Early life experiences such as childhood maltreatment are important contributors to depression, one of the most significant mental health problems in Canada; approximately 11.2% of Canadian adults will experience major depression at some point in their life (Knoll & MacLennan, 2017). Although psychological maltreatment and neglect are the most common forms of child maltreatment, and it has been suggested that they are linked to later depression, the underlying mechanisms explaining this relation have yet to be determined. The current investigation examined the role of adult attachment and relationship satisfaction in the prediction of depressive symptomology in 676 university students (74% female). Both anxious and avoidant attachment were mediators of the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment (CPM) and adult depressive symptoms. Only avoidant attachment was a mediator of the relationship between childhood psychological neglect (CPN) and depressive symptoms. Relationship status did not moderate the relationship between maltreatment and attachment. However, for those currently in romantic relationships, the effect of CPM on avoidant attachment was moderated by relationship satisfaction. Specifically, those with a history of CPM who were currently in a satisfying relationship experienced heightened attachment avoidance along with subsequent depressive symptoms. Implications and strategies for clinical intervention are discussed. / Graduate

Magister Curationis - MCur / The international concern about human rights, gender equality, domestic violence and the increase in the aging populations has brought elder abuse into the public focus. Elder abuse is a complex, multi-faceted health, social, criminal justice, international public health and human rights issue. The widely divergent and varying definitions is a controversial problem to understanding elder abuse. The elderly have been excluded from national gender-based programs on domestic violence and the abuse of women and children. In South Africa victims of elder abuse are often physically and or cognitively unable to speak for themselves which necessitates that the public be empowered and trained to become advocates for the aged. Lachs & Pillemer ( 2004 : 1265 ) states that "the physical and psychological impairement of elder persons could be predisposing factors for elder abuse ". Statistical evidence on the incidence and prevalence rates of elder abuse is lacking as elderly persons are reluctant to identify care givers for fear of abandonment, retaliation and being left destitute ( Lachs & Pillemer, 2004 : 1265 ). Despite the Bill of Rights as set out in the South African Constitution and the Older Persons Act, No. 13 of 2006 which was developed to deal with the empowerment and protection of elder persons and promote and maintain their status, rights, safety, security and well being the abuse of elder person continues to occur ( Older Persons Act, No. 13 of 2006 ). This qualitative research study is allied with the phenomenological approach in an attempt to understand elder person’s perception, viewpoints and perspectives from their lived experiences and personal lives. Three (3) focus group discussions and eighteen (18) one-on-one interviews were conducted with elder persons living in the suburbs of Cape Town. Data from participants were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim before an inductive analysis lead to the emergence of broad themes and patterns. The main findings of the research study concluded that elderly persons were informed but not empowered about financial, emotional and verbal abuse. The abuse of the elder person in old age homes also featured prominently. The findings of the research study can be used to provide education and empower elder persons and the general public on specific aspects related to elder abuse which are : Financial, Emotional, Verbal and the abuse by staff at old age homes. These findings could be utilized by health and social welfare advocates and organisations who offer community educational and development programs to advocate against elder abuse. / South Africa

The main purpose of this study was to explore the needs of caregivers of abandoned children in the Waterberg District (Modimolle area), Limpopo Province. The objectives of the study were to investigate caregiving and abandoned children in South Africa through literature study and consultation with experts, to gather empirical data on the needs of caregivers of abandoned children and finally to make recommendations regarding the needs of caregivers of abandoned children to the Department of Health and Social Development for intervention programs in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province. The study was guided by a research question which was formulated as follows: What are the needs of caregivers of abandoned children? The qualitative research approach was used since the researcher aimed to explore the personal experience with regard to the needs of caregivers of abandoned children. The findings will be utilized to make practical recommendations for intervention programmes to the Department of Health and Social Development in the Waterberg District. The population for this study composed of caregivers of abandoned children in the Waterberg District, Modimolle area. Semi structured interviews was conducted with (10) caregivers. Data was analysed using the following steps: collecting and recording, managing, reading and memoing, describing, classifying, interpreting and visualizing. Finally conclusions were drawn and recommendations outlined for intervention programs to the Department of Health and Social Development. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

No description available.

