Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-119).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-72).

As the U.S. population ages the number of family caregivers is expected to rise. Family caregivers are a valuable source of informal healthcare services for patients and the public, in terms of reducing healthcare costs. However, research suggests family caregiving is not only financially costly for individuals, but associated with a number of medical and mental health risks, with spouses at higher risk for negative outcomes compared to other family members. Traditional evidence-based therapies for stress in family caregivers have been shown to be minimally efficacious with spouses. No therapies take into account the existential nature of spouse caregiver stress, including the potential nonconscious role of loss of life meaning/purpose and death anxiety. This study of multiple baseline design preliminarily explored the effects of a novel 8-week Terror Management Theory integrated existential psychotherapy (TIE) on stress and nonconscious mechanisms believed to function as buffers for existential anxiety, in five women with spouses receiving cancer treatment. Methods included ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of anxiety and self-esteem states via text message sent three times daily – and intermittent assessment of death anxiety, self-compassion, meaning in life, and quality of life at baseline, intervention, immediate post, and 1-month follow-up. Visual and statistical analyses indicated significant between-phase trend changes in anxiety and self-esteem within participants, although direction of changes varied across participants. Additionally, changes in death anxiety, self-compassion, meaning in life, and quality of life between phases varied across participants in directions inconsistent with intervention aims and participants’ subjective impressions of intervention-related changes. Mixed findings point to the complexity of spouse caregiver psychology and highlight the need for more effective therapies with this population. Results may also guide future research and development of existentially-informed therapies.

Inledning: Depression är en av de vanligaste psykiatriska diagnoserna i Sverige (Folkhälsomyndigheten, 2017). Depression leder till att livet känns meningslöst, vilket ger lidandet en existentiell dimension. Att studera psykoterapeuters syn på lidande utifrån existentiella och psykoanalytiska perspektiv motiveras eftersom forskning har visat att interventioner som adresserar dessa specifikt har varit framgångsrika. Syftet med studien var att undersöka denna fråga ytterligare. Frågeställningar: Hur föreställer sig psykodynamiska psykoterapeuter psykiskt lidande och hur arbetar de med det i terapin? Vilken betydelse tillskriver de, de existentiella dimensionerna för det psykiska lidandet? Metod: En kvalitativ metod har använts. Sex terapeuter intervjuades med utgångspunkt från en semi-strukturerad intervjuguide, intervjuerna analyserades tematiskt. Resultat: Tre huvudteman om lidande framkom i intervjuerna: Att vara människa, skapar både möjlighet och hinder för mening och läkande, kärlekens betydelse. Diskussion: Analysen pekade på en mångfald av uppfattningar om lidandet och sättet att arbeta med det. Den visade dock på en samstämmighet vad gäller upplevelsen av kärlekens betydelse för lidandet och pekade på att psykodynamiska terapeuter, i diskussionen om konfidenters lidande i kärlek och religion, närmade sig existentiella perspektiv. / Introduction: Depression is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten, 2017). Depression causes life to feel meaningless, which gives it an existential dimension. Studying psychotherapists’ views of suffering from an existential and psychoanalytic perspective is motivated since research has shown that interventions that address it have been successful. The purpose of the study was to investigate this question further. Research questions: How do psychotherapists envisage mental suffering and how do they work with it in therapy? What significance do psychotherapists attribute to the importance of the existential dimensions for mental suffering? Method: A qualitative has been used. Six therapists were interviewed based on a semi-structured interview guide, the interview responses were thematically analysed. Results: Three main themes on suffering emerged in the interview responses: To be human, suffering creates both opportunities and obstacles to meaning and healing, the importance of love. Discussion: The interviews indicated a variety of ideas about suffering and ways of working with it. However, they pointed to a consensus regarding the experience of the importance of love for suffering and showed that psychodynamic therapists, in the discussion of clients’ suffering in love and religion, approached existential perspectives.

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))

In this qualitative, interpretive study a new and promising imagery technique, called Wertimagination (WIM®) [Value-Oriented Imagery] was researched. It was developed by the logotherapist Uwe Boeschemeyer in Germany. At the main focus of this study are the psychotherapeutic work experiences of logotherapists applying WIM®. Their perceptions with regard to Wertimagination’s potencies, limitations and its overall contribution to Logotherapy are explored. Eight semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with German logotherapists offering WIM® at their practice. The interview contents are analysed and compared with supplementing perspectives: with Wertimagination experiences reported by other (logo)therapists, by clients and by the developer of the method (Boeschemeyer), extracted from the existing body of literature. The results show that Value-Oriented Imagery by all three researched parties – (logo)therapists, clients and its developer – is experienced to be a high potential logotherapeutic, salutogenetic (resources-oriented) approach contributing inter alia towards a person’s inner meaning finding, selfacceptance and trust in life. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

In this qualitative, interpretive study a new and promising imagery technique, called Wertimagination (WIM®) [Value-Oriented Imagery] was researched. It was developed by the logotherapist Uwe Boeschemeyer in Germany. At the main focus of this study are the psychotherapeutic work experiences of logotherapists applying WIM®. Their perceptions with regard to Wertimagination’s potencies, limitations and its overall contribution to Logotherapy are explored. Eight semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with German logotherapists offering WIM® at their practice. The interview contents are analysed and compared with supplementing perspectives: with Wertimagination experiences reported by other (logo)therapists, by clients and by the developer of the method (Boeschemeyer), extracted from the existing body of literature. The results show that Value-Oriented Imagery by all three researched parties – (logo)therapists, clients and its developer – is experienced to be a high potential logotherapeutic, salutogenetic (resources-oriented) approach contributing inter alia towards a person’s inner meaning finding, selfacceptance and trust in life. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

No description available.

See title file for abstract / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)