Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Kent State University, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed June 7, 2007). Advisor: Donald L. Bubenzer. Keywords: self-help techniques, bibliotherapy, self-change, reading process, qualitative research. Includes survey instrument. Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-203).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Marburg, 1899. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [53]-54).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-192).

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, South Africa, 2000. / Single parenting has become very common today due to having a child illegitimately, death of spouse, separation, and high rate of divorce. Single parent families are subject to many forms of economic and psychological stress. For example, they result in the creation of non-custodial parents, whose contact with their children is often irregular and unrewarding. The quality of interpersonal relationships with others makes the difference in coping or not coping during the first five years of being a single parent. An organization of single parents (self-help group) provides a support system responsive to the special problems of single parents, including discussion groups, which are responsive to the inadequacies in the ongoing lives of single parents, in promoting mental health. Self-help groups fall within the social action model of community psychology which aims to promote personal empowerment defined as the process of gaining influence over events and outcomes of importance to an individual or group. This model is a shift in intervention from prevention to empowerment and from needs to rights. The present research has been motivated by the World Health Organisation's 'target for all* document and the Ottawa Charter for action to achieve health for all by the year 2000 (presented at the first international conference on health promotion in November 1986). It has also been a motivation to note a commitment and emerging progress by health professionals and psychologists in mounting an array of health promotion and prevention programs. The aims of the study were to elicit needs from a group of single parents, form and evaluate an ongoing self-help group program and promote the following variables: psychological health, empowerment andparent effectiveness. It was hypothesized that the self-help group program for single parents will result in improvement of the mentioned variables. The researcher called for volunteers to join the group. Eight single parents committed themselves to be available for most sessions, seven of whom were females. The researcher made use of the following psychological techniques : biographical inventory, needs analysis questionnaire, global assessment of functioning scale, power maps, parenting skills rating scale, and program evaluation interview guide. In line with the social action model, this was a participatory action-research, program-evaluation type of design, where single parent co-researchers jointly defined the aims of their group, the themes to be discussed and the meanings of such variables as psychological health, empowerment and parent-effectiveness. The participants were pre- and post- tested on the above variables- The group ran for a contracted period of five weeks and the members met twice each week. The study realised its aims and the hypotheses were not rejected. The main strength of the research is that it encouraged community participation. The themes from sessions have been presented and analysed and it is evident that the study yielded positive results. It questioned the way the participants have been doing things and the reasons they did them. It led to them changing their attitudes toward their accustomed styles of parenting. This was interpreted as empowerment as they were gaining influence over events and outcomes of importance to them. The single parents self-help group empowered participants to be able to empower other single parents as the eight participants in the present research committed themselves to starting more groups of the same kind. In that way, they will be cascading the skills and knowledge they gained from the group. / National Research Fund (NRF)

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, South Africa, 2011. / The study is aimed at introducing Philophonetics self help tools as an intervention strategy to deal with the unacceptable behaviour of learners in school. The researcher used a total number of ten (10) participants who were between the ages of sixteen (16) to twenty two (22) who are high school learners. Six (6) of the participants were females and four (4) were males. Six of the participants who participated in the study were grade eleven (11) learners and four (4) were grade twelve (12) learners. The participants were chosen from the detention list at their school, the participants were the most frequently appearing learners on the detention list. The findings of the study illustrate that detention was not an answer towards dealing with unacceptable behaviour in learners. Philophonetics self help tools were given to the learners and the participants reported that philophonetics self help tools were effective and has assisted them in changing their behaviour not only at school, but in their personal life as well. Out of ten participants only one participant reported that he was not sure whether or not he will be on detention again. Nine out ten reported that after receiving the self help tools, they were not going to be detained again. / The NRF/CUPP

No description available.

