published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

"The purpose of this study is to search out and record some of the social factors which influenced the patient's premature return to the hospital from a ninety day trial visit in his community. The goal is to gather and analyze the content of the records of these patients and to examine the literature relating to the problems of schizophrenic patients after they leave the hospital. The objective is to describe some of the stresses encountered by the patient which were more than he could bear and to isolate some of the social factors which upset his balance"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "June, 1959." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work." / Advisor: William L. Leap, Professor Directing Study. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MA. (Psychology)) -- University of the North, 2002. / The aim of the study was to assess as to whether psycho education can lead to compliance,and to strengthen the families to be long-term caregivers in Mankweng hospital (psychiatric clinic) of the Limpopo Province. It is included two phases(l) baseline and (2) follow-up. The baseline included of 82 (50 males and 32 females) participants with schizo phrenia. Their (patients) ages ranged from 17 years to 62 years with the mean age of 37.5 (SD=l 0.2). So, forty-one (41) patients were the experimental group who interviewed and also received intervention , and the remaining forty-one(41) were only interviewed at the baseline. After nine moths , follow-up was done, and it included fifty-seven (36 males and 21 females) participants who were followed up at their homes. Thirty-one (31) were the experimental group and twenty-six (26) were the control group. Their ages ranged from 20 years to 62 years with the mean age 39.3 (SD= l2.6). At follow-up , the questionnaire was going along with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for both groups. The results showed that most of the patients were compliant to their medications however ,with no significant differences because of the small sample that represented the population . For instance , not all patients were available at the follow-up session and there were other factors that could harm the effectiveness of research. The research concludes that psycho-education in South Africa can promise to improve health for the individuals only if the psychiatrists continue to educate patients to be effective on their treatment; and it can provide a concrete approach to the development of social and coping skills of the patients and their families.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Also available in print.

Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is well-known that there is an important relationship between language and schizophrenia, given that many of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia are language related (Cutting 1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Furthermore, research has shown that certain schizophrenic bilinguals exhibit different symptoms in their first language (L1) than in their second language (L2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev 2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). This thesis investigates the L2 use of schizophrenic bilinguals to determine whether there are significant differences between the types and frequency of errors made in spontaneous L2 use by schizophrenic versus normal (i.e. non-schizophrenic) bilinguals. Four schizophrenic bilinguals and four normal bilinguals (the control group) participated in this study. The controls were matched to the schizophrenics in terms of age, gender, level of education, L1 (Afrikaans) and L2 (English). Informal, thirty minute interviews were conducted with each of the eight participants, recorded on video (for the schizophrenics) or audio tape (for the controls) and carefully transcribed. Each participant's speech sample was then analyzed grammatically by means of Morice & Ingram's (1982) assessment tool. This analysis involved determining the complexity of utterances (with reference to mean length of utterance, lexical density, and number of sentence-initial and sentence-medial conjunctions) and identifying phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic errors. In this way a language profile was created for each participant and the differences between the two groups (schizophrenics and controls) were tested for statistical significance. On the basis of the results of these statistical tests, it is argued that the locus of differences between schizophrenic and normal L2 use is semantics, rather than any of the other aspects of grammar. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the main findings of the study, some criticisms of the assessment tool and suggestions for future research in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsing dui op 'n belangrike verhouding tussen taal en skisofrenie, aangesien baie van die primêre simptome van skisofrenie taalverwant is (Cutting 1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Verder dui navorsing ook daarop dat sekere skisofreniese tweetaliges verskillende simptome toon in hul eerstetaal (T1) as in hul tweedetaal (T2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev 2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). Hierdie tesis ondersoek die T2 gebruik van skisofreniese tweetaliges om vas te stel of daar beduidende verskille tussen die tipe en die gereeldheid van die foute is wat in spontane T2 gebruik deur skisofreniese teenoor normale (d.w.s nie-skisofreniese) tweetaliges gemaak word. Vier skisofreniese tweetaliges en vier normale tweetaliges (die kontrolegroep) het deelgeneem aan hierdie studie. Die skisofreniese groep en die kontrolegroep is eenders in terme van ouderdom, geslag, vlak van skoolopleiding, T1 (Afrikaans) en T2 (Engels). Informele dertig-minuut lange onderhoude is gevoer met elk van die agt deelnemers, opgeneem op video (vir die skisofrene) en op band (vir die kontrolegroep) en noukeurig getranskribeer. Elke deelnemer se spraakdata is hierna grammatikaal geanaliseer deur middel van Morice & Ingram se (1982) assesseringsinstrument. Hierdie analise het die volgende ingehou: die vasstel van die kompleksiteit van uitinge (met betrekking tot gemiddelde uitingslengte, leksikale digtheid, en die getal van sinsinisiële en sinsinterne voegwoorde) en die identifisering van fonologiese, morfologiese, leksikale, sintaktiese en semantiese foute. Op hierdie wyse is 'n taalprofiel vir elke deelnemer opgestel en die verskille tussen die twee groepe (skisofreniese- en kontrolegroep) is getoets vir statistiese beduidendheid. Op grond van die resultate van hierdie statistiese toetse word daar geargumenteer dat semantiek, eerder as enige van die ander aspekte van grammatika, die lokus van die belangrikste verskil tussen skisofreniese en normale T2 gebruik is. Die tesis sluit af met 'n bespreking van die belangrikste bevindinge van die studie, enkele kritiese opmerkings oor die assesseringsinstrument, asook voorstelle vir verdere navorsing in hierdie veld.

