<p>Over the last three decades, there has been a precipitous rise in curiosity regarding the clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-management of a broad range of chronic health conditions. Despite the ever-growing body of evidence supporting the use of mindfulness-based therapies for both medical and psychological concerns, data on the active ingredients of these mind-body interventions are relatively scarce. Regular engagement in formal mindfulness practice is considered by many to be requisite for generating therapeutic change; however, previous investigations of at-home practice in MBIs have produced mixed results. The equivocal nature of these findings has been attributed to significant methodological limitations, including the lack of standardized, systematic practice monitoring tools, and a singular focus on practice time, with little attention paid to the nature and quality of one’s practice. The present study used a prospective, observational design to assess the effects of home-based practice on dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological functioning in twenty-eight people enrolled in an MBSR or MBCT program. To address some of the aforementioned limitations, the present study collected detailed weekly accounts of participants’ home-based practice engagement, including information about practice time (i.e., frequency and duration), exercise type, perceived effort and barriers to participation, and practice quality. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine the relative contribution of practice time and practice quality on treatment outcomes, and to explore possible predictors of adherence to at-home practice recommendations. As anticipated, practice quality and perceived effort improved with time; however, rather unexpectedly, practice quality was not a significant predictor of treatment-related improvements in psychological health. Home practice engagement, however, was predictive of change in dispositional mindfulness, in the expected direction. Results of our secondary analyses demonstrated that employment status was predictive of home practice engagement, with those who were unemployed completing more at-home practice on average. Mindfulness self-efficacy at baseline and previous experience with meditation or other contemplative practices were independently predictive of mean practice quality. The results of this study suggest that home practice helps generate meaningful change in dispositional mindfulness, which is purportedly a key mechanism of action in mindfulness-based interventions.</p> / Dissertation

Bakgrund: Den psykiska hälsan hos sjuksköterskor kan påverka den givna vårdkvaliteten gentemot patienter. Oregelbundna arbetstider, dålig arbetsmiljö och stress är några av de faktorer som kan ge en försämrad psykisk hälsa. Syfte: Syftet med detta arbete är att studera om det finns ett samband mellan skattningen av psykisk hälsa och skattning av given vårdkvalitet hos sjuksköterskor vid ett sjukhus i Mellansverige. Jämförelse görs även utifrån variablerna kön, ålder och aktiva år i sjuksköterskeprofessionen och om det finns ett samband mellan ovan variabler. Metod: Data samlades in via en enkät med två skalor; GHQ-12 som avser att upptäcka psykisk ohälsa och påvisa tecken på depression, samt ett självskattningsformulär som behandlar kvaliteten av given vård. Resultat: Det kunde inte påvisas något signifikant samband mellan skattad psykisk hälsa och skattad given vårdkvalitet. Det fanns ett statistiskt signifikant samband mellan skattad psykisk hälsa och inkludering av patienten och anhöriga i utformning och genomförandet av vården. Studien visar att kvinnliga sjuksköterskor skattar sin psykiska hälsa sämre jämfört med manliga sjuksköterskor. Slutsats: Det fanns i denna studie inget signifikant samband mellan skattad psykisk hälsa och skattad given vårdkvalitet. Vid analys av delskalor inom variabeln vårdkvalitet fann vi att sjuksköterskor som skattar en lägre psykisk hälsa även skattar att de är sämre på att inkludera patienten och/eller anhöriga i utförandet och utformningen av vården / Background: The psychological health in nurse practitioners can affect the quality of the care given to patients. Irregular work hours, bad working environment and stress are some of the factors that can result in a decline in psychological health. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the self-perceived psychological health in nurse practitioners at Academic Hospital in Uppsala with their own perception of quality of given care. Comparisons will also be done regarding gender, age and active years in the nursing profession. Methods: Data was collected via a survey with two scales; GHQ-12 which is used to distinct psychological disorders and signs of depression, along with a self-assessment form regarding quality of given care. Results: There was no significant correlation between self-perceived psychological health and self-perceived quality of given care. There is a statistical significant connection between psychological health and inclusion of the patient and relatives regarding planning and giving care. This study shows that female nurses grade their psychological health as lower compared to male nurses. Conclusions: This study showed no significant correlation between self-perceived psychological health and self-perceived quality of given care. The result shows that nurses that have a lower self-perceived psychological health grade themselves lower regarding the inclusion of the patient and/or their relatives in the planning and implementation of the care

