Submitted in fulfillment of a degree of requirement of a degree of Masters in Community Work In the Department of Social Work in the Faculty of Arts At the University of Zululand Supervisor: Prof N.H. Ntombela Co-Supervisor: Dr J.D. Adams Date of Submission: November 2014 / The essence of the study was on the experiences of orphaned learners at school. These experiences were limited to the psychosocial support being provided by educators and their peers to the orphaned learners during their time at school. Bearing in mind the level of stress these orphaned learners go through after the loss of their biological parents, the purpose of the study was hence to explore how orphancy was being supported psychosocially and the extent to which these support contributes to their learning and continuation of schooling. The researcher objective was to understand how orphaned learners perceive themselves through the psychosocial support they receive from their peers and educators. The significance of this study was to provide an account of how orphanhood should be catered during their schooling. To attain the research objective, a qualitative research design was used to explore the experience of the orphaned learners consequently an exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were used as an instrument for data collection and seven participants were purposively selected due to their rarity. These participants were within high schools from the Eskhaleni Township. These participants were double orphans because they had lost both parents prior to study and residing with extended families and others reside in child-headed homes. The analysis of the data revealed that orphaned learner do experience support from their peers and educators while at school. Within the boundaries of psychosocial support the findings showed that these learners received social support from both educator and peers. Social support was in the form of motivational talk, empathized and sympathized concerns were expressed from their peers and educators. Peculiar to peers were the social attention they received during school hours most especially when their countenance were perceived to be moody. Whilst most educators only reacted in the provision of social support after realizing that the participants were not performing well at school. Unlike social support, the participants revealed that they did not receive any form of psychological support from neither peers nor educators. Out of the scope of the study the participants nonetheless acknowledged other forms of supports that they got from their peers and educators such as financial supports and were of much valuable and appreciative from their perspective. The researcher therefore recommended that township school should be provided with professional counselors at schools. Furthermore the South African School Act, Children’s Right and School based policies should be amended in considerations of orphaned leaners necessities. / University of Zululand Research Fund,

This thesis reviews and augments existing evidence surrounding the psychosocial aspects of living with Type 2 diabetes. There is a specific emphasis on the factors which underpin diabetes distress in individuals with Type 2 diabetes, which pertains also to the influence of partners or spouses on psychological adjustment to diabetes. This research develops and presents a conceptual framework of the key determinants of diabetes distress, providing focus and content for an intervention to address distress among couples living with Type 2 diabetes. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of diabetes distress; including prevalence, clinical relevance, and the cognitive, interpersonal and behaviour factors which are believed to drive this condition-specific distress. There is also an emphasis on existing strategies to improve both psychological and medical outcomes in Type 2 diabetes, which identified a need to evolve psychosocial support for individuals who are struggling to manage diabetes. Importantly, this chapter provided a rationale and direction for the studies reported in prospective chapters. Chapter 2 broadens the focus of psychosocial support in diabetes, to consider also the importance of considering partners or spouses in interventions to improve health outcomes in the context of different chronic physical conditions. This systematic review conveys the benefits of partner inclusion in interventions and highlights a number of shortcomings pertaining to couples intervention work. In particular, the review identifies a scarcity of couples intervention work in the context of Type 2 diabetes. The cross-sectional questionnaire study in Chapter 3 captures the predictive influence of illness perception clusters, coping styles, and relationship quality on diabetes distress in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Of note, this work identifies negative belief and coping patterns which coincide and exacerbate distress, and presents a novel method of distinguishing those most at risk of elevated diabetes distress. Chapter 4 investigates the influence of partners’ diabetes beliefs on diabetes distress over time. This study demonstrates the moderating influence of partners’ illness perceptions on the association between persons with Type 2 diabetes illness perceptions and diabetes distress, and reveals that such effects persist overtime. Furthermore, Chapter 5 explores narratives of diabetes distress among couples living with Type 2 diabetes and among healthcare professionals, by means of individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Expanding on the findings of Chapters 3 and 4, this qualitative work compares experiences of distress from the perspectives