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The study sought to explore and describe the lived experiences of caregivers involved in support groups whilst caring for a family member diagnosed schizophrenia in Johannesburg South, Gauteng province. A qualitative study was conducted among primary caregivers of family members diagnosed with schizophrenia and involved in support groups. Members were selected using purposive sampling and ten participants were interviewed (eight parents and two siblings of diagnosed family members). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Common themes regarding the experience of caring for a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia were clearly delineated. Findings of the study revealed that the participants experienced psychosocial, emotional, and economic challenges in caring for their relatives diagnosed with schizophrenia. The findings point to problems such as psychological distress, extensive worry, subjective burden and significance of support in caring for ill family members. Findings also highlight challenges such as financial constraints and cultural factors which negatively impact the quality of caregiving for the participants’ ill relatives. The study further revealed the coping mechanisms that caregivers adopt to cope with the difficulties of caring for their schizophrenic family members. Religion and support groups were some of mechanisms a majority of participants found to be helpful for them in coping. The present study found that family members involved in the group program demonstrated improved family communication, greater confidence in their ability to help their loved ones, reduced burden and improved subjective quality of life.

The impact of the emotional climate in the home of the schizophrenic on relapse has been researched extensively through the construct of Expressed Emotion (EE). Most often patients from high EE homes have a higher relapse rate than those from low EE homes. This is a robust finding throughout many western and some non-western countries. However, no published research documents EE status and relapse in African countries. This study reports on the EE status and rehospitalisation rates of 29 Zulu-speaking schizophrenic patients in a South African sample. EE was assessed using a translated version of the Level of Expressed Emotion (LEE) scale, a 60 - item, self-report measure developed in Canada (Cole & Kazarian, 1988). A multistage translation procedure, comprising back-translation, the committee approach and decentering was employed. The Zulu SCL-90-R was administered as an indicator of psychological distress. Follow-up data on rehospitalisation was collected nine months after index admission. Results indicated somewhat unsatisfactory internal reliabilities on some of the subscales of the Zulu LEE scale. High scores on the Zulu LEE scale were not significantly predictive of rehospitalisation at follow-up; however, they were significantly predictive of greater previous admissions. The psychometric properties of the Zulu SCL-90-R were found to be satisfactory, indicating the validity of using this instrument for the purpose of screening for psychiatric illness. Zulu schizophrenics were found to have a lower rehospitalisation rate (17% at nine month follow-up) than found in international studies. The course for female schizophrenics was better than that for male schizophrenics. Findings are inconclusive regarding the impact of EE on the course of schizophrenia in a Zulu sample. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

published_or_final_version / Mental Health / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Semantic clustering has been used as a measure of learning strategies in a number of clinical populations and has been found to be deficient in individuals with Schizophrenia, but less attention has been paid to the dynamic use of this strategy over the course of fixed-order learning trials. In the current study, we examined this pattern of clustering use over trials in a sample of individuals with Schizophrenia, and explored whether the addition of this dynamic information would help us to better predict specific executive deficits. Results suggested that a decrease in semantic clustering across trials was associated with some executive deficits in the predicted manner. Nonetheless, the overall semantic clustering index generally proved more effective for the purposes, suggesting that in this population, the addition of dynamic information in strategy use is not likely to add considerably to clinical prediction and understanding.