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The field of coping has become more developed during the past decades but there is still a lot to be discovered and discussed. Theories of developmental psychology describe the possibility to map a general developmental structure of how the human mind expands. The aim of this study is to contribute to further research in whether there is a reason why we cope the way we do in relation to age. The questions answered in this study was, what coping two girls, whom lived during the Holocaust, used and how the coping found, were possible to interpret from theories of developmental psychology. In order to answer the questions asked a method called Template Analysis Style and three different theories have been applied. The main theory is about coping by Kenneth Pargament and the other two are theories of developmental psychology out of the cognitive perspective by Jean Piaget and the psychosocial perspective by Erik H. Erikson. The conclusion made by this study is that it is possible to associate and interpret the result found in the material from the two individuals with developmental psychology. However, more studies are needed before it is possible to make any kind of generalizations.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a period known for risk taking behaviors. Both weapon carrying and suicidality among U.S. youth are growing public health concerns. The goal of this study is to examine the patterns between weapon carrying and suicidality among U.S. high school students using 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). METHODS: Analyses were performed using data from the 2015 YRBS (N=15,624). The sample consisted of students in grades 9-12 (48.7% female and 51.3% as male) Of those surveyed, 54.5% identified as White, 13.6% as African American, 22.3% as Hispanic, and 9.7% as another race/ethnicity. The main exposure variable weapon carrying (carried a weapon in the past 30 days) was analyzed against three outcome variables: suicide ideation (seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months), suicide planning (made a plan to commit suicide in the past 12 months), and suicide attempt (attempted suicide at least once in the past 12 months). Bivariate analysis was used to determine prevalence across the exposure and outcome variables, as well as determine potential covariates. Multivariate logistic regression tables were built to examine the relationship between weapon carrying and the three suicide outcomes, controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, interpersonal violence exposures, alcohol use, drug use, and sad/hopeless feelings. Additionally, adjusted odds ratios were calculated after stratifying by sex. RESULTS: Among 15,624 high school students, 16.2% reported carrying a weapon (knife, club, gun or other) in the past 30 days. Additionally, 5.3% of students reported having carried a gun in the past 30 days, the large majority of which identified as male (85.4%). It was found that 17.7% of the students reported having seriously considered suicide, 14.6% reported having made a plan to commit suicide, and 8.6% had actually attempted suicide; the majority of those who reported suicidality were female. The multivariate logistic regression model found that students who reported weapon carrying were 1.6 times more likely to report serious consideration of suicide than those students who did not report weapon carrying (OR adj =1.61, 95% CI [1.16, 2.24]), 1.77 times more likely to report having made a plan to commit suicide than those students who did not report weapon carrying (OR adj= 1.77, 95% CI [1.23, 2.55]); and 1.5 times more likely to have reported a suicide attempt than those students who did not report weapon carrying (OR adj=1.51, 95% CI [1.08, 2.10]). After stratification, females who carried weapons were 1.8 times as likely to report suicide ideation (OR adj=1.80, 95% CI [1.37, 2.67]), 2.3 times as likely to report suicide planning (OR adj=2.28, 95% CI [1.40,3.73]), and 2.7 times as likely to report suicide attempt (OR adj=2.71, 95% CI [1.52, 3.41]) than those who did not carry weapons. Males who carried weapons were 1.6 times as likely to report suicide ideation than those who did not carry weapons (OR adj=1.55, 95% CI [1.11, 2.18]), and there was not a statistically significant difference between males who carried weapons and those who did not in the suicide planning or attempt models. DISCUSSION: Given the correlation found between weapon carrying and suicidality, future youth suicide prevention programs should consider weapon carrying to be an important factor for youth suicidality and should target adolescents at high risk for weapon carrying. Furthermore, as 5.3% of students reported having carried a gun in the past 30 days, weapon carrying prevention should pay special attention to youth’s access to firearms. Firearms are the most lethal mode of suicide and considering the high prevalence of students already at risk for suicidality, measures should be taken to reduce youth access to firearms.

Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment modality for adolescents suffering from depression. Yet, it is often under-utilized among family nurse practitioners (FNPs) in the primary care setting. Known barriers exist within the realm of providers' lack of use of CBT in the primary setting, however, there is little research specifically on FNPs usage of the modality. Purpose: This paper seeks to understand FNPs' use of CBT in the primary care setting to treat adolescents with depression. Method and Sampling: A qualitative design was used to understand FNPs' use of CBT for adolescents suffering from depression. A faculty member and I recruited FNP participants through email. Ten FNPs currently working in the primary care setting with experience ranging from one to ten years participated in the study. Two focus group interviews were conducted in order to have a deeper understanding of the use of CBT in practice to treat adolescent depression. The interviews were audio taped and analyzed to reveal emerging themes. Results: After analyzing the audio recordings two common themes emerged: Unpreparedness and role conflict. Subthemes emerged within the area of unpreparedness that included knowledge regarding screening for depression in the adolescent population, utilization of clinical practice guidelines, available community resources and referrals, and the application of CBT in the treatment of adolescent depression. The theme of role conflict was associated with time constraints within the allotted time frame per patient and the conflict of providing mental health services when feeling as though their primary training is that of a family practice provider. Conclusion: The findings showed that the lack of use of CBT is multifactorial with knowledge being the greatest inhibiting factor. CBT is a recommended, first-line treatment option within the clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of adolescent depression. However, FNPs are not currently utilizing CBT in their practice to treat adolescent depression. There is much to be learned about adolescent depression in its entirety prior to incorporating CBT into practice.

