Background: Leading researchers have called for more sophisticated research designs in caregiver intervention research; by using theoretically grounded interventions, considering the likely mechanism of action and using appropriate outcome measures. This thesis comprises a systematic review which evaluates the match between psychosocial interventions for dementia caregiver burden and the burden measure used to evaluate them and an empirical study which tests the psychometric properties of two caregiving outcome measures developed in Spain (Caregiver Guilt Questionnaire - CGQ and Dysfunctional Thoughts about Caregiving Questionnaire - DTACQ). The empirical study also considers the role of guilt and cognition (conceptualized as dysfunctional thoughts in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and cognitive fusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in predicting depression in dementia caregivers. Systematic review: Results for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to reduce dementia caregiver burden are mixed. Caregiver burden is inconsistently defined and measured, which may contribute to the mixed results. This review sought to systematically evaluate the match between psychosocial interventions for dementia caregiver burden and the burden measure used to evaluate them. A systematic search identified 15 studies using the 22 item Zarit Burden Interview as an outcome measure. A systematic review using specified quality criteria indicated a low level of congruence between the content of the psychosocial interventions and the content of the Zarit Burden Interview used to evaluate the interventions in the majority of studies. Methods: 221 informal familial dementia caregivers completed a cross sectional postal questionnaire survey. Results: Using exploratory factor analysis, the factor structures of the CGQ and DTACQ identified in the Spanish development studies were replicated in this study. Adequate internal consistencies were found for both scales. Convergent validity was established for the CGQ with the measures of guilt and depression. The DTACQ correlated positively with general dysfunctional attitudes and negatively with amount of support received as predicted, but did not correlate significantly with depression. A multiple regression analysis identified caregiver guilt and cognitive fusion, but not dysfunctional attitudes as significant predictors of depression in dementia caregivers. Conclusion: The CGQ appears to be a reliable and valid measure of caregiver guilt in a British population of dementia caregivers, although further research is recommended to develop the DTACQ. The relative strength of cognitive fusion as a predictor of caregiver depression suggests that the way in which an individual relates to their thoughts should be tested as a mechanism of change in dementia caregiver interventions.

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2010. / The focus of the study was on the contribution of media exposure towards the functionality of dysfunctional schools in Limpopo Province: Capricorn District. The study was qualitative in nature and concentrated on the schools in Capricorn District that were affected by the media industry. Seven schools were selected as follows: one from Mankweng Circuit, two from Nokotlou Circuit, One from Sepitsi Circuit, One from Seshego Circuit, One from Pietersburg Circuit and one from Mogodumo Circuit. According to the research findings, the majority of the schools which were exposed by the media improved their functions. A positive impact of media exposure has also been identified through research findings in terms of the Department of Education’s involvement in the schools which were affected by the media.

Thesis (MPA.) -University of Limpopo, 2010 / The focus of the study was on the contribution of media exposure towards the functionality of dysfunctional schools in Limpopo Province: Capricorn District. The study was qualitative in nature and concentrated on the schools in Capricorn District that were affected by the media industry. Seven schools were selected as follows: one from Mankweng Circuit, two from Nokotlou Circuit, One from Sepitsi Circuit, One from Seshego Circuit, One from Pietersburg Circuit and one from Mogodumo Circuit. According to the research findings, the majority of the schools which were exposed by the media improved their functions. A positive impact of media exposure has also been identified through research findings in terms of the Department of Education’s involvement in the schools which were affected by the media.