of individuals with diabetes and those who support them in a personal and professional capacity, in an attempt to understand how communication and interpersonal conflicts might emerge in day to day life. Importantly, Chapter 5 discerns a perceived need for an intervention to reduce diabetes distress in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and their loved ones, and provides direction for the design and implementation of an intervention of this nature. Chapter 6 draws upon existing and primary evidence pertaining to the cognitive, interpersonal, and behavioural factors which underpin diabetes distress, and provides recommendations for the design and implementation of an intervention to address diabetes distress in couples living with Type 2 diabetes. The feasibility study described in Chapter 7 assesses the acceptability, potential effectiveness, and practical implementation of a brief psychoeducational intervention to address diabetes distress in people with Type 2 diabetes and their partners or family members. The findings of Chapter 7 highlight important strengths and shortcomings of providing an intervention of this nature, which are expanded on in the main discussion in Chapter 8. Chapter 8 provides a broad overview of the rationale for this PhD research and reflects on the primary work undertaken to date. Crucially, this discussion chapter provides recommendations on how key strengths of the feasibility study described in Chapter 7 can be enhanced and how observed shortcomings can be addressed in future studies. Finally, there is consideration of how aspects of the intervention described in Chapters 6 and 7 may feasibly be incorporated into existing programmes of diabetes support.

The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experiences of first-time mothers with colic infants. Based on the results, implications for clinical practice are described for the clinical psychologist with regards to providing psychological support for these mothers. The research design is qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual. Data was collected by means of in-depth, semi-structured, phenomenological interviews and a descriptive analysis was done. The results show that the real versus the imagined experience of having a baby does not meet mothers' expectations. Furthermore, a colic baby elicits numerous anxieties including anxiety about the baby being damaged/ill, the feeding and leaving the baby in the care of others. Mothers battle with feelings of failure, which may be compounded by a stressful labour/delivery. Multiple attempts to soothe the baby or find an effective treatment result in feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. In turn, hopelessness and depression result. Mothers also perceive others' making judgments about their ability as a mother, while anxiety about failure undermines their capacity to accept support. Furthermore, mothers require affirmation from their baby. Their continued search for a cure offers hope that understanding and control can be gained. However, conflicting information and advice leave them feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Moreover, mothers feel disillusioned with medical personnel and the profession. Both medical and psychological factors are perceived as possible causes of, or contributing factors to, colic, and mothers experience guilt that stressors during their pregnancy may have contributed to their babies' being colicky. In addition, colic is seen as a punishment for perceived wrongdoings during pregnancy. Given the above, mothers need a containing figure, a function fulfilled by some husbands. If their own mothers are unavailable to contain their anxieties, substitute figures are found. In addition, practical support is experienced as helpful. Regarding maternal grandmothers, mothers identify with them, resulting in a new understanding of them and of the mother-daughter relationship. They also draw on their mothers' perception of their childhood experiences as positive or negative role models of parenting. Mothers feel ambivalent regarding the baby. They exhibit empathy although they perceive the baby as demanding, intrinsically difficult or rejecting. Consequently, mothers experience feelings of rage, resulting in fears of losing control and harming or abandoning the baby. These negative feelings are perceived as impacting on empathy for and bonding with the baby and result in feelings of shame and guilt. A colic baby is a source of stress in the couple's relationship, resulting in strained marital relations. Lastly, mothers renegotiate their identity as women and mothers. Several psychological defence mechanisms are used as a means of resolving emotional conflict and anxiety, and maintaining self-esteem. Clinical implications include adopting parent-infant psychotherapy as a framework for providing psychological support for these mothers. The study concludes that the colic period is stressful, places strain on the marital relationship and may pose a risk to the parent-infant relationship and child development. Lastly, psychological based interventions should be included as a resource for these mothers. