Includes bibliography. / The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is primarily a sexually transmitted disease. The majority of those infected in the First World are homosexual and bisexual men, and intravenous drug users. The study combined a literature review and a case example to explore psychosocial needs of homosexual AIDS patients with a view to presenting recommendations for mental health practitioners to help alleviate the psychosocial trauma of these patients and their significant others. The literature review focussed on the psychosocial experiences of homosexual AIDS patients; their losses, reactions of their significant others; their emotional reactions to medical treatment, and, psychosocial treatment issues and approaches. The case example was a twenty-nine- year old hospitalized homosexual male. Information was received from the patient's befriender, his lover and from the patient himself. The reactions and experiences of this patient were concomitant with many of those discussed in the literature review, namely: The patient suffered major losses: employment, income, house and household possessions as well as social status, with the primary psychosocial effect of loss of independence and control. The patient also experienced some isolation and rejection from some friends, family and hospital staff, and geographical isolation for a period of time from his lover and family. He displayed anger and denial - aspects of his personality which were evident prior to his diagnosis but exacerbated by his illness.

Bibliography: pages 178-181. / In this study the writer assumed that the psycho-social characteristics of physically disabled patients would influence the role and task of the medical social worker at the Rehabilitation Clinic. Therefore an attempt was made to determine the psycho-social characteristics of patients referred to the Rehabilitation Clinic. Furthermore an attempt was made to determine the role and task of the medical social worker in relation to these psycho-social characteristics. The research method was a descriptive one, using archival data; the latter being social work records of interviews with patients. Prior to the research a literature study was done on various aspects of physical disability and vocational rehabilitation. A sample group of 45 subjects was compiled by a random sampling technique. Two structured schedules were used to extract data from both the social work file and the Rehabilitation Clinic patient file. The research and processing of the information was done manually. The findings revealed the following 1. The majority of the physically disabled patients were Coloured males in the age category of 31-50 years. 2. These patients had poor educational qualifications and were previously unskilled or semi-skilled labourers. 3. The patients were unemployed and had no income. 4. These patients had a passive lifestyle with no hobbies or little religious involvement. They also habitually abused liquor and/or cannabis. 5. The housing conditions of these patients were inadequate and primitive. 6. The various roles of the medical social worker included those of rehabilitation counsellor, team member, co-ordinator/resource manager and teacher, whereas the tasks included assessment, dissemination of information, referrals, co-ordinating of services and education. The final conclusion in this study was that the role and task of medical social worker was influenced by both the psycho-social characteristics of referred patients as well as the expectations of the rehabilitation team of the Rehabilitation Clinic.

A comparison of Lower Grade and Higher Grade pupils with regard to intelligence, self-concept and adjustment. 29 Lower and 29 Higher grade pupils in Stds 8 and 9 at a Jewish community day school were compared with regard to their I Q scores, self-concepts and adjustment level. These variables were measured on the following tests: The NSAGT; the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and the PHSF Relations Questionnaire. The data from the two groups were compared by means of a t-test for small samples and the results demonstrated a significant difference (p≤0,01) for I Q scores and for self-concept but did not reveal a significant difference on most of the 12 sub-scales of the PHSF Relations Questionnaire. As regards the latter, a significant difference (p<0,05) was obtained on the sub-scale Sociability - S for female pupils and a significant difference was obtained on sub-scales Self-Confidence (p≤0,01) and Formal Relations (p≤0,05) for male pupils. The significant difference in I Q scores can be partially understood in terms of the selection criteria for admission to the Lower Grade class. The significant difference in self-concept can be attributed to the difference on the Intellectual and School Status sub-category. The lack of significant differences on the other sub-scales suggest that factors other than academic achievement are important in terms of self-concept formation for example:- class structure; membership of peer groups; extra-mural activities and family relationships. The lack of significant difference between Lower and Higher Grade pupils in the area of ,adjustment can perhaps be explained in terms of the Lower Grade pupils' relatively high scores on other sub-categories of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale i.e. it was only as regards intellectual status that the Lower Grade perceived themselves as less able.

