does not discriminate against age, sex, status or occupation. Substance dependency occurs regardless the occupation of a person, not even the medical profession and the medical doctor are excluded from substance dependency. Research in South Africa about the substance dependant doctor is unknown and unavailable. International research does exist about this specific subject. It is important to gain knowledge and understanding about the phenomenon of the substance dependant doctor to formulate specific guidelines for treatment and preventative services. The substance dependant doctor experiences unique problems regarding their specific occupation. The purpose of this research is the composition of the profile of the substance dependant doctor from a social work perspective. Specific recommendations could be drawn from the conclusions and be implemented in the treatment of and prevention of substance dependency among doctors. The nature of this research was to explore an unknown phenomenon, therefore no hypothesis was formulated. A research question was formulated which gave specific direction to the research. This research comprises two divisions, namely a literature study and an empirical research. The research goals included a literature study to gain information about the phenomenon of substance dependency among doctors, a profile, psychosocial implications, experiences of substance dependant doctors and treatment and preventative guidelines. The empirical research comprised the composition of the profile of the substance dependant doctor, and explored the psychosocial implications of substance dependency among doctors. Based on the profile of the substance dependant doctor that was compiled from the processed data, recommendations were made for the treatment and prevention of substance dependency among doctors. The literature study included the aetiology and development of substance dependency, the extent of and regulations regarding substance dependency and substance dependency among doctors. In conclusion the literature study includes the dynamics of the substance dependant doctor, treatment facility's, treatment perspectives and the treatment process of the substance dependant doctor. The empirical research was conducted within a framework of a literature study. The empirical research included a combination of a quantitative and qualitative approach, namely the dominant-less-dominant model of Creswell. The type of research that was used in this study is applied research, which aimed to utilise new knowledge and to address problems in everyday practice. The explorative and descriptive research designs were used. The procedures that were used regarding the quantitative approach of the research, was the survey procedure. Data gathering with reference to the quantitative approach was conducted by using questionnaires that were administered by the researcher. The procedures that were used regarding the qualitative approach were semi-structured face-to-face-interviews with the aid of a semi-structured interview schedule. The trustworthiness of the qualitative research was assessed according the model of Guba. Purposive sampling was used in both approaches. The quantitative and qualitative data were complementary and mutually confirmed the findings of the data. Based on the findings of the processed data the research goals and research question were answered. Recommendations were made for the treatment and prevention of substance dependence among doctors. Further research on development of a treatment program specifically for doctors is recommended. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

No description available.

The study sets out to test the hypothesis that the families of physically abused children will show significant differences regarding their psychological, psychiatric and psychosocial characteristics when compared to families who do not have an abused child. The Index group was formed from 49 physically abused Coloured children and their families who were referred to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 1977. The ages of the children ranged from 5 months to 13 years, and 4 died as a result of their injuries. The Control group comprised 24 Coloured children (and their families) who were attending the hospital as outpatients over the same time period, and who were ill enough to be kept for overnight observation in the Emergency Ward. The two groups were matched for social class, age of the child and the marital status of the mother. The Index child was examined by a Paediatrician, and medical investigations requested when indicated. The following schedules were completed during the course of structured interviews with both groups of parents: The Circumstances of Injury/Illness Schedule, The Childrearing Attitudes Schedule and the Psychiatric Interview Schedule (which included a mental state examination). The Psychosocial Interview Schedule and an abbreviated IQ test were administered to the mothers only. The major significant finding of the study was the presence of abnormal personality functioning and psychiatric disorders of parents in nearly all the Index families. The type of psychiatric disorder was characteristically a neurosis in the mothers and personality disorders with alcohol and drug abuse, and criminality, in the fathers. The manifestations of the abnormal personalities of the Index parents included the use of regular physical punishment by the Index mothers, the repetitive physical abuse not only of the Index child but also of his siblings, and physical violence towards adults, especially of the Index fathers towards the Index mothers; the premarital conception of the Index child, the numbers of children of both Index parents by previous liaisons, and the lack of family cohesiveness of the Index parents; the loneliness of the Index mothers and their poor self-esteem; the financial debts of the Index families; and marital dysharmony. The Index families appeared to be of substantially lower social class than the general Coloured population of Cape Town. The following characteristics appeared to be associated with their low social class: low income, poor housing, unemployment, illegitimacy, teenage pregnancies, poor educational achievement and low IQ. Because of the matching for social class these characteristics were found to occur as commonly in the Control group. It was concluded that a combination of abnormal personalities and psychiatric disorders in the parents, factors associated with low social class, and marital dysfunction was the main etiological mechanism in the physical abuse of the Index children. The present study confirmed the finding of others that what distinguishes abusive parents from non-abusive parents is not so much the presence of specific abnormal childrearing practices or disturbances in particular parent-child relationships as the presence of a general disturbance of personality functioning and mental health. In other words, child abuse is only one of many deviant kinds of behaviour manifested by the parents of multi-problem families.