Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Given that numerous research studies have established the important role that attachment plays in the development of internalizing disorders in children, it is important to ensure that the clinical psychologists working within this population and within this category of disorders are aware of this link. This will help ensure that they intervene adequately and appropriately. Although there is some emerging research on psychologists' perceptions and practices regarding the assessment of internalizing disorders, there is very little available information to date specifically addressing clinical psychologists' perceptions and understandings regarding the influence of attachment on the development of internalizing disorders in children. This study aimed to explore how clinical psychologists operationalize internalizing disorders in children and how they understand the link between infant-caregiver attachment and internalizing disorders in children. Parents/caregivers from low income, high violence communities are a vulnerable group in South Africa, and as a result, it is becoming increasingly important to explore how clinicians understand the development of children growing up in conditions where the nature of parenting is taking place under conditions of pervasive adversity. As such, this study explored the perceptions of clinical psychologists working in low income, high violence communities within Cape Town. This research was conducted using a qualitative research approach that makes use of in-depth individual interviews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and then transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. A sample size of eight participants was recruited using a purposive, snowball sampling technique. All ethical considerations were adhered to and appropriate ethical clearance was obtained from all relevant ethical committees. Object relations theory provided the theoretical framework through which data was interpreted. A specific focus on attachment theory was incorporated. Findings suggest that although clinicians acknowledge and accept the important influencing factor of infant-caregiver attachment on the development of internalizing disorders in children, very few clinical psychologists make use of attachment theory as their primary theoretical or therapeutic orientation. Participants highlighted the importance of an integrative approach to the understanding of childhood pathology and made reference to the fact that the impact of attachment relationships needs to be considered in conjunction with other risk factors that predispose children to the development of internalizing disorders. Given the importance that participants placed on systemic and contextual factors influencing the attachment relationship, future research could investigate the role of a multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of internalizing disorders in children. Further research also needs to be conducted that examines the efficacy of attachment-based conceptualizations and interventions in diminishing internalizing problems in children, and the way that these are perceived by the clinical psychologists working with these behaviours.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The main aim of the current study is to examine the relationship between community violence exposure and the development of psychopathology and examine the relationship between community violence exposure and other types of trauma, that is, childhood trauma and stressful life events. It was hypothesised that exposure to community violence will have a high correlation with development of psychological disorders such as mood and anxiety and psychotic disorders. The main study employed a quantitative research design in order to determine the relationship between PTSD in children and adolescents. The current study used secondary data to measure the correlation between exposure to community violence and the development of psychopathology. The data for this study was collected from 132 consecutive referrals between the ages of 13 to 19 (mean age = 15.4, SD = 1.6) from a youth stress clinic at a university in the Western Cape. Findings indicated that community violence prevalence was higher than previous South African studies but lower compared to American studies. There was generally a high prevalence of PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) in this sample compared to previous South African studies. An unexpected outcome was that even though there was a high prevalence of PTSD, there was no relationship between community violence exposure and PTSD in this sample, rather, community violence exposure was related to MDD. Furthermore, MDD and not PTSD was related to experiences of childhood trauma. Stressful life events were related to acute stress disorder (ASD). / South Africa

No description available.