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experiences of first-time mothers with colic infants. Based on the results, implications for clinical practice are described for the clinical psychologist with regards to providing psychological support for these mothers. The research design is qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual. Data was collected by means of in-depth, semi-structured, phenomenological interviews and a descriptive analysis was done. The results show that the real versus the imagined experience of having a baby does not meet mothers' expectations. Furthermore, a colic baby elicits numerous anxieties including anxiety about the baby being damaged/ill, the feeding and leaving the baby in the care of others. Mothers battle with feelings of failure, which may be compounded by a stressful labour/delivery. Multiple attempts to soothe the baby or find an effective treatment result in feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. In turn, hopelessness and depression result. Mothers also perceive others' making judgments about their ability as a mother, while anxiety about failure undermines their capacity to accept support. Furthermore, mothers require affirmation from their baby. Their continued search for a cure offers hope that understanding and control can be gained. However, conflicting information and advice leave them feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Moreover, mothers feel disillusioned with medical personnel and the profession. Both medical and psychological factors are perceived as possible causes of, or contributing factors to, colic, and mothers experience guilt that stressors during their pregnancy may have contributed to their babies' being colicky. In addition, colic is seen as a punishment for perceived wrongdoings during pregnancy. Given the above, mothers need a containing figure, a function fulfilled by some husbands. If their own mothers are unavailable to contain their anxieties, substitute figures are found. In addition, practical support is experienced as helpful. Regarding maternal grandmothers, mothers identify with them, resulting in a new understanding of them and of the mother-daughter relationship. They also draw on their mothers' perception of their childhood experiences as positive or negative role models of parenting. Mothers feel ambivalent regarding the baby. They exhibit empathy although they perceive the baby as demanding, intrinsically difficult or rejecting. Consequently, mothers experience feelings of rage, resulting in fears of losing control and harming or abandoning the baby. These negative feelings are perceived as impacting on empathy for and bonding with the baby and result in feelings of shame and guilt. A colic baby is a source of stress in the couple's relationship, resulting in strained marital relations. Lastly, mothers renegotiate their identity as women and mothers. Several psychological defence mechanisms are used as a means of resolving emotional conflict and anxiety, and maintaining self-esteem. Clinical implications include adopting parent-infant psychotherapy as a framework for providing psychological support for these mothers. The study concludes that the colic period is stressful, places strain on the marital relationship and may pose a risk to the parent-infant relationship and child development. Lastly, psychological based interventions should be included as a resource for these mothers. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Alla vill må bra och ha en så god hälsa som möjligt, däremot sker ibland hinder i livet så som arbetslöshet eller konflikter i hemländer som tvingar vissa människor till att fly. Många människor har innan flykten påbörjat en universitetsutbildning eller genomfört den helt när de har anlänt till ett nytt land. Sverige strävar efter en jämlik och god hälsa i samhället. Personerna i denna studie har studerat eller arbetat i hemlandet, helt plötsligt får dem börja om på nytt för att skapa en ny trygghet.   Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka psykisk hälsa i förhållande till arbetslöshet bland nyanlända med eftergymnasial utbildning. Detta var för att få en djupare förståelse om deras känslor angående arbetslöshet med en eftergymnasial utbildning och hur dem tänker om sin framtid.   Metoden som användes i följande studie var en empirisk kvalitativ metod där författaren använde sig av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna gjordes med fem deltagare där fyra av dem var män samt en kvinna i åldern 20-64 år.   Resultatet av denna studie påvisade att nyanlända personer med eftergymnasial utbildning hade sämre psykisk hälsa än vad individen bör ha, detta berodde dels på att de var oroliga inför framtiden och att många utav dem kände att deras tidigare kunskaper från hemlandet hade blivit bortkastade. Personerna hade även ett tillfälligt uppehållstillstånd som var tidsbegränsad vilket medförde frustration mellan dem då de inte visste hur framtiden skulle se ut om de skulle få stanna eller återvända tillbaka till hemlandet.   Slutsatsen av denna studie var att de nyanlända med eftergymnasial utbildning ville att samhället skulle finna en åtgärd för att hjälpa dem att börja arbeta. / The purpose of this study was to examine mental health in relation to unemployment among newly arrived with post-secondary education. This was to get a deeper understanding about their experiences regarding unemployment despite their high education, the focus was on mental health and how they think their future looks like. The method used for the following study was an empirical qualitative method in which the author used the semi-structured interviews. Five participants were interviewed, four men and one woman between the ages 20-64. The results of this study found that newly arrived people with post-secondary education had poor mental health because of worries about the future. They also felt that the education they had received from their country was a waste in Sweden. These people also had a temporary residence permit which brought frustration because their future wasn’t secure. The conclusion of this study was that newly arrived individuals with post-secondary education wanted Psychological help from the society so they could start working.

A partir de minha experiência pregressa como artista circense, de desdobramentos do meu estudo preliminar (Bastos, 2013), das conversas informais e das entrevistas realizadas para este percurso de investigação, pude me certificar de que o sofrimento humano está presente também no universo do circo e que há uma demanda e um desejo por parte desta população por algum tipo de atenção psicológica que leve em conta as particularidades do modo de vida itinerante. Esta tese propõe que as especificidades nos modos de constituição do self da pessoa circense dizem respeito, em grande medida, à itinerância, a qual deve ser levada em conta pelo profissional que for atuar neste contexto cultural. Considerando que o modo de vida impacta em como se dá a construção das relações de confiança e na vivência da temporalidade, há necessidade de que profissionais da área se atentem para tais dimensões culturais constitutivas do self para que possa haver uma atenção psicológica adequada aos circenses. Esta é uma pesquisa qualitativa que envolveu a convivência com pessoas de dois circos itinerantes (Circo Spacial e Circo de Teatro Tubinho) e a realização de onze entrevistas que visaram elucidar as temáticas da confiança e temporalidade por serem centrais para o possível desenvolvimento de estratégias de intervenção psicológica nesse contexto cultural específico. A especificidade do modo de vida do circense aponta para possibilidades de um convívio, marcadamente itinerante, qualitativamente rico do ponto de vista do desenvolvimento humano, uma vez que é notável o estabelecimento de fortes laços comunitários capazes de superar dificuldades cotidianas, de se relacionar com a diferença e realizar projetos complexos, dinâmicos e altamente desafiadores. O estudo das temáticas da confiança e da temporalidade permitiu sofisticar a compreensão que se tem desses processos na psicologia cultural dialógica, na medida em que a itinerância e o sentido de realização do espetáculo são balizas extremamente salientes que guiam toda a vida do integrante do circo, a ponto das pessoas colocarem cotidianamente suas vidas em situação de risco na relação com os outros. Discuti a temática da confiança, que perpassa a noção de temporalidade a partir do referencial teórico da Psicologia Cultural em sua vertente semiótico-construtivista, área de estudos que aponta para a centralidade da cultura na compreensão dos processos afetivo-cognitivos do desenvolvimento humano (Simão, 2010, Valsiner, 2012). A discussão dos resultados que se deu por meio da noção de Multiplicação Dialógica (Guimarães, 2010, 2013) procurou: a) destacar as especificidades no contexto do circo itinerante que trazem implicações para a construção do self e b) investigar os processos psicológicos envolvidos na construção das relações de confiança frente à vivência da temporalidade. Para a análise dialógica dos dados, utilizei as noções de trajetórias descendentes e ascendentes (Guimarães, 2016b), que possibilitaram uma articulação entre os movimentos analítico e interpretativo e o mapeamento das antinomias relacionadas ao campo-tema (Spink, 2003) do circo. Esse estudo torna-se relevante por apontar que a vivência da itinerância traz implicações para a constituição do self e que o conhecimento de tais implicações e das especificidades deste modo de vida são fundamentais para a compreensão das vulnerabilidades psicossociais apontadas pelos circenses ao longo da pesquisa. Adicionalmente, a pesquisa pôde propiciar reflexões sobre a possibilidade de inserção de psicólogos no universo do circo itinerante. Observo que tanto a Psicologia quanto a Psicologia Cultural, enquanto campo de reflexões e pesquisa, ainda não dispõem de conhecimentos suficientes sobre o modo de vida do circo e, por essa razão, não têm desenvolvido estratégias nem instrumentos para o trabalho psicológico nesse contexto. Ao lidar com a questão da singularidade da compreensão psicológica do universo cultural do circo, esta pesquisa me permitiu chegar à noção de self itinerante, o que pode auxiliar num maior entendimento sobre o contexto apresentado / From my previous experience as a circus artist, as well as from the development of my preliminary study (Bastos, 2013), from the informal conversations and the interviews conducted for this research, I was able to certify myself that human suffering is also present in the universe of the circus. There is also a demand and a desire from the circus members for some kind of psychological attention that may take into account the particularities of the itinerant way of