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Ο σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι διπλός. Πρώτον, επιδιώκει την δημιουργία ενός προγράμματος ομαδικής συμβουλευτικής παρέμβασης με στόχο την αντιμετώπιση του φαινομένου της αναβλητικότητας των φοιτητών και την αναζήτηση πρακτικών λύσεων σχετικά με την ολοκλήρωση των ακαδημαϊκών τους καθηκόντων. Αποτελεί μια πρωτότυπη ερευνητική προσπάθεια, τουλάχιστον στην εγχώρια ερευνητική δραστηριότητα, καθώς έρχεται να καλύψει ένα κενό, αυτό της ομαδικής συμβουλευτικής παρέμβασης. Ο δεύτερος στόχος της εργασίας μας, αφορά την προσπάθεια αξιολόγησης του προγράμματος και της αποτελεσματικότητας του ως προς την αντιμετώπιση και την μείωση της αναβλητικότητας. Δεν σταθήκαμε, λοιπόν, μόνο στην κατάθεση ενός ολοκληρωμένου σχεδίου αντιμετώπισης της αναβλητικότητας, αλλά προχωρήσαμε στην υλοποίηση του θέτοντάς το εν συνεχεία σε πειραματικό έλεγχο με βάση συγκεκριμένες υποθέσεις. Ως εκ τούτου, γίνεται φανερό ότι η φύση του φαινομένου που επιζητούμε να μελετήσουμε καθιστά αναγκαία την υιοθέτηση μιας πειραματικής μεθοδολογίας και στρατηγικής. Το δείγμα της παρούσας έρευνας αποτέλεσαν φοιτητές του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Ο αριθμός των συμμετεχόντων στο πρόγραμμα διερεύνησης/μείωσης της αναβλητικότητας συνολικά ανέρχεται σε 40 υποκείμενα. Είκοσι (20) άτομα, εκ των οποίων 8 άνδρες και 12 γυναίκες, αποτέλεσαν την ομάδα παρέμβασης, έχοντας μέσο όρο ηλικίας τα 23 έτη. Τα υπόλοιπα 20 άτομα (10 άνδρες και 10 γυναίκες) απάρτισαν την ομάδα ελέγχου της έρευνας, με μέσο όρο ηλικίας τα 25 έτη. Τα μέλη της ομάδας παρέμβασης συμμετείχαν σε έξι συνεδρίες του προγράμματος, καθεμία εκ των οποίων εστίαζε σε συγκεκριμένες θεματικές. Για την συλλογή των δεδομένων χρησιμοποιήθηκαν κατάλληλα ερωτηματολόγια και κλίμακες αξιολόγησης. Τα ευρήματα της έρευνας επιβεβαιώνουν την κύρια αρχική μας πρόβλεψη, ότι μετά την παρακολούθηση της ομαδικής συμβουλευτικής παρέμβασης, οι φοιτητές θα ανέφεραν μείωση της τάσης τους για αναβλητική συμπεριφορά στα ακαδημαϊκά καθήκοντα, στατιστικά σημαντική εν συγκρίσει με τους φοιτητές της ομάδας ελέγχου. Δεν επιβεβαιωθήκαμε ωστόσο ως προς το μέγεθος της διαφοροποίησης του χαρακτηριολογικού άγχους και της αυτοεκτίμησης μεταξύ των ομάδων παρέμβασης και ελέγχου. Λέξεις – κλειδιά: συμβουλευτική, αναβλητικότητα, ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα, ομαδική συμβουλευτική παρέμβαση, άγχος, αυτοεκτίμηση / -

Background Depression is a very common disorder that causes great suffering for the patient. Recognizing depressed patients in primary care (PC) settings is a challenge and only about half are identified as depressed by their general practitioner (GP). Among patients receiving antidepressants (AD) about 70 % are improved, but only about 35 % reach remission. Hence, there is a need to identify depressed patients and to develop optimal treatment strategies in PC. Self-rating scales can be helpful in assisting the recognition. Patients’ beliefs about the cause of depression and their attitudes towards treatment options have been found to influence their help-seeking behavior, coping strategies, treatment preferences and adherence. To increase depressed patients’ knowledge about their disorder and to help them reach and stay in remission, the “Contactus program” was launched in Sweden, containing patient education and group counseling, as supplement to the usual care in PC. Aims To explore patients’ beliefs about causes and improvement factors for depression, and evaluate if the Contactus program could help to improve treatment outcome. Also, to investigate the psychometrics of two commonly used self-rating scales for depression, HADS and PHQ-9. Methods Treatment outcome among patients participating in the Contactus program (N=205) was compared to a control group (N=114) treated as usual. The outcome was measured by HADS, GAF-self and by questionnaires. Both groups also answered an open-ended question about the cause of their depression at baseline and another question about improvement factors at follow-up after six weeks. To compare HADS and PHQ-9, patients (N=737) visiting their physician because of depression filled in both scales. The scales cut-offs were compared with Cohen’s Kappa, internal consistency was calculated and factor analysis was performed.  Results Depressed patients participating in the Contactus program had a response rate of 55 % compared to 29 % in the control group (p=0.006). Also, remission was reached among 42 % in the Contactus group and 21 % among the controls (p=0.02). The patient’s subjective evaluation of the outcome after six weeks showed that 72% of the Contactus patients considered themselves improved vs. 47% among controls (p=0.01). The most common described reason for depression was current stress, most often work related, and own personality traits. Very few mentioned biological factors. For improvement, the most commonly mentioned aspects were participation in the Contactus program and AD. When comparing HADS to PHQ-9 their agreement at recommended cut-offs, HADS-D≥11 and PHQ-9≥10, was low (k=0.35). The highest Kappa value (0.56) and also equal prevalence of depression were found at HADS-D≥8 and PHQ≥12. Both scales had a high internal consistency (α=0.9). Conclusions The results of this thesis indicate that patient education and group counseling are valuable supplements to usual treatment of depression in PC. It is also clear that patients and professionals often have different opinions about the causes of depression, at least concerning biological factors. The patients were generally positive to professional help. The patients’ own beliefs about their illness must be considered when developing new types of interventions and when trying to reach an understanding in the patient-doctor encounter. Finally, there are many self-rating scales for depression. Here two scales were compared and both showed good psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency and factor structure. However their optimal cut-offs were questioned. In conclusion, self-rating scales are useful in identifying depressed patients in PC and might also be apt for measuring treatment outcome. Offering the patient education about their disorder and possibility to share experiences seems to increase response and remission rates, substantially. More studies are needed to explore the effects of educational programs, group interventions, and how patients’ own believes interact with the choice of treatment, adherence and outcome.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2010.

