Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Substance abuse is a global phenomenon and a leading social issue that affects the user and the well-being of the user’s family. Parental substance abuse in particular, has a negative impact on family well-being. South Africa is no exception and is rated by the United Nations as one of the countries in Southern Africa with the highest rate of substance abuse. The Western Cape has very high rates of substance abuse, and the effects on the abuser’s family and community is of great concern for social and health practitioners

Thesis advisor: Gilda Morelli / Although trying to survive on a low income is challenging for all individuals, the experience of losing government supports can propel households into a crisis situation which may cause them to act or react in distinctive ways. This study used a survey of 78 low-income women followed by in-depth interviews with 18 of these women to explore how two groups of women--those close to losing government supports (i.e., within three months) and those further from losing government supports (i.e., experienced at least one year ago)--plan for and cope with financially vulnerable periods in their lives and how they fare as a result. There are two parts to this research. First, information on government support use, social support, proactive coping, and overall well-being were gathered using survey techniques. Linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted to further explore the association between these constructs. Proactive coping was found to be a significant predictor of well-being (R2=.305, &#946;=.552, p<.01), but social support did not mediate this relation. Findings from the survey also demonstrated the women in the near loss group scored higher on proactive coping and well-being measures, and the far from loss group scored higher on measures of social support. Second, a sub-sample of the survey participants were chosen for an in-depth interview based on when they lost (or were anticipating to lose) government supports. This sub-sample was invited to discuss their resource loss experience, how they planned for and coped with this loss, and what role other factors such as social support, consideration of future consequences, choice deferral, and perceived transaction costs played in this process and what it meant for their well-being. The conversations with the women revealed that the group near a loss situation deferred decisions less frequently and had shorter planning horizons focusing more on the immediate (and less on the future) consequences of their decisions. While the far from loss group discussed, with less urgency, their plans as being distant and spoke of their more extensive social support networks. Both groups discussed similar sentiments of shame, degradation, and inconvenience associated with their experiences at the welfare office, and although the cost of this transaction outweighed the benefit for the women in the far from loss group, the near loss participants chose to endure it to receive the assistance. This research demonstrated that individuals who face government support loss because of an increase in income and who proactively plan make better strides towards becoming economically self-sufficient and investing in the health and well-being of their families now and in the future. This, in turn, may continue to encourage and promote the ability to act in proactive ways and may lead to greater overall well-being. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Psychology.

This dissertation explores whether families of incarcerated fathers are more likely to experience food insecurity as a result of the conviction of the father. More specifically, I test whether food insecurity explains some of the devastating consequences of paternal incarceration on mothers and children. Because children of incarcerated fathers are at higher risk of following their fathers’ footsteps, this cycle of incarceration can be self-perpetuating. I try to determine how policy can be used to break this cycle. This dissertation examines the role of food insecurity in explaining the negative impact of paternal incarceration on the well-being of mothers and children. The United States has experienced a huge prison boom over the last 40 years. A growing proportion of the incarcerated population are parents. Children growing up with one or both parents missing tend to have long-lasting disadvantages. Previous studies have attempted to suggest a few mechanisms through which paternal incarceration has negative consequences for families but has not considered the role of food insecurity. I propose a theoretical framework to show that paternal incarceration negatively affects mothers and children through food insecurity. Using a longitudinal study of fragile families, I find that food insecurity explains some of the negative consequences of paternal incarceration on maternal depression. On the other hand, food insecurity plays no role in the effect of paternal incarceration on child behavior problems. The findings also cast doubt on whether paternal incarceration affects child well-being. The implications for policy are two-fold. First, reducing food insecurity would mitigate the negative effects of paternal incarceration on maternal depression. More research is needed in order to understand whether the negative effects of paternal incarceration on maternal well-being can be further mitigated. Second, prison reform would do little to reduce the behavior problems experienced by children of incarcerated fathers. Rather than incarceration, other factors contributing to social disadvantages could explain why children of incarcerated fathers have more behavior problems than other children.