life. This thesis proposes that the specificities in the ways of constitution of the self of the circus person concerns, to a large extent, the itinerancy, that must be taken into account by the professional who will work in this cultural context. Taking into account that the way of life has an impact on the construction of relation of trust and the experience of temporality, there is a need for professionals in the area to attend to such constitutive cultural dimensions of the self so that there can be adequate psychological attention for circus members. This is a qualitative research that involved the conviviality with people from two traveling circuses (Circus Spacial and Circo de Teatro Tubinho). Eleven interviews were conducted in order to elucidate the themes of trust and temporality, both of central importance for the possible development of psychological intervention strategies in this specific cultural context. The specificity of the circus way of life points to the possibility of a markedly itinerant co-existence with others, qualitatively rich from the point of view of human development; it is worth mentioning that they form strong community bonds, capable of overcoming daily difficulties, relating to difference, and performing complex, dynamic, and highly challenging projects. The study of the themes of trust and temporality allowed to refine the understanding of these processes in cultural dialogical psychology. This because itinerancy and the sense of accomplishment resulting from performing the spectacle are extremely significant constrains that guide the whole life of the circus artist, to the point that people put their lives at risk in their relationship with others on a daily basis. I discussed the theme of trust that permeates the notion of temporality from the theoretical framework of Cultural Psychology in its semiotic-constructivist dimension, an area of study that points to the centrality of culture for the understanding of the affective-cognitive processes of human development (Simão, 2010, Valsiner, 2012). The discussion of the results was based on the notion of Dialogical Multiplication (Guimarães, 2010, 2013) and sought to a) highlight the specificities of the itinerant circus, which have implications on the construction of the self and b) investigate the psychological processes involved in the construction of relations of trust in experiencing temporality. For the dialogical analysis of the data, I used the notions of descending and ascending trajectories (Guimarães, 2016b), which allowed an articulation between the analytical and interpretative movements and the mapping of the antinomies related to the theme-field (Spink, 2003). This study becomes relevant for pointing out that the experience of itinerancy has implications for the constitution of the self and that knowledge of such implications and the specificities of this way of life are fundamental for understanding the psychosocial vulnerabilities pointed out by circus members throughout the research. Additionally, the research was able to provide considerations on the possibility of insertion of psychologists in the itinerant circus universe. I observed that both Psychology and Cultural Psychology, as fields of research and study, still do not have enough knowledge about the way of life of the circus and for this reason have not been developing strategies or instruments for psychological practice in this context. In dealing with the issue of the uniqueness of the psychological understanding of the cultural universe of the circus, this research allowed me to arrive at the notion of the itinerant self that can help in better understanding the presented context

A partir de minha experiência pregressa como artista circense, de desdobramentos do meu estudo preliminar (Bastos, 2013), das conversas informais e das entrevistas realizadas para este percurso de investigação, pude me certificar de que o sofrimento humano está presente também no universo do circo e que há uma demanda e um desejo por parte desta população por algum tipo de atenção psicológica que leve em conta as particularidades do modo de vida itinerante. Esta tese propõe que as especificidades nos modos de constituição do self da pessoa circense dizem respeito, em grande medida, à itinerância, a qual deve ser levada em conta pelo profissional que for atuar neste contexto cultural. Considerando que o modo de vida impacta em como se dá a construção das relações de confiança e na vivência da temporalidade, há necessidade de que profissionais da área