HIV/AIDS is the biggest challenge facing humankind today and can no longer be compared to other health disasters. One of the greatest challenges it presents is that of nurturing healthy children to become competent, adaptive adults despite the numerous negative effects of the pandemic. Of concern is the lack of interventions that address the psychosocial needs of children affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty and violence. The present research study aims to evaluate a group therapy programme that has been developed to address this lack. The therapy programme used in this study is embedded in Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model, which focuses on the interaction between person and environment. The model proposes that this interaction is two directional and reciprocal. It also draws on the literature concerning risk and resilience in children, which aims to understand personal, familial and social factors that create and sustain resilience in children. Thus, the programme aims to intervene on many levels and to give the children the opportunity to deal with and gain mastery over their past experiences and feelings. In addition, it aims to develop resilience, self-esteem and internal coping resources and enables them to access external support systems in the future. In order to evaluate the programme, a sample of 43 vulnerable children was drawn from a peri-urban community in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The sample was randomly divided into a control group and two experimental groups, that later merged into one experimental group. Pre-test data was collected from all the participants in the form of a questionnaire consisting of 4 quantitative tools: the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), the Culture Free Self Esteem Inventory (CFSEI), the Reynolds Child Depression Scale (RCDS) and a Social Support Scale (SSS). The group therapy programme, consisting of 15 sessions was then run with the experimental group. The control group engaged in 15 sessions involving games, singing, III drawing and other activities. Post-test data using the same questionnaire was collected from all the participants. The data was analysed quantitatively. No statistically significant differences were noted between any of the overall pre- and post-test data, except that of the TSCC. The graphical representations of the results showed a reduction in trauma symptoms and depression, and a raise in self-esteem, however the p-values were not significant. This is thought to be the result of the small sample size. The result also indicated that the CFSEI cannot be considered a reliable tool in this study. This study emphasises the need for further research in the field of vulnerable children in South Africa and the development, implementation and evaluation of interventions for this subgroup. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The prevalence of dieting is alarmingly high amongst adolescents in South Africa. Dieting behaviour, influenced by the promotion of the thin ideal, poses one of the main risks for eating disorders, which have serious physical, psychological and social consequences, including death. Treatment of eating disorders is a costly, difficult and long-term process, therefore preventative measures have been advocated. One of the shortcomings of existing school-based primary intervention programmes has been the failure to bring about significant changes in body image, a key defining feature of eating disorders. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a modified version of Rosen's body image programme with adolescents, with the view to exploring the idea of adding a body image component to existing preventative programmes. The modified version of Rosen's programme proved to be effective in improving the body image of mid-adolescents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education, with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

This research project explores whether the delivery of positive psychology interventions in the workplace through an employee assistance program (EAP) can improve employees’ authentic happiness/flourishing as well as decrease symptoms of depression. A small convenience sample of 13 Manitoba public school educators accessing employee assistance were recruited for a quasi-experimental research design. Nine participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the remaining participants assigned to the control. Experimental group members participated in a six session psychoeducational, experiential, and process-oriented positive psychotherapy group that met once a week over six weeks. Experimental group participants’ scores on the authentic happiness/flourishing measure increased by a statistically significant 9% and depression scores decreased by a statistically significant 45% from pre-intervention to one month post-intervention. The study’s findings therefore provide promising confirmation that positive psychology interventions delivered through EAPs can make a meaningful difference as both secondary prevention and primary enhancement strategies in the workplace.

This research project explores whether the delivery of positive psychology interventions in the workplace through an employee assistance program (EAP) can improve employees’ authentic happiness/flourishing as well as decrease symptoms of depression. A small convenience sample of 13 Manitoba public school educators accessing employee assistance were recruited for a quasi-experimental research design. Nine participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the remaining participants assigned to the control. Experimental group members participated in a six session psychoeducational, experiential, and process-oriented positive psychotherapy group that met once a week over six weeks. Experimental group participants’ scores on the authentic happiness/flourishing measure increased by a statistically significant 9% and depression scores decreased by a statistically significant 45% from pre-intervention to one month post-intervention. The study’s findings therefore provide promising confirmation that positive psychology interventions delivered through EAPs can make a meaningful difference as both secondary prevention and primary enhancement strategies in the workplace.

The prevalence of dieting is alarmingly high amongst adolescents in South Africa. Dieting behaviour, influenced by the promotion of the thin ideal, poses one of the main risks for eating disorders, which have serious physical, psychological and social consequences, including death. Treatment of eating disorders is a costly, difficult and long-term process, therefore preventative measures have been advocated. One of the shortcomings of existing school-based primary intervention programmes has been the failure to bring about significant changes in body image, a key defining feature of eating disorders. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a modified version of Rosen's body image programme with adolescents, with the view to exploring the idea of adding a body image component to existing preventative programmes. The modified version of Rosen's programme proved to be effective in improving the body image of mid-adolescents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education, with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)