Bibliography: pages 114-123. / 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om die redes vir dwelmmisbruik onder jeugdiges na te vors. Dit blyk dat daar nie 'n eenvoudige verklaring is vir die verskynsel nie en dat vele faktore 'n rol speel. Hierdie faktore is verder in wisselwerking met mekaar. Daar word toenemend aandag gegee aan die voorkoms van die probleem onder jeugdiges. SANRA en die geaffilieerde Dwelm Aksie Komitees lewer insette ten opsigte van primere en sekondere voorkoming. Navorsing ten opsigte van die voorkoms van die probleem is nodig op plaaslike, sowel as nasionale vlak. Dwelmmisbruik is 'n verskynsel wat nie oor nag ontwikkel het nie en langtermyn gekoordineerde voorkomingspogings is nodig om dit effektief te bekamp.

Bibliography: pages 134-152. / In the modern western world, infidelity or deviation from the monogamous sexually constrained 'till death do us part' marriage is often judged as unhappy, deviant or placing the marriage on the verge of divorce. Marriage areas for is a highly complex relationship, with multiple potential conflict. Contemporary marriage falls prey to dissatisfaction aAd stress far more than marriages of years gone by, where roles were traditionally more clearly defined and expectations were unchallenged. This paper serves to focus on the institution of marriage in western society and the changing face of marriage in contemporary society. Today there by married are many problems and difficulties experienced couples and not least of all, that of the extramarital affair. Treatment for the problem of infidelity proves an increasing challenge for clincians today. Methods and difficulties in this regard will be discussed. Five case studies from the writer's private practice case load will be presented to augment the preceding theoretical discussion. In describing the nature of the cases, highlights will be made of the salient variations in circumstances, treatment and outcome.

Bibliography: pages 181-192. / Continued study towards understanding schizophrenia and the impairments it can cause, is regarded as essential in the meaningful fulfilment of the educative and diagnostic contributions which the social worker can make in a comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programme (involving patients and their families). The first section of this descriptive dissertation focuses on aspects like terminology, definition, and the most recent diagnostic criteria, in an endeavour to contribute theoretically towards understanding the illness. The complexity of the diagnostic process is emphasized, and the recent revision of the criteria (1987) is seen as indicative of continuous efforts towards improved diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. Previous studies, improved pharmacology and more sophisticated neurophysiological examining led to a change in focus with regard to aetiology and the development of the vulnerability-stress-coping-competence model which brought new hope with regard to outcome of treatment. Section Two highlights several interventions which the clinical social worker can undertake as psychotherapist, group and family therapist, as well as educator on primary, secondary and tertiary levels, from this model and within the psycho-educative perspective. The Neuro B programme, Stikland Hospital, Bellville, is described in section Three, as an example of a presently operating, comprehensive programme where these interventions can be holistically implemented. Particulars about 56 patients who have been involved in the programme are highlighted in Section Four, while Section Five deals with the opinions of former patients and their families concerning involvement in the programme - elicited by two sets of questionnaires. The final chapter focuses on a summary of the dissertation, conclusions and implications for practice.

Includes bibliography. / Die navorser het gepoog om vas te stel of drosgedrag in assosiasie met sekere veranderlikes plaasvind, dus of daar tendense bestaan. Die veranderlikes van belang vir die maatskaplike werk professie het voorkeur gekry in die studie. Die doel hiervan was om aan te toon dat hierdie professie 'n rol kan speel ten opsigte van hierdie gedrag. Die studie is beperk tot een inrigting, naamlik 'n plek van veiligheid. Tendense oor 'n 10 jaar tydperk, 1980-1989, is bestudeer sodat moontlik ook die invloed van personeelaangeleenthede en verskille in die bestuur van die inrigting indentifiseer kan word. Die data is vanuit argiefrekords, soos die persoonlike leêrs, straf-, opname-, en drostersregister, verkry. Ongestruktureerde onderhoude met die personeel het addisionele inligting verskaf. Oor sekere van die data is gegewens van die totale drosterpopulasie oor 10 jaar ingewin (N=492). Ander gegewens is vanuit die beskikbare persoonlike lêers (nl=413) verkry. Nie alle lêers het die verlangde gegewens beskikbaar gehad nie, en vir sekere gegewens is data vir kleiner groepe drosters ingewin. Hierdie gegewens is getabuleer, en waar van toepassing, is van grafieke of histogramme gebruik gemaak. Uit die resultate kon die volgende afgelei word: die omvang van die probleem is wyd en regverdig navorsing. 'n Hӧer drossyfer word in die maande van Februarie, Maart en November gevind. Daar is nie 'n tendens om op sekere dae van die week meer as ander dae te dros nie. Die meeste drosters dros binne 'n kort tyd na opname, en dros dan slegs enkele male van korte duur. Meer seuns dros as dogters. Die meeste drosters val binne die ouderdomsgroep 14-16 jaar en hierdie groep is ook vir die hoogste aantal drosinsidente verantwoordelik. Die meerderheid drosters dros in groepe, en in die geselskap van 'n ervare droster wanneer hulle die eerste maal dros. Die meeste drosters het 'n geskiedenis van wegloop- of drosgedrag. Die I.K. van drosters is ietwat laer as die van die normale bevolking, en hulle is ook meestal skolasties vertraag. Die meeste drosters meld mees gereeld hulle ongelukkigheid by die veiligheidsplek as 'n rede vir dros. Daar word tydens drosinsidente meestal huiswaarts gedros. Uit die resultate kon dus afgelei word dat, hoewel drosters waarskynlik ook emosionele probleme het, omgewingsfaktore 'n rol speel by drostery. Die belangrike implikasie van die bevinding is dat drostery deur omgewingsmanipulasie verminder behoort te kan word, en dat die maatskaplike werk professie 'n belangrike rol in die opsig kan speel.

