Thesis (M. A. (Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2017. / This study endeavours to identify and describe the stress experiences of South African Police Personnel (SAPS) in a specific municipal area. The components of stress and related coping mechanisms are of particular interest in policing as much research indicates that officers suffer from stress related illnesses. The research was thus undertaken to determine what type of stressors affect police officers in the Greater Tzaneen Municipal Area, Limpopo Province, and what type of coping strategies they use. A quantitative approach utilising a cross sectional survey design was used for the investigation. Stratified random sampling was used to draw the sample of SAPS officers from the different police stations in Greater Tzaneen Municipal Area. Data was collected by means of questionnaires namely the Police Stress Inventory (PSI) and the Coping Inventory (COPE). Ethical considerations, as required by the University of Limpopo, were followed. Results included the fact that of the top ten stressors five were organisational stressors. This finding suggests that the South African Police Services in this area must provide interventions that reduce the effects of work related stressors. They should also recruit more female officers as the gender disparity is a notable one. Results suggest that no matter what age, religion, language, gender, marital status and rank, all respondents are alike in terms of the use of Avoidant Coping strategies. These are used to some degree however; the majority of respondents use Problem Focused Coping strategies together with Emotionally Focused Coping strategies. This suggests that the sample was able to handle negative stressors in a positive manner. It was concluded that a police force that reflects the general demographic of the area is more likely to provide a community driven workforce

Disputats, Stockholm 2007.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

Dentofacial deformities have an adverse impact on functional as well as psychological wellbeing. Being highly visible, they may lead to a host of psychological problems particularly in youths and young adults as concerns about bodily identity and integrity are likely to be most prominent. Body image and self-esteem have been noted to play an important role in adjusting to disfigurement. Those who opted for corrective orthognatic surgery with realistic expectations were found to have a higher level of satisfaction with the outcome of the surgery. In contrast, undue and unrealistically positive aspirations towards the surgery are implicated in increased post-operative psychological difficulties. This study aimed to systematically document the variability of psychological adjustment and study the predictors of well-being in individuals with dentofacial deformity after orthognathic surgery. Seventy patients pending to go through orthognathic surgery were recruited from a university based dental hospital. Assessments of the patients’ overall psychological condition and adjustment towards their dentofacial deformity were conducted with standardized questionnaires and compared with similar assessment conducted with control subjects. The patients’ motivations for orthognathic surgery, psychological well-being, as well as expectations on the outcomes of surgery were studied through individually conducted psychological assessment interviews. Patients were re-assessed at 6 and 12 months after surgery on their level of satisfaction toward the outcome of surgery as well as to gauge possible changes in their psychological condition. There was no excess of significant psychopathology in patients with dentofacial deformity compared to the normal control group. However, as predicted, people with dentofacial deformity were more dissatisfied with their facial attractiveness. They also have more problems in interpersonal sensitivity. In the patient group, functional impairment or disability was a lesser concern compared to body image and presentation. Improvement of physical attractiveness was a strong underlying motivation for treatment. Longitudinal data on patients’ level of satisfaction with the treatment outcomes and perceived benefits associated with the improved facial esthetics will be further analyzed in the light of their underlying psychological vulnerabilities or resilience. The results are expected to cast light on factors that may affect patients’ satisfaction with the treatment. The results of the study confirmed that dissatisfaction with facial appearance prompted acceptance of surgery despite its associated discomfort and hazards. The findings of the study are expected to be useful in better informing clinical psychological interventions with aims of enhancing adjustment and forestalling psychological morbidity through early intervention with individuals coping with facial disfigurement. / published_or_final_version / Psychiatry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Research suggests that depressive symptoms and financial stress are both associated with increased levels of cigarette smoking, yet not every individual who experiences depressive symptoms or financial stress smokes. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether positive and negative religious coping moderated the influence of depressive symptoms and financial stress on current (past 30-day) cigarette smoking over and above the contributions of demographic covariates and nonreligious problem- and emotion-focused coping. Participants were drawn from a larger study comprised of a convenience sample of 1,120 post-secondary vocational/technical school students enrolled in programs such as welding, air-conditioning, and vocational nursing at two different two-year public colleges in Texas. These students are training to work in blue-collar occupations, which have higher smoking rates compared to white-collar occupations. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to test the study hypotheses. Depressive symptoms and financial stress increased the likelihood of smoking for female students, whereas financial stress decreased the likelihood of smoking for male students. Positive religious coping decreased the likelihood of smoking for females only. Consistent with religious coping theory and as expected, negative religious coping moderated the depressive symptoms-smoking relationship such that negative religious coping exacerbated the impact of depressive symptoms on cigarette smoking among females. Positive religious coping also moderated the depressive symptoms-cigarette smoking relationship for females. Contrary to expectations, positive religious coping exacerbated the likelihood of cigarette smoking among females with high levels of depressive symptoms. Negative religious coping moderated the financial stress-cigarette smoking relationship such that males who reported low financial stress and high levels of negative religious coping had the highest likelihood of smoking in the past month. For females, religious coping was associated with current cigarette use, but did not moderate the association between financial stress and smoking. Even after controlling for demographic covariates and nonreligious coping, positive and negative religious coping influenced the smoking behaviors of vocational students experiencing depressive symptoms and financial stress, and these outcomes varied by gender. Study limitations, implications, and suggestions for future directions in research are discussed. / text