The purpose of this study was to identify some environmental and overt behavioral factors which are characteristic of drug users. This was attempted to enable individuals who work with adolescents to identify potential users.

The primary purpose of the study was to quantify the characteristics of certain self cognitions that occur in depressed adolescents. A secondary purpose was to assess the change that occurs in these self cognitions during a depressive episode. The intervention, in the form of guided imagery about a previous drug-using episode, was used to induce a mood change. The REP, a Personal Construct Theory measure, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used in a repeated measures design.

D.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Medicine in Bioethics and Health Law Johannesburg, 2015 / Generally, consensual adolescent sexual intercourse is fraught with a number of negative outcomes such as socio-economically, where unplanned pregnancies occur, and medically with the spread of sexually transmitted diseases that require treatment. The Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act 32 of 2007, hereunder referred to as the Sexual Offences Act (“SOA”), criminalised consensual sexual intercourse between adolescents aged from 12 to less than16 years. Since the inception of the SOA in 2007, there seemed to have been relatively little evaluation of the practical effect of sections 15 and 16 of the SOA on society. This changed in 2011 when two non-profit organisations, The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children and RAPCAN (Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) who were the first and second applicants respectively, challenged the constitutionality of certain sections of the SOA. These sections are: - section 15 – entitled “Acts of consensual sexual penetration with certain children (statutory rape)”; - section 16 – entitled “Acts of consensual sexual violation with certain children (statutory sexual assault); and - section 56(2) – which deals with defences in respect of sections 15 and 16. In October 2013, the Constitutional Court declared sections 15 and 16 inconsistent with the Constitution. That declaration was suspended for a period of 18 months to enable Parliament to correct the defects in the statute. It is widely known that adolescents still engage in consensual sex with each other regardless of the law. The issues invite an evaluation of the current legislation in the context of the health and social issues that surround them. In addition, the impact of the current applicable legislation on the present realism needs to be scrutinised. It is essential for alternative interventions to be established which will aid in reducing the negative impact of consensual adolescent sexual intercourse. This research report looks at interventions that could be introduced to prevent adolescent sexual intercourse and alleviate the negativity of outcomes. Furthermore, the report aims to suggest an ethical, structured approach to reduce the current negative outcomes of adolescent sexual intercourse. In order to accomplish this I first describe the legislation that applies to consensual adolescent sexual intercourse of children between the ages of 12 and 16 years old. This brought to the fore the health practitioner’s practical experiences of problems associated with this legislation. In addition, I identify and discuss some ethical problems that health practitioners are confronted with in relation to consensual adolescent intercourse, in terms of having to balance their professional legal and ethical obligations. Finally, I propose some recommendations that will inform educational organisations on the relevant information to be included in sexual and reproductive health education campaigns. Furthermore, recommendations are made to relevant national policy-making departments to make strategic decisions regarding health and social interventions for adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. / MT2016

The earliest possible initiation of reperfusion therapy is necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality from acute STEMI. Therefore improving the time to thrombolysis where percutaneous coronary interventional facilities are limited or do not exist is critical. The most effective system would integrate three key components to deliver continuous patient care, including: 1) from time of call for help through to emergency response; 2) transportation to and admission to hospital; 3) assessment and initiation of thrombolytic therapy. The purpose of this prospective study is: to develop a chest pain awareness education programme appropriate for the South African context; to assess safe initiation of thrombolytic therapy by emergency care practitioners for STEMI; and to compare the performance of emergency care practitioner thrombolysis with historical control data.

Early exposure of adolescents to sexual intercourse has given rise to an increase in adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, a situation that has proved to have both economic, social and health implications not only for the adolescent mother but also for her child. Using data from the 2004, Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS, 2004), this study examines the effect of household characteristics on adolescent childbearing in Lesotho. The analyses done at three levels were based on a sample of 1,230, never married adolescents aged 15 to 19 years who had either always lived in the present residence or moved to the residence before age thirteen. The sample was a sub-sample from the dataset of all women of reproductive age interviewed during the survey. Logistic regression models were used to check for the odds of adolescent premarital births. The results show that only about seven percent of adolescents in the sample had premarital births. The older adolescents (18 and 19 years old) had the highest rates of premarital births, 14 and 19 percent respectively, indicating that the risk of premarital birth increases with age. The odds of premarital births was higher among adolescents that had first sexual intercourse at age 15 years or younger, and had achieved primary education or less. The results also showed the strong influence characteristics of co-resident women have on the behavior of adolescents. For instance, adolescents co-residing with an older woman that had had a premarital birth or first birth as a teenager, or who were separated or divorced, had higher odds of premarital births. The likelihood of adolescent premarital birth was found to be higher in households that were headed by females as well as in large households. The findings of this study have implications for programs designed to reduce adolescent pregnancy and childbearing. Most interventions to date, to reduce adolescent premarital pregnancy and childbearing, have focused primarily on adolescents themselves. The findings of this study shows that certain household characteristics influence adolescent premarital births and should therefore be taken into account in designing interventions to reduce adolescent premarital childbearing.