Thesis (PH.D.)--Michigan State University. Family and Child Ecology, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 28, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-94). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M Ed.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Bibliography: p. 65-71.

Thesis (D.Min.)--Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, 2010. / Title from dissertation title page (viewed Jun. 24, 2010). Includes abstract. "A project report and thesis submitted to the Faculty of Brite Divinity School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--La Salle University, 2005. / ProQuest dissertations and theses ; AAT 3227734 Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-42)

Meditation, used initially as a vehicle for self-discovery and attainment of enlightenment, is today a tool for well-being among the general public and has even found its way into the clinical milieu. Meditation is challenging term to define and the variety of meditation practices, all with their own aims, pose a problem in terms of scientific understanding. A better sense of how these practices compare will help both general public and neuroscientists. Here, two of the fundamental practices originating from Buddhist tradition, focused attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM) meditation are compared. FA meditation activates mainly right medial/lateral PFC, parts of the limbic system and ACC. These regions help with sustaining attention and monitoring goal-conflicting distractors. FA deactivates parts of the default mode network (DMN), responsible for non-task specific processes and mind wandering. OM meditation reduces pain by top-down regulation of the limbic system. OM engages left fronto-parietal and insular regions, which help with conscious access of thoughts and emotions. OM seems to affect parts of the DMN. The thalamus is involved in both practices, where it helps to relay sensory signals in accordance with the different aims of each practice. This thesis hopes to contribute to a better understanding of how two main categories of meditation compare concerning their neural correlates.

This thesis describes a qualitative study exploring the use of critical care diaries from the experiences and perspectives of patients, family members and nurses in a Scottish Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Diaries are currently used in some ICUs across Europe, the UK, Australia and other countries to help patients come to terms with the experience of critical illness. Started in the ICU, the diary is written at the bedside by nurses and family members providing an account of what happened when the patient was in ICU. Following discharge, the diary is handed over to the patient for them to read and refer to during their recovery. Therefore, the diary is used by different people, at different times and in different ways throughout the critical illness journey. However, until recently, research has mainly focused on the diary being read by the patient after ICU as an aid to recovery with little known about family members and nurses despite them being the main authors during the time in ICU. This doctoral research was designed to explore critical care diaries from multiple perspectives and experiences to gain a greater understanding of the different ways in which diaries can be used. Furthermore, it is the first known research study in this area to have been undertaken in NHS Scotland where the use of diaries remains a relatively new practice. The theoretical perspective of Symbolic Interactionism helped to inform the development and design of the research study. A focused ethnographic approach was taken to explore the use of critical care diaries from the different groups identified, during and after a stay in ICU. The setting was an Adult ICU in Scotland where diaries were being used as part of a follow up service for patients and family members after ICU. Data were collected from February 2013 to June 2014. Semi-structured interviews were the main method of data collection. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted to recruit participants in triads with a related patient, family member and nurse involved in their care during the time in ICU. This is a novel and unique approach to research in this area. Four complete triads and two incomplete triads were recruited giving a total of sixteen interviews with four patients, six family members and six nurses. Interviews were supplemented with a small number of formal observations of nurses carrying out diary related activities (n=9) and field notes from time spent at the site. Transcribed interview data were analysed using a thematic approach, uncovering five main themes: (1) Information; (2) Communication; (3) Emotion; (4) Person Centered and (5) Gender. The concept of ‘Stories as joint actions’ developed by the sociologist Ken Plummer in 1995 was used as a framework to discuss and explain the findings. Diaries were found to support information sharing and facilitate communication interactions between nurses, family members and patients in the ICU as well as promoting and demonstrating a person centered approach to care. Emotional support was experienced by family members from writing in and reading the diary during the time in ICU whereas patients experienced emotional support from reading diary entries after the time in ICU. However emotional effort was associated with reading and writing in the diary during and after the time in ICU for patients, family members and nurses. Male family members were found to be less likely to write in the diary compared to female family members. Factors such as gender and literacy appeared to influence diary use however this requires further investigation. A new conceptual model ‘Critical Care Diaries as Joint Actions’ was created to address the complex nature of experiences with critical care diaries. Exploring the use of diaries from multiple perspectives and experiences has provided valuable insight into the different ways in which diaries are used during and after the time in ICU demonstrating that although the diary is primarily written for the patient, family members, nurses and patients use the diary in different ways to support their needs and others needs throughout the experience of critical illness.