Background: Approximately a third of all stroke patients develop spatial neglect, a debilitating symptom associated with poor outcome. Spatial neglect is clinically defined as a deficit in processing and responding to stimuli presented on the contralesional side of the body, or the space surrounding that side of the body. The heterogenetic, multi-sensory nature of the symptoms renders it difficult to diagnose and treat; therefor effective methods for screening and intervention for neglect are needed. Virtual reality (VR) is a method of brain–computer interaction that involves realtime simulation of an environment, scenario or activity that allows for user interaction and targets multiple senses. We hypothesize that VR can facilitate identification of spatial neglect in stroke patients and that training with this interface will improve patient’s functional outcome, through stimulation to neuronal networks including those controlling attention. Objective: The objective was to construct and validate a computerized test battery for spatial neglect and to investigate its usability in stroke patients. Also to design and develop a VR rehabilitation method for spatial neglect and to evaluate its effects on spatial attention and on neuronal activity in the brain. Method: We designed, developed and evaluated a new concept for assessment (VR-DiSTRO®) and training (RehAtt®) of spatial attention, using VR technology. The hardware consisted of a PC, monitor, 3D-glasses and a force feedback device to control the tasks (i.e., a robotic pen). The software enabled targets to be moved, rotated and manipulated in the 3D environment using the robotic pen. RehAtt® made it possible to combine intense visual scanning training, multi-sensory stimulation (i.e., audio, visual, tactile) and sensory-motor activation of the contralesional arm. In a first study on 31 stroke patients we performed a construct validation of VR-DiSTRO® against Rivermead Behavioural Test Battery (BIT) and investigated the usability. In a second study, 15 subjects with chronic spatial neglect (symptoms >6 month) had self-training, 3 x 1 hour for 5 weeks using RehAtt®. Outcome were measured by changes in neglect tests and in Cathrine Bergego Scale (CBS). Training-related changes in neuronal activity of the brain was studied using fMRI during task and in resting state. Results: VR-DiSTRO® correctly identified all patients with neglect. The sensitivity was 100% and the specificity 82% for VR-DiSTRO® compared to BIT. Usability was high and no side-effects were noted. Using repeated measurement analysis, improvements due to the RehAtt® intervention were found for Baking tray task (p < 0.001), Star cancellation test (p = 0.006) and Extinction test (p = 0.05). Improvements were also seen in the Posner task as fewer missed targets (p = 0.024). Improvement in activities of daily living (CBS) was shown immediately after training (p < 0.01) and patients still reported improvement at 6 months follow-up. Trainingrelated changes in neuronal activity were seen as an increased task-evoked brain activity in prefrontal and temporal cortex, mainly outside the attention network but in related cortical areas. During resting state, changes in network connectivity were seen after intervention with RehAtt® in the Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) and interhemispheric connectivity. Conclusion: VR-DiSTRO® identified visuospatial neglect in stroke patients quickly and with a high accuracy. RehAtt® training improved in spatial attention in chronic neglect with transfer to functions in daily living. Increased neuronal brain activity was found in and between attention networks and related brain structures. This could represent a compensatory effect in addition to sign of a restorative effect from the RehAtt training. The results obtained in this study are promising, encourage further development of the methods and merit for further studies.

This minor field study describes the situation for the boy-child in rural Kenya and thepossible effects that can be seen after years of focus directed mostly on the girl-child,both in school and through non-governmental organizations (NGO). This study is doneby going in to the field of rural Kenya and meeting people who can give their opinion onwhat is going on for the boy-child in Kenya. This is a qualitative study based on semistructuredinterviews with six social workers. The method of using open ended questionswill give a hint of what is going on in the day-to-day life in the social worker´s context.During the analysis of the interviews it became evident that there is a need to payattention to the boy-child. There is also a slight difference in focus depending onwhether the informant is a woman or a man. Furthermore all social workers have spokenabout the risks that the boy-child and young teenaged boys are facing. The social workersin this study express their perception that the boy-child is vulnerable. Three major areascould be recognized: vulnerable by the neglect of professionals, vulnerable by the Africanculture and vulnerable by exposure to hazards. At the end of this study there will be adiscussion around the findings and analysis of the interviews. The discussion will alsobring up the aspects of manhood, masculinity and the importance of language as a way toconstruct perceptions as well as how the general construction of gender can be a part ofwhat makes the boy-child vulnerable.

This two-part study investigates the effectiveness of neurofeedback training for reducing behavioral problems commonly observed in abused/neglected children, and compares its efficacy to other treatment interventions with this population. Neuro-developmental sequelae of early relationship trauma are explored as an etiological framework for understanding disturbed affect-regulation, which appears central to the behavioral and emotional difficulties commonly experienced by this pediatric population. It is suggested that neurofeedback teaches children to self-regulate brain rhythmicity mechanisms, which in turn affects global improvements in behavior and mood. The pilot study utilizes records of 20 children removed from their biological homes by Child Protective Services. Children were assessed prior to treatment using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), and again after 30 sessions of individualized, qEEG-guided neurofeedback training. A t-test analysis of pre- and post-scores was computed, and indicated significant improvements following treatment. A meta-analysis of existing literature on treatment interventions with abused/neglected children provides individual and aggregate effect sizes for 33 outcome studies with this clinical population, and contextualizes the results of the present pilot study within other empirically validated treatment modalities. Establishment of an overall effect size for treatment for this pediatric population provides a needed method of comparing research results across studies when control groups may not be ethical or feasible.

