Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Learning problems present major theoretical and practical issues for the field of mental health. This thesis represents an inquiry into the causes of learning problems in children. Relevant theoretical themes viewed in the literature were compared with data collected from case records of school referred children. Review of the literature on learning problems is presented and six major contributing factors are discussed. The research sample was obtained from 26 school-referred children in a follow up study conducted by a child guidance clinic. Children presenting organic deficiencies or psychosis were ruled out. Information relating to psychodynamic issues, family and peer relationships, and school performance was obtained from case records. This information is tabulated and analyzed and compared with the six factors found in the literature on learning problems. Relative significance of each factor is assessed. In this study, the inappropriate handling of aggressive impulses was found to be the most significant factor in problems in learning. Additional conclusions are offered. Research limitations are acknowledged; recommendations for further study are suggested. / 2031-01-02

abstract: Mindfulness is a concept derived from the Buddhist discourses of the Satipattana. Interventions that draw on mindfulness have been shown to reduce psychologically distressing symptoms in clinical settings. It has become widely used as a therapeutic technique in counseling, so it is important to develop an instrument measuring mindfulness-related constructs. This study presents a new instrument measuring the importance of mindfulness-related constructs. Results from an exploratory factor analysis revealed a clear two-factor structure, with the factors named "Present Moment Awareness", and "Compassion and Ethical Behavior." These items were positively correlated with each other and, as expected, negatively correlated with depression. Finally, hours of meditation moderated this association such that the association was stronger among participants who reported higher levels of meditation practice. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counselor Education 2014

abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand and explore the perspectives of caregivers of children receiving mental health services in the Southwest. The data collected examines areas of caregiver satisfaction of services including, perceived barriers and agency’s ability to effectively apply the System of Care model’s core values. Participants (N=100) were interviewed using the System of Care Practice Review, Revised. Data results include descriptive quantitative analysis, correlation and means comparisons, and thematic analysis of qualitative responses. The research indicates that as a whole, caregivers are satisfied with child mental health services. Data suggests that providers should continue to strive for improvement and excellence in several areas of service, including intervention effectiveness, family participation, cultural competence, communication and interpersonal relationships. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Work 2015

The aim of this study has been to examine, in the light of recent events in the field of Health Care in South Africa, the remarks and claims made by the World Health Organization, and the American Psychiatric Association between 1976 and 1978 on Health Care services, as provided for Blacks, by the South African government. In two reports, these organizations instituted the earliest, and arguably most significant claims against South Africa's system of Health Care. This study sketches firstly the political genesis and social context of the WHO, and APA examinations. Secondly, this study evaluates responses made by the South African State to the critical climate inspired by the above mentioned reports, through a close analysis of recent events associated with the politics, and provision of Health Care Facilities - particularly with regard to Black South Africans. This analysis suggests that the governments' earlier tentative policy of privatisation (which was soundly condemned by WHO and the APA) has been even more enthusiastically pursued - in contradiction to it's avowed policies of Commu ity Health Care, and to the continuing detriment of those South African communities who are in most need of adequate Health Care services. The study concludes that the criticisms raised by the WHO and APA had the effect of inspiring positive reforms in South Africa's health services, but in no way thwarted the governments', at first only tentative plans, to increasingly privatise it's psychiatric and other medical institutions.

Class of 2017 Abstract / Objectives: To explore whether rural pharmacists express more stigmatized attitudes towards patients with psychiatric disorders, compared to their urban counterparts. Methods: Data was collected from participants attending the AzPA Southwestern Clinical Pharmacy Seminar during a weekend in February, 2015, using a questionnaire adapted from the Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes (MICA) Scale v4. The questionnaire consisted of demographic and attitude assessment questions regarding patients suffering from psychiatric disorders across different domains (quality of life, fear of patients, admitting to having a psychiatric disorder, and more). Participants were also asked if they would be interested in taking a continuing education course on mental health. Results: The majority of participants that completed the study were women (75%) and identified racially as white (89%). Pharmacists practice settings were as follows: 79% of pharmacists worked in urban areas and 21% in rural areas. Rural pharmacists displayed significantly higher rates of stigmatized attitudes compared to their urban peers (mean scale score 37.65 vs. 40.15, p=0.049). Conclusions: Pharmacists that practice in rural settings expressed more stigmatized attitudes, compared to their urban counterparts, towards patients diagnosed with psychiatric disorders.