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

Following a qualitative research frame, this study used a case study approach to describe and understand the life career experience of counsellor trainees' from Non-Western Culture (NWC). An ethnographic or in-depth interview methodology was utilized to acquire narrative data that was re-written as an analytical description of this particular experience. Eight NWC counsellor trainees who were studying in a Canadian university, and who were originally from countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, participated in this study. The interviews became the primary source of information upon which an individual story was developed. After being validated by the respective participants/informants, the major themes highlighting the turning points and critical plots of the eight individual narratives were synthesized into a general narrative. This general narrative reflected both the commonly-shared and varied experiences and perspectives of these individuals during the transition period. Becoming engaged in counsellor training was not an event, but rather a process over time which often started when the NWC trainees seriously considered the need for change in their lives. They defined their options, and decided to either immigrate to, or study in Canada. They then took concrete action to implement their plans. The NWC trainees endeavoured to make an initial adjustment after coming to Canada. Most of them coped with many issues and challenges in adapting to the sociocultural environment of the host country, while searching for the best life career direction. Acquiring counsellor training appeared to be a viable career path and they actively pursued this new career option. The concluding part of the narrative described the NWC trainees' engagement in professional training in counselling psychology and counsellor education. The trainees were committed to this new career goal, aiming at graduate level training. They dealt with a series of emerging issues and challenges including English language difficulty, adjustment to the new educational system, and other dynamics in the training process. The trainees also had to cope with issues such as family and financial concerns. These issues interacted with their academic and professional training. Having gained a sense of personal growth, the trainees found their involvement in counselling training both challenging and inspiring. Not only did their training provide them with a deep experience of selfexploration and self-understanding, it also helped them project their future career plans. This study generated several theoretical implications. It supported the three broadly-defined theoretical perspectives of career development, i.e., career as life process, career as individual agency, and career as meaning making. The study also echoed the three major constructs that compose the transition of adult learners' lives when they return to universities for continuing education. These three aspects included identity negotiation, social connectedness, and academic competence. With regard to cross-cultural adjustment, the study offered some support for the common factors affecting NWC students' cross-cultural iv adjustment in colleges and universities in North America but also was at variance with some of the literature regarding the problem of racism and prejudice. The implications for practice focused on a comprehensive helping approach addressing both the psychological and the tangible needs of NWC counsellor trainees. Aiming at building a positive and supportive learning climate, such implications included the need to enhance the trainees' personal agency, to avoid failure of communication, to use constructive feedback, to understand and address special needs, and to remain open and flexible while training and supervising NWC trainees. Several implications for future research were discussed. They included consideration of the relevance of the narrative approach in related studies, as well as an exploration of the broader applicability and representativeness of the evidence presented in the current study.