Orientador: Belmiro Gonçalves Pereira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-05T02:01:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rehder_PatriciaMoretti_M.pdf: 882101 bytes, checksum: becab9efdb8c91f9a2aad0ddb010855c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: A prevalência de anticorpos antifosfolípides em gestantes diabéticas é alta, ocasionando alterações gestacionais e perinatais. O objetivo do estudo foi diagnosticar e tratar as gestantes diabéticas com anticorpos presentes e descrever os resultados gestacionais e perinatais. Foram analisadas 56 gestantes diabéticas que deram entrada no Pré-Natal Especializado do CAISM/Unicamp, entre julho de 2003 a março de 2004. Todas as que aceitavam participar do estudo foram submetidas à coleta de sangue para dosagem de anticorpos antifosfolípides (anticoagulante lúpico e anticorpo anticardiolipina). Se um ou outro anticorpo estivesse presente, a gestante seria tratada com AAS e Heparina. Foram caracterizados os perfis da gestante, da evolução da gestação e do recém-nascido. Foram diagnosticados anticorpos antifosfolípides em 7% das 56 gestantes e os resultados gestacionais e perinatais foram descritos. Nas gestantes diabéticas com anticorpos antifosfolípides a duração do diabetes foi de cinco em uma das gestante e dez anos nas outras três gestantes. A idade variou entre 27 e 38 anos e uma das gestantes era primigesta, outra secundigesta e as outras duas multíparas. As gestantes com anticorpos antifosfolípides, que foram tratadas, tiveram resultados gestacional e perinatal satisfatórios / Abstract: The prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in pregnant women with pre-gestational diabetes is high, causing gestational and perinatal alterations. The purpose of this study was to diagnose and treat diabetic pregnant women with presence of antibodies and describe the gestational and perinatal results. An analysis was made of 56 diabetic pregnant women who enrolled in the pre-natal specialization at CAISM/UNICAMP, between July, 2003 and March, 2004. All the diabetic pregnant women who agreed to participate in the study had blood collected for antiphospholipid antibody dosage (lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibody). If any other antibodies were present, the pregnant woman would be treated with Aspirin and Heparin. The following data with reference to the pregnant woman were recorded: age, gestational age, time of diabetes mellitus duration, treatment prior to and during gestation, previous illnesses, hypertension in pregnancy, amniotic liquid index, parturition, way of giving birth, Apgar index, fetal malformation, fetal hypoglycemia and birth weight. Antiphospholipid antibodies were diagnosed in 7% of the 56 pregnant women and their gestational and perinatal results were described. In the diabetic pregnant women with antiphospholipid antibodies, the duration of the diabetes was from five to ten years, that is to say, pregnant women with long-standing diabetes. The pregnant women with antiphospholipid antibodies ranged from 27 to 38 years of age, and some of the descriptions indicated that they had gone through a bad obstetric experience. The pregnant women with antiphospholipid antibodies, who were treated, had satisfactory gestational and perinatal results / Mestrado / Tocoginecologia / Mestre em Tocoginecologia

Objetivos. Avaliar as repercussÃes maternas e perinatais das gestantes com cardiopatia, comparando os dados sociodemogrÃficos, obstÃtricos e resultados perinatais pelo tipo de cardiopatia (congÃnita versus adquirida) e pela via de parto (parto vaginal versus abdominal). Metodologia. Trata-se de estudo transversal, retrospectivo, descritivo e analÃtico, realizado por meio da pesquisa de 70 prontuÃrios de pacientes que tiveram o parto no Hospital Geral CÃsar Cals nos anos de 2007 (26 casos) e 2008 (44 casos) por meio do preenchimento de questionÃrios. Foram usados os testes estatÃsticos Qui-quadrado de Yates e de Pearson e Exato de Fisher para