This dissertation explores whether families of incarcerated fathers are more likely to experience food insecurity as a result of the conviction of the father. More specifically, I test whether food insecurity explains some of the devastating consequences of paternal incarceration on mothers and children. Because children of incarcerated fathers are at higher risk of following their fathers’ footsteps, this cycle of incarceration can be self-perpetuating. I try to determine how policy can be used to break this cycle. This dissertation examines the role of food insecurity in explaining the negative impact of paternal incarceration on the well-being of mothers and children. The United States has experienced a huge prison boom over the last 40 years. A growing proportion of the incarcerated population are parents. Children growing up with one or both parents missing tend to have long-lasting disadvantages. Previous studies have attempted to suggest a few mechanisms through which paternal incarceration has negative consequences for families but has not considered the role of food insecurity. I propose a theoretical framework to show that paternal incarceration negatively affects mothers and children through food insecurity. Using a longitudinal study of fragile families, I find that food insecurity explains some of the negative consequences of paternal incarceration on maternal depression. On the other hand, food insecurity plays no role in the effect of paternal incarceration on child behavior problems. The findings also cast doubt on whether paternal incarceration affects child well-being. The implications for policy are two-fold. First, reducing food insecurity would mitigate the negative effects of paternal incarceration on maternal depression. More research is needed in order to understand whether the negative effects of paternal incarceration on maternal well-being can be further mitigated. Second, prison reform would do little to reduce the behavior problems experienced by children of incarcerated fathers. Rather than incarceration, other factors contributing to social disadvantages could explain why children of incarcerated fathers have more behavior problems than other children.

There is ample evidence indicating that maltreatment has deleterious effects on the development of infants and toddlers. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2003 requires referrals from child welfare (CW) to IDEA Part C Early Intervention services to provide developmental assessments and services for children younger than three with substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect. Thus, this study aims to examine the effects of Part C services on the well-being of young children and their families in CW. This study used a secondary dataset, the National Survey of Children and Adolescent Well-Being II, to examine the research questions. The study results indicate that Part C services can help to decrease the decline and have greater improvement in the well-being outcomes of young children with and without substantiated cases in CW. Also, Part C services can enhance language and adaptive skills for children who are in need of developmental and learning services. However, the developmental and learning needs of those young children are under-identified and under-addressed by CW professionals. Ample research has emphasized that Part C services can lead to positive outcomes for children who are at risk for developmental delays or dysfunction. If those children and their families are not offered timely and appropriate early interventions, their difficulties can become more severe, which often leads to lifelong consequences. To address the developmental needs of those children as early as possible, this study’s findings indicate an urgent need to enhance CW professionals’ knowledge of early childhood development and intervention as well as to improve their capabilities to identify young children’ developmental needs. State administrators and policymakers should reexamine the existing relationship between CW and Part C to further establish a better referral-making system in response to the mandated referrals under CAPTA of 2003 and IDEA of 2004.

There are several psychosocial factors that can affect an individual diagnosed with cancer (Holland, 2003), and directly addressing these issues with patients is important for their overall care and quality of life (Holland, 1998). The practice of psycho-oncology has been designed to assess these psychosocial issues with patients and their caregivers by means of outlets such as support groups to facilitate a wellness model of care (Myers & Sweeney, 2008). Using the demographics of age and sex, I plan to analyze and identify what psychosocial needs are significant to individuals diagnosed with cancer, and compare the sex and age of two significantly represented patient age groups 18-40 and 41-80 years old. I will survey the patients of Tulane Cancer Center in New Orleans, Louisiana when they arrive for medical treatment at the facility. The survey will include a demographic page, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G (Version 4), the Body Image Scale (BIS), the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire-Short Form (CSFQ-14), and additional questions regarding the extent to which an individual would attend a support group designed for their specific age and sex demographic. Through data analysis, I hope to discover whether any of the variables of body image, sexual functioning, physical well being, social/family well being, emotional well being, and functional well being show significant differences between the male or female young adult population of 18-40 year olds and those patients who are 41-80 years old. The findings should allow psycho-oncology clinicians to utilize this knowledge to address what psychosocial needs are appropriate for each age and sex group, and thus enhance the overall care of the patient.

