Numerous studies have examined stress coping and some extents of wellbeing in adolescents using drugs, however, not many have assessed changes in these constructs in adolescents undergoing drug rehabilitation. The present study aims to (1) examine changes in coping and domains of subjective wellbeing, and (2) explore potential causal relationship between changes in coping and subjective wellbeing in 111 students currently studying at Christian Zheng Sheng College (ZS). The present study was of cross-sequential design, where students completed the same set of relevant questionnaires at baseline, 4 months, 8 months and 12 months later. Latent Growth Modelling (LGM) and cross-lagged regression analyses were conducted to examine changes in these constructs across time and potential causality between the observed changes. Results from the LGMs suggest that students who have stayed longer at ZS had higher baseline in self-perceived success in important domains in life and overall satisfaction with life than those who have stayed for shorter duration of time. Students who have stayed longer at ZS also had more active coping and positive reframing than those who have stayed for shorter duration of time. Results from the cross-lagged regression models suggest that one’s self-perceived success in important areas of life and overall satisfaction with life possibly predicts one’s use of adaptive strategies, for instance, accommodation (i.e., positive reframing and acceptance) and problem solving (i.e., active coping and planning) in coping with stress. Overall, the results from the present study highlighted the potential of enhancing adolescents’ subjective wellbeing in promoting adaptive stress coping in the drug rehabilitation programme. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

M.Cur. / The lack of experiencing a purpose in life, leads to high levels of internal frustration in an individual, which reinforces their desire to satisfy these needs. This desire is motivated by the need of an individual to function within a healthy lifestyle functioning. Should this healthy lifestyle functioning be lacking, some individuals may regard drugs as more obtainable and this intense experience of frustration cause the individual to become dependent on drugs. The drug dependent patient's experience of unfulfilled needs, reinforces his distrust in future expectancies. He tries to withdraw from life actions and its associated responsibilities. Withdrawal from these associated life actions in a given situation, causes the drug dependent person to subjectively experience an unfulfilled personal life. The inability to accept responsibility, also includes the inability to satisfy needs, effective interpersonal interaction patterns, effectively accomplishing projects and conducting thought processes productively. The drug dependent patient therefore cannot accept any responsibility in order to find a purpose in his personal life. As a result of the absence of an overall satisfactory life style, feelings of self actualization and satisfaction cannot be experienced by the patient. He therefore lacks the ability to internalize creative, esthetic and attitude values which are related to experiencing a purpose in life. Idealization of intrapsychic needs restrains the drug dependent patient in his isolated existence from experiencing a purpose, though the forming of unique interpersonal relationships.

No description available.

Choi Fai-ming, Jonathan. / "July 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-151). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

The main purpose of this study was to examine, in the natural environment, the relative effects of positive reinforcement and response cost as an adjunct to traditional group counseling in the treatment of substance abusers. While these procedures have been repeatedly reported to be effective in controlled settings, little evidence exists that the results generalize to the natural setting. Further, there is a dearth of research which compares contingency contracting to other modalities in the natural setting. Therefore, a second purpose of this research was to compare the effects of contingency contracting as an adjunct to traditional group counseling versus traditional group counseling alone.Subjects for this study were 45 male enlisted soldiers who were diagnosed as alcohol or drug abusers and were enrolled in an Army Community Drug and Alcohol Assistance Center (CDAAC). Of the subjects, 25 were alcohol abusers and 20 were drug abusers. The mean age was 23 years and the median rank was E4. They were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment conditions.The counselors were six paraprofessional military members of the CDAAC staff. They were given five one-hour training sessions by the experimenter on the use of contingency contracting and reinforcement procedures. They were then randomly assigned to the treatment conditions. All subjects received traditional group counseling. Additionally, subjects in Treatment Condition1 received tokens for, carrying out the contingencies of a two-part weekly contract. Subjects in Treatment Condition 2 received the total possible number of tokens at the onset of treatment and forfeited tokens each week if the contingencies of the contract were not met. Tokens were exchanged at the end of treatment for rewards previously negotiated with each subject. Subjectsin Treatment Condition 3 did no contracting and received no tokens.The dependent variables in this study were the subject's level of depression and hostility. These were measured by the Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Buss-Durkee Inventory, respectively. A counterbalanced pretest-posttest design was used. The instruments were administered in a classroom in the CDAAC to all subjects prior to the first group session and again after the sixth session. The posttest instruments were administered in the reverse order from the pretest.The statistical analyses were accomplished using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The analysis of the data revealed no statistical differences between contingency contracting with positive reinforcement or contingency contracting with response cost. Further, there were no differences between contingency contracting as an adjunct to traditional group counseling and group counseling alone.The failure to find significant differences between the groups suggests that contingency contracting may not be a viable therapeutic tool in out-patient settings where the counselor does not have control over all potential reinforcers or where the clients may not have a substantial investment in the reinforcement. If the technique is only successful with highly motivated, voluntary clients, it may be no more effective than the contingencies implicit in other counseling relationships. If the effects of in-patient token economies do not generalize to the natural setting and if these procedures require unrealisitic controls when administered in out-patient settings, the previously reported positive results may have little practical value. Further research should be conducted which compares the effects of contingency contracting to other treatment modalities.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1979.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Doctor of Medicine

published_or_final_version / Journalism and Media Studies Centre / Master / Master of Journalism

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences