Individuals with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) stand an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems during adolescence. The present study aimed to develop a better understanding of interpersonal relationships in the lives of adolescents with high functioning ASD. Eight adolescents with a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome or ASD without an identified intellectual disability engaged in a structured interview based on a personal construct psychology exercise exploring constructs about interpersonal relationships. Interviews were transcribed and subjected to a thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: 1) Relationships as a source of support, 2) Perceptions of similarity and difference, 3) Valued qualities in self and others and 4) The development of and maintenance of relationships. Whilst this exploratory study highlighted some commonality in terms of perceptions of family support and friendships as protective and desirable, the participant group differed in their ability to establish and maintain peer relationships. However, peers were seen by participants as being very important in the development of social skills - a finding which has implications for the delivery of social skills training and other supportive interventions. The personal construct exercise provided an accessible and useful platform for the exploration of the social worlds of adolescents with ASD.

Section A reviews whether arts-based activities for people with a dementia (PWD) have significant cognitive, social, and psychological benefits for this population. There is a variety of theoretical perspectives on dementia that encompass the biological, psychological, and social effects of the disease on the wellbeing of PWD. Visual arts may be an appropriate way of addressing some of the challenges that PWD face by providing a means of ameliorating some of their cognitive, social, and psychological difficulties. Literature from the field of arts-based activities with PWD suggests that there is no apparent theoretical conceptualisation in the area, as most studies have attempted to evaluate various art programmes with no clear rationale for expected findings; rather, they have taken a more exploratory stance. However, they indicate that arts-based activities can have social and psychological benefits by increasing confidence, enthusiasm, enjoyment, social contact, mood, quality of life, and ratings of depression. The review concludes with a rationale for why it is important to expand the current evidence base on arts-based activities for PWD. Section B: Dementia refers to a variety of diseases that are characterised by cognitive difficulties and an overall decline in daily living skills. Arts and health interventions may be particularly valuable ways of improving the lives of PWD and their family carers. This exploratory study involved six people with mild to moderate dementia and six family carers attending an arts-based intervention at a major London art gallery for three sessions over three weeks, in which they engaged in art-viewing and art-making. Using audio recordings to record PWDs’ responses, rather than standardised measures, which are often problematic with this population, the study sought to explore possible changes in cognition of PWD during the intervention, namely episodic memory and verbal fluency. Using a mixed methods design, data were collected at five points and analysed using content and thematic analyses. The findings suggested that episodic memory and verbal fluency appeared to improve during the art gallery-based intervention. This was substantiated by family carers who also reported that PWD showed increased mood, confidence and social interaction, and that they valued the shared experience and learning opportunity. Whether these changes can be attributed to the intervention is a matter for further research beyond this exploratory study. Future research is proposed to further understand the implications of these preliminary findings. Section C presents a critical appraisal of the research. Research skills that have been learned and developed over the course of the process are discussed, such as increased awareness of the benefits of working within a wider research community. There is consideration of the need to communicate clearly and sensitively with other professionals from differing backgrounds and organisations, as well as the importance of building on a coherent evidence base when designing a research project. Better organisation relating to recruitment and investigation into recording during the art-viewing sessions at the gallery are identified as aspects that would be done differently, as well as consideration of using a case study approach. Clinical consequences of the research are discussed, such as utilising a community psychology approach and involving art and creativity in therapeutic sessions. Finally, further research in the area is considered, such as by expanding the study and using robust neuropsychological measures to detect cognitive change.

Section A explores the role of creative arts therapies (CATs) in assisting recovery from severe mental illness (SMI). It examines the congruence of CATs with recovery models, and critically reviews evidence for the effectiveness of art and drama therapy with adults with mental health problems. It then examines one form of CAT which combines art and drama therapy – therapeutic puppetry. Underlying theoretical models and the existing evidence base with adults with SMI are outlined and critiqued. The review concludes with a summary of proposed arguments and research recommendations. Section B reports on a pilot investigation of group therapeutic puppetry with people with SMI. Background: Therapeutic puppetry is the use of puppets to aid emotional healing. There is no published research investigating the effectiveness of therapeutic puppetry with people with SMI. Aims: A pilot investigation of group therapeutic puppetry with people with SMI tested the hypotheses that this intervention results in improvements in mental wellbeing, self-esteem, and body connection. It also investigated mechanisms of change, and service user acceptability and experience. Method: This mixed methodology study utilised five single AB design case studies with time series data analysed using simulation modelling analysis. Qualitative data was collected via participant observation and participant interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three participants experienced statistically and clinically significant changes in either positive or negative directions during the intervention, with all participants describing therapeutic puppetry as powerful and beneficial. Conclusions: Therapeutic puppetry is a potentially powerful medium which could be utilised by various mental health professionals. Service users find therapeutic puppetry acceptable and beneficial despite it being an occasionally difficult and intense experience. Section C is a critical appraisal of the conducted research, examining lessons learnt, identified training needs, changes to clinical practice and future research directions.

