In this study the researcher explored and described the utilization of Gestalt play therapy concepts and techniques in order to strengthen the sense of self of the pediatric hematology/oncology patient. Literature studies were compiled to examine the concepts of the pediatric hematology/oncology patient, sense of self and Gestalt play therapy. These literature studies provided the theoretical frame in which the study was executed. During the empirical study qualitative data was gathered by means of unstructured interviews within an instrumental case study. Eight therapy sessions were conducted with the participant in order to explore how Gestalt play therapy concepts and techniques could be utilized to strengthen the sense of self of the pediatric hematology/oncology patient. Following the analysis of the data the researcher was able to describe how the Gestalt play therapy concepts and techniques were utilized to strengthen the sense of self of the pediatric hematology/oncology patient. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The thesis was designed to gain insight into how Alzheimer’s disease influences selfhood from first-personal accounts of illness. The focus of the study was narrowed further by concentrating on the autobiographies of individuals diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD). The purpose of this thesis was to analyze the autobiographies of individuals with EOAD with the aim of understanding their selfhood. In this thesis I argue that, Alzheimer’s disease may influence a change in self, however, the self is not lost entirely. This thesis draws on the philosophical conception of narrated self as it allows for one perpetually constructed self, whereby a change in self does not necessarily mean the self is lost entirely. Through an interpretive analysis of six autobiographical accounts of Alzheimer’s, this thesis demonstrates that Alzheimer’s disease influences a loss of sense of self but that autobiography enables individuals with Alzheimer’s to (re)construct self.

There is an increasing demand for engineering talent from a growing and developing global population. Engineers are in demand because they have instigated technological developments that have contributed to the creation of our modern society. Talented engineers are needed to devise solutions for modern day technological challenges such as new sustainable energy resources, more efficient use of materials and the recovery of materials from waste. These professionals play a pivotal role in developing countries in particular. While there is a growing need for multi-talented engineers, the number of young engineers entering the market is decreasing. Moreover, many engineers are leaving the profession. Factors contributing to engineers leaving the technical environment include lack of adaptability skills, lack of continuing professional development opportunities, insufficient career paths, under-utilisation of engineers and under-qualified engineering staff (Du Toit & Roodt, 2009). Engineering graduates are generally well prepared with regards to engineering theory and fundamentals. However, due to the demands of engineering curricula, engineering students do not have much time to consider other factors that could influence their future lives and career direction (Millar, 2011). Engineering students often have an underdeveloped sense of personal knowledge and insight to enable them to commit to live certain decisions. According to Millar (2011) a career of purpose, fulfilment and financial success in engineering is gained by (1) knowing oneself and the fact that one is in charge of one’s life and future, (2) being aware that soft skills (communication skills, leadership skills, capacity to work in teams and to plan ahead) are needed to support technical skills, and (3) that every person is a salesman of him/herself and his or her product. The purpose of my study is to develop the sense of self of a young engineer to enable him to manage his future career path effectively and meaningfully. Research questions that will be explored are the essential aspects of a narrative approach, including what the sense of self of a young engineer entails and the possible influence of a narrative approach on the sense of self of a young engineer. A case study design is utilised. The focus will be on narrative techniques to develop the sense of self of a young engineering graduate in a new working environment. A multiple method approach will be implemented to collect and analyse data. Priority will be given to qualitative approaches (in other words, a QUALITATIVE-quantitative approach will be used). The following standardised questionnaires will be utilised: Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) (Briggs and Briggs Myers, 1994), Self-Directed Search (SDS) (Gevers, Du Toit & Harilall, 1995), Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) (Bar-On, 2004), as well as the Career Adapt-Adaptabilities Inventory (CAAS) (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). Qualitative methods that will be used are: Career-genogram, Collage, Career Interest Profile (CIP) (Maree, 2010), Life Chapters (Cochran, 1997), Career Construction Interview (CCI) (Hartung, 2011), informal interviews and reflective feedback notes. Inductive data analysis will be used to analyse and interpret the data. I hope to make recommendations that will enhance the sense of self of an engineering student who seeks the advice of a career counsellor. Ultimately, my aim is to contribute meaningfully to this client’s decision-making career, self-construction and life designing. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

One of the main challenges experienced during adolescence is that of developing a coherent sense of self, or self-identity (Becht, 2016; Bester & Quinn, 2010; Erickson, 1977). This study used a parallel (or convergent) interactive multi-method design, embedded in an intervention, to explore the possible effects of group based life design counselling on the sense of self of female adolescent peer supporters. The possibility of assisting more individuals by using intervention techniques in groups was also explored. The research study is embedded in a constructivist paradigm and, working from an interpretive stance, the researcher collected, analysed and reported on quantitative and qualitative data to gained insight into the participants’ experiences surrounding narrative group life design techniques and their possible impact on enhancing the sense of self. The overall findings indicate that the intervention programme enhanced the sense of self of the participating peer supporters. The mixed-method research results from this study provide a clearer view of how groups of adolescents can be supported to become better equipped to negotiate transitions in their lives, by enhancing their sense of self. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

Background: Participating in leisure activities is one positive aspect that promotes a sense of belonging and a social support network, which are beneficial for better health and well-being. Despite this, children with physical disabilities participate less in leisure activities, including children with Developmental Coordination Disorders (DCD). Given that children with DCD suffer from difficulties with bodily function, it is inevitable that they do not participate as much as typically developing children in the activity. However, there is limited literature about how this affects the everyday life of children with DCD. Aim: This systematic literature review aims to identify factors that affect the participation and self-perceptions of children with developmental coordination disorder in leisure activities. Method: A literature search was conducted by searching three different databases (CINHAL, MEDLINE, and ProQuest) which identified 83 peer-reviewed articles using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria from which ten was included in analysis. Results: Children with DCD participate less in leisure activities, becoming less physically active and social. They are also more excluded than typically developing children from certain leisure activities due to limitations related to their motor skills and have a negative view regarding their senses of self in relation to them not participating in leisure activities. Conclusion: Not participating in leisure activities harms children with DCD's sense of self and everyday life. Children with DCD are excluded from participating in leisure activities, and this exclusion takes place on different levels. Not participating in leisure activities results in social isolation and exclusion.

This qualitative study sought insights into forced migrant youths’ sense of belonging. The study was part of the Youth Migration Project, an ongoing investigation of how young forced migrants construct their identities, sense of belonging, and future aspirations while perched on the edge of mainstream society – without normative entitlements or a voice in decision-making about their futures. Through purposive and snowball recruitment methods, the project gathered narratives of 52 forced migrant youth aged 11 to 17 who were born in conflict areas of Asia and Africa, primarily in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, and Somalia. In the present study, I focused on the experiences of eight forced migrant female participants living in prolonged displacement in Malaysia. My guiding research question was: How do the processes and experiences of forced migration shape migrant youths’ sense of belonging? Through a mixed-method approach, including a novel, arts-based peer-mediated storyboard narrative method, now known as Storyboard Peers, and follow-up interviews, youth shared their migration narratives, the challenges they faced while living in Malaysia, and their expectations and aspirations for their futures. The theme of safety figured prominently in the girls’ accounts and I constructed the themes of physical safety and social safety to represent the data the girls contributed. The girls’ sense of belonging and feeling at home had a direct relationship with feeling safe, valued, and loved. I also found that their physical and social environments informed their sense of belonging. Sense of belonging is neither a static nor a fixed concept; rather it is a flexible, everchanging, and reconstructed with ongoing, everyday experiences, reflections on the past, and anticipations of what the future could hold. The girls’ accounts conveyed that feelings of “belongingness” and “at home” shifted from tangible places and familiar faces to abstract concepts such as love, peace, and family. Overall, feeling safe and “at home” were rooted in basic needs being met. My findings lead me to call for governments and nongovernmental organizations to significantly reduce the length of time that youth spend in transit, promote safety, combat discrimination, fulfill basic needs, and ensure access to education and healthcare. / Graduate

Yes / Research suggests a decline in the mental health and wellbeing of people with dementia (PwD) during the COVID-19 pandemic; however few studies have compared data collected pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Moreover, none have compared this change with what would be expected due to dementia progression. We explored whether PwD experienced changes in mental health and wellbeing by comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic data, and drew comparisons with another group of PwD questioned on two occasions prior to the pandemic. Methods: Community-dwelling PwD enrolled in the IDEAL programme were split into two groups matched for age group, sex, dementia diagnosis, and time since diagnosis. Although each group was assessed twice, one was assessed prior to and during the pandemic (pandemic group; n = 115) whereas the other was assessed prior to the pandemic (pre-pandemic group; n = 230). PwD completed measures of mood, sense of self, wellbeing, optimism, quality of life, and life satisfaction. Results: Compared to the pre-pandemic group, the pandemic group were less likely to report mood problems, or be pessimistic, but more likely to become dissatisfied with their lives. There were no changes in continuity in sense of self, wellbeing, and quality of life. Discussion: Results suggest the pandemic had little effect on the mental health and wellbeing of PwD, with any changes observed likely to be consistent with expected rates of decline due to dementia. Although personal accounts attest to the challenges experienced, PwD appear to have been resilient to the impact of lockdown and social restrictions during the pandemic. / Identifying and mitigating the individual and dyadic impact of COVID-19 and life under physical distancing on people with dementia and carers (INCLUDE) was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through grant ES/V004964/1. Investigators: LC, Victor, C., FM, CQ, Hillman, A., AB, LA, RA, AM, RC, and CP. ESRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: living well with dementia. The IDEAL study was funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through grant ES/L001853/2. Investigators: LC, I. R. Jones, C. Victor, J. V. Hindle, R. W. Jones, M. Knapp, M. Kopelman, RL, A. Martyr, FM, R. G. Morris, S. M. Nelis, J. A. Pickett, CQ, J. Rusted, and J. Thom. IDEAL data were deposited with the UK data archive in April 2020 and will be available to access from April 2023. Details of how the data can be accessed after that date can be found at: http://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/854293/. Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: a longitudinal perspective on living well with dementia. The IDEAL-2 study was funded by Alzheimer’s Society, grant number 348, AS-PR2-16-001. Investigators: LC, I. R. Jones, C. Victor, C. Ballard, A. Hillman, J. V. Hindle, J. Hughes, R. W. Jones, M. Knapp, RL, AM, FM, R. G. Morris, S. M. Nelis, CQ, and J. Rusted.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) share many similarities such as the presence of obsessions and compulsions, a similar age of onset and also similar activation of underlying structures within the brain related to obsessions and compulsion formation. The recently published DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) has grouped the two conditions together in a chapter entitled Obsessive Compulsive -and related disorders, recognising the similarities in presentation. This appeared to echo the classification within the NICE guidelines for OCD and BDD (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2006) where the two conditions were grouped together on the presence of obsessions and compulsions, neurological evidence pointing to the activation of brain areas responsible for obsessive thoughts and compulsive acts alongside strong familial links. Both OCD and BDD were understood (from both sets of guidelines) to respond well to the use of Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors and the treatment use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This qualitative research study focuses on the gap in existing literature by studying the lived experience of individuals living with obsessions and compulsions. Much focus has historically remained on understanding the clinical symptomology and underlying constructs as related to living with obsessions and compulsions, through the use of questionnaires or brain imaging. With recent changes in the DSM-V (Statistical Manual for mental Disorders; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) recognising OCD and BDD as part of the same family of conditions, it appeared timely to focus on the individuals living with OCD or BDD and their sense and meaning making as informed by their experiences of obsessions and compulsions.