Are there vestiges or elements of African traditional cultural beliefs and practices that affect the psychological and spiritual well-being of African Christian students in Tangaza University College (TUC)? If there are, how best can pastoral carers work with the affected students to help them deal with the issues and regain congruence? These questions, arising out of our practice in the Student Life Ministry in TUC, are the puzzles I set out this study to try to resolve. Our experience was that some of the students were presenting issues in counselling and spiritual direction emanating from unresolved conflict between their African backgrounds and the Christian faith. Observation was that the issues did not surface easily and when they did the carers were not sure how best to help the clients. I thus felt a need to find out what cultural issues affect the students, how the issues manifest in their lives and how best the pastoral care team could work with those affected to help the issues surface and be resolved. This is an original research designed as an inductive case study and to collect data, a multi-dimensional approach including focus discussion groups with students and members of the SLM, depth interviews with SLM members, selection of some vignettes of counselling and spiritual direction and practitioner observation - were used. The main finding is that there indeed are elements of African beliefs and practices that impinge on the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of some of the African Christian students in TUC. However, not all the students experience such dissonance as some have developed a synthesis between their two world views. Those who have not are embarrassed about and reticent in disclosing the issues thus the need for the pastoral carers to help them to integrate their traditional culture with their Christian faith. Clinical experience has shown that by combining two counselling models – the Rogerian Person-centred and Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, underpinned in a dialogical, theological paradigm, counsellors and spiritual guides can help the affected students not only to talk about the issues but also to work through them to re-gain equilibrium and enjoy greater fullness of life.

Depuis que les démarches qualité sont entrées dans le monde de l’hôpital imposant la construction de référentiels et la recherche de rentabilité, la logique sociale a cédé le pas à la logique économique. La rationalisation du travail s’est imposée aux soignants par la mise en place de ces référentiels, ne prenant pas en compte les considérations psychologiques et physiques de l’activité des soignants, d’où les effets sur leur santé et les manifestations de la souffrance au travail. C’est dans ce contexte que nous avons souhaité aborder la santé au travail des soignants non sous l’angle de la souffrance au travail mais sous celui du développement du bien-être psychologique. Nous avons étudié la manière dont se construit le bien-être psychologique au travail au travers des expériences vécues par les soignants à l’hôpital c’est-à-dire comment il se constitue comme objet de représentations professionnelles auquel se rattachent les composantes cognitives, affectives liées aux souvenirs d’expériences vécues et symbolisées. A la lumière de la psychologie sociale et du travail, des apports de la psychologie positive et de la théorie de l’autodétermination, l’analyse des données issues d’entretiens non-directifs avec les soignants nous a permis d’ identifier les caractéristiques du concept. Liées à l’interaction entre l’individu et l’environnement professionnel d’une part et liées à l’individu d’autre part, ces caractéristiques nous ont permis d’envisager des actions de développement du bien-être psychologique au travail tant sur le plan individuel qu’organisationnel. / Since the quality procedures are entered into the world of the hospital imposing building standards and the search for profitability, social logic has given way to economic logic. Rationalization of labor has become caregivers by implementing these standards, not taking into account the considerations of the psychological and physical activity providers, where the effects on their health and the manifestations of suffering at work. It is in the context that addressed occupational health officers not in terms of the reduction of suffering at work but in the development of psychological well-being. We propose to study how to build the psychological well-being at work through the experiences of caregivers in the hospital is to say how it is an object representations which relate to professional cognitive, emotional memories related to experiences and symbolized. In the light of social psychology and labor contributions of positive psychology and the theory of self-analysis of data from non-directive interviews with caregivers has allowed us to identify the characteristics of concept. Related to the interaction between the individual and the work environment on the one hand, and related to the individual on the other hand, these characteristics have allowed us to consider actions for the development of psychological well-being at work both the individual and organizational.