se atentem para tais dimensões culturais constitutivas do self para que possa haver uma atenção psicológica adequada aos circenses. Esta é uma pesquisa qualitativa que envolveu a convivência com pessoas de dois circos itinerantes (Circo Spacial e Circo de Teatro Tubinho) e a realização de onze entrevistas que visaram elucidar as temáticas da confiança e temporalidade por serem centrais para o possível desenvolvimento de estratégias de intervenção psicológica nesse contexto cultural específico. A especificidade do modo de vida do circense aponta para possibilidades de um convívio, marcadamente itinerante, qualitativamente rico do ponto de vista do desenvolvimento humano, uma vez que é notável o estabelecimento de fortes laços comunitários capazes de superar dificuldades cotidianas, de se relacionar com a diferença e realizar projetos complexos, dinâmicos e altamente desafiadores. O estudo das temáticas da confiança e da temporalidade permitiu sofisticar a compreensão que se tem desses processos na psicologia cultural dialógica, na medida em que a itinerância e o sentido de realização do espetáculo são balizas extremamente salientes que guiam toda a vida do integrante do circo, a ponto das pessoas colocarem cotidianamente suas vidas em situação de risco na relação com os outros. Discuti a temática da confiança, que perpassa a noção de temporalidade a partir do referencial teórico da Psicologia Cultural em sua vertente semiótico-construtivista, área de estudos que aponta para a centralidade da cultura na compreensão dos processos afetivo-cognitivos do desenvolvimento humano (Simão, 2010, Valsiner, 2012). A discussão dos resultados que se deu por meio da noção de Multiplicação Dialógica (Guimarães, 2010, 2013) procurou: a) destacar as especificidades no contexto do circo itinerante que trazem implicações para a construção do self e b) investigar os processos psicológicos envolvidos na construção das relações de confiança frente à vivência da temporalidade. Para a análise dialógica dos dados, utilizei as noções de trajetórias descendentes e ascendentes (Guimarães, 2016b), que possibilitaram uma articulação entre os movimentos analítico e interpretativo e o mapeamento das antinomias relacionadas ao campo-tema (Spink, 2003) do circo. Esse estudo torna-se relevante por apontar que a vivência da itinerância traz implicações para a constituição do self e que o conhecimento de tais implicações e das especificidades deste modo de vida são fundamentais para a compreensão das vulnerabilidades psicossociais apontadas pelos circenses ao longo da pesquisa. Adicionalmente, a pesquisa pôde propiciar reflexões sobre a possibilidade de inserção de psicólogos no universo do circo itinerante. Observo que tanto a Psicologia quanto a Psicologia Cultural, enquanto campo de reflexões e pesquisa, ainda não dispõem de conhecimentos suficientes sobre o modo de vida do circo e, por essa razão, não têm desenvolvido estratégias nem instrumentos para o trabalho psicológico nesse contexto. Ao lidar com a questão da singularidade da compreensão psicológica do universo cultural do circo, esta pesquisa me permitiu chegar à noção de self itinerante, o que pode auxiliar num maior entendimento sobre o contexto apresentado / From my previous experience as a circus artist, as well as from the development of my preliminary study (Bastos, 2013), from the informal conversations and the interviews conducted for this research, I was able to certify myself that human suffering is also present in the universe of the circus. There is also a demand and a desire from the circus members for some kind of psychological attention that may take into account the particularities of the itinerant way of life. This thesis proposes that the specificities in the ways of constitution of the self of the circus person concerns, to a large extent, the itinerancy, that must be taken into account by the professional who will work in this cultural context. Taking into account that the way of life has an impact on the construction of relation of trust and the experience of temporality, there is a need for professionals in the area to attend to such constitutive cultural dimensions of the self so that there can be adequate psychological attention for circus members. This is a qualitative research that involved the conviviality with people from two traveling circuses (Circus Spacial and Circo de Teatro Tubinho). Eleven interviews were conducted in order to elucidate the themes of trust and temporality, both of central importance for the possible development of