Need assessment methods grew out of the Community Mental Health Centre movement. Developed during a time of rapid expansion of service, there was a focus on providing services matched to the unique needs of a community. In the following years need assessment further developed as a technology and a search began for a "best model'. This paper argues that a "best model' is illusionary, a "best fit' being a more desirable goal. As fiscal constraints have reduced the resources available to consumption Ministries such as Health, need assessment has been increasingly used an allocative tool. Users of the tool, it is argued, must therefore choose their model with care and an understanding of the values and concepts inherent in each model is seen as necessary for intelligent choice. Finally, an examination of the British Columbia mental health context offers an analysis of some of the factors which have and will affect the use of need assessment in this Province / Medicine, Faculty of / Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of / Graduate

The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of crisis centre volunteers. The research sample consisted of 134 active and 105 inactive volunteers from five crisis centres in the Lower Mainland. To solicit descriptive and non-descriptive data, an instrument was constructed and pilot tested. The questionnaire contained 49 attitude items which were collected from the literature and interviews with crisis centre staff and volunteers. They were grouped into six subscales suggested by a modified latent partition analysis. These subscales were A: Doing Shifts, B: The Community, C: Personal Change, D: General Impression, F: Other Volunteers. The subscales were found to be internally consistent (Hoyt, 1941). Volunteers responded to a five-point Likert Scale for each item. The research questions were: are there differences among five crisis centres, and are there differences between active and inactive volunteers, on each of the six subscales? The volunteers' self-perceived success in dealing with specific problems presented by callers was also examined. Descriptive data from the sample were analyzed using simple frequency counts on variables from each of the five crisis centres. Data from the attitude scales were analyzed to further examine internal consistency of the attitude questionnaire. Finally a 5 x 2 (centre by level of activity) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) using Wilks1 likelihood ratio criterion was used to analyze the attitude subscales and Sheffe's multiple comparison procedure was applied where appropriate. Results of the statistical testing indicated differences, significant at .05 level between Crisis Centres #1 and #5 and between #4 and #5 on Subscale E: Staff. Significant differences were also found between Crisis Centres #2 and #5 on Subscale F: Other Volunteers. Active volunteers responded more positively than inactive volunteers at .05 level of significance on all subscales except E: Staff. Results indicated fairly narrow ranges in demographic variables however, tests of significance were not undertaken. The significant differences noted in the attitude subscales may be the result of differences in staff-volunteer contact with each other. In those centres where there was more opportunity for staff to relate to volunteers, the volunteers responded more positively to staff-related items. The crisis centre whose volunteers responded more positively to items pertaining to volunteers, has within its structure more opportunity for contact with other volunteers in the diversified activities in which all volunteers and staff participate. This factor together with the comparative isolation of this centre may account for the significantly more positive responses on this subscale. The attitude of volunteers appeared to be very positive toward their experience. They reported positive changes in self-perception and perception of others as a result of their crisis centre experience. It would appear that more focus on the experience of volunteers at crisis centres would be profitable. Several suggests for further research were discussed, particularly related to "burnout" and motives for becoming inactive. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

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No description available.

INTRODUCTION Depression affects over 18 million American adults yearly and has been identified as the leading cause of disability in people between the ages of 15 and 44 years in the United States. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between individuals who felt unloved or unwanted during their formative years and the occurrence of depressive symptoms in adulthood. METHODS We examined 5,114 participants aged 24–32 years at Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) public use dataset. We used logistic regression analysis to determine the association between an individual feeling unloved or unwanted by their parent or adult caregiver prior to age 18, closeness with their parents, and a host of risk and protective factors with lifetime depression. We controlled by race, income, education, and age. RESULTS Overall (16.2%; n=827) reported lifetime depression diagnosis. Feeling unloved by a parent/ adult caregiver was associated with higher odds of lifetime depression among males (OR= 2.95, 2.22, 3.92) than females (OR=2.16, 1.78-2.61). The participant report of a biological father spending time in prison (OR= 1.40, 1.14, 1.72) was also associated with lifetime depression. CONCLUSION Our results reveal that feeling unloved/unwanted is associated with depression in both males and females. Therefore, it creates the awareness that depression is not gender-based, and that both females and males require the love of their parents and adult caregivers.