South African society is exposed to the reality of violence and crime, and at the same time HIV / AIDS is claiming the lives of many parents. Consequently schools throughout the country have an increasing number of bereaved adolescents among their learners. The effects of parental death during the adolescent years make severe inroads into the cognitive, psychosocial and moral development of adolescents. These detrimental effects of parental death motivated the researcher to investigate the effects of teacher- facilitated group work on bereaved adolescents. A mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research method was used to investigate the said effects. Accordingly a questionnaire was designed using the Likert rating scale. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used as quantitative data collection tools for this study. The data from the BDI and BAI were tabulated. Structured interviews, games, personal documents and focus group interviews were used as qualitative data collection tools. The data were analysed and reduced and prominent themes emerging from data sources were identified and discussed. While bereavement is a very traumatic event for the adolescent, the study findings illustrate that teacher-facilitated group work provides members with various benefits which help them learn more about themselves and improve their interpersonal relationships, thus providing a supportive climate in which they could deal collaboratively with their bereavement. The findings also point out that group work provides the bereaved adolescents with a place where they are understood, where they can talk about their thoughts and feelings without being judged. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Text in Afrikaans / The primary aim of this investigation was to compile guidelines to improve the concentration techniques of primary school sport participants. In order to achieve this goal, a theoretical as well as an empirical investigation were conducted. During the literature study, different aspects of concentration were analyzed and the role of the primary school coach was highlighted in each instance. The literature study indicated that the primary school sport participants’ sport experience would benefit, if the primary sport participants would use concentration techniques during their sport participation. During the empirical study (in which 61 primary school sport participants participated), it was indicated that • Most of the primary school sport participants had very little exposure to concentration techniques. • Self talk, as a concentration technique, was used by most of the participants. The Here-and-Now concentration technique was the least used concentration technique by the participants. The literature study as well as the empirical study indicated that there are guidelines that primary school participants can use in order to better their concentration techniques. / Die primêre doel van hierdie ondersoek was om riglyne saam te stel wat laerskoolsportbeoefenaars kan help om beter te konsentreer gedurende hulle sportdeelname. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik, isʼn teoretiese sowel as ʼn empiriese ondersoek uitgevoer. Tydens die teoretiese ondersoek is verskillende aspekte van konsentrasie ontleed, waarin die rol van die laerskoolafrigter telkens toegelig is. Die teoretiese ondersoek het aangetoon dat die laerskoolsportbeoefenaars se sportbelewenis daarby sou baat indien die laerskoolsportbeoefenaars konsentrasietegnieke gedurende hulle sportdeelname sou gebruik. Volgens die empiriese ondersoek (waaraan 61 proefpersone deelgeneem het) is aangetoon dat: • Die meerderheid laerskoolsportbeoefenaars baie min bloot gestel word aan konsentrasietegnieke. • Selfspraak, as konsentrasietegniek, was die meeste gebruik, terwyl die Hier-en- Nou konsentrasietegniek die minste gebruik is deur die proefpersone. Die teoretiese sowel as die empiriese ondersoek het aangetoon dat daar wel riglyne is wat gevolg kan word om die laerskoolsportbeoefenaars te help om hulle konsentrasietegnieke te verbeter. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Voorligting)