Background and Objectives: In a previous randomized study, we reported the benefits of providing integrated care by the Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Program consisting of comprehensive assessment (CA) and 3-4 monthly follow up (FU) assessments with personalized feedback reports and decision support on control of cardio-metabolic risk factors through reduced clinical inertia and improved self-care. Further, provision of additional peer support improved psychological well-being and all-cause hospitalization especially in those with negative emotions who tended to have co-morbidities. However, given the multicomponent nature of the program, the differential effects of peer support in different patient subgroups and independent effect of personalized FU reports had not been systematically evaluated.. In this thesis, I used a randomized and case-control design to examine the effects of providing regular FU reports and peer support on metabolic control, psychological health, and all-cause hospitalization in patients with diabetes. / Methods: Between February and December 2013, 1488 Chinese patients with diabetes aged 18-75 years underwent CA using the JADE portal and returned in 4 weeks in groups to receive their personalized CA report with explanation by nurses about their complications, risk factors and treatment targets. Amongst them, I selected 288 high risk patients defined as 1) HbA1c≥8%, 2) obesity (body mass index≥27.5 kg/m² and/or waist≥80cm (women) or ≥90cm (men), and/or 3) chronic kidney disease (CKD, eGFR<60ml/min/1.73m²) and offered them a telephone-based peer support program, to which 144 (50%) agreed (P+ group) and 144 (50%) refused (P- group). Within each group, they were also randomized to receive 2 JADE FU reports by mail after their clinic visits. These FU reports displayed their trends of ABC (HbA1c, BP, LDL-C) control and body weight with individualized reminders for self-care during a 12-month period. In the remaining patients (n=1200), half were randomized to receive 2 FU reports by mail (R+ group: n=600) while half received usual care (R- group: n=600). Amongst patients not offered peer support, 425 patients (50% received FU report) were matched to the P+ group (52% received FU report) on a 3:1 basis by age, gender, diabetes duration, and baseline HbA1c as a control group. The outcome measures were reduction in HbA1c and all-cause hospitalization at month 12. / Results: Amongst patients not offered peer support, after a median (IQR) follow-up period of 575 (519-646) days, the R+ group had greater reduction in HbA1c (mean [95% CI]: -0.24[-0.35,-0.14]% versus -0.15[-0.24,-0.06]%, p=0.030) with similar hospitalization rate and frequency compared with the R- group. Amongst patients offered peer support, the P+ group and P- group had similar baseline clinical and psychological-behavioral parameters. After 530 (463-575) days, the P+ group (n=138) tended to have greater reduction in HbA1c (-0.75[-0.97,-0.52]% versus -0.42[-0.68,-0.15]%, p=0.106) with significant improvements in mental health and quality of life than the P- group (n=131). In the case-control cohort for peer support,the P+ group tended to have greater reduction in HbA1c than the control group (n=425) (-0.75[-0.97,-0.52]% versus -0.49[-0.64, -0.35]%, p=0.119) with lower rate, frequency and length of hospitalization. On multivariable analysis of the entire cohort (n=1488), peer support (β coefficient [95% CI] -0.31[-0.56, -0.06], p=0.015) and receiving FU reports (-0.14[-0.25, -0.04], p=0.009) were independent predictors for reduction in HbA1c. Peer support (OR [95% CI] 0.36[0.16, 0.79], p=0.011) and CKD with FU reports (0.40[0.18, 0.88], p=0.022) were also associated with reduced hospitalization. / Conclusion: In this real-world quality improvement program, both peer support and regular personalized feedback report by mail were associated with reduced HbA1c in patients with diabetes. Peer support was associated with lower risk of hospitalization, while feedback report was associated with reduced hospitalization only in patients with diabetes and comorbid CKD. / 背景及目的：在一項隨機對照研究中，我們發現通過亞洲糖尿病評估計劃JADE提供整合了全面糖尿病併發症篩查（CA）、定期隨訪（FU）評估、個體化回饋報告及決策支持的綜合護理可通过降低臨床惰性，促進自我管理從而改善糖尿病風險因素的控制。在此基礎上，同伴支持可進一步改善患者的心理健康，降低住院率， 并且在有負面情緒的人群中作用尤其明顯。然而，由於綜合護理由多部分組成，個體的作用並未被系統評估。本文分別採用隨機對照和病例對照研究，評估個體化隨訪報告和同伴支持對糖尿病患者代謝控制、心理健康及住院率的作用。 / 研究方法：2013 年2 月至12 月，1488 位年齡18 至75 歲的糖尿病患者進行了CA，並于4 周後領取個體化CA 報告，由護士說明其併發症和危險因子的控制以及治療有無達標。其中，我邀請了288 位有以下高危因素的患者參加一項基於電話的同伴支持計劃：1）糖化血紅蛋白（HbA1c）≥8%；2）肥胖（體重指數≥27.5 kg/m² 和/或女性腰圍≥80cm/男性腰圍≥90cm；和/或3）慢性腎臟病（CKD，腎小球濾過率<60 ml/min/1.73m²）。其中，144 位（50%）同意（P+ 組）參與，144 位（50%）（P- 組）拒絕參與。每組再隨機抽取一半患者郵寄2 份JADEFU 報告。該報告顯示了患者HbA1c、血壓、低密度膽固醇和體重的控制情況，並附有針對自我管理的個體化建議。餘下的1200 位患者中，隨機抽取一半患者（R+ 組，n=600）郵寄2 份JADE FU 報告，另外一半患者常規護理（R- 組，n=600）。未被邀請參加同伴支持計劃的1200 位患者中，425 位（50%有FU 報告）按年齡、性別、病程和基礎HbA1c 與P+組（52%有FU 報告）匹配成為對照組。研究指標為12 個月後HbA1c 和住院率的改變。 / 研究結果：未提供同伴支援的患者中，經過575（519-646）日的隨訪，R+組HbA1c 降低更多（ 均值[95% 置信區間]: -0.24[-0.35,-0.14]% versus-0.15[-0.24,-0.06]%, p=0.030），但住院率與R-組相同。提供同伴支持的患者中，P+組和P-組研究開始時臨床、心理和行為指標皆相似。530（463-575）日後，與P-組比較，P+組有HbA1c 降低更多的趨勢（-0.75[-0.97,-0.52] % versus-0.42[-0.68,-0.15]%, p=0.106），住院率相似，但心理健康和生活品質均有明顯改善。在病例對照研究中，與對照組比較（n=425），P+組（n=142） HbA1c降低更多（-0.92[-1.25, -0.59]% versus -0.39[-0.58, -0.21], p=0.004），且住院率、住院次數和時間皆有明顯降低。採用多變量回歸分析，同伴支持（β 係數[95% 置信區間] -0.31[-0.56, -0.06], p=0.015）和FU 報告（-0.14[-0.25, -0.04], p=0.009）均是降低HbA1c 的獨立預測因子。同伴支持（0.36[0.16, 0.79], p=0.011） 和CKD伴FU 報告（0.40[0.18, 0.88], p=0.022）與住院风险降低明顯相關。 / 結論：在此項品質改進計畫中，同伴支持和定期郵寄個體化隨訪報告均与糖尿病患者的糖化血紅蛋白降低相關。同伴支持伴隨住院风险降低，但個體化隨訪報告僅在糖尿病伴慢性腎臟病患者中与住院风险降低相關。 / Yin, Junmei. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 209-235). / Abstracts also in Chinese; appendix 4 in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 06, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

M.Cur. / The role players participating within the support groups for patients with chronic diseases in Primary Health care services are facing a difficult task of managing support groups effectively. They are confronted by managerial challenges involved in the managing of support groups for patients with chronic diseases, such as careful planning, organising, leading and controlling the support groups. This is evidently confirmed by the disintegration of support groups and patients openly and deliberately rebelling and ignoring participation in support groups. The resistance and opposition is also displayed by other staff members within the clinic. The general dissatisfaction and frustration among the primary health care facilitators serves as proof of the poor management of support groups. The need to investigate and address this dilemma is important. It is therefore the reason why the researcher embarked on this studying order to explore the I experiences of the role players with regard to the management of the support groups for patients with chronic diseases within the clinic context, and then utilise the results ad basis for formulating guidelines for quality management of support groups within Primary Health Care clinics in Soweto. The following research questions are therefore relevant: ~ What are the experiences of the primary health care facilitators with regard to the management of support groups for the patients with chronic diseases with primary health care clinics in Soweto? ~ What are the experiences of the facility managers with regard to the management of support groups for patients with chronic diseases within primary health care clinics in Soweto? ~ What are the experiences of patients with chronic diseases with regard to the management of support groups? ~ What guidelines should be formulated to ensure quality management and sustainability of support groups for patients with chronic diseases within the primary health care clinics in Soweto? The following research objectives were formulated: ~ To explore and describe the experiences offacility managers with regard to the management of support groups for patients with chronic diseases within primary health care clinics in Soweto. ~ To explore and describe the experiences of the primary health care facilitators with regard to the management of support groups for patients with chronic diseases within primary health care clinics in Soweto. ~ To explore and describe the experiences of the patients with chronic diseases with regard to the management of support groups within primary health care clinics in Soweto. ~ To formulate guidelines for quality management and sustainability of support groups for patients with chronic diseases within the primary health care clinics in Soweto.