abstract: Nanolaminate composite materials consist of alternating layers of materials at the nanoscale (≤100 nm). Due to the nanometer scale thickness of their layers, these materials display unique and tailorable properties. This enables us to alter both mechanical attributes such as strength and wear properties, as well as functional characteristics such as biocompatibility, optical, and electronic properties. This dissertation focuses on understanding the mechanical behavior of the Al-SiC system. From a practical perspective, these materials exhibit a combination of high toughness and strength which is attractive for many applications. Scientifically, these materials are interesting due to the large elastic modulus mismatch between the layers. This, paired with the small layer thickness, allows a unique opportunity for scientists to study the plastic deformation of metals under extreme amounts of constraint. Previous studies are limited in scope and a more diverse range of mechanical characterization is required to understand both the advantages and limitations of these materials. One of the major challenges with testing these materials is that they are only able to be made in thicknesses on the order of micrometers so the testing methods are limited to small volume techniques. This work makes use of both microscale testing techniques from the literature as well as novel methodologies. Using these techniques we are able to gain insight into aspects of the material’s mechanical behavior such as the effects of layer orientation, flaw dependent fracture, tension-compression asymmetry, fracture toughness as a function of layer thickness, and shear behavior as a function of layer thickness. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Materials Science and Engineering 2016

abstract: There are some factors that have been used to explain why the presence of a calling (i.e., “an approach to work that reflects the belief that one's career is a central part of a broader sense of purpose and meaning in life and is used to help others or advance the greater good in some fashion” (Duffy & Dik, 2013, p. 429) reduces work stress and its potential negative outcomes, such as absenteeism, job performance and productivity, work-related accidents and overall employee health. The effect of problem-focused coping, however, remains largely untested as a potential mediator in this relation. The present study was conducted to quantitatively test whether problem-focused coping would mediate the relation between having a calling to work and perceived work stress in zookeepers. Participants were recruited through an online survey. They responded to questionnaires regarding calling, problem-focused coping, and work stress. Using hierarchical regression analyses, it was found that problem-focused coping partially mediated the relation between presence of a calling and perceived work stress. Specifically, having the presence of a calling to work predicted greater problem-focused style of coping, which, in turn, led to lower perceived work stress. Future directions for research were discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2018

Background: Evidence suggests that the recovery focused approach provides a new conceptual framework for modern rehabilitation practice; encouraging a movement away from traditional medical treatment, towards a more person-centred, social approach to patient care. Mental health services are increasingly focused on supporting the recovery approach to patient care, with government policies continuing to encourage local teams to develop recovery focused services. In relation to the recovery focused approach, this thesis had two aims. Firstly, to systematically analyse literature which explores the impact of recovery-oriented training on staff knowledge and attitudes toward recovery practice, and secondly, to explore nursing staff perceptions and experiences concerning moving towards and using a recovery focused approach within a low secure forensic mental health setting. Methods: Aims were addressed in two separate pieces of work. The first journal article presents a systematic review. Literature searches of six computerised databases, hand searching of selected journals, and the contacting of key authors of identified papers identified nine papers which explored the impact of recovery-oriented training programmes on increasing staff knowledge and changing attitudes towards practice. In journal article 2, interviews were conducted with eleven forensic mental health nurses in relation to service changes and analysed using Framework Analysis. Results: The systematic review found that all nine studies demonstrated significant positive changes in mental health practitioners’ self-reported recovery-based knowledge, recovery-consistent attitudes and attributions, and optimism following completion of a recovery-oriented training programme. In journal article 2, five themes were identified: managing risk; patient engagement; service developments; development of job role and ward environment. Conclusions: The systematic review demonstrated the effectiveness of recovery-oriented training programmes at facilitating positive changes in staff knowledge, attitudes and attributions towards recovery oriented practice in clinical populations. Limitations of the papers included the relatively small sample sizes, the complex nature of the populations reviewed and the high rate of demographic confounding variables identified. The results of the original study provided insight into the views and understandings of forensic mental health nursing staff, specifically, into factors which were perceived to promote and impede the recovery focused approach within a low secure forensic mental health setting. In both articles, results are discussed in relation to clinical implications, strengths and limitations, and directions for future research.

Background Mental illness is increasing in the society and it affects the person in the daily life. Relatives are helpful in the recovering of the person with mental illness. In order to provide a good nursing it is important that the nurse knows how relatives experience how it is to live with a person with mental illness. Aim The aim of this study was to illuminate relatives experiences of living with a person with mental illness. Method This study was literature- based and 11 qualitative articles were analyzed for the results. The articles were analyzed by the method of contributing to evidence-based nursing based on analysis of qualitative research. Results The results of this study showed that relatives living with a person that suffers from mental illness experienced a heavy burden. Feelings of guilt and shame was described, which had an impact on the daily life because of constant worry for the person with the mental illness. Relatives also experienced anxiety for the future. The relatives felt excluded from the healthcare and they felt that the healthcare did not take responsibility for the person with the mental illness. The rights to be provided with adequate care, both for the patient and for their relative was described as a constant fight. Conclusion The relatives experienced social isolation, feelings of guilt and loneliness. A need for greater support from the hospital staff desired due the relatives had a need for care and experiences of being excluded from the healthcare was described.