This study investigated the relationship of dysfunctional career thoughts, optimism, and spirituality on Bahamian women (n=212) diagnosed with breast cancer. Also, it examined how optimism mediates the relationship between spirituality and dysfunctional career thoughts. The diagnosis of breast cancer impacts women physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually, financially, and in their career development. Career developmental plans and decisions are continuously being made. However, plans may become altered and decisions more difficult to make when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer as she considers returning to work. The high survival rate of breast cancer patients indicates women may continue to work after their treatment. Limited information is known about possible changes in their dysfunctional career thoughts. This research investigated the degree to which optimism mediates the relationship between spirituality and dysfunctional career thoughts among a sample of Bahamian women diagnosed with breast cancer. Negative thoughts formed in career content are called dysfunctional career thoughts (Lenz, Sampson, Peterson, & Reardon, 2012). Career thoughts are "...outcomes of one's thinking about assumptions, attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, feelings, plan and/or strategies related to career problem solving and decision making" (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996, p. 2). The dysfunctional thinking causes one to block informing processing, reduces options, and distorts perception of options. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among career thoughts, optimism, and spirituality. The goal is to identify low or high dysfunctional career thoughts. In addition, studies suggest that being optimistic (Matthew & Cook, 2009) and spiritual (Hackney & Sanders, 2003) are two positive coping strategies for women diagnosed with breast cancer. This study seeks to explore these two potential mediating factors on dysfunctional career thoughts of women with this diagnosis. This study is important because of the high incidence rate of breast cancer in the Bahamas. Bahamian women have the highest recorded percentage of the recorded BRCA1 gene (BReast CAncer 1; a primary genetic marker for breast cancer) in the world (Donenberg et al., 2011). Breast cancer remains a public health issue that may affect the life and productivity of Bahamian women. The relationship of dysfunctional career thoughts, optimism and spirituality of Bahamian women diagnosed with breast cancer was explored. Younger Bahamian women were noted to have experienced higher levels of dysfunctional career thoughts. While, marital status was statistically related with dysfunctional career thoughts, no pair wise differences were noted among the variables after a Tukey test. This means the level of dysfunctional career thoughts was not affected by women's marital status (married, not married, & divorced). Ethnicity and education did not play a role in their dysfunctional career thoughts but with employment pre-diagnosed of breast cancer. Results revealed women who were not employed pre diagnosis experienced higher dysfunctional career thoughts than women who were employed pre diagnosis. Other pre-diagnosis variables such as salary and occupation pre diagnosis show no statistically significant difference in terms of dysfunctional career thoughts. These variables did not affect the Bahamian women's dysfunctional career thoughts. In addition to pre-diagnosis variables being examined in this study post diagnosis variables such as employment, occupation, and salary were also explored. Final analyses indicate post diagnosis employment, occupation, and salary show no statistically significant difference in terms of dysfunctional career thoughts. These post diagnosis variables did not affect the Bahamian women's dysfunctional career thoughts. Although, post diagnosis employment was not statistical significant to dysfunctional career thoughts, some significance was noted. Women diagnosed with breast cancer 2007 or earlier accounted for 58% of the participants in this present study. We need to highlight that there was an 11% decrease in post-diagnosis employment which was higher than the unemployment rate (7.9%) in the Bahamas at that time (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). Therefore, this present study shows a significant effect rather than a statistical significant effect with Bahamian women's employment plans post diagnosis that indirectly affect their dysfunctional career thoughts. The stages of breast cancer show no statistically significant difference in terms of the subscales of dysfunctional career thoughts such as Decision Making Confusion (DMC), Commitment Anxiety (CA), and External Conflict (EC). This means the stages of breast cancer did not influence the different subscales of dysfunctional career thoughts. Spirituality had a positive moderate relationship with the level of optimism. As women's spirituality level increases their optimism level also increased. Although optimism did not show a statistical difference with dysfunctional career thoughts, spirituality demonstrated a negative weak relationship with dysfunctional career thoughts. This inverse relationship indicates as their spirituality level decreases their dysfunctional career thoughts increases. Path analysis results explored the mediation among optimism, spirituality and dysfunctional career thoughts. Optimism was not noted to be a mediating variable that works together to positively affect spirituality and dysfunctional career thoughts. The impact of these results may be significant not only to the Bahamian population because of the first time study, but also in helping breast cancer survivors examine further career decisions even after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The number of children identified as emotionally disturbed has been increasing. The success rate for these children has been disappointingly low in both their academic and post-academic lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between children identified as emotionally disturbed and their families, and to recommend strategies and family services that could increase the success rate of this particular population.Information was obtained from two self-report instruments, FACES II and a Personal Information Questionnaire, and from social-developmental histories and psychoeducational evaluations. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES II) is a 30-item, self-report instrument that scores a family's view of flexibility and cohesion on the Circumplex Model grid. The Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems is a family typology that is based on the family's degree of flexibility and cohesion. The Personal Information Questionnaire was a demographic instrument used to obtain marital status and economic factors. Grade levels and incidents of child abuse were obtained from social-developmental histories and psychoeducational evaluations.Data were collected from families with children identified as emotionally disturbed. A total of twenty-seven children, ages eight to eighteen, and one parent of each child were included in the study (N = 54). Responses to FACES II and items on the questionnaire were analyzed usingchi-square analysis.Seventy-four percent of the families were classified as dysfunctional based on their responses to FACES II. Less than half of these families rated as disengaged on the cohesion level and more than half of these families rated as rigid on the flexibility level. The school levels of these children were also significant. A higher percentage of families with children in high school were dysfunctional as compared with families with children in elementary school. Parent relational status was not significant. The functional level of the family was not affected if the parents were married, divorced, or widowed. A relationship did exist between families with children identified as emotionally disturbed and reported incidents of child abuse. The dysfunctional families had a higher rate of reported child abuse while those families who were more balanced had fewer reported incidents of child abuse. Finally, socioeconomic status was not a factor in the functional level of the families.Findings from this study may assist school personnel when providing services for children identified as emotionally disturbed and their families. Teachers of students who are emotionally disturbed and general education teachers who will service these students require an accurate understanding of the etiological factors associated with the development of a child identified as emotionally disturbed. By assessing the family's specific areas of strength and weaknesses, school and community services could be provided to meet the needs of the families and their children. / Department of Special Education

Thesis (M.Psych.(Clin.)) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 2003. / "17 April 2003" "Research report attachments submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Psychology (Clinical). Includes bibliographical references.

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Translated from Korean. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-203).

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-201).

Thesis (M.A.(Practical Theology)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-134)

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 28, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-42).