This thesis includes four studies investigating the experiences of abused women. According to ecological approaches different systems should be considered when conducting research into abused women and their experiences. The first study involved women who successfully left an abusive relationship. An ecological approach was used to investigate the experiences of the women in the different phases of their relationship, including the initial attraction to the partner, the development and sustaining of the abuse and her attempts to leave until her final decision to leave permanently. An important finding was the importance of considering and investigating all systems and levels when dealing with abused women, including those who have left and those who are contemplating leaving this relationship. The second study found that women who experienced physical abuse were often hurt in anatomical locations that were indicative of impulsive violence. The abuser used any object in the heat of the moment to attack the victim and no premeditated planning was evident in the type of injuries sustained. The women further reported that medical practitioners did not investigate the causes of injuries and that they were not referred to social services or organisations dealing with abused women, although they were recognised as suffering from abuse. The intersection of abuse of women and HIV was the topic of focus of the third study. A review of the records of abused women revealed that many abused women were subjected to risk factors for contracting HIV, with counsellors focussing only on abuse issues. Longitudinal case studies, of women exposed to both conditions, revealed that they lacked social support and were often secondarily victimised by the social welfare systems. An environmental scan found that social and health care services were not accessible to these women. The final study investigated intervention strategies to combat burnout in workers at an organisation dealing with abused women. The importance and effectiveness of creative exercises and art sessions were determined in combination with debriefing and supervision sessions. The studies all considered systems that are important in service delivery to abused women. A holistic and systemic investigation and treatment of abused women is shown to be essential, as is the importance of grass roots research. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how narrative therapy may facilitate not only a lessening of distressing symptoms for bereaved persons, but may also facilitate growth in identity. Five case studies are presented. The participants were chosen to illuminate different grief experiences. The case studies include a description of grieving people from different backgrounds, each with a unique relationship with the person or people who died, all of whom had different causes of death such as suicide, murder and natural causes. These differences provide an opportunity to explore the application of the therapy model with a range of grief experiences. A full and rich description of the experiences of the participants yield insight into the shared themes such as the impact of social expectations of how a grieving person should conduct him or herself, difficult physical and emotional experiences, the many losses flowing from the death, as well as an in-depth discussion of the identity growth that takes place as the bereaved person takes on different roles and tasks. Postmodern epistemology and social constructivism informed the praxis and interpretation of narrative therapy as bereavement model. Narrative therapy is shown as especially effective for grief therapy with therapeutic tenets such as deconstructing and creating richer narratives and alternative stories that enables the bereaved to explore diverse aspects of their character. The emphasis on what remains rather than what is lost, and the concept of remembering the loved one who died in the community of those who stay behind, transmute the loss-story to one of remembering and incorporating, which tends to bring significant emotional relief. This study contributes towards the field of growth through bereavement for which there seems to be a paucity in research. Furthermore, it provides additional evidence for post-traumatic growth in general, especially with the assistance of narrative therapy. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Vigs is 'n "sluipende moordenaar "_ Dit toon geen respek vir kultuur, status,ouderdom of geslag nie. Vigs veroorsaak 'n onnnatuurlike dood wat vriende en familie bedreig en vervreem, lank na die dood van die vigsslagoffer. Die navorsingsdoel van hierdie studie was om riglyne daar te stel vir die psigoterapeutiese hantering van die vigslyer en sy gesin. Die navorsing het getoon dat 'n stigma en skuldgevoelens rondom die vigslyer en sy gesin ontstaan het, en dat hulle direk verantwoordelik gehou word vir die siekte bloot omdat hulle betrokke is by mekaar. 'n Vraelys wat aspekte (soos dit uit die literatuurstudie geblyk het) inkorporeer, is opgestel en aan die vigslyer en sy gesin gegee om te voltooi. Van die belangrikste elemente wat na vore gekom het, is die vrees vir die onbekende, die stigma verbonde aan die siekte en die pad wat die siekte loop ten opsigte van naiwiteit en valse gerugte ten opsigte van die siekte. 'n Verdere hoofstuk fokus op die literatuur om die hoofaspekte van die probleem vas le stel, en sodoende riglyne vir 'n terapieprogram daar te stel om die vrese te onderskep en die familie te help om die siekte beter te begryp_ Die doel is om die samelewing te laat begryp dat vigs nie 'n kulturele of "klas" siekte is nie, maar dat dit alle lae van die samelewing kan tref. 'n Afdeling is gewy aan 'n wye verskeidenheid terapeutiese tegnieke wat geimplimenteer kan word tydens hulpverlening aan die vigslyer en sy gesinslede. Verder verskaf hierdie studie ook riglyne om ondersteuning en hulp aan die vigslyer en sy gesin te bied, om sodoende hulle selfkonsep te verbeter. / Aids is a "stalking killer''. It has no respect for culture, breeding, age or sex. It is an unnatural death which offends and alienates many friends and family, even after the victim has died. A questionnaire incorporating important aspects of the cause and effect of aids was compiled and given to the aids sufferers and family to complete. From the responses it was clearly evident that the fears of the unknown, the stigma attached to the victim's close associates and family, was a problem, and the route course of incredible naive and false rumours. A chapter of the research focused on literature to establish what was the major aspects of the problem expressed by the media. Guidelines were provided whereby therapy could address and allay these fears to assist the family to better understand the illness and it's effects. This chapter has in mind to provide the Psychologist with guidelines to provide therapy to both the victim and the family in this regard. This study confirms that the survivors are the actual victims. / Educational studies / M.Ed. (Voorligting)

