The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the stressors of caregiving for a schizophrenic patient and related outcomes. The Caregiver Stress Model was used as the conceptual framework for the current study. The sample of the study was composed of 98 Turkish caregivers of schizophrenic patients who were treated at psychiatry clinics of hospitals in Ankara. Twelve mediation models were tested using marital satisfaction and social support as mediators. The models contained primary stressor (basic needs), secondary stressor (activities of living), and intrapsychic strain (parental efficacy) as independent variables / and depression and general psychological health as dependent variables. The results suggested both social support and marital satisfaction as significant mediators of the relationships of both primary and secondary stressors with the outcome variables / however, social support and marital satisfaction were not significant mediators of the relationships between parental efficacy and outcome variables. The significant implications and limitations of the study were also discussed.

The use of mindfulness in healthcare is increasing in Sweden. A so-called secular form of mindfulness is also increasing within mediated contemporary psychology and is used in many areas such as schools, workplaces and when giving birth. The method originates from Buddhism and is much more complex than the form of mindfulness marketed in Sweden today. The religious heritage of mindfulness is interesting to study in such a secular society as Sweden, where the material for this study is found. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate whether mindfulness still is a form of religious coping or if it has become completely secularized, and thus free of its religious origin. This is done in a qualitative manner by examining three experiences of mindfulness described in the following books and blogs: How I overcame my trauma and PTSD (2013) by Philippe Izmailov, Mindfulness – En väg att hantera smärta (2008) by Vidyamala Burch and the blog article Därför tränar jag mindfulness (2013-05-20) by Jonas Ask. The research questions in this study are: What importance does mindfulness have for the individuals mental health based on religious and psychological coping theory? and Can mindfulness be interpreted as a form of coping which includes religiousness? The methods used are narrative analysis and hermeneutic interpretation and the theory is religious and psychological coping theory. The results show that mindfulness has an immense importance in providing psychological health for these individuals. All three have changed their significance and improved relationships, breath and stress reactions amongst others. The results also highlight that religious coping is dependent on definition of terms such as religion and sacred. This suggests that the question whether mindfulness can be considered to be coping that includes religiousness is a matter of interpretation. More studies on the religious and existential dimensions of mindfulness are therefore needed as well as definitions of religion and sacred adapted to a religious understanding that does not entirely rely on traditional terms and a western understanding.

Stress among correctional officers is widespread, according to research studies and anecdotal evidence. The threat of inmate violence against correctional officers, actual violence committed by inmates, inmate demands and manipulation and problems with co-workers are conditions that officers have reported in recent years that can cause stress. These factors, combined with understaffing, extensive overtime, rotating shift work, low pay, poor public image, and other sources of stress, can impair officers' health, cause them to bum out or retire prematurely, and impair their family life. Despite these weaknesses and malfunctioning in correctional settings, many officers are still committed in their work, until they reach their set pension dates. Such officers show intense focus and high levels of enthusiasm. With the upcoming positive paradigm in Occupational Health Psychology, "positive" trends such as work engagement, organisational commitment and individual commitment are also common among correctional officers. The first step in the enhancement of total spectrum of work-related well-being, from unwell-being (burnout) to well-being (work engagement) is the successful diagnosis of stress, burnout and work engagement. However, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments to measure these constructs. The objective of this study in the Department of Correctional Services was to standardise an Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI - GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for correctional officers in South Africa, in order to determine their levels of occupational stress, burnout, work engagement, organisational commitment and ill health (based on their biographical characteristics), and to test a structural model of work wellness. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with stratified random samples (N = 897) taken of correctional officers in the 48 prisons in South Africa. An Organisational Stress Screening Tool, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job - Demands Resources Questionnaire, the Health and Organisational Commitment subscales of the ASSET, and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analyses, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), T-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work related well-being. Significant differences in stress levels based on biographical characteristics revealed a statistically significant difference regarding how correctional officers of different age groups experience stress as a result of job overload and commitment from the organisation towards its own employees. A practically significant difference between correctional officers aged 20- 30 and 50-60 years of age, concerning the experience of stress as a result of job control, was also found. Another statistically significant difference was found concerning how correctional officers with different years of experience in the current job experienced stress as a result of job overload and work relationships. Work relationships contributed to a statistically significant difference between correctional officers with different years of experience in the current prison. Statistically significant differences also existed with regard to the experience of stress between correctional officers with different ranks as a result of job overload and work/life balance. Lastly, no statistically significant gender differences were found among male and female correctional officers in South Africa. This finding on gender, is in contrast with most of the empirical research on gender differences, which suggests that women appear to experience higher levels of stress in comparison to males. Exploratory factor analyses with target rotations resulted in a three-factor model of burnout consisting of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and construct equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans/English and African). Regarding the differences in the burnout levels between language groups, a significant effect of language on the combined dependent variable Burnout was revealed. Analysis of each individual dependent variable showed that there were no significant differences between the levels of Exhaustion and Cynicism in the two language groups. The two groups differed in terms of the level of Professional Efficacy, where the English/Afrikaans group showed higher levels of Professional Efficacy. No significant effect of qualification and rank on the combined dependent variable Burnout was found. However, the language groups (English/Afrikaans) and (Africans) differed in terms of the level of Exhaustion where the Africans showed higher levels of Exhaustion. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of job on the combined dependent variable Burnout. Significant differences existed between language groups as a result of the levels of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. Finally, compared to the normative sample, 32,4% of correctional officers experience high levels of Exhaustion, while 38,6% experience high Cynicism and 32,1% show low Professional Efficacy. Exploratory factor analyses with target rotations resulted in a one-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Dedication. The scales showed acceptable construct and internal equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans and English). Although no practically significant differences between language groups of correctional officers in South Africa were found, it did reveal statistically significant higher levels of work engagement for Africans as compared to the Afrikaans/English language group. Furthermore, regarding differences in engagement levels based on qualifications and ranks, the findings revealed a statistically significant difference based on qualifications, and not on rank. No significant gender differences were found. With regard to aspects that enervated work-related well-being, the model showed that job demands (overload) and lack of job resources had an impact on burnout. Burnout, furthermore, mediated the relationship between job demands and ill health among correctional officers. The structural model revealed that work-related well-being mediated the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment. Correctional officers were likely to be victims of burnout and consequently ill health when an increase in job demands is not matched with an increase in job resources. The availability of job resources lead to work-related wellbeing, which will turn into organisational commitment. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Jaunesniojo paauglio psichologinė savijauta - neabejotinai aktualus klausimas šiandieną ugdant sveiką visuomenę. Svarbiausias paauglio asmenybės ir psichologinės savijautos aspektas yra sveikatos kontrolės lokusas, kuris parodo, kaip žmogus suvokia savo sveikatą bei priežastis, nuo kurių priklauso jo sveikata, ir savęs vertinimas. Šio magistro darbo tikslas - ištirti 5-12 klasių mokinių savęs vertinimo ir sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ypatumus sąryšyje su sveikata ir mokymosi sėkme. Siekiama nustatyti 5-12 klasių mokinių sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ir savęs vertinimo skalių įverčių vidurkius pagal amžių (11-18m.) ir lytį, taip pat ištirti sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ir savęs vertinimo ryšį su praleistų pamokų skaičiumi dėl ligos bei su pažangumu. Tyrime dalyvavo 240 bendrojo lavinimo mokyklos mokinių (5-12 kl, 11-18 m.). Tyrimui atlikti buvo naudojama daugiadimensinė sveikatos kontrolės lokuso skalė/MHLC - A forma (Wallston K.,1978) ir M. Rosenberg savigarbos skalė (Rosenberg M., 1965). Užduočių rezultatai buvo išreikšti 4 rodikliais: vidinė kontrolė(HLC), atsitiktinumas(CHC), kitų įtaka(PHLC), savęs vertinimas(BRSV). / Nowadays the psychological being of pupils ‘is a very topical issue in trying to raise a healthy community. One of the main factors indicating the psychological health of the individual is the health control locus and self-esteem, showing how a person conceives his health and himself, his abilities, properties, and his status among other people. A teenager‘s psychical and physical health relies strongly on this, as well as learning advance and relationship to other people. The aim of the present work has been to analyze the 5 – 12 class children self-esteem and health control locus singularity in connection with learning advance. In the research, however, the aim has been to analyze 5 – 12 class children‘s indicators of health control locus and self-esteem according to the age (11-18 years old) and sex, quest 5 – 12 class children health control locus and self-esteem in connection with absences from school due to some illness and with learning advance. There were data collected from 240 schoolchildren 5 – 12 class (11-18 years old) in Lithuanian comprehensive schools. In the research there were used Multidimensional health locus of control scale (MHLC) (Wallston K., 1978) and Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale (RSV) (Rosenberg M., 1965). The result of work was expressed by the following four indicators: internality (HLC), chance (CHC), powerful others (PHLC) and self-esteem (BRSV). The results of the research revealed that the average locus in the pupil‘s health control scales... [to full text]

Background: Research points in different directions when looking at possible increases in mental health problems among adolescents. Findings in favor of an increase are questioned due to methodological problems. Aim: Investigating whether mental health problems among young adolescents are increasing over time in Europe and North America. If so, does the trend apply both to mean levels of symptoms and to the proportion of adolescents with substantial problems? Are the time-trends similar over sex and age-categories?                                                                                                    Method: A total of 401 089 adolescents from a total of 38 countries are included in the analysis. Based on the eight health variables on self-rated health provided by the HBSC study, a measurement of mental health problems was created using factor analysis in SPSS. Results: Increases of mental health problems were found in Europe and North America. Increases were found both in terms of mean levels of symptoms and to the proportion of adolescents with substantial problems. Increases were seen in all age groups and among both girls and boys. Conclusion: Reasons behind the discovered increases are not known and should be further investigated as extensive research point to severe consequences of mental health problems in adolescence for later life.       Key words   Adolescents, mental health problems, trends, self-reported health (SRH), psychological health complaints (PHC)

