Elderly population is increasing over the world .The problem is especially important because according prognosis for the beginning of this century, each fourth resident in Europe will be aged 65 or more. This will undoubtedly put a strain on health care, because it becomes one of the most important problems over the world. According to the statistic data of Lithuanian Statistics Department, at the beginning of 2005, there were 15,1% of the population aged 65 or more. In order to remain physically efficient and self-consistent at an advanced age, it is necessary to do daily exercises, as well as to practice other kinds of health related physical activities individually matched to physical abilities of a person. It should become a priority in each country. Balance is an important risk factor for falls in the elderly, and improvements in balance are vital to prevent falls and injuries from falls. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that specific physical exercises for older adults can help to improve their static and dynamic balance and confidence and thus to reduce their risk of falling. The following objectives were put forward: to assess balance and risk of falling of the elderly; to evaluate influence of specific physical exercises on balance changes and prevention of falls among elderly; to compare changes in static and dynamic balance and risk of falling between elderly of training and control groups. 33 community-dwelling elderly were enrolled in the study. The... [to full text]

THE TOPIC OF THE DISCUSSION: “ Children approach to a prevention of violence at school” SUPERVISOR: Dr. Ieva Kuginytė VILNIUS PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY, VILNIUS, 2005 Violence at school is very actual problem not only in Lithuania also worldwide. There is a lot of prevention programmes at this moment witch could reduce such phenomenon spread. The aim of this paper is to evaluate pupils’ opinion to violence prevention. First part of this paper analyzes violence prevalence. The author gives violator and the victim characteristics and looks at violence reasons and results. The second part gives a view about Lithuanian prevention programmes and analyzes pedagogical prevention presumption. After this research author gives a conclusion that violence at school is evident in all forms and from different people. The main violators are older schoolchildren. The critical situation is when the violator and the educator is the same person. Schoolchildren say that the intervation of the third person ( police) is necessary in order to prevent violence and increase security at school. The main prevention tool, according to the children, is to educate how to act in any violence situation. Finally, the author gives some practical violence prevention at school recommendations which could improve the current situation and could possibly impact on further positive changes.

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The current study examined the efficacy of a 1 month future time perspective modification intervention over a 1 month and 6 months period. Participants (N = 92) with elevated scores on measures of depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation were assigned to either the intervention condition or a no-intervention control condition. A repeated-measures manova revealed that those in the time perspective modification intervention condition showed significant reductions in psychache and hopelessness at 1 month, relative to those in the control condition. Repeated-measures manovas did not reveal significantly greater changes in depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, or future time perspective. No results at 6 months were found to be significant. These results suggest that a future time perspective modification intervention can reduce important predictors of suicidality, although the sustainability of these gains and their relation to suicide is unclear. / Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-29 13:29:07.463

The purpose of the study was to explore the role of spirituality in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, which was aimed at exploring the different spiritual beliefs held by that group of people and the importance of those beliefs in helping them to live with HIV/AIDS. A qualitative approach, using an exploratory research design was undertaken using twenty-five purposefully selected participants from the support group of people living with HIV/AIDS at Philani Clinic in King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. Data were collected by utilizing focus-group interviews followed by one-on-one individual interviews. An audio tape recorder was used to record the interviews. Field notes and memos were also kept to strengthen the data and to ensure trustworthiness. The socio-demographic characteristics of participants were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 11.5) for Windows; the results are displayed in the form of tables, graphs, percentages and presented in the methodology section of chapter three. The qualitative data were transcribed and analyzed manually by assembling the transcript from each interview and utilized to form major themes, sub-themes, categories and sub-categories that emerged from the data. In this study spirituality was described as a four-dimensional cognitive (mental) relationship with the transcendent being/higher power/ultimate reality, a relationship of love, forgiveness and connectedness that is reinforced by one's belief system. The result of this relationship is the achievement of inner peace, which produced a general sense of wellness that is usually subjective. General wellness could be physical health, mental health, acceptance of things that one cannot change and quality of life. Common themes identified from the sample included spirituality, defined as a personal relationship with God or a higher power that facilitates love, forgivingness and connectedness; taking precaution, respecting the elders and believing in God for everything. HIV/AIDS was found not to be a curse from God, but an ordinary illness, even though other participants believed that it was God's plan to bring humanity back to Him, while others believed that it was a blessing. The study also found that HIV/AIDS could be prevented through the continuous use of condoms, faithfulness in marriage and abstinence, but some believed that its cure could only come from God after the accomplishment of the purpose for which He allowed the infection. However some study participants believed that the cure would be discovered through research. The benefit of the spiritual belief that helped participants to cope with the infection was the achievement of inner peace, which was achieved through restoration of relationships. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

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One goal of the present meta-analysis was to assess if attachment-based preventative interventions are effective at fostering attachment security and preventing problems associated with insecure and disorganized attachment. Another goal was to determine what factors are associated with larger effects. Studies were considered eligible if they were a randomized controlled trial, had an attachment-based preventative intervention for children, and had a measure of attachment security, behaviour problems, language development, or emotional regulation. A random effects model was used and a total of 22 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that attachment-based prevention interventions produced a reliable small to moderate change (d = .37) in children’s attachment security and problems associated with insecure and disorganized attachment. Potential moderating variables were also examined. Total number of sessions and the proportion of single caregivers was associated with a larger effect.

The present investigation compared the effectiveness of an autogenic feedback strategy and a Yoga-meditation strategy on the self-regulation of blood pressure. These strategies were compared with each other and with two control groups. Data were obtained from 19 males and 21 females on: 1) baseline and end of treatment pre-practice systolic blood pressure; 2) baseline and end of treatment pre-practice diastolic blood pressure; 3) baseline and end of treatment Medication Index; and 4) baseline and end of treatment Severity Index.It was anticipated that if there were an overall difference between group means on any of the dependent measures, the differences would occur between 1) the autogenic feedback strategy andthe control conditions, and 2) the Yoga-meditation strategy and the control conditions.A univariate analysis of variance was performed on the baseline data to insure that the groups were not statistically different at the start of treatment. A univariate analysis o variance was performed on the end of treatment data.The findings revealed that neither treatment strategy was more effective than the other, or more effective than the control groups at the end of treatment. The analysis of variance was performed on pre-practice measures which reflect "walking around" blood pressure comparable baseline measures. Even though there were moderate reductions in all four groups on pre-practice blood pressure levels and on the Medication and Severity Indices, the differences between groups were not significant. The validity and generalizability of these findings were discussed in light of previous research. Recommendations for further research were made.

Syftet med vår undersökning var att ta reda på hur kuratorer i högstadie- och gymnasieskolor arbetar preventivt och hälsofrämjande med ungdomars psykiska hälsa samt hur kuratorers samverkan med andra ser ut. Vi ville också ta reda på vilken problematik som enligt kuratorerna är vanligast samt orsaken till detta. Vi har använt oss av en hermeneutisk utgångspunkt med kvalitativ ansats, baserad på intervjuer med kuratorer. I resultatet har det framkommit att de ungdomar som har kontakt med kuratorn ofta kommer dit genom en lärare, skolsköterska eller av egen vilja. Den problematik som tycks dominera är till exempel trötthet, stress, hemsituation eller kamratrelationer. Resultatet visade även att kuratorerna finner det svårt att arbeta preventivt eftersom tiden inte räcker till. I vår undersökning har vi använt KASAM och risk- och skyddsfaktorer som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Dessa teorier visade sig ha starka samband med kuratorernas arbetssätt, då kuratorer fokuserar mycket på att hjälpa elever att hitta och stärka sig själva samt arbetar med att kartlägga elevens hela livssituation.