The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to determine the relationships between changes in coping strategies and community integration at 6 and 12 months post traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seventy-one participants were adult significant others (SOs) (family members/friends) of people with TBI. SOs, proxies for TBI patients, completed coping and community integration questionnaire to describe TBI patients’pre-injury status immediately post-injury as baseline information. Followed-up interviewed were completed at 6 and 12 months. Results showed that increased emotional preoccupation coping from baseline to 6 months were significantly associated with decreased productive activities and decreased social integration at 6 months and 12 months and modestly associated with decreased home integration at 12 months. Multivariable regressions showed that changes in emotional preoccupation coping from baseline to 6 months contributed significantly to social integration and productive activities above and beyond demographic factors and injury severity. Implications for cognitive rehabilitation are discussed.

Background: Food insecurity has been described as an urgent and pervasive public health issue for Aboriginal people (First Nations [FN], Métis, and Inuit) in Canada. However, national health surveys have generally excluded a large portion of the Aboriginal population (FN living on-reserve and Inuit), resulting in limited data on food insecurity in these individuals and communities. In addition, scales for measuring food insecurity have not been validated in Canadian Aboriginal populations. Food security challenges faced by Aboriginal people living in remote communities are unique and few studies have examined the perceptions of and coping strategies for food insecurity in this population. Objectives: The overall objective of this research was to explore various aspects of food insecurity (prevalence, perceptions, and coping strategies) in the remote, on-reserve First Nations community of Fort Albany, Ontario. This thesis consisted of five studies conducted in Fort Albany. The objectives for Study I were to quantitatively measure the prevalence of food insecurity using the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) and to use two qualitative interview questions to evaluate the relevance of the HFSSM. Study II used qualitative interview questions to examine the perceptions of and coping strategies for food insecurity. Studies III and IV investigated two programs in Fort Albany that had the potential to affect food security: the school snack program and a greenhouse project. Study III assessed the impact of the school snack program on student food intake. Study IV was a descriptive case study of the context and implementation of a community greenhouse project. Study V involved the development and formative evaluation of supplemental questions for the HFSSM intended to be relevant for measuring food security in First Nations households. Methods: One adult from each household in the community was invited to complete the 18-item HFSSM, demographic questions, and an interview with questions on the relevance of the HFSSM for First Nations food security and strategies used to cope with food insecurity. To evaluate the snack program, 24 hour diet recall data were collected using the Waterloo Web-based Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (WEB-Q) in November 2004 and December 2007 with grade six to 10 students attending Peetabeck Academy in Fort Albany. Food group consumption and nutrient intake of students participating in the school snack program were compared with students who chose not to participate. Five additional questions asked students about their participation, preferences, and impressions of the snack program. Data sources for the greenhouse project included semi-directed interviews with a purposive and snowball sample of community key informants, direct observations, written documentation, and photo-documentation. The case study was carried out over a period of 33 months; from early 2009 until October of 2011. The supplemental questions for the HFSSM were drafted based on themes that had emerged from the evaluation of the relevance of the HFSSM and relevant literature. Feedback on the importance, clarity, and cultural appropriateness of each proposed question was gathered from key informants (n=12) working on food security issues with Aboriginal groups, using an online survey. Results: For the HFSSM study, of 64 households (87% response), 70% were food insecure, 17% severely and 53% moderately. The prevalence of food insecurity in households with children was 76%. Among respondents from homes rated as having severe food insecurity, all (100%) reported worrying that food would run out; times when food didn’t last and there wasn’t money to buy more; and times when they couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals. When asked about the relevance of the HFSSM, the majority of respondents felt the HFSSM did not fully capture an accurate picture of food security for their situation. Aspects missing from the HFSSM included the high cost of market food and the incorporation of traditional food practices. For the coping strategies study, a thematic analysis of interviews (n=51) revealed that food sharing, especially with family, was regarded as one of the most significant ways to adapt to food shortages. The majority of participants reported consuming traditional food (wild meats) and suggested that hunting, preserving and storing traditional food has remained very important. However, numerous barriers to traditional food acquisition were mentioned. Other coping strategies included dietary change, rationing and changing food purchasing patterns. In order to improve access to healthy foods, improving income and food affordability, building community capacity and engagement, and community-level initiatives were suggested. Findings from the school snack program study showed that students participating in the snack program had significantly higher intakes from specific food groups and related nutrients compared to those who did not participate. With the exception of Meat and Alternatives in 2004, there was a trend for a higher percentage of students to meet dietary recommendations if they participated in the snack program. Students indicated that the three things they liked most about the school snack program were the juice, that the program kept them from feeling hungry at school, and that they got a snack at school every day. Students indicated that the snack program helped them to eat healthier by motivating them, eating more fruit, and making better dietary choices. Qualitative analysis of the greenhouse case study data generated gardening related themes: seasons, fertile ground, sustainability, gardeners, ownership, participant growth, and sunshine. Amongst the gardeners, local champions were critical to project success. Positive outcomes included the involvement of many community members, a host of related activities being carried out, and that the greenhouse had introduced an opportunity to gain knowledge about growing plants in a northern greenhouse setting. For the study on measuring food security in FN households, valuable feedback was provided by key informants (n=12) on clarifying the wording of the questions as well as providing perspectives on how the questions may or may not be applicable to different Aboriginal populations. A revised list of questions was created that incorporated the feedback from key informants. Conclusions: A very high prevalence of household food insecurity was reported in this community with the prevalence especially high in households with children. On-reserve remote FN communities may be more susceptible to food insecurity than off-reserve Aboriginal populations. Findings point to the continued importance of traditional food acquisition and food sharing, as well as community solutions for food systems change. These data highlight that traditional and store-bought food are both part of the strategies and solutions participants suggested for coping with food insecurity. Given the positive impact of the school snack program on the food and nutrient intake of student participants, it is clear that school snack programs can be an important venue to address the nutritional vulnerability of FN youth living in remote communities. Community and school greenhouse projects require local champions to be successful and foster community participation and ownership. Implementing a greenhouse project can engage community members, including children, and provide a great learning opportunity for gardeners in a remote, northern community. Finally, input from community participants and experts suggest additional questions that may add relevance to food security questionnaires for FN populations. Data highlight the urgency for public health policies and initiatives that promote food security for vulnerable FN populations. Findings can be used to inform assessment and program planning activities and to advocate for policies at the local, provincial and federal levels to strengthen community food security.