Survivors of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer endure a range of symptoms and side effects, including weight gain, unfavourable changes in body composition, physical disfigurements, and tissue damage, which can impair their physical and psychological health. Identifying and optimizing interventions that can mitigate negative side effects are necessary. Whereas physical activity has been identified as one such intervention for child and older adult cancer survivors, the evidence for survivors of AYA cancer is far less convincing to put forward recommendations and argue for integrating physical activity into practice. Research seeking to understand if/how and under what circumstances physical activity is related to physical and psychological outcomes is of particular importance to guide care aimed at relieving cancer-related damage and distress. This research program sought to address this through three interrelated studies, which progressed sequentially. Study One examined the clarity, appropriateness, and relevancy of eight widely used questionnaires assessing self-reported physical activity and psychological outcomes. Cognitive interviews were conducted with seven survivors of AYA cancer who were representative of individuals likely to participate in future research. Findings from this study indicated most of the questionnaires tested could be used to assess self-reported physical activity and psychological outcomes among survivors of AYA cancer with or without slight modifications. After incorporating participants’ feedback into the questionnaires, Study Two was conducted to: (1) examine the cross-sectional relationships between physical self-perceptions and self-esteem (physical and global), and (2) explore if physical activity and/or self-efficacy for physical activity moderated these relationships. Correlation analyses were conducted, and as hypothesized, physical self-perceptions and physical and global self-esteem were positively related. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression analyses showed that self-efficacy for physical activity moderated the relationship between physical self-perceptions and physical self-esteem (but not global self-esteem), such that at higher levels of self-efficacy for physical activity, the magnitude of the association between physical self-perceptions and physical self-esteem was greater. Physical activity did not moderate the relationship between physical self-perceptions and physical or global self-esteem. These findings provide empirical evidence that physical self-perceptions and self-esteem (physical and global) are related and suggest self-efficacy for physical activity may serve to strengthen the relationship between physical self-perceptions and physical self-esteem among survivors of AYA cancer. However, more work exploring if/how and under what circumstances physical activity is implicated in this relationship is needed via experimental study designs. In Study Three, a two-arm, mixed-methods randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to test a 12-week physical activity intervention among survivors of AYA cancer was piloted. The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility and acceptability of trial methods and the intervention. Findings suggest modifications to the methods and intervention are required. Making the trial multi-site, using multiple recruitment strategies, refining assessments of directly-measured physical activity behaviour and aerobic capacity, and incorporating behavioural support into the intervention may improve feasibility and acceptability. This study highlights the value of pilot trials and provides useful data that can be used to optimize trial methods and physical activity interventions for this population. Collectively, the studies comprising this thesis lay the foundation for further testing of if/how and under what circumstances physical activity and physical and psychological outcomes are related in survivors of AYA cancer. Findings offer researchers and practitioners information to aid in the development of theoretically- and empirically-based interventions seeking to mitigate the adverse effects of cancer and its treatments in this population.