psychological intervention strategies in this specific cultural context. The specificity of the circus way of life points to the possibility of a markedly itinerant co-existence with others, qualitatively rich from the point of view of human development; it is worth mentioning that they form strong community bonds, capable of overcoming daily difficulties, relating to difference, and performing complex, dynamic, and highly challenging projects. The study of the themes of trust and temporality allowed to refine the understanding of these processes in cultural dialogical psychology. This because itinerancy and the sense of accomplishment resulting from performing the spectacle are extremely significant constrains that guide the whole life of the circus artist, to the point that people put their lives at risk in their relationship with others on a daily basis. I discussed the theme of trust that permeates the notion of temporality from the theoretical framework of Cultural Psychology in its semiotic-constructivist dimension, an area of study that points to the centrality of culture for the understanding of the affective-cognitive processes of human development (Simão, 2010, Valsiner, 2012). The discussion of the results was based on the notion of Dialogical Multiplication (Guimarães, 2010, 2013) and sought to a) highlight the specificities of the itinerant circus, which have implications on the construction of the self and b) investigate the psychological processes involved in the construction of relations of trust in experiencing temporality. For the dialogical analysis of the data, I used the notions of descending and ascending trajectories (Guimarães, 2016b), which allowed an articulation between the analytical and interpretative movements and the mapping of the antinomies related to the theme-field (Spink, 2003). This study becomes relevant for pointing out that the experience of itinerancy has implications for the constitution of the self and that knowledge of such implications and the specificities of this way of life are fundamental for understanding the psychosocial vulnerabilities pointed out by circus members throughout the research. Additionally, the research was able to provide considerations on the possibility of insertion of psychologists in the itinerant circus universe. I observed that both Psychology and Cultural Psychology, as fields of research and study, still do not have enough knowledge about the way of life of the circus and for this reason have not been developing strategies or instruments for psychological practice in this context. In dealing with the issue of the uniqueness of the psychological understanding of the cultural universe of the circus, this research allowed me to arrive at the notion of the itinerant self that can help in better understanding the presented context

The thesis focuses on the psychological aspects of risk pregnancy perception. The primary objective of the thesis is to deal with the various aspects of the risk pregnancy experience and analyze the importance of psychological support. The work is divided into theoretical and empirical part. The theoretical part explains the terms of physiological pregnancy and risk pregnancy in the broader context and describes the basic psychological concepts related to the topic. In the empirical part specified and justified hypothesis are presented together with the selected way of measuring data questionnaire method, data processing and analysis. There is presented a detailed analysis of responses from the survey including interpretation of the results. The conclusion is a summary of all the previous parts. There is addressed verification of hypotheses and objectives of the thesis. The problems in the process of creation of the thesis are outlined and benefits and utility work in practice are explained. The research results showed the importance and significance of psychological support during risk pregnancy. The thesis proved that emotional support can be found in multiple sources, but the greatest support for risk pregnant women is represented by husband or partner. It was also showed that there are many sources of information and risk pregnant women are interested in them. Understanding the whole situation is crucial for the acceptance of all restrictions and treatment recommendations that relate to the situation. And all these factors - psychological support, information and understanding of the situation - will ultimately have a positive impact on the overall psychological state of risk pregnant women.