The aim of my work was to analyze how three bloggers, who lost a child to sud- den infant death syndrome SIDS, used different rituals and coping strategies in their blogs. I analyzed how these mothers, through blogging on the Internet, ex- press their grief, what kind of rituals they have performed in the grieving process, and whether these rituals can be seen as part of a coping strategy to deal with the grief. My analysis was based on a deductive approach with the help of the coping theory which MarieAnne Ekedahls (2001) used in her research and the theories about ritualization which Carin Åblad Lundström (2010) used in her. In my analy- sis, I made a transverse text analysis using the analysis program Open Code. I used Open Code to structure and upload my material, and analyzed it along Eke- dahls (2001) coping theory and Åblad Lundström (2010) theories about ritualiza- tions as a coping strategy when dealing with SIDS. The essay was divided into three different parts. Part I was based on Ekedahls (2001) coping model to analyze how the bloggers produce various coping strate- gies in their texts. The conclusion was that all coping strategies were prominent in the blogs. Part II, in which Åblad Lundström’s (2010) model was used, estab- lished that ritualization was useful when dealing with death. The rituals were thus also the prominent component in all of the three blogs on a religious, private and social level, and both in private and in public. Finally, these two theories were combined in Part III, where it was possible to conclude that the appropriate rituals could be connected with one or more of the designed coping strategies. Coping strategies involve either preserving or reconstructing methods and ways of mov- ing on, while rituals result in a contact with the individual's inner or outer worlds. In this way, it was possible to see rituals as a coping strategy. Both coping strate- gies and rituals were combined, so none of the bloggers used only one strategy or ritual, but used many of them when dealing with death.