Stress among correctional officers is widespread, according to research studies and anecdotal evidence. The threat of inmate violence against correctional officers, actual violence committed by inmates, inmate demands and manipulation and problems with co-workers are conditions that officers have reported in recent years that can cause stress. These factors, combined with understaffing, extensive overtime, rotating shift work, low pay, poor public image, and other sources of stress, can impair officers' health, cause them to bum out or retire prematurely, and impair their family life. Despite these weaknesses and malfunctioning in correctional settings, many officers are still committed in their work, until they reach their set pension dates. Such officers show intense focus and high levels of enthusiasm. With the upcoming positive paradigm in Occupational Health Psychology, "positive" trends such as work engagement, organisational commitment and individual commitment are also common among correctional officers. The first step in the enhancement of total spectrum of work-related well-being, from unwell-being (burnout) to well-being (work engagement) is the successful diagnosis of stress, burnout and work engagement. However, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments to measure these constructs. The objective of this study in the Department of Correctional Services was to standardise an Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI - GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for correctional officers in South Africa, in order to determine their levels of occupational stress, burnout, work engagement, organisational commitment and ill health (based on their biographical characteristics), and to test a structural model of work wellness. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with stratified random samples (N = 897) taken of correctional officers in the 48 prisons in South Africa. An Organisational Stress Screening Tool, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job - Demands Resources Questionnaire, the Health and Organisational Commitment subscales of the ASSET, and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analyses, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), T-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work related well-being. Significant differences in stress levels based on biographical characteristics revealed a statistically significant difference regarding how correctional officers of different age groups experience stress as a result of job overload and commitment from the organisation towards its own employees. A practically significant difference between correctional officers aged 20- 30 and 50-60 years of age, concerning the experience of stress as a result of job control, was also found. Another statistically significant difference was found concerning how correctional officers with different years of experience in the current job experienced stress as a result of job overload and work relationships. Work relationships contributed to a statistically significant difference between correctional officers with different years of experience in the current prison. Statistically significant differences also existed with regard to the experience of stress between correctional officers with different ranks as a result of job overload and work/life balance. Lastly, no statistically significant gender differences were found among male and female correctional officers in South Africa. This finding on gender, is in contrast with most of the empirical research on gender differences, which suggests that women appear to experience higher levels of stress in comparison to males. Exploratory factor analyses with target rotations resulted in a three-factor model of burnout consisting of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and construct equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans/English and African). Regarding the differences in the burnout levels between language groups, a significant effect of language on the combined dependent variable Burnout was revealed. Analysis of each individual dependent variable showed that there were no significant differences between the levels of Exhaustion and Cynicism in the two language groups. The two groups differed in terms of the level of Professional Efficacy, where the English/Afrikaans group showed higher levels of Professional Efficacy. No significant effect of qualification and rank on the combined dependent variable Burnout was found. However, the language groups (English/Afrikaans) and (Africans) differed in terms of the level of Exhaustion where the Africans showed higher levels of Exhaustion. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of job on the combined dependent variable Burnout. Significant differences existed between language groups as a result of the levels of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. Finally, compared to the normative sample, 32,4% of correctional officers experience high levels of Exhaustion, while 38,6% experience high Cynicism and 32,1% show low Professional Efficacy. Exploratory factor analyses with target rotations resulted in a one-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Dedication. The scales showed acceptable construct and internal equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans and English). Although no practically significant differences between language groups of correctional officers in South Africa were found, it did reveal statistically significant higher levels of work engagement for Africans as compared to the Afrikaans/English language group. Furthermore, regarding differences in engagement levels based on qualifications and ranks, the findings revealed a statistically significant difference based on qualifications, and not on rank. No significant gender differences were found. With regard to aspects that enervated work-related well-being, the model showed that job demands (overload) and lack of job resources had an impact on burnout. Burnout, furthermore, mediated the relationship between job demands and ill health among correctional officers. The structural model revealed that work-related well-being mediated the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment. Correctional officers were likely to be victims of burnout and consequently ill health when an increase in job demands is not matched with an increase in job resources. The availability of job resources lead to work-related wellbeing, which will turn into organisational commitment. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