O trabalho com a família no contexto de cuidado pediátrico requer fundamentação teórica para que se desenvolva como filosofia de cuidado centrado na família. A partir do questionamento sobre quais os significados atribuídos pela família às interações vivenciadas ao longo da hospitalização da criança, este estudo buscou compreender a experiência de interação da família e identificar as intervenções consideradas efetivas na perspectiva da família. O Interacionismo Simbólico foi a perspectiva teórica que orientou o processo de pensamento e conferiu sustentação ao desenvolvimento da pesquisa que teve como referencial metodológico a Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados. Participaram do estudo seis famílias de crianças hospitalizadas. Os resultados permitiram a construção de um modelo teórico explicativo da experiência de interação da família, definida pela categoria central BUSCANDO SEGURANÇA PARA DESENVOLVER SUAS COMPETÊNCIAS que integra os fenômenos SENTINDO-SE SEGURA PARA ASSUMIR RISCOS e SENTINDO-SE INSEGURA PARA ASSUMIR RISCOS, que representam os contextos relacionais que emergem da interação com os profissionais de saúde. A compreensão dos significados atribuídos pela família à suas interações permitiu a identificação de intervenções consideradas na perspectiva da família efetivas por promoverem alívio e bem-estar familiar. Os conceitos identificados contribuem especialmente para ampliar a compreensão da abordagem de cuidado centrado na família e proporciona um caminho para a reflexão acerca da interação e intervenção com família na prática pediátrica. / The work with family in a pediatric care setting requires theoretical framework in order to develop itself as a family centered care philosophy. Starting from the question research about the meanings the family attributes to experienced interactions along the child\'s hospitalization, this study tries to understand the experience of family s interaction, as well to identify the interventions considered effective in the family s perspective. Symbolic Interactionism was the theoretical perspective that has oriented the mind processing and supported the Grounded Theory methodology. Six families with hospitalized children have participated in the present study. The results allowed the construction of an explanatory theoretical model of family\'s interaction experience, defined by the central category SEARCHING SECURITY TO DEVELOP COMPETENCES, which integers the both phenomena FEELING SECURE TO ASSUME RISKS and FELLING INSECURE TO ASSUME RISKS, both of them represent the relational contexts that emerge from interaction with health professional. The understanding of meanings that family attributes to interactions allowed identifying interventions considered effective, under family’s perspective, to promote relief and well being. Identified concepts contribute specially to better understanding of family centered care approach as well provide a way to reflection about interaction and intervention with family in a pediatric practice.

O trabalho com a família no contexto de cuidado pediátrico requer fundamentação teórica para que se desenvolva como filosofia de cuidado centrado na família. A partir do questionamento sobre quais os significados atribuídos pela família às interações vivenciadas ao longo da hospitalização da criança, este estudo buscou compreender a experiência de interação da família e identificar as intervenções consideradas efetivas na perspectiva da família. O Interacionismo Simbólico foi a perspectiva teórica que orientou o processo de pensamento e conferiu sustentação ao desenvolvimento da pesquisa que teve como referencial metodológico a Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados. Participaram do estudo seis famílias de crianças hospitalizadas. Os resultados permitiram a construção de um modelo teórico explicativo da experiência de interação da família, definida pela categoria central BUSCANDO SEGURANÇA PARA DESENVOLVER SUAS COMPETÊNCIAS que integra os fenômenos SENTINDO-SE SEGURA PARA ASSUMIR RISCOS e SENTINDO-SE INSEGURA PARA ASSUMIR RISCOS, que representam os contextos relacionais que emergem da interação com os profissionais de saúde. A compreensão dos significados atribuídos pela família à suas interações permitiu a identificação de intervenções consideradas na perspectiva da família efetivas por promoverem alívio e bem-estar familiar. Os conceitos identificados contribuem especialmente para ampliar a compreensão da abordagem de cuidado centrado na família e proporciona um caminho para a reflexão acerca da interação e intervenção com família na prática pediátrica. / The work with family in a pediatric care setting requires theoretical framework in order to develop itself as a family centered care philosophy. Starting from the question research about the meanings the family attributes to experienced interactions along the child\'s hospitalization, this study tries to understand the experience of family s interaction, as well to identify the interventions considered effective in the family s perspective. Symbolic Interactionism was the theoretical perspective that has oriented the mind processing and supported the Grounded Theory methodology. Six families with hospitalized children have participated in the present study. The results allowed the construction of an explanatory theoretical model of family\'s interaction experience, defined by the central category SEARCHING SECURITY TO DEVELOP COMPETENCES, which integers the both phenomena FEELING SECURE TO ASSUME RISKS and FELLING INSECURE TO ASSUME RISKS, both of them represent the relational contexts that emerge from interaction with health professional. The understanding of meanings that family attributes to interactions allowed identifying interventions considered effective, under family’s perspective, to promote relief and well being. Identified concepts contribute specially to better understanding of family centered care approach as well provide a way to reflection about interaction and intervention with family in a pediatric practice.

