Many recent studies have confirmed that mindfulness meditation has wide ranging potential to improve the mental health and well-being of adults, though few studies have explored its potential to help younger populations. In the current study, a sample of 4th and 2nd grade students was trained in the techniques of mindfulness meditation. Baseline electroencephalograms (EEGs) were taken before the training, and again after a 10 week period of daily meditation practice. Measures of attention, creativity, affect, depression, behavioral inhibition/activation, emotion regulation, impulsive/aggressive behaviors, and social anxiety were also administered before and after the meditation practice period. Results indicate that mindfulness meditation produces increased relative left-frontal alpha activation, a brain pattern that has been associated with increased positive affect and more adaptive coping responses to aversive events. Significant post-meditation improvements in depression and creativity were also found in the experimental condition. / by Sara Elizabeth Klco. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Research in Logotherapy substantiates the influence of meaning on psychological health and Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) corroborates the effects of psychological health on physical health. This dissertation explores the relationship between meaning and physical health hypothesising that purpose affects physical health. Methodology Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), ANOVAs and stepwise regression were used to explore three possible models. Results EFA revealed four factors, purpose, fear, vitality and aggression. Significant correlations were found between purpose, vitality (0.42) and work application (0.53). Despite the significant relationship between purpose and vitality, the lack of Chi-square is significant, suggesting that additional variables should be introduced into the model. Conclusion People reporting high levels of purpose together with low levels of fear and aggression, can be characterised by high vitality and an absence of medical conditions. Future research should focus on evaluating meaning centred interventions on immunity and vitality. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology) / It has long been known that South Africans are a high risk population for the development of coronary heart disease. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for 8,7% of all deaths in this country in 1988. Despite this distressing situation, rehabilitation facilities for people who have suffered a myocardial infarction or heart attack are relatively scarce. The facilities that exist tend to focus on the biomedical aspects of cardiac rehabilitation such as exercise and diet, and tend to neglect the psychosocial factors. A review of the literature shows, however, that psychosocial factors, and in particular the Type A coronary-prone behaviour pattern are significantly related not only to the development of coronary heart disease, but also to the probability of sUffering and surviving a heart attack. In addition, Type A.behaviour has been shown to be predictive of the risk of a second infarction after an initial attack. For this reason, the proven technology of a treatment programme developed under the auspices of the Recurrent Coronary Prevention Project (Powell & Thoresen, 1986) was applied in an attempt to adapt the programme for the" South African context. The study was aimed at establishing whether the RCPP programme could successfully be employed in this country, and whether the duration could be shortened so as to be more economically viable given the limited economic resources that characterise health care in South Africa. The modified programme was administered to a group of 13 post-myocardial patients at a local cardiac rehabilitation centre. A second group of 11 patients at the same centre served as a no-treatment waiting list control group, but simultaneously underwent an aerobic exercise and cardiovascular counselling programme. Results of the study indicate that 'the modified programme is highly successful in modifying Type A behaviour and its components in South African sUbjects. Comparisons of the experimental and control groups after the intervention showed statistically significant differences on the majority of measures. It was therefore concluded that the modified programme can be used fruitfully in the local context, but it was cautioned that the present sample needs to be followed up over time to ensure that the treatment gains are maintained.

M.A. / The overall objective of the global research project of which the present study is a part, is to create a greater awareness and understanding of the association between physiology and psychology, specifically with regard to IBS. Investigations are being conducted into the contribution of such factors as stress, anxiety, depression, somatization, psychopathology. early sexual abuse and physical abuse to the development and management of IBS. The present study aims to assess the incidence of co-morbid psychopathology in patients with IBS as compared to the general population. 1.3.2 Specific Aims. The aim of the present study is to compare the incidence of concurrent psychopathology in a sample of white, female patients, aged from 25-55 years and diagnosed to have IBS, with the incidence of psychopathology in a sample of white female non-IBS controls aged 25-55 years. Of initial concern will be whether the results of this study confirm the findings of the numerous research projects which attest to the high incidence of comorbid psychopathology in patients with IBS (Chaudhary & Truelove, 1962; Liss et al., 1973; Young et al., 1976), or add support to the limited evidence that disputes these claims (Talley, Kramlinger et al., 1993; Thornton, McIntyre et al., 1990). The study then aims to consider whether the variable of gender has a significant effect on the incidence of co-morbid psychopathology in patients with IBS. As will be discussed in Chapter 3, most of the studies do not differentiate between male and female subjects even though this may well prove to be an important determining factor. As mentioned in section 1.2.1, there is a dearth of research in South Africa into IBS and, more specifically, into the incidence of co-morbid psychopathology and IBS. By restricting participants in this study to those of the white race, the aim of this study is to initiate a process in which the incidence of co-morbid psychopathology in IBS patients of all races will be assessed and compared. In addition, the present study aims to assess whether age and level of education are significant variables in determining the incidence of co-morbid psychopathology in patients with IBS. Inter-group comparisons will be made between three groups of patients with IBS divided first according to age and then according to level of education. Finally, the present study aims to be more methodologically sound than certain of the earlier research projects as reported in the literature. As will become clear in Chapters 2 and 3, a common thread running through much of the literature is the concern that the validity of results may be questionable due to methodological flaws in the design of certain research projects. Small sample size has been a problem in some studies (Liss et al., 1973; Young et al., 1976) whilst in others, the absence of a control group has limited the relevance of data (Liss et al., 1973). Furthermore, a diversity of measuring instruments have been used in the past with little if any standardisation or control of specific variables being assessed. The measuring instrument used in this study, namely the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), allows for an accuracy and comprehensiveness of assessment not found in many previous studies (see Chapter 6, section 6.2.1.4). The PAI assesses psychopathological trends in personality functioning. The word "psychopathology" will be used in this study as substitute for the phrase "psychopathological trends in personality functioning".

M.A. / Irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) is one of the common conditions referred to gastroentorologists, but one of the least understood. Part of the reason for this is the real lack of consensus of opinion regarding the nature of the complaint. The problem is confounded by the absence of objective disease makers, as well as the variation in symptom presentation. The term (IBS) describes a cluster of symptoms which include chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation, or alternating diarrhoea and constipation) in the absence of a known structural cause for the symptom (Toner, Garfinkel, Jeejeebhoy, Scher, Shulhan & Di Gasbarro, 1990). The symptoms of IBS mimic those of many other gastrointestinal diseases and the challenge to medical doctors is to establish a confident diagnosis based on the symptomatology of the individual, without the need to carry out multiple investigations to eliminate organic disease of the bowel. The pathogenesis of a condition remains a mystery. Most doctors would not consider IBS to a 'proper" disease at all, but view it as a physiological alteration in intestinal function brought about by psychological disturbance (Read, 1985).