anÃlise bivariada dos dados. Foi considerado nÃvel de significÃncia p < 0,05. Resultados. A idade das pacientes variou de 15 a 42 (mÃdia de 25,8Â6,5) anos; 25 (35,7%) eram primigestas, 22 (31,4%) secundigestas e 23 (32,9%) delas eram multigestas, dezesseis pacientes (22,9 %) tinham cardiopatia congÃnita e 45 cardiopatia adquirida (64,3%). Houve 15 partos prematuros (21,7%); 24 (34,3%) delas teve parto vaginal e 46 (65,7%) parto abdominal. A taxa de prematuridade foi de 21,7%. Verificou-se a presenÃa de 27,1% de RN com baixo peso ao nascer, 8,6% de restriÃÃo do crescimento fetal, 17,1% de Apgar < 7 no primeiro e 11,4% no quinto minuto de vida. Houve um Ãbito materno e cinco Ãbitos perinatais. NÃo houve diferenÃa estatÃstica entre as cardiopatias congÃnitas e as adquiridas, exceto pela maior presenÃa de patologias clÃnicas prÃvias à gestaÃÃo no grupo das cardiopatias congÃnitas. As pacientes que tiveram parto vaginal apresentaram maior paridade e menor escolaridade, maior taxa de prematuridade, de RN com baixo peso ao nascer e menores Ãndices de Apgar no primeiro minuto quando comparadas Ãquelas submetidas a parto abdominal. A frequÃncia de descompensaÃÃo clÃnica durante o trabalho de parto e/ou parto foi de 5,7%, sem diferenÃa estatÃstica entre os partos vaginais ou abdominais. ConclusÃes. Houve frequÃncia elevada de cesariana, parto prematuro, baixo peso ao nascer, Apgar < 7 no primeiro minuto de vida e necessidade de internamento em UTI neonatal. NÃo houve diferenÃa clara entre os tipos de cardiopatias. O piores resultados neonatais encontrados para o parto vaginal podem ser atribuÃdos à prÃpria prematuridade; ou seja, nÃo necessariamente à via de parto. / Aims. To evaluate maternal and peri-natal outcomes of pregnant women with heart disease, comparing the socio - demographic, obstetric data and peri-natal results by the type of heart disease (congenital versus acquired) and the route of delivery (vaginal versus abdominal). Methodology. This is a cross sectional, retrospective, descriptive and analytical research carried out by the records of 70 patients who delivered at Hospital Geral Cesar Cals in the years 2007 ( 26 cases) and 2008 (44 cases) by completing questionnaires. We used the Yates chi-square test, Pearson and Fisher Exact test for bi-varied analysis of data. We considered the level of significance p < 0.05. Results. The age of patients ranged from 15 to 42 (mean 25.8 + 6.5) years; on twenty five (35.7%) were first pregnancy, 22 (31.4%) second pregnancy and 23 (32.9%) were multi â pregnancy. Sixteen patients (22.9%) had congenital heart disease and 45 had acquired heart disease (64.3%). There were 15 premature births (21.7%). Twenty four (34.3%) of the women had vaginal deliveries and 46 (65.7%) cesarean section. The rate of pre term births was 21.7%. There was 27.1% of infants with low birth weight, 8.6% of fetal growth restriction, 17.1% of Apgar score < 7 in the first and 11.4% in the fifth minute of life. There was one maternal death and 5 peri-natal deaths. There was no statistical difference between congenital and acquired heart disease except for a greater presence of clinical pathologies previous to the pregnancy in the group of congenital heart disease. Patients who had vaginal deliveries presented higher parity and lower education, higher rates of prematurity in infants with low birth weight and lower Apgar scores in the first minute when compared to those who were submitted to cesarean section. The frequency of clinical discompensation during labor and / or delivery was 5.7% without statistical difference between the vaginal or abdominal. Conclusions. There was a high frequency of cesarean section, premature birth, low birth weight, Apgar score < 7 in the first minute of life and need to be admitted in the neonatal UTI. There was no clear differencebetween the types of heart disease. The worst neonatal results found for the vaginal delivery can be attributed to the very pre-term birth, that is, not necessarily the mode of delivery. .