Anhöriga hamnar ofta i bakgrunden av närståendes sjukdomar. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur anhöriga upplever emotionellt stöd, skuld samt hantering av att leva nära någon som överlevt en potentiellt livshotande fysisk sjukdom. Den hermeneutiskt upplagda studien baserades på semistrukturerade intervjuer. Åtta kvinnliga deltagare med differentierad sysselsättning och ålder kunde återfinnas genom snöbollsurval samt sociala medier. Analysen utfördes genom en meningskoncentrering, där fyra teman kunde återfinnas: de fanns där för mig, självanklagelser för känslor och tankar, lärdomar om det sårbara livet, samt att sysselsätta sig eller fly undan. Studien visade att det emotionella stödet upplevdes som konstant, skuld yttrades i form av tankar och känslor, deltagarna rapporterade nya lärdomar samt hanteringsprocessen var övergripande lik hos deltagarna. Studien kan ligga till grund för fördjupning inom området att vara anhörig. Dels för att främja förståelse men också för att låta anhöriga kliva ur skuggan och göra sin röst hörd.

In this era of global mobility, it is increasingly common for individuals to travel beyond their home contexts to live and work. However, adjusting to life and work in an unfamiliar cultural setting can pose challenges due to the differing cultural values, norms and expectations which one might encounter. This thesis focuses on the UAE where, because of the relatively small numbers of UAE nationals, the demographic profile is characterized by the numerical dominance of foreign nationals at almost every occupational level. However, the shaping forces of the indigenous culture remain at the forefront of virtually every aspect of life in that country exerting a strong influence on working practices and expectations. This thesis investigates the experiences of a small group of expatriates recruited to leadership positions in the UAE tertiary sector, specifically it focuses on what challenges they experience in their work in that context and what coping strategies they may employ to help them navigate their new environment. This research was carried out in two tertiary institutions and data were gathered through interviews with seven expatriates new to the context; the views of two Emirati colleagues also contributed to this study. The findings of the study reveal that while tertiary educational institutions in the UAE appear to share structural similarities with western counterparts, local interpretations of organizational roles, structures and processes combine to create organizational cultures unique to that context. The resulting mismatch of expectations between western recruits and their Emirati hosts can sometimes be a source of tensions and misunderstandings. The study additionally found that participants who were able to draw upon attitudes and behaviours associated with the ongoing development of intercultural competence were better equipped to cope with the challenges they encountered in ways which were more beneficial to them in terms of their individual well-being and peace of mind, as well as to their employing institutions. The findings of this study have implications for the way UAE human resources departments organize and conduct not only the recruitment of senior expatriate staff, but also the ongoing orientation and professional support that is offered to them.

Orientador: Tânia Gracy Martins do Valle / Banca: Maria de Lourdes Merighi Tabaquim / Banca: Carmen Maria Bueno Neme / Resumo: O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar estratégias de enfrentamento e o nível de ansiedade em mulheres em atendimento psicológico do Centro de Apoio Psicossocial de Bauru. Participaram deste estudo 40 mulheres com idade entre 40 a 62 anos, pacientes psiquiátricos, em atendimento psicológico. Os instrumentos utilizados para a pesquisa foram o inventário Beck de Ansiedade (BAI) e o Inventário Estratégias de Coping de Folkman e Lazarus. Para análise estatística foi utilizado o teste não paramétrico de Mann-Whitney para a comparação de dois grupos utilizando como nível de significância 5%. Os resultados do BAI revelaram um índice de ansiedade considerado grave presente no grupo de mulheres em estudo bem como revelaram significância estatística nas estratégias de enfrentamento Passividade e Suporte Social. A análise das alternativas que compõem os fatores Suporte social, Fuga Esquiva e Passividade caracterizam em termos de enfrentamento o perfil das mulheres ansiosas deste estudo / Abstract: This study aimed coping strategies and level of anxiety in women, in psychological treatment at the Center for Psychosocial Support of Bauru. The study included 40 women aged between 40 and 62 years of psychiatric patients in psychological treatment. The instrument used for research were the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Coping Strategies Inventory Folkman and Lazarus. For statistical analysis we used the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test for comparing two groups using the signficance level of 5%. The results of the BAI showed in index of anxiety which is serious in this group of women in the study showed statistical significance as well as strategies for coping Passivity and Social Support coping. The analysis of alternatives that make the factors and social support, Passivity characterized in terms of coping profile of the anxious women in this study / Mestre