Thesis (MA)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A chronic illness such as type 1 diabetes does not only have an impact on the individual’s physical and psychological well-being, but ultimately on the well-being of the family as a whole. The family typically fulfils the role of primary support structure for the diabetic child. Regardless of the physical and psychological challenges that form part of the illness, a large number of families are resilient. Families are able to adjust, adapt and cope adequately with a variety of life stressors. Consequently, this study aimed to identify and explore family resilience characteristics that are associated with family adaptation after the diagnosis of a chronic illness in a child. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 2001) served as theoretical framework for this study. Fifty-one primary caregivers represented families with a child with type 1 diabetes who was a patient at a big state hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. The study used a mixed methods approach and it was expected from the participants to answer an open-ended question and complete four self-complete questionnaires. The dependent variable in the study is family adaptation, measured with the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 (FACI8) (McCubbin & McCubbin, 2001). Based on the theory and previous studies, the following independent variables were used as measures: family hardiness (The Family Hardiness Index (FHI)), family patterns of communication (Family Problem Solving and Communication Scale (FPSC)) and family time spent together, as well as routines followed together (Family Time and Routine Index (FTRI)). The results show that family resilience characteristics that are significantly correlated with family adaptation are affirming communication in the family; the family’s willingness to accept change as positive; and family time spent together and routines followed in the family. The most important resilience characteristic according to the qualitative data is the support and information received from the paediatric diabetes specialist at the hospital. The family’s religious beliefs, and support received from their church, also play a significant role in their adaptation. This study contributes to the increasing need for and value of positive psychology. The study also creates an opportunity to educate families and medical personnel on the importance of implementing resilience characteristics in families to ensure better adaptation. Recommendations for future studies on resilience in families with a child with type 1 diabetes are made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ’n Chroniese siekte soos tipe 1 diabetes het nie ’n enkelvoudige impak op die individu se fisiese en sielkundige welstand nie, maar uiteindelik ook op die gesin se welstand. Die gesin vervul tipies die rol van primêre ondersteuningsnetwerk vir die kind met diabetes. Ongeag die fisiese en sielkundige struikelblokke wat deel is van die siekte, bly ’n groot aantal gesinne steeds veerkragtig. Gesinne beskik oor die vermoë om verstellings te maak en aan te pas by ’n verskeidenheid van lewensstressors. Gevolglik het hierdie studie gepoog om gesinsveerkragtigheidskenmerke te identifiseer en te verken, nadat ’n kind met ’n chroniese siekte gediagnoseer is. Die Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 2001) het gedien as die teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie. Eenen- vyftig primêre versorgers het hul gesinne in die studie verteenwoordig. In elk van die gesinne was daar ’n kind met tipe 1 diabetes wat ’n pasiënt was by ’n groot staatshospitaal in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Die studie het gebruik gemaak van ’n gemengde-metode benadering en het van die deelnemers verwag om ’n oopeinde-vraag te beantwoord, sowel as vier kwantitatiewe vraelyste te voltooi. Die afhanklike veranderlike in die studie was gesinsaanpassing, gemeet met die Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 (FACI8) (McCubbin & McCubbin, 2001). Gebasseer op die teorie en die bevindinge van vorige studies is die volgende meetinstrumente gebruik om die onafhanklike veranderlikes mee te meet: die Family Hardiness Index, Family Problem Solving and Communication Scale, en die Family Time and Routine Index. Die kwantitatiewe resultate toon die volgende gesinsveerkragtigheidskenmerke: positiewe kommunikasie wat in die gesin beoefen word; die gesin se bereidwilligheid om verandering te aanvaar en dit as positief te beskou; en gesinstyd saam en gesinsroetines wat beoefen word. Die belangrikste gesinsveerkragtigheidskenmerke volgens die kwalitatiewe data is die ondersteuning en inligting verkry vanaf die pediatriese diabetes-spesialis, die gesin se geloof en die ondersteuning wat hulle van hulle kerk verkry het. Hierdie studie dra by tot die toenemende behoefte aan en waarde van positiewe sielkunde. Die studie skep ook die geleentheid om gesinne en hospitaalpersoneel in te lig oor die noodsaaklikheid van die implementering en ontwikkeling van gesinsveerkragtigheidskenmerke vir die beter aanpassing van gesinne. Ten slotte word aanbevelings vir toekomstige veerkragtigheidstudies in gesinne met ’n kind met tipe 1 diabetes gemaak.