Minha experiência clínica atendendo gestantes com diagnóstico de cardiopatia fetal pôde propiciar a observação de alterações na condição emocional das pacientes que se mantinham em acompanhamento psicológico no hospital de Cardiologia, que passou a recebê-las desde o período pré-natal até o nascimento do bebê, para que estes fossem submetidos às intervenções cardíacas necessárias. Esta percepção motivou a pesquisa sobre a natureza destas repercussões emocionais uma vez que a gestação é considerada um período de transição e de crise para a mulher, no qual precisa se reorganizar emocionalmente devido às mudanças com a vinda do filho, bem como às expectativas e idealizações inerentes. O objetivo foi identificar as repercussões emocionais mais significativas a partir de aspectos da psicodinâmica das gestantes, visando contribuir para a assistência a esta população. O método utilizado foi o clínico qualitativo, tendo como instrumentos: a entrevista semidirigida e as técnicas projetivas, Desenho da Figura Humana (DFH) e Teste de Apercepção Temática (TAT). Foi realizada a análise de conteúdo, conforme Bardin, de uma sessão de atendimento psicológico, gravada, com o consentimento das participantes, e transcrita posteriormente. Os resultados confirmaram a presença de repercussões emocionais significativas, dentre elas: os sentimentos de impotência e de posse em relação ao bebê, sentimento de culpa pelo diagnóstico fetal, angústia de morte, desamparo, não aceitação do diagnóstico e medo do desconhecido. A partir da análise psicodinâmica, identificou-se também: as principais ansiedades das gestantes - conhecer o bebê, de separação e do parto; os mecanismos de defesa atuantes - negação, regressão, identificação, racionalização e idealização- e as principais formas de enfrentamento - confiança na equipe, acreditar que a barriga é a forma possível de proteção do bebê, controle emocional, busca de conhecimento sobre a cardiopatia, identificação com outros pais na mesma situação e oferecimento de ajuda a estes, e a fé. No DFH destacaram-se: a inclinação das figuras femininas e masculinas, que pode estar relacionado à tentativa de manter um equilíbrio corporal em virtude das modificações físicas ao final da gestação; a assimetria apresentada em metade dos desenhos, analisada como possível forma de expressar a percepção das anomalias corporais dos bebês, embora a cardiopatia não possa ser visualmente observada, pode se relacionar às fantasias sobre a aparência do bebê malformado. No TAT perceberam-se importantes conflitos como dependência x independência e maternidade x afiliação, com o uso de mecanismos de defesa tais como a regressão, racionalização e idealização. Concluiu-se que o diagnóstico de cardiopatia fetal traz intensas repercussões emocionais, relacionadas às fantasias de morte sobre o nascimento do filho, sendo atribuída ao parto uma representação simbólica ainda mais angustiante que nas gestações comuns ou não caracterizadas como de alto risco, pois parece ser vivenciada inicialmente como uma situação quase-certa de morte, o que torna importante que o acompanhamento psicológico seja oferecido nas instituições de saúde, por todo o ciclo gravídico-puerperal / My clinical experience serving pregnant women with diagnosis of fetus with heart disease made it possible to observe changes in the emotional condition of the patients who remained in counseling in the Cardiology Hospital, which has been admitting them from the prenatal period to childbirth, so that they were subjected to the necessary cardiac interventions. This realization led to research into the nature of these emotional repercussions since pregnancy is considered a period of transition and crisis to the woman, who needs emotional restructuring due to changes related to the child\'s coming, and the inherent expectations and idealizations. The objective was to identify the most significant emotional repercussions from the psychodynamic aspects of pregnant women, in order to contribute to their assistance. The research followed a clinical-qualitative method, with the following instruments: semi-structured interviews and projective techniques, the Human Figure Drawing Test (HFD) and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). Content analysis was carried out according to Bardin during psychological counseling sessions, recorded with the consent of the participants, and later transcribed. The results confirmed the presence of significant emotional repercussions, such as: feelings of powerlessness and possession over the baby, guilt over fetal diagnosis, death anxiety, helplessness, denial and fear of the unknown. The psychodynamic analysis also identified: the main anxieties of pregnant women knowing the baby, separation and childbirth; the active defense mechanisms denial, regression, identification, rationalization and idealization; and the main coping mechanisms confidence in the team, belief in the bellys protection, emotional control, pursuit of knowledge about the disease, identification with other parents in similar situations and the ability to extend help to them, and faith. HFD highlighted: the angle of the female and male figures, which may be related to trying to