Children in the United States are exposed to considerable community violence that has been linked to child functioning. However, not all those exposed, experience negative outcomes. Recent research has focused on factors that "buffer" or protect children from negative consequences of violence exposure. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the potential buffering or moderating role of maternal acceptance in the relationship between community violence exposure and internalizing and externalizing problems. Subjects were 268 urban African American first graders. Community violence exposure was significantly related to symptoms of post-traumatic stress, but did not correlate with either internalizing or externalizing problems for all children, after control for demographics, maternal mental health, and general life stress. However, children's perceptions of maternal acceptance moderated the relationship between violence exposure and internalizing and externalizing problems which included being withdrawn, anxious-depressed, and demonstrating delinquent behavior. Children with the lowest levels of self-reported maternal acceptance were most impacted by community violence. In this sample of urban first graders, low levels of maternal acceptance placed children at greater risk for adverse outcomes associated with community violence exposure compared to moderate and high levels of maternal acceptance.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Annually, more than 15 million U.S. children witness intimate partner violence (IPV) in their homes between caregivers. Witnessing IPV during childhood has been associated with increased risk of adulthood IPV victimization, although this relationship has most commonly been examined among older populations of white adults (McKinney, Caetano, Ramisetty-Mikler, & Nelson, 2009; Straus, 1989; Whitfield, Anda, Dube, & Felitti, 2003), not minority women who experience a disproportionately high burden of IPV victimization (Breiding, Chen, & Black, 2014). It also is unclear whether there are specific characteristics of childhood witnessing of IPV that may aid in understanding the increased probability of IPV victimization observed among young, minority women. This study examined associations between four characteristics of childhood witnessing of IPV (direction of violence witnessed, academic disruption, fearfulness, and frequency) and adulthood physical and sexual IPV victimization. Further, psychosocial moderators of these associations were examined. Existing data collected from 315 women residing in North Philadelphia were analyzed. Overall, 28% of women witnessed IPV during childhood and nearly one in four women reported IPV victimization. Among these women there was diversity with regards to the characteristics of witnessing reported. Unadjusted associations observed that women who witnessed bidirectional IPV, experienced academic disruption, or reported fearful witnessing were significantly more likely to experience adulthood IPV victimization than women who did not witness IPV during childhood. After adjusting for covariates, these witnessing characteristics were no longer significantly associated with adulthood IPV victimization; however, the risk of adulthood IPV victimization was consistently related to current depressive symptoms and substance use. Modest support for effect modification by low self-esteem was observed. A significant difference in the predicted probability of adulthood IPV victimization was observed among women reporting bidirectional childhood witnessing of IPV and high self-esteem in adulthood compared to women reporting bidirectional witnessing and low self-esteem (difference=0.51, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.95, p=0.027). Childhood abuse was associated with greater probability of adulthood IPV victimization regardless of the frequency of childhood witnessing of IPV (aOR=5.8, 95% CI: 2.2, 13.6). Given the high prevalence of childhood witnessing of IPV observed in this study, these findings highlight the importance of screening for childhood IPV witnessing. In addition, these results suggest particular groups of urban women who may be at highest risk for adulthood IPV victimization, including those experiencing depressive symptoms, substance use, and a history of childhood abuse. Identifying adolescents and young adults with these characteristics and providing early prevention services may reduce the probability of future IPV victimization among young, sexually active urban women. Additionally, examining the role of low self-esteem during child- and adulthood may inform efforts to prevent IPV victimization. These findings highlight the need for prospective, longitudinal studies of urban children and adolescents to examine the complex causal pathways between childhood witnessing of IPV, psychosocial characteristics, and adulthood IPV victimization. / Public Health

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of adolescents, who have been exposed to violence, regarding the role of social support in their academic achievement. A qualitative, collective, within-site case study design was applied to obtain baseline data. The data was gathered through consecutive in-depth individual interviews with two male and six female adolescent learners (between 15 and 17 years of age) in a secondary school in Gauteng. Collages were furthermore used to assist participants with expressing their perceptions on the role that social support played in their academic achievement, despite being exposed to violence in their communities. The study was mainly informed by Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory, but in order to better understand the adolescent as an individual who functions within the ecological systems theory, Erikson’s psycho-social development theory as well as the theory of social support were integrated to understand this complex period of development. Interview data were analysed thematically, whilst shared analysis were utilised to give meaning to the visual data presented in the