A partir das mudanças que vêm ocorrendo na política de saúde mental, surgiram várias inquietações no que diz respeito aos resultados deste processo para os usuários, familiares, e profissionais dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS). Estas inquietações se estenderam também ao significado que estava sendo constituído por estes sujeitos sobre os CAPS. Surgiu, então, o desejo de estudar as identidades que estão emergindo destes sujeitos que atuam no cenário do CAPS, no que concerne a sua participação e integração a este serviço, como também conhecer os significados que estão sendo construídos a respeito destes serviços. O presente estudo possui os seguintes objetivos: Conhecer a identidade dos usuários, familiares e profissionais que atuam no cenário do CAPS e conhecer os significados relacionados ao CAPS. A pesquisa foi realizada com onze usuários, onze familiares e doze profissionais. O estudo seguiu o caminho teórico-metodológico da Teoria Ego-Ecológica, proposto por Zavalloni. Esta teoria permite conhecer a identidade do indivíduo, suas peculiaridades e sua realidade através da representação que ele possui acerca de si mesmo e do grupo. Esta teoria permite também compreender cada sujeito/identidade inserido em seu contexto, assim como as relações estabelecidas entre ele e seus pares e entre eles e os sujeitos de outros grupos com os quais se relacionam. Esta rede de relacionamentos intra e intergrupal possui significados que o Inventário Multifásico de Identidade Social (IMIS) permitiu conhecer e analisar de forma criteriosa e sensível. Este trabalho revelou o usuário com uma autopercepção fortificada, com esperança de constituir uma nova família e conseguir um emprego digno. Contudo, as mudanças observadas na identidade dos sujeitos com diagnóstico de transtorno mental não se estendem aos seus familiares que continuam sendo vistos de forma negativa, tanto pelos usuários como pelos profissionais. Para que a reabilitação social ocorra os familiares precisam ser incluídos neste processo, precisam se implicar mais no tratamento de seus familiares, e também os usuários e profissionais precisam modificar o modo como percebem e se relacionam com os familiares. O presente estudo mostrou que, apesar das dificuldades encontradas, o modelo psicossocial tem beneficiado a pessoa com transtorno mental, porém observa-se uma certa paralisia no movimento da Reforma Psiquiátrica. Indubitavelmente o modelo psicossocial beneficia a pessoa com transtorno mental severo, contudo, atualmente, corre-se o risco da cronificação destes sujeitos dentro do CAPS. O movimento da Reforma Psiquiátrica conseguiu mostrar que o modelo manicomial é ineficaz no tratamento das pessoas com transtorno mental, porém esse é só o começo do processo de reabilitação psicossocial. Faz-se necessário avançar neste processo e ir além do CAPS para que os usuários alcancem a vida. A falta de medicação e de alimentação, o número insuficiente de serviços e funcionários e a dificuldade em realizar uma assistência adequada vêm sobrecarregando e gerando estresse nos profissionais e, como um dos profissionais entrevistados fala, “O CAPS é uma estrutura em crescimento, que não sabemos aonde vai dar”. / Many issues have come up due to the changes in the mental health policies concerning users, relatives and professionals at the Day-Care Units (CAPS). Those issues also consisted of the idea that was being made of the Day-Care Units by such individuals. This work has the purpose of studying the identities that are emerging from the perspective of such individuals who act on the Day-Care Unit scene, considering their roles and their commitment to that service, and of knowing how those services are being perceived by the individuals. The present study aims at: knowing the identity of the users, related and professional who act on the Day-Care Unit scene, and putting in evidence the meanings attributed to the Day-Care Unit. The research includes eleven users, eleven family members and twelve professionals. The study is methodologically based on the Ego-ecologic Theory by Zavalloni. This method allows to know the identity of the subject, his/her peculiarities and reality by means of selfrepresentation and the representation made by him/her about the group. This theory also enables understanding of the subject/identity as inserted in his/her environment, likewise the relations within themselves, their pairs and subjects from other environments. This internal and external network of relationships has meanings capable of accurate and sensible analysis by means of the Multistage Social Identity Inquirer. This work reveals the user with the strengthened self-awareness, hoping to constitute family and getting a fair job. However, the changes seen in mentally impaired are not followed by their relatives, who are still seen negatively both by users and professionals. In order that the social rehabilitation occurs, relatives must be included in the process, thus improving the bonds to their related ones. Users and professionals must modify the way they see and relate to their relatives too. The present study shows that, despite difficulties, the psychosocial model has been doing good to the mentally impaired, although noticing a certain paralysis of the Psychiatric Reform movement. No doubt the psychosocial model benefit the subject under severe mental impairment, however risking nowadays the perennial stay of those subjects within the Day-Care Unit. The movement of Psychiatric Reform has shown that the asylum model is not efficient in treating people mentally impaired, although psychosocial rehabilitation is just in the beginning. It is fundamental to move such process forward and beyond Day-Care Units so that the users can reach life. Lack of medication, food, services and staff to a proper care overload professionals, and quoting: “The Day-Care Unit is a growing structure which we know not where it is going to.”