Section A reviews and critically evaluates the empirical literature on psychosocial interventions for multiple sclerosis (MS), the determinants of adjustment to MS, and the theoretical frameworks to account for these. Further, a conceptual and empirical review of the literature on narrative therapy is provided and an argument advanced for the utility of narrative therapy in facilitating adjustment to MS. Possible areas for further research are outlined. Section B describes a feasibility study which aimed to begin to test a theoretical argument for the application of group narrative therapy to facilitate psychosocial adjustment to MS, and to ascertain the feasibility of a larger scale randomised controlled trial. Fourteen MS patients received 8 weekly sessions of group narrative therapy delivered at two sites in England. Quality of life, coping processes, and illness representations were assessed at two time points prior to the intervention and immediately after the intervention, and analysed using Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs tests. Additional qualitative measures were taken and analysed using content analysis. The feasibility of a larger scale study was, in part, assessed by means of semi-structured interviews with health professionals involved in the study, and analysed using thematic analysis. Although none of the findings reached statistical significance upon correcting for multiple comparisons, positive trends were revealed for the mental health component of quality of life, confrontive coping, and the consequences component of illness representations. With respect to the feasibility of this study, several issues pertaining to recruitment and data collection emerged from the data that can inform future research. Taken together, the results of this pilot study are promising and warrant further investigation using a sufficiently large sample. Section C provides a reflection on the skills and abilities developed and learning needs identified whilst undertaking the research. It further offers a critical reflection on the study‟s methodology and the potential implications for clinical practice. Further potential lines of enquiry are outlined.

This study investigated the effects of test length (10, 20 and 30 items), scoring schema (proportion of dichotomous ad polytomous scoring) and item analysis model (IRT and Rasch) on the ability estimates, test information levels and optimization criteria of mixed item format tests. Polytomous item responses to 30 items for 1000 examinees were simulated using the generalized partial-credit model and SAS software. Portions of the data were re-coded dichotomously over 11 structured proportions to create 33 sets of test responses including mixed item format tests. MULTILOG software was used to calculate the examinee ability estimates, standard errors, item and test information, reliability and fit indices. A comparison of IRT and Rasch item analysis procedures was made using SPSS software across ability estimates and standard errors of ability estimates using a 3 x 11 x 2 fixed factorial ANOVA. Effect sizes and power were reported for each procedure. Scheffe post hoc procedures were conducted on significant factos. Test information was analyzed and compared across the range of ability levels for all 66-design combinations. The results indicated that both test length and the proportion of items scored polytomously had a significant impact on the amount of test information produced by mixed item format tests. Generally, tests with 100% of the items scored polytomously produced the highest overall information. This seemed to be especially true for examinees with lower ability estimates. Optimality comparisons were made between IRT and Rasch procedures based on standard error rates for the ability estimates, marginal reliabilities and fit indices (-2LL). The only significant differences reported involved the standard error rates for both the IRT and Rasch procedures. This result must be viewed in light of the fact that the effect size reported was negligible. Optimality was found to be highest when longer tests and higher proportions of polytomous scoring were applied. Some indications were given that IRT procedures may produce slightly improved results in gathering available test information. Overall, significant differences were not found between the IRT and Rasch procedures when analyzing the mixed item format tests. Further research should be conducted in the areas of test difficulty, examinee test scores, and automated partial-credit scoring along with a comparison to other traditional psychometric measures and how they address challenges related to the mixed item format tests.