This study examined the validity of the South African Police Service (SAPS) multiple stressor intervention. The multiple stressor was developed for members of their specialised units to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, the SAPS multiple stressor intervention lacks scientific evidence to support its possible effectiveness in addressing PTSD. In the current study a deployment and intervention group was compared which employed a pre- test post-test design. The Davidson Trauma Scale and the Revised Impact of Event Scale measured PTSD globally, but also the PTSD dimensions of Intrusion, Avoidance/Numbing, and Hyperarousal. The Wilcoxon signed rank test results indicated that the intervention and deployment was both effective in addressing PTSD although the intervention group revealed the greatest improvement in their overall PTSD scores. The intervention group made significant progress in dealing with all three PTSD symptoms while the deployment group made less progress with their Intrusion and Avoidance/Numbing symptoms, but made significant progress with their Hyperarousal symptoms. The Mann-Whitney u test revealed no significant differences between the post intervention test scores of the two groups, either globally or on the three PTSD dimensions. It appears that deployment was just as effective as the multiple stressor intervention in addressing PTSD. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are a common comorbidity in veterans seeking treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). However, little is known regarding the mutual influence of PTSD and CMP in this population. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from a randomized clinical trial evaluating a stepped care intervention for CMP in Iraq/Afghanistan veterans (ESCAPE), this dissertation examined the relationships between PTSD and CMP along with other factors including depression, anxiety, catastrophizing and health-related quality of life. The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was conducted to identify key factors associated with baseline PTSD besides CMP severity. A series of statistical analyses including logistical regression analysis, mixed model repeated measure analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and cross-lagged panel analysis via structural equation modeling were conducted to test five competing models of PTSD symptom clusters, and to examine the mutual influences of PTSD symptom clusters and CMP outcomes. Results showed baseline pain intensity and pain disability predicted PTSD at 9 months. And baseline PTSD predicted improvement of pain disability at 9 months. Moreover, direct relationships were found between PTSD and the disability component of CMP, and indirect relationships were found between PTSD, CMP and CMP components (intensity and disability) mediated by depression, anxiety and pain catastrophizing. Finally, the coexistence of PTSD and more severe pain was associated with worse SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores. Together these findings provided empirical support for the mutual maintenance theory.

Text in Afrikaans / Indigenous literature about the experience of a couple, where one of the spouses experiences a spinal cord injury, is scarce in the frame of social work. The experience of 5 couples (10 participants), after a spinal cord injury of one of the spouses was researched in this qualitative study. The aim of this research study is: • to reconnoiter participants’ experience of a spinal cord injury of a spouse, through semi-structured interviews with a purposeful chosen sample • to subject the research findings to a literature control • to make recommendations about how spouses can support each other, as well as how professional people can support client systems, where one of the spouses experience a spinal cord injury From the data it was determined that a spinal cord injury had significantly influenced the couples: - emotions - needs - perceptions (origination of experiences) Recommendations to couples as well as to professional people have been made. / Social Work / Thesis (M. Diac.)

Text in Afrikaans / Indigenous literature about the experience of a couple, where one of the spouses experiences a spinal cord injury, is scarce in the frame of social work. The experience of 5 couples (10 participants), after a spinal cord injury of one of the spouses was researched in this qualitative study. The aim of this research study is: • to reconnoiter participants’ experience of a spinal cord injury of a spouse, through semi-structured interviews with a purposeful chosen sample • to subject the research findings to a literature control • to make recommendations about how spouses can support each other, as well as how professional people can support client systems, where one of the spouses experience a spinal cord injury From the data it was determined that a spinal cord injury had significantly influenced the couples: - emotions - needs - perceptions (origination of experiences) Recommendations to couples as well as to professional people have been made. / Social Work / Thesis (M. Diac.)

This thesis focuses on the development of Gestalt guidelines for alternative caregivers to enhance attachment with the traumatised child. The researcher made use of the intervention research process, consisting of six phases. For the purpose of this study of limited scope, the intervention research process was completed up to step one of the fourth phase. The target group in this study was alternative caregivers of traumatised children where attachment difficulties existed. `Alternative caregivers' refers to people who provide care to these children, either on a voluntary basis or professionally. Focus groups, field notes and observation were used as data collection method, and Creswell's spiral was used to analyse data. Not all aspects regarding attachment were covered in this study and only relevant Gestalt principles were discussed. Gestalt guidelines with an observational system were finally developed. The views of the respondents, those of experts and a literature review were incorporated into the guidelines, as well as some functional elements of existing treatments. / Practical Theology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This thesis focuses on the development of Gestalt guidelines for alternative caregivers to enhance attachment with the traumatised child. The researcher made use of the intervention research process, consisting of six phases. For the purpose of this study of limited scope, the intervention research process was completed up to step one of the fourth phase. The target group in this study was alternative caregivers of traumatised children where attachment difficulties existed. `Alternative caregivers' refers to people who provide care to these children, either on a voluntary basis or professionally. Focus groups, field notes and observation were used as data collection method, and Creswell's spiral was used to analyse data. Not all aspects regarding attachment were covered in this study and only relevant Gestalt principles were discussed. Gestalt guidelines with an observational system were finally developed. The views of the respondents, those of experts and a literature review were incorporated into the guidelines, as well as some functional elements of existing treatments. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)