Abuse and neglect occurring in childhood have been associated with a number of functional and physiological effects on the brain. This study extends previous research that investigated the quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) patterns in children with histories of relational trauma through the inclusion of additional participants and measures. As in previous studies, the relative power, absolute power, and coherence values in children with histories of abuse were compared to the Neuroguide database. Results did not show any significant differences in relative or absolute power in the theta range. Similarly, there were no significant coherence differences. Database comparisons were also made using low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) in order to determine which sub-cortical brain structures may be affected by abuse or trauma, though there were no significant differences in any frequency (0-30Hz). A review of the literature suggests that the prevalence of mu in normal adults and children ranges from 0 to 19%. The present study found a mu prevalence rate of 60.6% in the children who experienced abuse or neglect. Finally, comparisons were made between participants who demonstrate a mu pattern and those who do not to determine if this pattern is associated with certain behavioral and/or attention problems as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Tests of Variables of Attention (TOVA), respectively. There were no significant differences between children with a mu pattern versus children who did not exhibit a mu pattern on the Social Problems, Thought Problems, or Attention subscale scores on the CBCL or on the Commission subscale score on the TOVA.

A positive sibling relationship may protect individuals against poor developmental outcomes associated with psychological maltreatment. The current study assessed the moderating role of a positive sibling relationship in childhood and adulthood on associations between early psychological maltreatment and adult attachment anxiety and avoidance. College students (N = 270) completed self-report measures of psychological maltreatment, sibling relationship quality, and adult attachment. Psychological maltreatment in childhood was associated with an increase in attachment anxiety and avoidance, while a positive sibling relationship was related to a decrease in levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance. As predicted, a positive childhood sibling relationship mitigated the negative effects of psychological neglect in childhood on attachment. Similarly, a positive sibling relationship decreased the levels of attachment anxiety associated with isolation in childhood.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-06-20T14:37:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Rejane Alexandrina Domingues Pereira do Prado.pdf: 1433567 bytes, checksum: 7e9c68d708cb016f14f5e67fa4725585 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-20T14:37:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rejane Alexandrina Domingues Pereira do Prado.pdf: 1433567 bytes, checksum: 7e9c68d708cb016f14f5e67fa4725585 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-20 / The term omission neglect encompasses the insensitivity of the consumer before the lack of information about such aspects as products and/or service characteristics, quality and options, as well as other factors. Omission neglect occurs when only part of the necessary information for analysis is present. Furthermore, this lack of information may not even be noticed, which leads to negligence in the decision-making process. This phenomenon has been studied since 1998, beginning in the United States, and has been researched in different contexts since then. However, studies on the effect of time pressure on omission neglect has not been found so far, which sets up a new investigation problem. Because individuals may not recognize omission of information in the purchase decision processes, notably in the evaluation of alternatives, consumption mistakes of either lower or higher degree may occur. Also, considering that time pressure is a factor that may also damage the quality of decisions, this study tried to identify the time pressure effect on omission neglect. Eight hypotheses were tested in two different experiments. The results allowed us to identify the time pressure effect on the negligence of information omission, the non-congruence between subjective expertise and objective expertise, and also identified that omission salience cancels the time pressure effect. / O termo negligência da omissão compreende a insensibilidade do consumidor diante da ausência de informações, tais como características dos produtos e/ou serviços, qualidade e opções, entre outros fatores. Ocorre a negligência da omissão quando, em determinada situação, tem-se apenas parte das informações necessárias para análise, não se percebendo a ausência de outras, o que resulta na negligência das mesmas. Esse fenômeno começou a ser estudado em 1988, nos Estados Unidos, e, nos últimos anos, tem sido pesquisado em diversos contextos. Todavia, até o presente momento, não foram localizados estudos sobre o efeito da pressão do tempo na negligência da omissão, configurando-se esta uma nova problemática de investigação. Dada a relevância do estudo, pois o indivíduo que não reconhece a omissão de informações nos processos de decisão de compra, notadamente na avaliação das alternativas, pode incorrer em erros de consumo de menor ou maior grau, e considerando que a pressão do tempo é um fator que pode prejudicar a qualidade das decisões, buscou-se identificar o efeito da pressão do tempo na negligência da omissão de informações. Foram testadas oito hipóteses em dois experimentos distintos. Os resultados alcançados permitiram identificar o efeito da pressão do tempo na negligência da omissão de informações, a não congruência entre expertise subjetiva e expertise objetiva e, ainda, identificou-se que a saliência da omissão anula o efeito da pressão do tempo.