Thesis (MScSportSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of sport psychology injunior tennis and to determine: • whether coaches make use of psychological interventions, • whether coaches consider psychological interventions in junior tennis to be important, • what kind of psychological interventions coaches make use of, and • what kind of problems coaches encounter while teaching psychological interventions to junior tennis players. Questionnaires were mailed off to all professional tennis coaches who are registered with Tennis South Africa. The questionnaire which the coaches voluntarily answered, was an abbreviated, revised version of the questionnaire used by Gould et al. (1999a) for their study. \ The results of this study show that coaches: • regard the teaching of psychological interventions to junior tennis players as very important. • perceived the following as the most important psychological dimensions for junior tennis players: motivation, concentration, enjoyment, self-confidence and goal setting. • find the teaching process of psychological interventions to junior tennis players difficult. • encounter practical problems in the teaching of psychological interventions to junior tennis players. Lack of time is mentioned most often. Based on these outcomes, it is concluded that sport psychology has an important role to play in junior tennis. More research is needed to develop techniques and methods to effectively teach psychological interventions to junior tennis players. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie is om die rol van sportsielkunde in junior tennis te ondersoek deur die volgende te bepaal: • of afrigters van sielkundige intervensies gebruik maak, • of afrigters dink dat sielkundige intervensies belangrik is in junior tennis, • van watter sielkundige intervensies afrigters gebruik maak, en • watter probleme afrigters ondervind gedurende die onderrig van sielkundige intervensies aan junior tennisspelers. Vraelyste is gestuur aan aIle professionele tennisafrigters wat by Tennis Suid-Afrika geregistreer is. Die vraelys wat die afrigters vrywillig beantwoord het, was 'n verkorte, hersiene weergawe van die vraelys wat deur Gould et al. (1999a) in hulle studie gebruik is. Die resultate van die studie toon dat afrigters: • die onderrig van sielkundige intervensies aan junior tennisspelers as belangrik beskou. • die volgende sielkundige dimensies in junior tennis as die belangrikste beskou: motivering, konsentrasie, genot, selfvertroue en doelwitstelling. • die onderrigproses verbonde aan sielkundige intervensies moeilik vind. • praktiese probleme ondervind met die onderrig van sielkundige intervensies aan junior tennisspelers. 'n Gebrek aan tyd is uitgesonder as die probleem wat die meeste voorkom. Gebaseer op die resuitate, is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat sportsieikunde 'n belangrike rol te speel het in junior tennis. Verdere navorsing word benodig am tegnieke en metodes daar te stel om die sieikundige intervensies effektief aan junior tennisspelers te onderrig .

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate some psychosocial factors that may be related to the development of childhood cancer. The questions that guided the study were: When compared to families of healthy children (1) Do the family structure, dynamics and atmosphere present any commonalities among children with cancer? (2) Are there any personality characteristics common to children with cancer? (3) Have children with cancer experienced more of stressful events during the year that preceded diagnosis? (4) Have children with cancer experienced a major loss? Twelve children between the ages of 2 to 13 who were diagnosed with a form of cancer were compared to twelve healthy but accidently injured children of the same age, and sex and socioeconomic background hospitalized at the 2nd Pediatric Department of The University of Athens. A semistructured interview was used to gather information from their mothers within the month that followed the child's diagnosis or accident. Chi-square and T-test analyses were used at the .05 level of significance to determine differences between groups on each of the variables. Findings revealed that, compared to healthy children, children with cancer tended to belong to "broken home" families in which most had experienced (a) the loss or absence of a significant person (particularly the father) early in their life or (b) an unhappy marriage between their parents, frequently resulting from an "arranged" marriage. Within their family children occupied a special status and were raised as "only" or "first-borns." A major upcoming event was anticipated in most of their families within the same month that the diagnosis was pronounced; this event was aborted as a result of the child's diagnosis. Limitations of the study, discussion of the methodology and recommendations for further research are presented.

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Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to the southwestern United States. Hematogenous dissemination of the etiologic agent produces a chronic basilar meningitis in a small percentage of children. While new and aggressive therapy has decreased mortality, children with coccidioidal meningitis (CM) continue to suffer significant morbidity. A comprehensive investigation of intellectual, achievement, and behavioral outcomes in a series of 9 children who were diagnosed and treated for CM at the Arizona Health Sciences Center between 1977 and 1988 was conducted. Nearest-age siblings were also evaluated. Findings revealed compromised cognitive abilities and an increased incidence of academic and behavioral difficulties in the patient group as compared to normative expectations and the performance of siblings. Results support the need for timely educational interventions to assist such patients in maximizing their potential in the academic environment.

The present investigation evaluated sport-related motivational climates by assessing personal and perceived parental goal orientations and perceived parental pressure in children and adolescents. Data were collected from 202 middle-class, racially diverse students, including 43 male and 50 female children aged 12 or below (M age = 10.6) and 51 male and 58 female adolescents aged 13 or above (M age = 14.7), who had participated in a variety of organized sports, and were enrolled in elementary, middle, and high schools of the Dallas (TX) Independent School District. Measures included personal and parental projected versions (mother's and father's) of the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ), the Sport Parental Pressure Scale (mother's and father's versions), and a background assessment.