Bakgrund: Alla har rätt till att bestämma över sin egen kropp och sin sexuella hälsa. Likväl utsätts kvinnor världen över för sexuella övergrepp. Sexuella övergrepp kan användas som ett vapen för att begränsa kvinnans egna val och hennes liv. Sjuksköterskor observerar att kvinnor lider av oro och depression, känner smärta och rädsla efter sexuella övergrepp. Kvinnor utsätts även för sekundär viktimisering av samhället, vilket kan leda till skuldkänslor och mindervärdeskomplex. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att sammanställa resultat från olika studier om hälsokonsekvenser för kvinnor som utsatts för sexuella övergrepp.Metod: För att genomföra studien användes en deskriptiv litteraturöversikt med kvalitativ och kvantitativ ansats. Data erhölls efter sökning via PubMed, Cinahl och Scopus. Efter kvalitetsgranskning återfanns tolv artiklar som utgjorde studiens datamaterial.Resultat: Litteraturöversikten visade att kvinnors fysiska och psykiska hälsa påverkades negativt efter sexuella övergrepp vilket medförde lidande för kvinnan. Till exempel drabbades kvinnorna av depression, ångest och posttraumatiskt stressyndrom. Återkommande fysiska hälsoproblem var sömnproblem, fibromyalgi och svårigheter med den sexuella hälsan, som till exempel utomkvedshavandeskap. Överkonsumtion av mat och alkohol i syfte att döva smärtan förekom även hos kvinnorna. De var även benägna att utveckla ett självdestruktivt beteende.Slutsats: Kvinnors emotionella hälsa och välbefinnande påverkades påtagligt negativt av sexuella övergrepp. När det sexuella övergreppet var partnerrelaterat tenderade fler kvinnor att drabbas av posttraumatiskt stressyndrom och depression. Skam- och skuldkänslor var vanligt hos kvinnorna samt begränsningar i det sociala livet som följd av deras psykiska ohälsa. Då utsatta kvinnor har svårt att berätta om sexuella övergrepp måste vårdpersonal som möter dem vara uppmärksamma på tecken som kan tyda på sexuella övergrepp, samt ge den vård som tillämpar kvinnornas individuella behov. / Background:Everyone has the right to decide about their own body and their sexual health. Nevertheless, women around the world are exposed to sexual violence. Sexual violence can be used as a weapon to limit the woman's own choices and her life. Nurses observe that women suffer from anxiety and depression, experience pain and fear after a sexual assault. Women also experience secondary victimization of society, which could lead to feelings of guilt and inferiority complex.Aim: The purpose of this literature review was to compile results from various studies on the health consequences for women who were subjected to sexual abuse.Method:To carry out the study, a descriptive review of literature with a qualitative and quantitative approach was used. Data were obtained after searching via PubMed, Cinahl and Scopus. After the quality review, there were twelve articles that constituted the study's data material.Result: The literature review showed that women's physical and mental health was adversely affected by sexual abuse and leads to suffering for the woman. For instance, women suffered from depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress syndrome. Recurrent physical health problems were sleeping problems, fibromyalgia and difficulties with sexual health such as ectopic pregnancy. Over-consumption of food and alcohol in order to relieve the pain were also found. Furthermore, the studies showed that the women were inclined to a develop self-destructive behavior.Conclusion: The emotional health and well-being of women was significantly affected by sexual abuse. When the sexual abuse was partner-related, more women tended to suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome and depression. Feelings of guilt and shame were common among the women and limitations in social life as a result of their mental illness. Since women find it hard to talk about the sexual assault, health care professionals must be aware of the symptoms and signs that may indicate sexual abuse and provide the care that applies to the women's individual needs.

Thesis (M. A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Upon entering the university environment, first year students encounter what could be described as a “foreign culture”, and have to reconcile conflicting transitional spaces of their home and university identities. This adjustive demand can lead to some considerable levels of psychological distress. This study examined the level of psychological health in first year students. It also evaluated whether factors such as monetary background, residential area, race and the availability of bursaries affect students’ transition into “university life”. First year students (N = 300; male = 135; female = 165) completed the General Health Questionnaire-12 at the University of Limpopo. A substantial percentage (that is, 30.33%) of the participants was found to have or is prone to psychological health problems. This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies which have found that some students may be susceptible to mental health problems predating their entry into university. There was no significant difference between the levels of psychological health between males and females and bursary users and those that are funded by their parents or guardians. There was also no significant difference between those that live in the rural areas and those from the cities. However, the figures between those that are poor and rich were strikingly noteworthy.

Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

A growing body of literature is focusing on the influence of personality and emotion regulation on psychological health. Using archival data from an expressive writing project, the current study investigated the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and emotion regulation, and the influence of the interaction of these variables on psychological health among trauma survivors. The results indicate that both perfectionistic self-presentation and more difficulties in emotion regulation contribute to symptoms of distress. As well, higher levels of perfectionistic self-presentation were associated with more difficulties in emotion regulation. Further, emotion regulation mediated the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and psychological distress but not common physical complaints. More specifically, the non-acceptance subscale of emotion regulation was found to be significant in a test of multiple mediator model.