La population au Rmi rencontrée dans notre pratique va être le support de ce travail.Nous examinerons à travers cinq cas cliniques les points de similitude afin de comprendre leurs dépendances à l’allocation du revenu minimum. Il s’agira de se saisir de quel investissement psychique est alors pourvu l’argent et en quoi cet investissement rend inopérant l’échange avec l’institution sociale car il ne représente plus cet équivalent universel. Nous constaterons alors que la violence de l’échange provient de cette rencontre impossible entre le sujet et l’institution sociale. Nous remarquerons le type de lien qui unit le sujet à l’institution et de quelle fonction psychique celle-ci est investie. Nous observerons le déplacement de certains processus psychiques inconscients sur la scène sociale, déplacement qui nécessite la construction du champ de ce que nous avons appelé : la clinique du social. Nous considèrerons que la réflexion sur les dispositifs cliniciens nécessite de penser la question du lien et en particulier l’analyse du lien inter-partenarial dans la chaîne des dispositifs d’insertion. Nous proposerons des pistes de réflexion sur la notion d’échange comme objet de connaissance psychanalytique. / Our study group will comprised of population receiving the Rmi (French minimum revenue subsidy for the unemployed) that we encountered in our practice.Five clinical cases will enable us to examine common points in order to understand their shared dependency on minimum revenue subsidy.Our objective will be to question money as psychic investment and how this investment renders exchange with the social institution inoperative, money no longer representing this universal equivalent. Violence in exchanges will then observed due to this impossible encounter between the subject and the social institution. We will note the type of link uniting the subject to the institution and the type of psychic function of which it is invested. We observe the displacement of certain unconscious psychic processes upon the social scene, this displacement requiring the construction of a field which we have named: clinical field of the social.We will consider that reflections concerning clinical set-ups require thinking the question of the link and in particular the analysis of the inter partner link along the chain of unemployment offices. We will propose that our study lead up to the notion of exchange as object of psychoanalytical knowledge.

The social work practice problem of this doctoral action research project was the unmet mental health needs of veterans 65 and older in Puerto Rico. This action research project explored the experiences and challenges of social workers when they offer mental health services to veterans 65 and older. This study was framed using social support theory, integrating the 3 core elements of tangible support, emotional support, and informational support. The data collection technique included a semistructured interview protocol used in a focus group setting. Purposive sampling was used to identify 9 participants who were licensed social workers in Puerto Rico. Through content analysis, the findings were coded and organized into the following themes: educational background; ethics and wellbeing aspects; evaluation, interventions, and treatments; professional social and cultural competencies; social support experiences; multidisciplinary service coordination processes; and the elderly veterans' unmet needs. The results of this study could be used by social workers and administrators to contribute to positive social change through the improvement of social work practices and the development of innovative knowledge when intervening with veterans 65 and older and their families in Puerto Rico.

ABSTRACT The integration of spirituality in Social Work is on the rise, but due to the lack of literature on spiritually-involved interventions and applicable integration of spirituality into ones practice, literature suggests social workers do not feel competent or confident in this area of practice. This study explores the attitudes and beliefs of social workers in San Bernardino County towards spirituality in their own practice and social work overall. The data is collected through audio recording individual interviews with each participant, which are then transcribed into transcripts. The transcripts are coded for themes and commonalities among the participants. Results lay the foundation for further research and conversation regarding spirituality and how to further integrate or continue integrating it into social work practice in San Bernardino County.