Background: Today breast cancer is most common form of cancer related diseases among women. It has been shown that the disease may result in mental suffering.  Aim: To review what kind of psychological support for mental illness that women with breast cancer experience most effective. Method: This study was made as a descriptive study. To answer the issues of this study 15 original articles was used. To find relevant articles the authors used the two databases CINAHL and PubMed. Results: All studies that examined different kinds of relaxation methods showed significant positive effect on the variables anxiety, distress and depression. Out of the three articles that concerned physical training there was one that found significant improvements in the categories anxiety and depression. The study that investigated massage as a method to promote psychological wellbeing showed an improvement in quality of life and relaxation. Four studies viewed the effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Of those three showed that CBT did have a positive effect on psychological wellbeing. Four studies tested whether support groups had effect on psychological health. One of the studies demonstrated that this kind of intervention could lower the amount of suppressed feelings. None of the studies that examined educational interventions showed any significant effects. Finally, two studies presented study results of phone counseling. One of these studies showed that it had a short-term effect on mood, but this effect diminished in a later follow-up. Conclusions: There was no clear answer how to encourage psychological wellbeing among patients with breast cancer. Despite that the result showed that certain interventions had some effect and thus these interventions should further be investigated. / Bakgrund: Bröstcancer är idag den vanligaste formen av cancer bland kvinnor. Det har visat sig att sjukdomen kan resultera i psykisk lidande för dessa kvinnor. Syfte: Att undersöka vilka former av psykiskt stöd för psykisk ohälsa som upplevs mest effektiva hos kvinnor med bröstcancer. Metod: Denna studie genomfördes som en deskriptiv litteraturstudie. 15 originalartiklar användes för att svara på frågeställningarna. För att finna relevanta artiklar använde författarna databaserna CINAHL och PubMed. Resultat: Samtliga studier som undersökte olika former av avslappning visade någon form av positiv effekt på någon av variablerna ångest depression och stress. Av tre artiklar som berörde fysiska träningsinterventioner hittade författarna i en artikel förbättringar gällande oro och depression. Studien som undersökte massage som metod för att främja den psykiska hälsan visade på förbättring inom livskvalité och avslappning. Fyra studier granskade effekten av Kognitiv Beteende Terapi (KBT). Av dessa visade tre att KBT hade positiv effekt på den psykiska hälsan. Fyra studier prövade huruvida stödgrupper hade effekt. Av dessa visade resultatet i en artikel att denna form av intervention kunde minska tillbakahållna känslor. Ingen av de studier som undersökte utbildningsinterventioner visade på effekter. Slutligen berörde två av artiklarna telefonrådgivning. I en artikel visades en kortsiktig positiv effekt på humöret bland kvinnorna, denna effekt hade dock avtagit vid senare uppföljning. Slutsats: Denna studie gav inget tydligt svar på vad som främjar psykisk hälsa vid bröstcancerdiagnos. Resultatet visade ändå på att vissa interventioner hade viss effekt och bör därmed undersökas närmare.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world. Experiencing rape frequently proposes substantial consequences on survivors’ physical, psychological and social wellbeing, which accentuates the importance of providing survivors with help, support, and protection. However, the scarce studies examining survivors’ experiences with the support system indicate many flaws within the system, sometimes even resulting in further harm. This failure of governmental support systems stimulated an increasing manifestation of NGOs as providers of survivor support. It is consequently crucial to understand and evaluate the success of these services to fully understand the quality of available support. The objective of this study was to investigate women rape survivors’ post rape experiences and their journey and subsequent experiences with the counselling provided to them by the Cape Town based NGO Rape Crisis. Fifteen adult rape survivors were recruited via opportunity sampling and asked to participate in one hour long unstructured interviews. In line with the research topic and the research questions, an intersectional feminist paradigm was chosen for the theoretical framework and thematic narrative analysis was applied as the analytic approach. The analysis showed four themes relating to rape survivors’ narratives on post-rape challenges, namely; the silence and stigma that victimises survivors, the psychological effects of rape, help seeking as a last resort, and demystifying counselling. Additionally, five themes around survivors’ experiences of Rape Crisis counselling were established, namely; the value of a professional safe space, building a counsellor relationship, talking and listening, a collaborative effort to finding oneself, and sharing collective stories of pain. The findings highlight the need for more outreach and education efforts around rape, as well the importance for professional yet not too clinical psychological support which incorporates empowerment principles and focuses on help to self-help.