The thesis "Effects of surgery treatment of epilepsy on psychosocial condition of the patients" deals with the disease which causes many social effects on the patients. The most frequent ones are limitations in the working life and mental problems. I am interested in the epilepsy issue and therefore I have selected this topic which continues the bachelor thesis written in 2008. The objective of my work was to determine effects of epileptosurgery on the work life and on the mental area. Two hypotheses were established which assumed that the surgical treatment improved the patient´s life both in the working and in the mental spheres. The hypotheses were tested by means of quantitative research; questionnaires were used for the collection of data and the respondents were adult patients, who underwent surgical treatment of epilepsy and have been in the care of the Center of Epilepsy Na Homolce in Prague, and patients in the care of neurology departments in České Budějovice and in Strakonice. The results have shown that the epileptosurgery failed to improve the lives of the patients in the working sphere and thus the first hypothesis was not confirmed. Many of the patients are still unemployed and they still find it difficult to find jobs. The offer of vacancies has not increased much after the surgery. Those who work often feel stress and anxiety as a result. Some patients even lost jobs after the surgery or their working positions do not correspond to the achieved qualification level, experience and potential. The improvement in the mental area has been confirmed and many of the patients no more suffer from mental problems they had before the surgery. In some of the respondents mental disorders diminished or disappeared entirely. They are more self-confident, more even-tempered and they need less professional help. In this area I see the effects of surgical treatment as very beneficial. The results of my thesis might be used in publications for the general public, as well as for professionals specializing in the field.

Key words: coping, disaster psychology, Integrated Rescue System, mass causalty incident, police, psychology in crisis management, psychosocial support, resiliency, risk and protective factors. This work focuses on the area of coping in members of intervening Integrated Rescue System (IRS) bodies in rescue and disaster work following a mass traffic accident. The assumptions is that a vast mass traffic accident is a type of disaster that places increased demands on coping not only for affected citizens concerned, but also on intervening professionals. It is an unexpected, urgent, and emotionally and physically demanding event that requires flexibility, heightened cooperation between different professions, and a non-standard work performance. It is an event where it is not possible to apply routine operative procedures and management. A specific group, which this work explores in depth, is that of police officers. This professional group can be expected, in the given context, to be subjected to an increased burden in comparison to other IRS bodies - medics and firefighters. The reason for this consideration is the following list of burdensome specifics, which relate to the work of police officers in mass disasters: worse material equipment for intervention and worse availability of basic needs,...

Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka vårdpersonals uppfattningar och upplevelser av sina arbetsförutsättningar samt den egna kompetensen i möte med äldre med psykisk ohälsa. För att göra detta har författarna gjort en kvalitativ studie med tematisk analys. Sju undersköterskor som arbetar på särskilt boende har intervjuats. Det har använts semistrukturerade intervjuer för att utröna hur de uppfattar och upplever deras förutsättningar på arbetet samt deras egen kompetens inom området. Vid analysen har Anthony Giddens struktureringsteori, kompletterat med begreppen handlingsutrymme samt tyst och explicit kunskap, använts.  Vid intervjuerna och sedan vidare transkribering och tematisering framkom det tydliga mönster i deras förutsättningar rörande resurserna personal och tid. Det mest framträdande var bristen på personal som skapade brist på tid för att kunna ge psykosocialt stöd. Det var dock något som personalen värnade om och ville ha möjlighet till och de hade därför olika strategier för att skapa mer av detta. Det framkom tydligt att majoriteten hade en tyst kunskap i form av arbetserfarenheter som de främst använde sig av i mötet med de äldre som upplever psykisk ohälsa. Den explicita kunskapen fanns det inte lika mycket av i förhållande till psykisk ohälsa, även om det är något undersköterskorna önskade. Sammantaget påverkade resurserna och bristen på explicit kunskap huruvida de hade möjlighet att ge psykosocialt stöd till de äldre. / The purpose of the study has been to examine healthcare professional´s perceptions and experiences of their working conditions, as well as their own competence during their daily work in elderly nursing homes when they meet elders with mental illness. To do this, the authors of this study have used a qualitative method with thematic analysis. Seven semi-structured interviews with assistant nurses working in nursing homes have been conducted to find out how they perceive and experience their conditions at work and their own competence they have in the field. In the analysis, Anthony Gidden's structuring theory has been supplemented with the concepts of room for maneuver along with silent and explicit knowledge has been used. During the interviews and then further transcription and thematization, a clear pattern emerged in their conditions regarding the resources staff and time. The most prominent was the lack of staff which created a lack of time to be able to provide psychosocial support. However, this was something that the care staff cared about and wanted to have the opportunity to do, and they therefore have different strategies for creating more time to be able to provide psychosocial support. It is also clear that the majority hade a tacit knowledge in the form of work experiences that they mainly used in the meeting with the elderly who experience mental illness. There was not as much explicit knowledge, even if it was something the staff wanted. All in all, the resources, and the lack of explicit knowledge affected whether they could provide psychosocial support to the elderly.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support is a growing field of intervention in humanitarian assistance worldwide. The influence of culture and faith in individual and collective coping mechanisms and recovery processes has brought scholars to emphasize the need for MHPSS programming to adopt a cultural and faith sensitive approach to increase the cultural relevance and efficacity of interventions. However, despite official guidelines for humanitarian agencies to integrate cultural and faith sensitivity in their operations, there is an information gap on designing such an approach and its effects on the implementation and success of interventions. This qualitative study explores the opportunities and challenges encountered when adopting a cultural and faith sensitive approach within MHPSS interventions in the context of the Red Cross in Zambia, Ghana, Niger, and South Africa. Based on in-depth interviews with key informants from the Red Cross, the results provide insights into the strengths and opportunities of adapting to local cultural norms and practices and cooperating with faith-based and traditional community leaders during the implementation of MHPSS. The study concludes on the potential of such an approach to strengthen the local capacities of faith-based actors and reduce the stigmatization of mental illness.