South Africa is no longer trapped in an apartheid era and is now perceived as a multinational state, implying that not only the composition of labour forces have changed, but all other institutions have developed into being more representative of all races. Thus whilst the workplace demographics are rapidly changing, more individuals are preparing themselves to enter the workplace. As a result more diverse cultures also prevail within hostels of higher educational institutions. The objectives of this study were to investigate individual preferences in terms of acculturation strategies as utilised by students in hostels of a higher education institution. Another important objective was to understand the effect of acculturation strategies has on the general well-being and health of individuals. In order to achieve these objectives, Berry's bi-directional Acculturation Model, as well as the Interactive Acculturation Model was used. A cross-sectional survey design with an availability sample (N = 245) was used, taken from hostel students of 3 higher education institution in South Africa. The questionnaire consisted of various items on the acculturation scale, as well as a biographical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analyses, Cronbach alpha coefficients, MANOVAs, Multiple Regression Analysis, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. The results pointed out that females preferred Separation or Assimilation, while males preferred Integration as acculturation strategy. Female hostels preferred Separation as acculturation strategy and male hostels preferred Integration as acculturation strategy. Acculturation strategies in terms of race showed that White groups preferred integration and African groups preferred Separation. Regarding the effect that acculturation strategies have on health, males experienced high levels of physical health problems. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Higher education institutions in South Africa are undergoing transformation because of increasing student numbers, government and the private sector relying on tertiary institutions to assist in solving problems in addition to the globalisation of knowledge. University staff is continuously faced major changes. Immense pressure is placed on academic institutions, including support staff. Support staff are constantly faced with increasing job demands and decreasing job resources. This imbalance and the increase of job stress over a prolonged period of time can lead to the devastating result of burnout. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between task characteristics, burnout, health and life satisfaction in a higher education institution in the North West Province. A cross-sectional design was used. The study population (N=334) consisted of support staff members of higher education institutions in the North West Province. The Job Demands-Resources Scale (JDRS), The Maslach Burnout Inventory - GS (MBI-GS), the Health subscale of the ASSET and The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics (for example, means, standard deviations and kurtosis) were used to analyse the data. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between job demands, job resources, burnout, physical health, psychological health and life satisfaction. The correlation coefficients indicated that exhaustion was positively related to psychological ill-health. Cynicism correlated negatively with growth opportunities. Multiple regression analysis showed that overload and growth opportunities predicted 26% of the variance for exhaustion and 29% of the variance in cynicism. Exhaustion predicted 24% of the variance for physical ill-health and 37% of the variance for psychological ill-health. Psychological ill-health predicted 16% of the variance of life satisfaction. Recommendations for future research and the organisation were made. / 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.

This thesis describes studies into the psychometric properties of a Swedish language version of the Adolescent Drug Abuse Diagnosis (ADAD) instrument. The psychometric properties of this instrument have been examined in two previous studies: an American study was conducted by the developers of the interview, Friedman and Utada (1989), and a Swiss study was undertaken by Bolognini et al. (2001). The American and the French (as used in the Swiss study) versions of ADAD exhibit good validity and reliability, in the form of both interrater reliability and the internal consistency of the composite scores. Study I evaluated the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the ADAD interview in normal adolescents and adolescents with antisocial problems. It was found that the instrument has good interrater reliability, that the composite scores exhibit moderate internal consistency, and that the concept validity was acceptable and similar to that of the American and Swiss versions. The results also showed that the problem areas of ADAD produced meaningful correlations. The interviewer ratings, the adolescent’s ratings and the composite scores were compared and discussed. Some problems concerning the composite scores were discovered and will need to be analyzed in future studies. Study II investigated the utility and problems associated with the composite scores in the ADAD within and between normal adolescents and adolescents with antisocial problems. When comparing interviewer severity ratings and composite scores within the two groups, the composite scores were found to behave differently to the interviewer ratings. For normal adolescents, the composite scores are generally higher than the interviewer ratings, but for the adolescents with antisocial problems the reverse is true. The interviewer severity ratings seem to be the most appropriate outcome when the objective is to separate antisocial and normal groups of adolescents from each other. The difference between the two groups is smaller as measured by composite scores. The composite scores appear to function as viable indicators of current problems in all areas except for Medical and Alcohol problem area. The critical items within the Medical and Alcohol composite scores are explored and discussed.  Study III investigated the concurrent and predictive validity of the ADAD Psychological status and problem area. Concurrent validity was demonstrated by significant correlations between the ADAD, Youth Self Report (YSR) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores. The predictive validity of this problem area of the ADAD was tested by exploring its correlations with the YSR, BDI, and DICA problem ratings; moderate correlations were observed, suggesting that in clinical practice, the ADAD Psychological status and problem area may be a useful tool for the assessment and measurement of current psychological problems. The utility obtained by making decisions using the test is substantial. Overall, the results of these studies indicate that the Swedish version of ADAD appears to be a psychometrically good instrument for assessing the severity of adolescents’ problems and their need for treatment, but there are some problems with the Medical and Alcohol composite scores.