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published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Psychotherapeutic interventions have been used to support people with cancer for more than half a century, with continuing debate as to whether there is any impact on the disease process itself. Very few of those studies have assessed physiological impact, and although art psychotherapyi has been employed to assess and enhance change in quality of life, reduction in distress and increased treatment compliance amongst adults and children with cancer, in the main these studies have been qualitative. To date few studies have been published reporting the use of art psychotherapy in the exploration of the human being from a systems perspective, using both biological and psychosocial means of assessment of efficacy, and at the time of research, none reporting immunological changes. The advantage of art psychotherapy over purely verbal psychotherapy is in the readily accessed unconscious content, and that a relaxed meditative state is entered in making images: it gives the body voice while creating a concrete record of the process. This study, therefore, addresses a gap in both psychoneuroimmunological and psycho-oncology research. The objective was to assess if engaging in group art psychotherapy would have a positive effect on general quality of life with a reduction of ‘stress’ and if this would be reflected in immunological, psychosocial, image and narrative data. The specific parameters under investigation were salivary immunoglobulin isotype A (S-IgA), salivary interferon gamma (SIFN- γ), delayed type hypersensitivity test response, psychosocial questionnaire results, images created during art psychotherapy and the narrative of that group process. The study utilised a mixed methods approach. The quantitative arm of the study was framed within the positivist paradigm required for the assessment of discrete physiological and psychosocial parameters, while the qualitative arm of the study was framed in the interpretive paradigm suited to the investigation of subjective experience. The dominant philosophy informing the methodology for the qualitative work was hermeneutic phenomenology. Analysis of salivary immunoglobulin alpha (S-IgA) results indicated that there was a general upwards trend in the group mean post-vs-pre-session levels, positively correlating to sessional emotional tone. The salivary interferon gamma (S-IFN-γ) results showed no such increase, although there was a correlation to emotional content in individual sessions and an overall upward trend. There was an observable lessening of anxiety and improvement in interpersonal dynamics and participants’ self report over time, not reflected in the psychosocial questionnaire results. The study suggested that involvement in art psychotherapy does have a positive impact on immunological function, and has contributed to the understanding of a systems approach to healing, which may broaden understanding of the value of psychological support to people with cancer. This may be extrapolated to other chronic illnesses where immunological function must be optimised. The study has also demonstrated that it is possible to involve art psychotherapy in the scientific dialogue, without losing its integrity.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 400-436).

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Relocation stress may be one factor increasing the mortality rate of people who are severely and profoundly retarded (S/P MR) when they transfer from institutional to community living arrangements. However, no research exists concerning acute stress effects with groups who are S/P MR. In this project, 28 residents of a state facility for those with S/P MR were exposed to five-minute structured educational tasks. Venous blood samples were drawn before and after the stressor. Granulocytes, red blood cells, hemoglobin, and plasma protein increased while monocytes decreased after stress. Immune cell subsets did not change significantly. Hemoconcentration, an important factor in thrombosis and ischemia, may relate to relocation stress in S/P MR populations. Methodological factors limit generalization but additional research with larger samples, more indices of stress, more poststress blood samples, and additional stressors are encouraged.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes special study report entitled: Psycho neuro immunology : the role of the built environment in healing. Includes bibliographical references.

Addendum inserted (leaf 170 verso) / Some illustrations are on unnumbered leaves. / Bibliography: leaves 151-170. / xiv, 170, [25] leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Lymphocyte 5'-ectonucleotidase (NT) was selected as a mechanism to explain the phenomenon of stress-induced immunosuppression. The findings indicates that NT is a good marker of stress induced immune suppression and correlates negatively with depression scores such as the Beck Depression Inventory, and psychological distress as measured by the TMD scores, and STAI-trait. The suppression of NT appears to be mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), and is consistent with the finding of normal NT levels in melancholic patients with high antioxidant intake, the heightened inflammatory responses, the low levels of zinc, the low ascorbate stores, and the down regulation of glucocorticoid receptors reported to occur in stress/depressed patients. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1997?

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-153).