En la actualidad nos encontramos atravesando por una pandemia tras el surgimiento del COVID-19, que ha ocasionado, en gran parte, que los estilos de vida de los consumidores se modifiquen y adapten a la nueva realidad temporal. Uno de los cambios de mayor relevancia es el trabajo y estudio de manera remota desde los hogares, razón por la cual el tiempo de conexión es mayor y uno de los sectores más favorecidos ha sido el del e-learning. Ante este panorama, nace la idea de la creación e implementación de una plataforma digital, tanto web como aplicativo móvil, que integre cursos y talleres con el objetivo de brindar bienestar, aprendizaje y entretenimiento a las familias, en el horario que tengan disponible. ActivArte360 busca satisfacer necesidades no cubiertas de los niveles socioeconómicos B y C en cuanto a servicios virtuales, brindándoles variedad de opciones dentro de una misma plataforma, de manera que se ahorre el tiempo de búsqueda y la inversión para poder suscribirse a alguno. Para validar este modelo de negocio se realizaron diversos experimentos mediante los MVPs diseñados, consiguiendo así el nivel de aceptación que tendrá la propuesta una vez puesta en marcha. Las validaciones fueron el soporte para la elaboración de planes y estrategias en la organización para lograr los objetivos deseados en cuanto a rentabilidad y escalabilidad. Finalmente, se busca una adaptación constante frente a las diferentes tendencias y exigencias del consumidor en un entorno cambiante. / We are currently going through a pandemic after the emergence of COVID-19, which has caused, to a large extent, the lifestyles of consumers to modify and adapt to the new temporary reality. One of the most relevant changes is working and studying remotely from home, which is why connection time is longer and one of the most favored sectors has been e-learning. Against this background, the idea was born of the creation and implementation of a digital platform, both web and mobile application, that integrates courses and workshops with the aim of providing well-being, learning and entertainment to families, at the time available. ActivArte360 seeks to satisfy unmet needs of socioeconomic levels B and C in terms of virtual services, offering them a variety of options within the same platform, in such a way as to save search time and investment to be able to subscribe to one. To validate this business model, various experiments were carried out using the designed MVPs, thus achieving the level of acceptance that the proposal will have once it is launched. The validations were the support for the development of plans and strategies in the organization to achieve the desired objectives in terms of profitability and scalability. Finally, a constant adaptation is sought in the face of different trends and consumer demands in a changing environment. / Trabajo de investigación

The majority of black South Africans utilize the services of indigenous healers and the new National Health Plan for South Africa makes provision for cooperation between the healers and formal health practitioners. The purpose of this study was to determine the role played by indigenous African healers in the prevention of diseases and the promotion of health, and to design a model which will provide guidelines for cooperation between indigenous healers and formal health workers. This study was ethno-medical, contextual, exploratory and qualitative. It was designed to look into the health care of a specific cultural group to explore in depth the experiences of indigenous healers in providing health care within their cultural context. Data was collected by individual free-type interviews from indigenous African healers, users of formal health services and by observation. It was found that there is dual utilization of both formal and indigenous health service systems by clients. A specific culbrral terminology relating to health was found to be used. Such terminology could result in communication gaps and breakdowns if not known to or used by formal health workers. The findings show that cultural beliefs are still strongly adhered to. These were found to influence the life-styles and health maintenance behaviour of a cultural group. The fmdings show that divination fonns the core of health assessment and health-problem diagnosis. It was found that no health problem could be attended to without first going through a divination session. The findings also show involvement of indigenous healers in primary health care workers at first contact levels of prevention in the field of paediatric preventive care. Diarrhoea and vomiting in children was found to be the preventable disease in which healers specialize. Infertility and impotence were found to be conditions taken to healers for treatment. Other sexually transmitted diseases as well as culture-bound syndromes treated by indigenous healers were found in this study. The use of rituals and rites of passage and the involvement of ancestors were found to form part ofholistic health care. The fmdings show the willingness of healers to collaborate with formal health workers. A model is designed to guide the process of collaboration. / Health Studies / D. Lit. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)