collages. The results indicate that encouragement to achieve, the provision of care and support to deal with problems in a proactive manner and enabling relationships with significant others facilitated academic achievement despite exposure to violence. Furthermore, positive self-talk, self-discipline and coping behaviours were identified as self-supportive behaviour that was perceived as enabling adolescents to achieve academically. The study indicates that adolescents who achieve academically despite exposure to violence, perceive social support as playing a significant role in the facilitation of academic achievement in these contexts of adversity. It is therefore recommended that significant others in the lives of adolescents should be informed about the important role that their supportive interactions play in the adolescent’s ability to maintain academic achievement. Further research could explore the viability of social support interventions in assisting adolescent learners to achieve their full academic potential, despite exposure to violence. / MA (Research Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Introdução: O assédio moral evidencia uma problemática atual no mundo do trabalho, podendo interferir na qualidade da assistência prestada, uma vez que impacta, diretamente, na saúde do trabalhador assediado e interfere na sua qualidade de vida, dos colegas e fluxo de trabalho. Esse fenômeno social pode propiciar, também, o aumento do absenteísmo e diminuição da produtividade. Objetivo: Compreender os significados atribuídos pelos enfermeiros ao assédio moral vivenciado no ambiente de trabalho. Método: Optou-se por realizar uma pesquisa qualitativa, com abordagem da fenomenologia social de Alfred Schütz. A região de inquérito foi constituída por nove enfermeiros de um hospital privado do Munícipio de São Paulo. As entrevistas foram individuais e os depoimentos foram gravados, transcritos e analisados com base nos pressupostos teóricos da teoria da ação social, de Alfred Schütz. Resultados: Os dados obtidos possibilitaram conhecer e compreender as vivências dos enfermeiros, tanto em relação à prática do assédio moral e seus significados (motivos porque), quanto às expectativas que esse grupo social possui no tocante à necessidade de transformação dessa realidade social (motivos para). Os motivos porque destacam a forma com que os enfermeiros entendem a ocorrência do assédio moral. Esta percepção elucidou o assédio como prática inerente à profissão da enfermagem, ocasionada por profissionais hierarquicamente superiores e expostos à pressão institucional. A insegurança profissional também é vista como um motivo da prática do assédio moral. Os motivos para convergem no desejo de que a verdade não seja escamoteada por parte da instituição, dos colegas e do serviço de pessoal, para que sejam providas orientações e apoio às vítimas do assédio moral. Existe o anseio pela construção de um fluxo de diálogo concreto dos trabalhadores de enfermagem, que se sentem imersos em situações desgastantes no ambiente de trabalho e aspiram que o Conselho de Fiscalização das atividades profissionais, possa ampará-los na luta contra a ocorrência do assédio moral. Considerações finais: Este estudo possibilitou a compreensão dos significados atribuídos ao assédio moral na vivência de enfermeiros, revelando circunstâncias predisponentes desse fenômeno e as expectativas dos sujeitos, para que sejam suscitadas estratégias de enfrentamento dessa problemática no ambiente de trabalho, de forma articulada com a política institucional, possibilitando transformações dessa realidade social, por vezes tão nefasta no campo das relações interpessoais, por acarretar desgastes e sofrimentos ao trabalhador. / Introduction: Bullying highlights a current problem in the works world and may interfere with the quality of provided assistance, as it impacts directly on harassed worker\'s health and interferes with their quality of life, their colleagues and the workflow. This social phenomenon can provide, as well, the absenteeism increase and productivity decrease. Objective: Understand the meanings assigned by the nurses experienced harassment in the workplace. Method: We decided to perform a qualitative research with approach of social phenomenology of Alfred Schütz. The inquiry region was composed of nine nurses from a private hospital in the city of São Paulo. The interviews were individual and the testimonials recorded, transcribed and analysed based on the theoretical assumptions of the theory of social action of Alfred Schütz. Results: Obtained data allow us to know and understand nurses experiences in relation to both the practice of bullying and their meanings (reasons why), how many the expectations that this social group has, regarding the need for transformation of this social reality (reasons for). The \"reason why\" highlight the way the nurses understand the bullying occurrence. This perception elucidated the harassment as an inherent practice in the nursing profession, caused by hierarchically superior professionals exposed to institutional pressure. The professional insecurity could also be a reason to practice of bulling. The \"reasons for\" converge to a hope that the truth be not obfuscated by the institution, colleagues and the personal service, so that guidelines and support to the victims of bullying be given. There is the longing for the construction of a concrete dialogue flow among nursing workers, who feel immersed in stressful situations in the workplace and get help of the Supervisory Board of professional activities, to support them in the fight against the occurrence of bullying. Final considerations: This study allowed us to understand the meanings attributed to bullying in nurses experience. Reveals predisposing circumstances of this phenomenon and the expectations of the workers, to find special strategies in the workplace for this problematic, in order to enable transformations of this social reality, sometimes so damaging in interpersonal relations since it causes damage and suffering to the worker.