Research has shown that caregivers are confronted with a number of stressors such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being in direct or close contact with the people suffering from chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS. However, relevant and professional training, and effective self-care strategies could prevent such stressors. Using the “Individual Interviews with Formal Caregivers” dataset, this study looked at the experiences of seventeen caregivers who provided care to stigmatized and low income people of living with HIV/AIDS. The study sought to understand how the well-being of caregivers was impacted by providing care to stigmatized and low income people living with HIV/AIDS in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Also, it examined how formal caregivers perceived their relationship with people living with HIV/AIDS at their care. The findings suggested that caregivers were confronted with and experienced stressors such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress due to having direct and close relationships with people living with HIV/AIDS in their care. Medical caregivers treating HIV/AIDS patients perceived these as formal professional relationships; however, most caregivers working in community support, community outreach, and education sectors understood their caregiving relationships with people living with HIV/AIDS as that of supporter and helper. There was not much research on how caregivers in HIV/AIDS sector perceived their relationships with people living with HIV in their care, so further research is needed to explore the nature of the relationship between the caregiver and care recipients. Finally, this study enriched the existing research on this topic by providing an insight on how caregivers in HIV sector perceive their relationships with individuals living with HIV/ AIDS in their care. / October 2015

In the wake of war, political disturbance, or civil strife, there is little doubt that refugees are exposed to highly traumatic experiences. However, despite these challenges, four out of five refugees never experience long-term mental health or stress effects. Most existing studies have been limited to focusing on negative aspects of refugee mental health. Little research has been conducted on positive aspects of refugee mental health. This research uses the salutogenic model of health developed by Antonovsky to evaluate factors contributing to positive mental health outcomes among refugees to Winnipeg, Canada. Using reflexive sociological interviews with eight refugees to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, I identify and analyze salutary factors associated with positive mental health and psychological well-being of refugees. Five thematic types of generalized resistance resources emerged from the interview accounts as salutary: support from macro and micro levels of interpersonal relationships; religious activities and spiritual beliefs/faith; hope for the future; educational opportunities; and employment prospects. Relevant salutogenic policy suggestions based upon this research may be incorporated into refugee resettlement programs and policies to promote refugee mental health in Winnipeg and also contribute to positive resettlement. / October 2015

The field of psychology has traditionally focused on the deleterious effects of adversity to the exclusion of positive effects. However, a literature on positive sequelae of traumatic events has burgeoned over the past decade. The issue of whether individual's reports of positive changes are merely illusory self-enhancing biases or are reflective of objective, quantifiable change is perhaps the most contentious in the posttraumatic growth research at this time. This dissertation begins with a broad overview of the extant research on posttraumatic growth, then presents the evidence supporting each side of the validity debate. As the population studied in this dissertation is adults with traumatic-onset spinal cord injuries, a presentation of research that ties disability to the posttraumatic growth literature follows. Finally, the introductory chapter concludes with an argument for the importance of including a disability perspective in psychological science. Three papers follow, each taking up aspects of this relatively new focus on positive aspects of disability. / Psychology

Belonging is a basic and fundamental human need (Baumeister, & Leary, 1995) that is associated with psychosocial health (Cohen, 2004). Unfortunately, community belonging is a challenge for those with a bisexual identity. Binegativity, minority stress, and the invisibility of bisexual-identities may interfere with attempts to develop a sense of community belonging (Bradford, 2004). Little systematic research has examined bisexual-identified people’s perceptions and experiences of belonging to a community. This project addressed the question, “What are bisexual individuals’ experiences of community belonging/social exclusion?” Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 12 bisexual-identified persons. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2006). Findings indicated that bisexual-identified persons encountered stigma and at times concealed their sexuality in order to create community belonging. However, risking authenticity, rather than concealing identity, seemed to help participants deal with stigma and develop more meaningful community belonging. Bisexual-identified persons who risk disclosing their identity and develop a sense of authenticity may increase their opportunities for community belonging. These findings are discussed in relation to their implications for counseling bisexual-identified persons and educating the communities in which they live.

Drawing upon critical interpretive medical anthropology (Lock and Scheper-Hughes 1996) and Judith Butler’s (1990) concept of performativity, this thesis investigates the empowerment potential and effect on well-being of a community sewing group located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This project was conducted using the methods of narrative ethnography, including semi-structured individual interviews, focus groups, and participant observation and finds that the Saskatoon Mothers’ Centre Sewing Circle contributes to well-being in three major ways. First, learning to sew shapes women’s self-perceptions, resulting in more capable, productive, and self-sufficient subjectivities. Learning to sew also enables women to act with more agency in their daily lives, empowering them through the opportunity to express identities, enhance social networks, and act within financial limitations. Finally, the Sewing Circle creates an environment of empowerment, an emotionally and physically safe space in which mothers are supported and nurtured, resulting in the formation of a supportive and encouraging community of practice. The Sewing Circle therefore supports women’s well-being by instilling them with the confidence and ability to act in their daily lives and to fulfill their potential. This research contributes to an understanding of the way in which sewing can contribute to the holistic well-being of older mothers by linking empowerment to performativity, and may contribute to the development of similar empowerment programming in the future.

Many studies have been conducted on military families in order to determine the effect of parent absence and frequent family moves on the academic adjustment and emotional well-being of children. Research has shown that environmental factors, such as parents coping abilities, social support, length of deployment, frequency of moves, and preparation for deployments or moves can influence the effects children experience due to deployments and relocations. Children of military families can be resilient and successful in school during deployment and moves. / text

To address some remaining questions in the extant family caregiving literature, the present study examined a specific care-recipient (CR) problematic behavior that could be the most critical to family caregiver (CG) emotional and physical well-being--CR-resistance or uncooperative behaviors vis-à-vis the CG. In order to provide detailed descriptions of CR-resistance and to determine the impact of CR-resistance on CG emotional and physical well-being, the present study applied a sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed method design approach with 8-day diary survey data on 63 family CGs and follow-up semi-structured interview data from 19 of those CGs.The quantitative data documented and revealed significant within- and between-person variance in CR-resistance. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analyses results further revealed that neither the mean level nor the daily fluctuation of CR-resistance across 8 survey days by themselves appeared to have a significant impact on CG emotional or physical health. However, the combination of having relatively high mean level and daily fluctuation of CR-resistance brought had a significant impact on CG physical health; when CGs with relatively high mean level CR-resistance faced more than their usual amount of CR-resistance on a given day, they reported increases in physical health symptoms.The qualitative inductive thematic analyses revealed that based on the context in which CR-resistance occurred and the occurrence patterns, CR-resistance experiences could be divided into four types, and these four types of CR-resistance seem to pose different types and/or magnitude of impact on CG emotional well-being.Furthermore, informed by Social Cognitive Theory and Stress Theory, the present study also examined CG personal, interpersonal, and social resources as possible moderators of the link between CR-resistance and CG emotional/physical well-being. HLM analyses results revealed that CG sense of efficacy, community/professional service utilization, and family disagreement regarding care played significant moderating roles. The qualitative thematic analyses clearly suggested that specific CG cognitive resources--particularly those that were transferred and/or generalized from the CG's past professional or personal experiences--have a strong influence on CG resilience in the face of CR-resistance. The moderating results were interpreted light of theoretical frameworks and extant literature. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Dette studiet undersøkte om det finnes en positiv relasjon mellom korsang og det subjektive velbefinnendet. I undersøkelsen deltok 84 sangere fra 5 kor på både avansert og amatørnivå. Deltagerne fylte i et Mood Adjective Checklist-skjema (MACL: L. Sjöberg, E. Svensson & L.-O. Persson, 1979) før og etter korøvelsen på to forskjellige korøvelser. Resultatene indikerte at korsang påvirket deltagerne signifikant i form av økt velbefinnende, og at sangere mellom 32 og 51 år hadde den største økningen i grad av velbefinnende før og etter korøvelse. Det fantes derimot ingen signifikant forskjell i velbefinnende mellom amatørkor og avansert kor. Resultatene står som et bidrag til tidligere forskning innenfor området, men kan på grunn av det lave deltagerantallet ikke anses være generaliserbart.

Människans behov av fysisk aktivitet är lika stort idag som det alltid varit. Dock har människans genomsnittliga energiförbrukning minskat avsevärt i och med det mer moderna samhället. Enligt Fyss, (2008) är den åtgärd som skulle ha störst positiv effekt på folkhälsan ökad fysisk aktivitet. Fysisk aktivitet har visat sig ha positiva effekter på människors välmående, dock är verkningsmekanismerna okända. Idag använder samtliga landsting i Sverige sig av fysisk aktivitet som behandlingsform för olika sjukdomar. Syftet med den här studien var att undersöka vad olika träningsbeteenden hos studenter har för betydelse på den psykiska hälsan. En enkätstudie genomfördes med 80 högskolestuderande, varav 51 kvinnor, i åldrarna 19-42. Fysisk aktivitet visade sig ha betydelse för det psykiska välmåendet. De studenter som motiverades till att träna för att det är roligt upplevde högst psykiskt välmående. Slutsatsen blir att fysisk aktivitet har betydelse för det psykiska välmående, men fler studier behövs dock för att kunna utveckla dessa resultat.

This study aimed to determine what the effect of participation in a Tomatis Programme (TP) would be on the psychological well-being and communication ability of a 14 year old, white adolescent boy with Asperger Disorder (AD). A mixed method design in the form of a single casestudy was used. Qualitative data were obtained via semi-s!mctured interviews, spontaneous sketches and observation. Quantitative data were gathered by means of projective drawings and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Seven main categories with twenty-one sub-categories emerged eom the qualitative data, and were supported by the quantitative data. Results indicated improvement in Interpersonal Communication and all six domains of psychological well-being as defined by RyfT (1995) with most significant areas being: Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Autonomy and Positive Relations. The Tomatis Method (TM) proved to be a successful form of treatment to enhance psychological well-being and interpersonal communication skills in an AD patient More effective communication and better family relationships can be achieved and therefore youth with AD can be empowered to adjust their behaviour accordingly. The TM prepared the participant for a next phase in therapy where he specifically can focus on more effective social skills with peers. Further research involving more participants and a control group is needed. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.