maintain body balance because of physical changes at the end of pregnancy; the asymmetry identified in half of the drawings, analyzed as a possible way to express the perception of bodily abnormalities of babies which, even in the absence of visual observation of the abnormalities, can relate to fantasies about the appearance of a malformed baby. TAT showed important conflicts such as dependence vs. independence and motherhood vs. affiliation with the use of defense mechanisms such as regression, rationalization and idealization. The research concludes that the diagnosis of fetal heart disease causes intense emotional distress, related to death fantasies during childbirth with childbirth having a more distressing symbolic representation than during ordinary or low-risk pregnancies, since it seems to be early experienced as a situation of almost certain death, which makes it important that health institutions offer psychological counseling throughout the pregnancy and childbirth

A presente dissertação configura-se como uma interrogação à teoria psicanalítica acerca das ressonâncias do traumatismo na função psíquica da memória. Ambos são conceitos que remetem aos fundamentos da psicanálise, apontando para a constituição do psiquismo, bem como para seus limites. A dissertação procura ampliar o estudo da temática para além da obra de Freud e alcançar as contribuições de Sandor Ferenczi e seus desdobramentos na obra de Nicolas Abraham e Maria Torok. Em Freud, as relações de trauma e memória, principalmente a partir da conceituação de um além do princípio do prazer, apontam para o funcionamento, ou melhor, às falhas de funcionamento nos limites do psíquico - entre corpo e psique, entre percepção e representação - responsáveis pela instauração da memória e a diferenciação psíquica. O traumático foi associado à dinâmica da pulsão de morte e a da angústia automática, que faz continuamente uma demanda de trabalho psíquico, de ligação, anterior à instauração do princípio de prazer. Quando não há possibilidade de ligação e transcrição do acontecimento, seus efeitos apresentam-se de forma negativa como danos narcísicos. Ferenczi considera o papel do objeto como determinante em relação ao destino traumático de um acontecimento. Caso o objeto não possa adaptar-se às necessidades do sujeito e fornecer ou legitimar um sentido ao vivido, interrompe-se o processo de introjeção e inscrição psíquica. Frente ao desamparo psíquico decorrente da ausência de investimento do objeto, o psiquismo se defende por meio da clivagem das impressões traumáticas ou imerge em comoção, da qual não resta memória. Nicolas Abraham e Maria Torok acrescentam que um acontecimento que permaneceu clivado no psiquismo de uma geração - impossibilitado de circulação e figurabilidade - é transmitido enquanto lacuna de memória para a próxima geração. A imagem do trauma como avesso da memória é paradoxal, pois remete tanto às impressões que aguardam uma revelação por meio de uma ligação com uma imagem, no modelo dos sonhos traumáticos, como à pura negatividade relativa à falta de representação, da qual um sentido pode advir mediante somente uma construção que produza um sentimento de convicção. Tal imagem paradoxal pretende oferecer uma reserva psíquica/teórica ao analista enquanto uma figurabilidade possível das ressonâncias do traumático na memória. / This research was developed in the Nursery Annex to the Maternity of the Central Institute of Hospital das Clínicas of São Paulo. In this service, the situation of prematurity is highlighted, and experienced much more frequently since it is connected to an Obstetric Clinic that serves pregnant women at high risk. In this study, when they approached the situation of prematurity, I am referring to the newborn pre-term extreme, that is those born with gestational age below 30 weeks, whereas the term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. The pre-term babies the attention of their immaturity and the way they are exposed and being manipulated by various professionals, with few significant contacts that could help them develop. What parents can come closer and touch your child will need assistance to help you understand the situation and find ways to contact us. Faced with the distress that this situation arouses, it is important to understand the possibilities of intervention of the health team. What is happening is that, especially in the first contact, the parents need to make the team any intermediation, as are a number of devices connected to your child and are faced with something completely strange and distant from everything that could have imagined. This study aimed to understand, from the speech of mothers, which the experiences and conflicts they face and how the interventions of the health team are promoting or otherwise, regarding the approach and contact the mother for her son, in different times of hospitalization. This research has a qualitative character, work with individual interviews and consultations conducted with the mother. The intention was to contact the original issues, the positioning of the mother before the intervention team and the whole situation of prematurity, during hospitalization of the infant.

