Screening, surveillance and preventative medical interventions are being identified as best practices for women at high-risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. Genetic screening for the BRCA1/2 mutations associated with hereditary breast cancer is currently recommended as an appropriate health intervention for younger women who have been affected by breast cancer, as well as for those who have been identified as high-risk due to their family histories of breast cancer. At present, however, little is known about the psychosocial implications of genetic screening for BRCA1/2 mutations on young families. Using the common sense model of self-regulation (Leventhal et al., 1997), adapted for genetics (Cameron, 2003; Marteau & Weinman, 2006) as a guiding framework, the goals of this dissertation were to: (a) examine the relationships between threat representation and psychosocial functioning in BRCA1/2 counselees, (b) explore the impact of fear representation on women’s psychosocial functioning, and (c) assess how BRCA1/2 counselees’ threat representations and fear representations impact family functioning and the psychosocial adaptation of their adolescent daughters. Results indicated that total threat representation, including risk representation, illness representation and fear representation, was found to add to the prediction of mothers’ self-reported levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms and intrusive ideation regarding genetic counseling. Additionally, when the cognitive processes of the threat representation were controlled (i.e., risk representation and illness representation), the subjective-emotional processes (i.e., the fear representation) continued to emerge as a significant predictor of mothers’ self-reported anxiety, depressive and intrusive ideation symptoms. Additionally, support for the association between mothers’ threat representations and adolescent daughters’ reports of depressive symptoms and self-concept were noted. Cumulatively, these results provide support for the role of fear representation within the CSM framework and suggest that fear representation plays an important role in BRCA1/2 counselees’ psychosocial adaptation following genetic counseling.

La perspective théorique des représentations sociales constitue une approche alternative aux modèles dominants des sciences humaines et sociales (sciences politiques, sociologie, économie, géographie, etc.) qui visent à expliquer les comportements électoraux. L’étude porte sur un comportement politique : l'abstention. Ce comportement qui est fréquemment pratiqué par les individus au Gabon, fait malgré tout l’objet de peu de travaux scientifiques. Toutefois, les rares chercheurs qui ont abordé la question ont fait l’hypothèse que ce comportement était une réponse des citoyens aux égarements politiques dans ce pays. Afind’éprouver empiriquement cette hypothèse, l'objectif de notre étude a consisté à étudier les représentations sociales et attitudes exprimées envers la sphère politique et leurs liens avec l'abstention électorale au Gabon, en partant du principe que les composantes affectives des représentations sociales peuvent être évaluées à partir des outils propres aux attitudes.Dans la littérature de la psychologie sociale, il existe des relations avérées dans d'autres champs de recherches, entre ces trois notions (représentation sociale, attitude et comportement). Il a été donc possible de supposer que les représentations sociales soient le réservoir sociocognitif ou les attitudes prennent formes (Moliner, 1997 ; Rateau, 2000 ; Sales-Wuillemin, 2004 ; et Bengamaschi, 2011) pour déterminer les comportements. Nous avons mis à l’épreuve, dans cette thèse, l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’abstention électorale au Gabon soit la conséquence de l’activation et/ou l’actualisation des images négatives que les individus ont des hommes politiques et des élections dans ce pays. A cette fin, notre recherche qui a été menée sous une configuration exploratoire avait un double objectif théorique. Dans un premier temps, une pré-enquête a été réalisée auprès d'un échantillon de quatrevingt-onze (91) jeunes résidents des quartiers (6) de Libreville au Gabon. L’objectif a consisté à savoir l'image que ces derniers avaient de la sphère politique du pays. Les données ont été recueillies à l'aide d'associations libres (techniques évocations hiérarchisées en contexte normal et en contexte de substitution) avec comme mots stimuli : hommes politiques de la majorité au pouvoir, hommes politiques de l'opposition, élections politiques. Et, celles-ci ont été traitées par des analyses prototypiques. Dans un deuxième temps, une enquête par questionnaire a été réalisée auprès d'un échantillon expérimental de deux cent dix-huit (218) étudiants de l'Université Omar Bongo, dont l'objectif a consisté à tester un modèle théorique qui voulait vérifier le lien entre les attitudes envers la sphère politique et l'abstention électorale lors des élections présidentielles et législatives. Le questionnaire était composé de plusieurs parties distinctes. Un recueil d'attitudes concernant la sphère politique, construit à partir du dictionnaire d'opinions extrait de la pré-enquête et des questions sur les comportements électoraux, la politisation, l'identification partisane, le sexe et les filières d'étude. Les principaux résultats de la pré-enquête ont montré que les personnes interrogées se représentaient la politique au Gabon à travers ces égarements. Cette image négative de la politique s’est déclinée en trois dimensions avec une forte résonance avec l'actualité politiquegabonaise : une dimension éthique, une dimension mystico-religieuse et une dimension criminalités/perversions. De même, les jeunes interrogés n'ont pas une image des hommes politiques de l'opposition plus gratifiante par rapport à l’image qu’ils ont des hommes politiques de la majorité au pouvoir. Au contraire, la classe politique gabonaise est considérée comme « un tout ».Enfin, quant aux principaux résultats de l'enquête, il semble que les individus interrogés aient une attitude très négative envers la sphère de la politique, et celle-ci était très dépendante de l'attitude négative envers... / The theoretical perspective of social representations is an alternative approach to the dominant models of human and social sciences (political science, sociology, economics, geography, etc.) that explain voting patterns. The study focused on political behavior: abstaining. This behavior is commonly practiced by individuals in Gabon, is still the subject of some scientific work. However, the few researchers who have addressed the issue have made the assumption that this behavior was a response to the political aberrations of citizens in this country. To empirically test this hypothesis, the objective of our study was to explore the socialrepresentations and attitudes expressed towards politics and their links with the electoral abstention in Gabon, on the assumption that affective components of social representations can be evaluated from the own attitudes tools. In the literature there are proven relationships in other fields of research, these three concepts (social perception, attitude and behavior). It was therefore possible to assume that social representations are sociocognitive tank or attitudes take shape (Moliner, 1997; Rateau, 2000 Sales-Wuillemin, 2004; and Bengamaschi, 2011) to determine the behavior. We put to the test, in this thesis, the hypothesis that electoral abstention in Gabon is the con-sequence of the activation and / or updating of negative images that people have of politicians and electionsthis country. To this end, our research which was conducted under an exploratory theoretical configuration had a double objective.Initially, a pre- survey was conducted among a sample of eighty-one (91) young neighborhood residents (6) Libreville, Gabon. The objective was to know the image that they had of the country's political sphere. Data were collected using free associations (technical evocations prioritized normal context and context substitution) with words as stimuli: politicians from the ruling majority, politicians of the opposition, political elections. And, they were treated with prototypical analyzes. Secondly, a questionnaire survey was conducted among a sample of experimental two hundred and eighteen (218) students of the University Omar Bongo, whose objective was totest a theoretical model that would verify link between attitudes towards politics and electoral abstention in presidential and legislative elections. The questionnaire was composed of several separate parts. A collection of attitudes to the political sphere, built from the dictionary of opinions extracted from the pre- investigation and questions about voting behavior, politicization, party identification, gender and courses of study. The main results of the preliminary survey showed that respondents represented policy in Gabon through these aberrations. This negative image of politics has declined in three dimensions with a strong resonance with the Gabonese political news: an ethical dimension, a mystical- religious dimension and a dimension criminality / perversions. Similarly, young people surveyed do not have an image of the politicians of the most rewarding opposition to the image they have of politicians from the ruling majority. Instead, the Gabonese political class is seen as "a whole". Finally, as to the main results of the investigation, it appears that individuals surveyed have a very negative attitude towards the sphere of politics, and it was very dependent on thenegative attitude towards the politicians of the ruling majority. The results showed ultimately relatively modest relationship between certain items of representational world of politics (ritual crimes, Freemasons / sects, liars, frauds) and behaviors voters during the presidential and legislative elections. This thesis has shown that voters - citizens also possessed, beyond the classic variables,belief systems (social cognition) of the political sphere which encourage them in their decision-election decision or policy choices...