Studien fokuserar på personer som lämnat något av de klassiska trossamfunden. Även om utträdet sker utifrån den egna övertygelsen, innebär det oftast en omvälvning att lämna för att söka ny identitet och kontext. Syftet är att undersöka hur individens relation till familj och trossamfund påverkats vid ett utträde. Fem personer som lämnat sitt trossamfund intervjuades med hjälp av semistrukturerade, kvalitativa djupintervjuer. Exitprocessen kan ses som ett avhopp från av en roll som varit central för individens självidentitet. I skapandet av en ny roll finns fragment av gamla rollen kvar med in i den nya identiteten, tillsammans formar dessa en ex-roll. Studiens resultat visar att det fanns en tydlig åtskillnad mellan hur tro kommunicerades i församling och inom familjesystemet. Trots att förkunnelsen påverkade både personlig livsstil och familjestruktur var detta inget som barn och föräldrar samtalade om. Resultatet visar även att informanterna intog en ex-roll i fråga om kulturkrock mellan det icke-kristna och en auktoritär gudsbild, vilket ledde fram till att de slutligen lämnade trossamfundet. I slutdiskussionen framkommer att den kristna tron kan fortsätta vara av betydelse i en ex-roll, även om den blivit mer komplicerad. Den gudsbild som informanterna erhållit kan hänga samman med relationen till föräldrarna och deras anknytning. / This study focuses on people who have left one of the classic church denominations. Even if the departure is based on their individual beliefs, it usually involves an upheaval to seek a new identity and context. The intention of the study is to explore how the individual's relationship to family and faith communities was affected by the exit. Five people who left their church communities were interviewed using semi-structured qualitative interviews. Exitprocess can be seen as a left of a role that has been central to the individual's self-identity. In a new identity the creation of a new role are fragments of the old role left into the new identity that together form an ex-roll. The study results show that there was a clear distinction between how the faith was communicated in the congregation and within the family system. Although the preaching affected both personal lifestyle and family structure it was not discussed between children and parents. The result also shows that the respondents took an ex-role in the cultural clash between the non-Christian and authoritarian image of God, which led to the conclusion that they finally left the community. In the discussion, it appears that the Christian faith can continue to be of importance in an ex-roll, although it has become more complicated. The image of God as informants received may be related to the relationship with the parents and their extension.

As individuals develop, it is natural to reference social situations to learn about the self. Even as adults, some learning about the self comes from interactions with others. However, when adults consistently allow others to define their sense of self, their focus may shift away from connection and intimacy toward external factors. No studies have examined how allowing others to define the sense of self is associated with intimacy and satisfaction in relationships. Using structural equation modeling, this study examined whether allowing others to define the self is associated with a decrease in emotional intimacy, relational satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction and whether this relationship might be mediated by sense of self. I used a sample (n = 421) of U.S. adults in committed sexual relationships. Three common ways of allowing others to define the self—emotional fusion, externalized self-perception, and social comparison—were considered relative to the relational outcomes. Gender differences in the model were also considered. Results showed a negative association between all three ways of allowing others to define the self and all three relational outcomes for men, and negative associations between emotional fusion and externalized self-perception and all three relational outcomes for women. These associations were mediated by sense of self such that those who reported allowing others to define the self, also reported a weaker sense of self. Having a strong sense of self was positively associated with emotional intimacy, relationship satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction. This indicates that looking to outside sources to define the self may hinder intimacy and satisfaction in relationships. Further implications are discussed.