The outputs that form the basis of this PhD submission include a web site that summarises a unique collection of over 200 Court Judgments in personal injury claims for work-related upper limb disorders heard in the UK, together with a number of more conventional publications. Individually, these outputs all address upper limb disorders associated with work although they each had slightly different objectives and the audiences for which they were produced significantly influenced the type of publication in which they appeared. Together, they help illustrate when, how and, to some extent, why upper limb disorders associated with keyboard use became the issue it did in the UK in the late 1980s and 1990s. While many might now regard keyboard or computer use as an innocuous task, in the late 1980s and 1990s upper limb disorders associated with keyboard use, particularly computer use, became the subject of litigation, legislation, industrial disputes and widespread publicity. The outputs on which this submission is based, together, suggest that following the importation of the concept of repetitive strain injuries (RSI) from Australia in the later 1980s, the activities of trades unions and journalists in the UK promoted work-relevant upper limb symptoms and disorders associated with keyboard use as work-induced injuries. Subsequently, a small number of successful, union-backed, personal injury claims, which involved contentious medical evidence and perhaps an element of iatrogenesis, were widely promoted as proof that computer use causes injury. Around the same time, the government chose to implement flawed Regulations relating to the design and use of computer workstations, which failed to distinguish between that which might give rise to discomfort, fatigue and frustration and that which might give rise to injury. The existence of these Regulations, which among other things require regular, individual risk assessments of computer users, unlike any other type of work, could be interpreted as further 'proof' that computer use causes injury. The approach to the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders advocated in current HSE guidance, including the risk assessment strategy, remain capable of generating distorted perceptions of the risks arising from keyboard and computer use.

Although aggression as social phenomenon is widely researched, this research study aimed to illuminate the importance of early identification of excessively aggressive children specifically. The aim was to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of excessive aggressive behaviour during the preschool years. A qualitative research methodology was employed consisting of a parent interview, observations of the research participant and numerous play sessions consisting of various activities including free drawings; ‘Draw-a-Person ‘, a family drawing; the ‘Children’s Apperception Test’, and free play activities. The study explored various factors possibly leading to the onset and continuation of excessive aggressive behaviour. It seems clear that no single factor is responsible for the display of excessive aggression, but rather, multiple factors contribute to the problem of aggression as a whole. Play therapy is suggested as an effective method in the assessment and counselling of excessive aggressive behaviour in preschool children / Psychology / M.Sc. (Psychology)

Introduction. L’ostéoarthrose trapézo-métacarpienne (OTM) est l’une des ostéoarthroses (OA) de la main la plus prévalente, la plus douloureuse et la plus handicapante. Bien qu’une approche biopsychosociale soit préconisée dans la gestion de douleur chronique, la majorité des études sur l’OTM ne documentent que ses composantes physiques. La gestion de cette pathologie est souvent jugée sous-optimale, probablement due à une méconnaissance de la maladie et à l’absence de guide de pratique clinique. Ce travail doctoral a visé à (1) documenter l’efficacité des interventions non-chirurgicales et chirurgicales et (2) investiguer les impacts de l’OTM dans diverses sphères de la vie, (3) examiner les facteurs biopsychosociaux qui influencent la sévérité de la douleur et des incapacités fonctionnelles, et (4) documenter l’utilisation des ressources en santé que font les personnes atteintes d’OTM. Méthodologie. Le premier objectif a eu recours à deux revues systématiques en suivant la méthodologie de la Cochrane Collaboration. Pour les deuxième, troisième et quatrième objectifs, une étude descriptive a été menée auprès de 228 participants atteints d’OTM. Ils ont répondu à un questionnaire comprenant diverses échelles dûment validées. Des régressions linéaires multiples ont été utilisées afin d’identifier les facteurs de la sévérité de la douleur et des incapacités fonctionnelles. Résultats. Les résultats des revues systématiques ont montré des preuves scientifiques de qualité faible à modérée qui appuient l’efficacité des interventions suivantes en termes de douleur, d’incapacités fonctionnelles, de satisfaction et/ou d’événements indésirables: (1) injections de solution saline (intra-/extra-articulaire); (2) orthèse thermoplastique du pouce; (3) mobilisation nerveuse; (4) combinaison des exercices/mobilisation nerveuse et articulaire; (5) trapézectomie par voie antérieure ou postérieure; (6) trapézectomie et reconstruction ligamentaire avec ½ flexor carpi radialis (FCR) et tunnel métacarpien; (7) trapézectomie et reconstruction ligamentaire et interposition tendineuse en utilisant ½FCR et tunnel métacarpien; et (8) arthroplastie par distraction d’hématome. Pour ce qui est des résultats de l’étude descriptive, les participants étaient âgés de 63 ans en moyenne et plus de 80% d’entre eux rapportaient de la douleur d’intensité modérée à sévère (≥ 4/10). Leur score moyen au QuickDASH (incapacités fonctionnelles) était modéré (46,1/100). Leur score moyen de qualité de vie physique (SF-12v2) était inférieur à la moyenne de la population générale (41,0 vs 50,0). Près de 30% des participants présentaient des signes cliniquement significatifs d’anxiété et/ou de dépression. La fréquence de la douleur et le niveau d’incapacités fonctionnelles expliquaient 59,0 % de la variance dans la sévérité de la douleur tandis que le sexe, l'intensité de la douleur, la dépression et l'éducation expliquaient 60,1 % de la variance dans les scores d’incapacités fonctionnelles. Acétaminophène, anti-inflammatoires non stéroïdiens oraux, injections intra-articulaires de cortisone, orthèses, massage/exercices et application de chaleur/froid étaient fréquemment employées, tandis que les principes ergonomiques, des aides techniques, de la mobilisation nerveuse et des interventions psychosociales l’étaient beaucoup moins. Conclusions. L’OTM peut engendrer une douleur sévère, affectant divers aspects de la vie quotidienne. Les connaissances générées par cette thèse permettront de bonifier les recommandations des guides de pratique pour l’OTM, ainsi que de faciliter la gestion personnalisée de cette pathologie dans une perspective biopsychosociale. / Introduction. Trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (TMO) is one of the most prevalent, painful, and handicapping hand osteoarthritis (OA). Although a biopsychosocial approach is advocated in the management of chronic pain, the majority of studies on TMO document only its physical components. The non-surgical management of this pathology is often considered suboptimal, probably due to the poor understanding of the TMO and the absence of a clinical practice guide. This doctoral work thus aimed to (1) document the efficacy of non-surgical and surgical interventions and (2) investigate the impacts of TMO in various spheres of daily life, (3) examine the biopsychosocial factors that influence the severity of pain and functional disability, and (4) document the healthcare resources used by TMO patients. Methods. To answer the first objective, two systematic reviews were conducted using the methodology of the Cochrane Collaboration. For the second, third and forth objectives, a descriptive study was carried out among 228 participants with TMO. They answered a questionnaire comprising various scales duly validated. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify factors of pain severity and functional disability. Results. The results of the systematic reviews showed low to moderate quality evidence supporting the efficacy of the following interventions in terms of pain, physical function, satisfaction and/or adverse events: (1) saline injections (intra-/extra-articular); (2) custom-made thermoplastic thumb orthosis; (3) nerve mobilization; (4) combination of exercises/nerve and joint mobilization; (5) trapeziectomy by anterior or posterior approach; (6) trapeziectomy and ligament reconstruction with ½ flexor carpi radialis (FCR) and metacarpal tunnel; (7) trapeziectomy and ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition using ½FCR and metacarpal tunnel; and (8) distraction hematoma arthroplasty. The descriptive study revealed that the participants were on average 63 years old and over 80% of them reported moderate to severe pain (≥ 4/10). Their mean QuickDASH score was moderate (46.1/100) for functional disability. Their mean physical quality of life score (SF-12v2) was lower than the average in the general population (41.0 vs 50.0). Nearly 30% of the participants had clinically significant signs of anxiety and/or depression. Pain frequency and magnitude of disability explained 59.0% of the variance in pain severity while sex, pain intensity, depression and education explained 60.1% of the variance in functional disability scores. Acetaminophen, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, orthotics, hand exercise, hand massage and heat/cold application were frequently employed, while ergonomic principles, assistive devices, nerve mobilization and psychosocial intervention were much less used. Conclusions. TMO can cause severe pain and affect various aspects of daily life. The new knowledge generated by this thesis will allow to improve the recommendations for TMO, thus facilitating a tailored management of this pathology from a biopsychosocial perspective.