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine and to explore international students’ perceptions of resilience and how they coped with stress during their pursuit of a college degree. This study also explored forms of assistance international students received while studying at the university, how students capitalized on their own qualities to overcome obstacles, and to discover resilience factors that empowered international students despite challenges they encountered during the course of study. The researcher utilized two surveys, namely the Resilience Scale (RS) (Wagnild & Young, 1993) and the Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI) (Amirkhan, 1990), and a focus group interview to collect data for the study. The sample of the study consisted of 117 students for the RS, 106 students for the CSI, and 6 students for the focus group. All students were internationals from a Midwestern university in the United States. The findings of the study revealed that there was no significant difference in the RS scores for both undergraduate and graduate international students or for females and males respectively. The study also confirmed that there was no significant difference in the CSI scores for undergraduate and graduate international students. However, there was a significant difference between females and males in their CSI scores, suggesting that females were more likely than males to seek social support when they encountered challenges in life. Qualitative data from the focus group yielded meaningful insights on the obstacles that international students had to overcome, assistance international students received while in the United States, and protective factors students possessed in order to be successful in the university. The study also included a factor analysis of the data that confirmed a 3-factor structure of CSI (labeled respectively as Problem Solving, Seeking Social Support, and Avoidance). Even though factor analysis also verified the original 25-item 5-factor structure of RS, yielding a 5-factor structure of resilience (Meaningfulness, Equanimity, Self-Reliance, Perseverance, and Existential Aloneness), due to several cross loadings of the variables onto the factors, the analysis failed to verify the same variables contributed to the original 5-factor in RS. Plausible explanations for the discrepancy of the study of RS were explored.

Magister Philosophiae (Land and Agrarian Studies) - MPhil(LAS) / For close to a decade, Zimbabwe has experienced a protracted socio-economic crisis. Although it is affecting both rural and urban areas, major forms of formal safety nets by the Government and Non-Governmental Organisations have been confined to rural areas. On the other hand the virtual collapse of the formal food marketing system in urban areas and the high formal unemployment rates have contributed to increased vulnerability of low income urban households to food insecurity. Using qualitative research methods, the study set out to understand livelihoods of low income urban households in Dzivaresekwa. In particular strategies low income households employ to cope with the negative macro-economic environment prevailing in Zimbabwe. / South Africa

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Significant research efforts have focused on developing treatments for trauma survivors and evaluating their effectiveness. However, little attention has been given to understanding the impact of working with trauma survivors on psychologists. This research aimed to address this gap in the literature. In South Africa, there is a scarcity of published qualitative studies that focus on the experiences of VT among psychologists who work with survivors of trauma. Given the increasing prevalence of traumatic events in South Africa and increasing patient load, psychologists may be vulnerable to the development of VT. Beneficial treatments for trauma survivors largely depend on psychologists who can effectively handle their clients' intense traumatic material. If a psychologist is adversely affected by the work of trauma, the quality of treatment for trauma survivors will be compromised (Figley, 1999). Hence, it is critical that research continues to explore the effects of VT and ways to ameliorate them. Aim: to explore the experiences of VT among a group of psychologists from Cape Town, South Africa, who work with trauma survivors and the related coping strategies used by them. This research aimed to expand the local research on the phenomenon of VT. Findings of the study will help to facilitate a better understanding of vicarious impact of trauma work as well as the related coping techniques used by psychologists. Identification of protective factors and effective coping mechanisms of those professionals in this study was a distinct contribution to the South African literature base. This study has practical implications for training, supervision and clinical practice for psychologists in South Africa to enhance the efficiency of psychological service delivery. Exploring the challenges South African psychologists experience as a result of working with trauma survivors may help inform policy and develop effective programmes to address the effects of VT. As such, psychologists would be better equipped to care both for themselves and their clients, and to ensure ethical and professional practice.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / In compliance with the Constitution, the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 requires that every child attend school from age 7 (or grade 1) to age 15 (or grade 9, whichever occurs first). The Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the constitutional custodian of education in the Western Cape Province, requires that all informal institutions accommodating learners of school-going age register their learners for an educational curriculum. It is an essential requirement that all learning institutions (religious or otherwise) provide the necessary academic support for their learners.