"The first report describes a case of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in a pregnant women living in regional Australia. It begins with a discussion of issues of relevance to the treatment of a pregnant woman with MDD. It also describes the evidence based treatment provided and the results achieved for this client. The second report follows the same format to describe a case of PTSD in a married mother living in regional Australia following a suicide attempt. The third report describes a case of Bipolar I disorder in a separated mother living in regional Australia. Finally, fourth report explores the professional and ethical issues associated with the practice of clinical psychology [...]. This report explores professional issues which include self-care requirements and strategies, initial client contact, communication with colleagues and professional development and client records. Ethical issues covered include professional competency, termination of relationships and confidentiality." / Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

Thesis (MPsy(Clinical))--University of South Australia, 2001.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can develop following exposure to a traumatic event involving actual or threatened death or serious injury. Responses include intense fear, helplessness or horror. Symptoms are characterised into clusters, described as re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal. These symptoms, which are also evident in other conditions, have been associated with dysfunctions in the central acetylcholinergic system. Benefits from administering acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) to people suffering these symptoms have been demonstrated. Donepezil hydrochloride, a reversible inhibitor of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, is used in the treatment of conditions with difficulties in cognitive function, but has not been used in PTSD. The aim of this thesis was to determine (1) whether there was a difference in the ACh system in people with PTSD and (2) whether administration of an AChEI would change the symtomatology. IDEX (I¹ ² ³ iododexetimide) has been useful in imaging muscarinic-ACh receptors using Single Photon Emission Computerised Tomography (SPECT) and was utilised to investigate whether cholinergic activity in PTSD is altered. One hundred and sixty eight potential subjects were screened and eleven PTSD subjects were enrolled in the IDEX SPECT study. Three healthy non-PTSD control subjects also completed the study. Due to technical complications only the data obtained from eight PTSD and two control subjects was available for analysis. Imaging data for 2 further healthy non-PTSD control subjects were obtained from another study. Sixteen subjects were enrolled in the donepezil open label study (assessed at baseline, Week 2, 6 and 10). Nine PTSD subjects completed the 10-week trial and seven withdrew prematurely (at or after Week 2) due to side effects or a worsening of PTSD symptoms. For the IDEX SPECT study, a voxel-by-voxel statistical analysis of the PTSD subject group versus the control group showed both areas of reduced and increased IDEX uptake. Significant clusters in the PTSD group with a reduced IDEX uptake centred around the bilateral hippocampus, left insula and right precuneus, while increased IDEX uptake appeared in the caudate head. For the donepezil study, in the per-protocol analysis (including only the 9 subjects that completed the protocol), all psychological assessments revealed a difference between the totals obtained at the Week 10 visit compared to those at the Baseline visit and the improvement was in the order of 51%. The intention-to-treat analysis (including all 16 subjects), a repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with a mixed models approach showed that all psychological measures demonstrated statistically significant benefits of the treatment. All subjects who completed the protocol recounted considerable improvement in their overall PTSD symptom profile, which covered symptoms in each of the three clusters. The results of the IDEX SPECT study suggest that alterations in ACh binding in PTSD are evident and may begin to explain a part of the altered cognitive symptomatology apparent in this condition. The pilot open label donepezil trial provided some preliminary evidence that treatment with an AChEI can lessen the intrusions and distress associated with traumatic memories in people with PTSD. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1374974 / Thesis (M.Med.Sc.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Medicine, 2009

"The first report describes a case of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in a pregnant women living in regional Australia. It begins with a discussion of issues of relevance to the treatment of a pregnant woman with MDD. It also describes the evidence based treatment provided and the results achieved for this client. The second report follows the same format to describe a case of PTSD in a married mother living in regional Australia following a suicide attempt. The third report describes a case of Bipolar I disorder in a separated mother living in regional Australia. Finally, fourth report explores the professional and ethical issues associated with the practice of clinical psychology [...]. This report explores professional issues which include self-care requirements and strategies, initial client contact, communication with colleagues and professional development and client records. Ethical issues covered include professional competency, termination of relationships and confidentiality." / Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

My research focused on five women in Aotearoa naming and defining their experiences ten or more years after leaving an intimate partner violence relationship. An increasing amount of literature has been published reporting the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women in our society, including surveys documenting devastating short and long-term health effects. However, little has been published about the long-term experiences of women who have survived such abuse. I was interested in making more visible the experiences of long-term survivors of intimate partner violence. I wondered what the challenges and legacies from experiences of intimate partner violence are and what contributes to women rebuilding their lives after intimate partner violence. In this research utilised a participatory action research approach informed by a critical feminist theoretical perspective. I selected two data collection methods, individual interviews followed by a focus group interview bringing the participants together. The findings identified nineteen themes emerging from the individual and focus group interviews. Some expressed the long-term challenges and legacies of intimate partner violence, such as feelings of powerlessness, guilt and shame and feeling silenced. Others reflected ways women rebuilt their lives, such as empowerment, resilience, courage and the importance of education and meaningful work. Interpreting the findings, empowerment was often juxtaposed with powerlessness, living side by side within the inner world of the long-term survivor of intimate partner violence in equal tension. This study affirms that challenges and legacies from intimate partner violence continue to affect women many years after leaving violence. Despite these challenges and legacies, women work very hard to rebuild their lives, care for their children and attain autonomy, independence and control of their lives. Women spent time and energy to recover ‘well enough’ from such violence, in order to lead a productive and functioning life.

Thesis (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-73). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-137).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Memphis, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 35-38).