The number of children living in a conflict zone in 2021 reached a staggering 449 million, which represents more than one out of every six children (Save the Children, 2022). When children are exposed to armed conflict the experiences can impair cognitive and social and emotional function. These functions can in return challenge and impair the child's learning processes. Through a comparative multiple-case study, using the lens of the Ecological Systems Theory, two humanitarian interventions; BLP in Gaza by NRC and HCT in Lebanon by IRC, the research aims at shining light on the opportunities and challenges with PSS educational interventions targeting children's trauma recovery and academic achievement. The research questions seek to create an understanding about how the interventions are designed and implemented and which strategies are the most impactful and less impactful, and lastly, what recommendations can be derived from the findings to guide similar NGOs in their design and implementation process. The main results showed that both BTP and HCT interventions effectively reduced traumatic stress and improved academic achievement among the beneficiaries. BLP demonstrated strengths in its multi-leveled design, parent involvement, and comprehensive materials for teachers. HCT demonstrated strengths in creating a supportive environment and structured teacher training but had low parent involvement. The findings emphasize the importance of a multi-leveled approach to enrich the child's social ecosystem.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the support systems for refugees in Southern Africa with specific reference to the Republic of Botswana. Qualitative framework as described by Lofland and Lofland (1984), Schensus and Schensus (1992) was used to conduct the investigation. Interviews were conducted with thirty refugees who currently living in Botswana as a refugee or asylum seeker. Focus group discussion was also held with twenty-six refugee workers. Interview findings were derived using Glaser and Straus' (1976) and Van Maanen, (1979) constant comparative method of qualitative analysis and were grouped into four major categories. Among the most significant findings were that the subjects agreed that on paper and by design, there are structures for providing the different services to refugees but refugees are not provided with adequate services. The second finding is that the support systems for refugees in Botswana are more focused on the provision of material support with little attention given to the psychosocial needs of the refugees. The third finding is that the Botswana government withheld some of the Articles of the 1951 UN refugee Convention, which deal with the socio-economic rights of refugees in Botswana. The fourth finding is that refugee workers need specialised training to enable them to address a wide rage of psychosocial issues affecting refugees. Last major finding is that there is no established clear system of service delivery in the participating agencies. The researcher concluded that because of trauma and stress experienced by refugees and refugee workers, there is a need to improve on the psychosocial support provided to refugees and refugee workers in Botswana by improving the knowledge and skills of refugee workers and promoting refugee participation. The researcher recommends two urgent actions that should be taken. First, the refugee management in Botswana need to improve on its service quality control mechanism, including evaluating its legal and operational framework. Second, psychosocial components need to be integrated into every aspect of the refugee programmes. This will support recovery for the many traumatised refugees and refugee workers in Botswana. / Social work / DPHIL (SOCIAL WORK)

The family as the basic unit of society plays an important role in the lives of individuals especially children. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has devastated the family structure which is already strained by other detrimental factors such as urbanisation and poverty. The increased death rate of young parents due to AIDS-related diseases has led to an escalating number of orphaned children growing in child headed households (CHH) without adult care. A qualitative study was undertaken to develop an understanding of the barriers that hinder the integration of orphaned children into extended family folds and to obtain suggestions on how to overcome these barriers. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province, with a sample of children heading CHH, relatives of these children and social workers who were rendering social work services to these client-systems. The study revealed that the level of suffering faced by CHH began with the illness of the parents. This was further exacerbated by the death of the parents as these children were not absorbed by their extended families. Barriers that hindered the integration of orphaned children into extended family folds go beyond the extended families’ economic capacity to absorb the children. There is an interplay of barriers that are poverty related, relational and family related, culturally related, circumstances that are related to the orphaned children as well as limitations in social work service delivery. The findings indicate that CHH is not a good option to care and protect orphaned children as it exposes them to pervasive adversities with little resources and support. The integration of orphaned children is embraced as a good option to care for the children because of its potential value, amongst others, of enabling the extended families to relieve the CHH from the burden of care. From the findings of this study, practice guidelines were developed to enhance the efficacy of integrating orphaned children into extended families to prevent the CHH phenomenon.

The delivery of psychosocial support (PSS) services to children living with HIV and AIDS (CLHA) by PSS service providers, such as community-based organisations (CBOs) in resource-poor settings, ensures the availability of consistent and sustainable support to children living with HIV and AIDS. These children face various psychological and social challenges associated with living with HIV and AIDS, such as drug adherence to HIV medication, stigmatisation and distress, among others. This qualitative study explored the critical factors that influence the delivery of community-based PSS services to CLHA younger than 15 years of age in a resource-poor setting by a community-based organisation. Multiple data-collection tools were adopted. The findings revealed the critical factors that contributed to the delivery of community-based PSS services to CLHA, and also ways in which these important services could be improved. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

The delivery of psychosocial support (PSS) services to children living with HIV and AIDS (CLHA) by PSS service providers, such as community-based organisations (CBOs) in resource-poor settings, ensures the availability of consistent and sustainable support to children living with HIV and AIDS. These children face various psychological and social challenges associated with living with HIV and AIDS, such as drug adherence to HIV medication, stigmatisation and distress, among others. This qualitative study explored the critical factors that influence the delivery of community-based PSS services to CLHA younger than 15 years of age in a resource-poor setting by a community-based organisation. Multiple data-collection tools were adopted. The findings revealed the critical factors that contributed to the delivery of community-based PSS services to CLHA, and also ways in which these important services could be improved. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)