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts or partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2003 / There has been an increasing recognition on the part of physicians and others involved in the welfare of individuals with epilepsy, that seizers may be less disabling than their psychosocial correlates. There exists a lay propensity to discriminate against people with epilepsy, which, in turn, is the paramount source of the psychological and social burden that individuals with epilepsy have to endure. The objective of this study is to ascetain the psychosocial perceptions of epiletics towards their affliction. In essence, it is a study on the impact of epilepsy as astigmatizing condition. The present investigation study on the impact of epilepsy as astigmatizing condition. The present investigation consists of four objectives.

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Background: Children make up more than 50% of the population affected by humanitarian crisis. Although it has been shown that a stable, nurturing and safe home environment can help mitigate the negative effects of ambient violence and instability, with deteriorating family relationships and poor psychosocial wellbeing of caregivers in humanitarian crisis, children may face an additional source of harm from within their home. This scoping review was conducted to a) examine the extent to which caregiver psychosocial wellbeing and family violence affect the wellbeing of children and b) understand if interventions and programming can improve wellbeing of children through changes in caregiver psychosocial wellbeing or family violence. Methodology: Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, we searched three electronic databases and various grey literature sources for literature that discussed the associations between caregiver psychosocial wellbeing and/or family violence, and the wellbeing of children. A quantitative and thematic analysis was conducted to examine the extent, range and scope of literature. Results: The findings from 22 identified observational studies indicated that caregiver psychosocial wellbeing and family violence are both associated with various dimensions of child wellbeing. Although the three interventional studies suggest that targeting caregiver wellbeing and family violence may be promising, the search revealed very limited evidence in the form of evaluated programs that reliably measure caregiver and family dimensions, while also measuring child outcomes. Conclusion: Focusing on improving the wellbeing of caregivers and reducing family violence may provide an important venue through which we can improve the lives of children. However, further research must be conducted to expand our understanding of the relationships between relevant factors, and to create robust program evaluations to determine the efficacy and value of interventions. Such research can contribute to the evidence base that is crucial to helping us protect and promote the wellbeing of children in these challenging contexts. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

This study is an investigation into the psychosocial themes present in the DSM-IV diagnosis of adolescents diagnosed with a comorbid Disruptive Behavior and Mood Disorder. These themes are viewed from a psychosocial theoretical perspective. The study focuses on answering four questions. Firstly, what are the psychosocial themes present in the diagnosis of adolescents diagnosed with a comorbid Disruptive Behavior and Mood Disorder? Secondly, how does these themes impact the adolescents psychosocial development? · Thirdly, what role does these themes play as causative factors of Disruptive Behavior and Mood Disorder symptoms in adolescence? · and lastly does these themes represent interactional processes reinforcing a reciprocal pattern of behavior and mood disorder symptoms? These questions are all viewed taking the psychosocial development of the adolescent into account. / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Psychology / unrestricted

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