M.Ed. / The research in this qualitative study focuses on the role of the educational psychologist as consultant in Inclusive Education. The rationale for the investigation is derived from the changing and expanding role of the educational psychologist. This role has been implicated by the move from excluding learners who experience barriers to learning from mainstream schools, towards a policy of Inclusive Education. Inclusive Education aims at restructuring and transforming schools and curricula, in order to promote needs-driven, holistic, effective, community-based and quality service delivery. However, the implementation of Inclusive Education poses complex problems to those involved. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are required in which most teachers, parents as well as personnel at the education support services are not yet trained. This necessitates a comprehensive solution, such as collaborative consultation. The educational psychologist thus needs to reflect on her current role, and should change and expand her role to that of a consultant. The report of the study commences with a theory framework in which collaborative consultation is explicated. The nature of collaboration as a constructivist learning and problem solving process, in whole school development for Inclusive Education, is discussed. Thereafter collaborative consultation as an ecosystemic approach to, and reflective practice in whole school development, is discussed and illustrated. The chapter ends by a summary of the role, knowledge, skills and attitudes of the consultant in whole school development for Inclusive Education. The theory framework is followed by a chapter on the design of the qualitative study, substantiating the choice of format and methods of data collection and analyses. A rich and tightly woven description of the chronological course of the research process is provided, when examples of raw data and data analysis from the sketches and transcriptions of the focus group and individual interviews are presented.

M.Phil. / This research focuses on aspects of burnout amongst ministers of religion in the Dutch • Reformed Church ("NG Kerk") Synod of Southern Transvaal. Burnout is a common metaphor for a state of mental exhaustion, usually work-related. It is described as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do 'people work' of some kind. Research literature describes the general symptomatology of the syndrome, its preconditions, as well as the domain in which it occurs. From the literature it becomes apparent that burnout is a persistent, negative, work-related state of mind in 'normal' individuals that is primarily characterised by exhaustion, which is accompanied by distress, a sense of reduced effectiveness, decreased motivation, and the development of dysfunctional attitudes and behaviours at work. This psychological condition develops gradually but may remain unnoticed for a long time by the individual involved. It results from a misfit between intentions and reality at the job. Often burnout is selfperpetuating because of inadequate coping strategies that are associated with the syndrome. The research design can be typified as exploratory, descriptive and quantitative. The central hypothesis of this study is that burnout is the product of specific factors in the person-work environment interaction of ministers in the Dutch Reformed Church. With the aim of the study in mind, the following research process was followed: A literature review as theoretical grounding for burnout in general, as well as the analysis of literature specifically on burnout amongst ministers of religion. The development of a questionnaire, based on the review of literature, as self-report measure for burnout amongst ministers. After a field investigation, with the questionnaire as a method of data collection (on two occasions, 20 months apart), the data were analysed, consolidated, displayed and interpreted. The consolidated data were also interpreted in the broader perspective of the theoretical framework and recommendations were made about aspects of burnout amongst ministers in the Dutch Reformed Church. Possible causes, negative outcomes, ways of coping, interventions and support were explicated. The most important findings on aspects of burnout amongst ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church, as shown in this study, are: low horizontal mobility, quantitative work overload, time pressure, negative personal experience of the work situation, a negative evaluation of training and the negative evaluation of personal well-being because of the work situation. It can be concluded that ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church are at risk of burnout, caused by unique stressors in their work environment.

M.A. / Prisons in the South African context are considered to be places of correction for deviant individuals. The perception of the functioning of a correctional space is the correction of a particular type of functioning and the construction of another. One of the underlying assumptions of a penal system is the notion of a subject who is able to undergo a process of normalisation. This dissertation is directed towards the exploration of a different type of space that has been created within the correctional system at the Diepkloof Prison. It will be suggested herein that creative workshops, run within the prison by an outside facilitator, have succeeded in subverting the normalising discourse of the penal system, and have helped to facilitate a different type of healing experience within the confines of the institutional space. In order to place the discussion of the workshopping process within a sound theoretical framework, various theoretical questions regarding the shift from modernist to postmodern psychology are explored in some depth. It will be argued that the ideas emerging from social constructionist and narrative psychology, deconstructionist notions of language and subjectivity, as well as post-structuralist ideas on disciplinary power, offer a theoretical framework from within which to understand the healing process that occurs in the workshops themselves.

M.A. / Modern health-care services in general hospital settings are often characterised by mUltidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to patient care. The underlying rationale of these approaches lies in the potential pooling of specialised medical resources from a variety of medical fields. Consequently there is usually an increase in the diagnostic procedures available, theoretically offering a more comprehensive health service. Whilst the above approach is seen to be effective when the health-car~ team specialists subscribe to one encompassing paradigm, it is hypothesised that the existence of other alternative paradigms may affect the efficacy of team work. Using the interface between the Psychology and Renal units of J.G. Strijdom Hospital as an example, this study describes the effect of paradigmatic differences within a team approach on the conceptualisation of problems and treatment choices. The traditional medical approach is contrasted against a systems based psychological approach. The existence of the two approaches within a single team encounters difficulty in the gaining of consensus regarding the level of focus.

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract