A obesidade é uma doença crônica que atinge milhares de pessoas. Considerada de alto risco e com graves conseqüências para a saúde física e mental, sua incidência na infância tornou-se ponto importante a ser investigado e relacionado com os prejuízos que pode acarretar, tanto individualmente quanto no âmbito familiar e social. Em vista disso, este trabalho teve por objetivo contribuir para o conhecimento das características psicodinâmicas de crianças obesas e de seus pais, por meio de entrevistas e técnicas projetivas. Foram realizados cinco estudos de caso de crianças do sexo masculino, com idade variando entre 7 e 10 anos, de nível sócio-econômico médio e com IMC-por-idade ? 95% (obesidade). Os pais foram contatados, explicitados sobre os objetivos do trabalho e solicitados a participar dele juntamente com seus filhos. Após sua autorização, foram marcadas sessões com os pais, em consultório particular, para aplicação de uma entrevista semi-estruturada sobre a história pessoal da criança e o roteiro de classificação sócio-econômica (ABIPEME). Em seguida, as crianças passaram por avaliação psicológica individual, composta pela aplicação do Teste de Desenho da Figura Humana de Machover (DFH) e do CAT-A, avaliado segundo referencial proposto por Bellak. Os pais também foram avaliados por meio da aplicação do DFH e do Teste de Apercepção Temática (TAT), em forma reduzida (10 pranchas) segundo referencial proposto por Morval. Os dados obtidos mediante a aplicação do CAT-A e do TAT foram posteriormente organizados de modo a informar sobre as condições das funções do ego da criança e dos pais; adicionalmente uma avaliação dinâmica por simples inspeção, segundo o referencial psicanalítico, foi feita. Os resultados apontaram para uma dinâmica familiar específica na sustentação da obesidade da criança: uma figura materna que não ofereceu suficiente holding para o filho a fim de facilitar o processo de ilusão-desilusão e possibilitar a experiência transicional, e uma figura paterna que não foi capaz de atender à satisfação das necessidades da criança bem como apoiar a díade mãe-filho, proporcionando à mãe exercer sua função. Conseqüentemente, a criança teve dificuldade no alcance das experiências transicionais, o que gerou prejuízos na capacidade de simbolização, expressão da criatividade e estilo de ser pessoal, restando-lhe buscar o apoio concreto da realidade externa (alimento) como forma de se relacionar com o ambiente e aliviar sua ansiedade. / Obesity is a chronic illness that reaches thousands of people. Being considered of high risk and with serious consequences for the physical and mental health, its incidence in childhood became an important subject to be investigated and related to its possible damage in individual, family and social levels. Considering this, the present aimed to contribute for the knowledge of the psychodynamic characteristics of obese children and their parents, by applying projective interviews and techniques. Five case studies had been performed with 7-10-year-old, male children, average socioeconomical level, with IMC-for-age level ? 95% (obesity). The parents were invited to take part of the study with their children and were explained about the its aims. After their allowance, the parents were interviewed in the private researcher\'s office, and applied both a semi-structured interview concerning their children\'s personal history and a socioeconomic classification protocol (ABIPEME). After that, the children went through individual, psychological assessment sessions. The techniques used were Machover\'s Draw-a-Person Test (DAP) and CAT-A, whose results were analyzed according to Bellak\'s approach. The parents had also been assessed using the DAP and a reduced form of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), according to Morval\'s approach. The data obtained from the CAT-A and the TAT were later organized in order to inform about the ego functions\' conditions of both the child and parents; also, a dynamic evaluation by simple inspection was performed, according to the psychoanalytic approach. The results had suggested a specific familiar dynamics maintaining the child\'s obesity: on one hand, a maternal image that did not offer the son enough holding in order to facilitate the illusion-disillusion process and to make a transitional experience possible. On the other hand, paternal image that was not able to satisfy the child\'s needs, as well as to support the mother-son dyad, providing the mother conditions to perform her function. Consequently, the child had problems to reach transitional experiences, which caused damages to symbolization ability, creativity expression and personal style-of-being, thus leading the child to search for concrete support in the external reality (food) as a way to have a relationship with the environment and alleviate anxiety.

This qualitative study was conducted with participation from social workers employed at a Southern California child welfare agency and researched whether the use of Child/Family Team-Decision Making meetings were a benefit to social workers’ practice. Furthermore, the study examined social workers’ beliefs about the meetings’ impact on foster children and their families in connection with the outcomes of safety, permanence and well-being. Safety, permanence and well-being are the three domains used to evaluate the success of foster children and their families. Family team-decision making meetings have the common goals of safety, permanence and well-being through promoting shared decision-making, empowerment and continued relationships between workers and the families they serve. The 10 participants of this study were recruited by the researcher through self- knowledge of employees and their job function. Data was gathered through in-person interviews with participants as well as the participants they referred. The data in this study was qualitative and was gathered in two phases then recorded and analyzed using open coding followed by axial coding. The findings of this study revealed that including all of the people who are affected by the decisions made in these meetings is essential to good child welfare social work practice. Concepts such as engagement, group and community cooperation and dynamics, social worker training and knowledge and agency support were themes that permeated throughout the data. These themes were intertwined with foster child safety, permanence and well-being. This study also concluded that attending and participating in CFTDMs enhances a social worker’s knowledge base and assists in their feelings of competence and confidence in their job performance.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2007. / A thesis submitted to the University of Western Sydney, College of Health and Science, School of Nursing, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-57). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-57). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-84). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tenn., 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 212-215).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tenn., 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 212-215).