Estudou-se a associação entre baixo peso ao nascer e fatores de risco identificáveis durante a gestação, para os quais existem possibilidades de prevenção ou controle. A população estudada compreendeu 30834 recém-nascidos vivos gemelares, cujos partos ocorreram em 1978 em 31 hospitais ou maternidades do Município de São Paulo. / The association between low birth weight and risk factors, identifiable during pregnancy, for which possibilities of prevention or control exist was studied. The population included 30834 single live neonates, the deliveries of which occured in 31 different Maternity Hospitals in São Paulo city during 1978

Introdução: A vivência e a lógica do usuário acerca do atendimento recebido nos serviços de saúde são imprescindíveis para reorganização e implementação das ações de saúde, representando, assim, uma das maneiras de se avaliar a qualidade e a segurança nessas instituições. Objetivo: Compreender a experiência de gestantes/puérperas acerca do atendimento recebido na Unidade de Cardiologia Fetal de um Hospital Filantrópico. Caminho metodológico: Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, de cunho etnográfico, cujo cenário cultural foi a Unidade de Cardiologia Fetal do Hospital do Coração de São Paulo. As participantes foram oito gestantes/puérperas atendidas na referida instituição de saúde. A coleta de dados foi realizada, após anuência dos Comitês de Ética, por meio da observação participante e da entrevista, no período de agosto de 2012 a agosto de 2013. Os dados foram apresentados na forma de narrativa e analisados de acordo com Janesick. Achados: Das narrativas emergiram doze categorias culturais, a saber: A descoberta da gravidez não planejada; O enfrentamento do diagnóstico de cardiopatia congênita; A esperança na sobrevivência do bebê Mudança no estilo de vida; O apoio de familiares e de amigos; O acesso à alta complexidade: para onde ir? A chegada a São Paulo: o medo do desconhecido; Os avanços tecnológicos versus gestação de alto risco; O apego à religiosidade/espiritualidade; O apoio recebido do terceiro setor/rede social; O fortalecimento do vínculo familiar frente às dificuldades advindas com a trajetória da doença; A luta, o luto e as conquistas e A avaliação da Unidade de Cardiologia Fetal. Para a análise interpretativa foi adotado o referencial da Trajetória da Doença Crônica, que tem por pressupostos a ruptura biográfica, o impacto do tratamento na vida diária e no cuidado à saúde e adaptação e o manejo da doença, proposto por Michael Bury. Considerações finais: Esta investigação permitiu ter uma visão compreensiva da percepção das gestantes/puérperas com relação à Unidade de Cardiologia Fetal, interpretar e incorporar suas vivências, de modo a qualificar o cuidado e, consequentemente, o cenário deste estudo. / Introduction: The experience and logic of the health service user about the care received are essential for the reorganization and implementation of health actions, thus representing one way to assess the quality and safety in these services. Objective: To understand the experience of pregnant women/puerpera about the care received in a Fetal Cardiology Unit of a Philanthropic Hospital. Methods: This is a qualitative study using an ethnographic approach, focusing on the cultural scenario of the Fetal Cardiology Unit of the Hospital for the Heart of Sao Paulo. The participants were eight pregnant women/puerpera who received care in this Fetal Cardiology Unit. The data collection was carried out after the Ethics Committees had given their consent, through participant observation and interview, from August 2012 to August 2013. The data were presented in narratives and analyzed according to Janesick. Findings: The following twelve cultural categories emerged from the narratives: The discovery of an unexpected pregnancy; Facing the diagnosis of a congenital heart disease; Hope in the survival of the baby Change in lifestyle; Support of family and friends; Access to high complexity care: Where to go? Arriving at Sao Paulo: fear of the unknown; Advances in technology versus high risk pregnancy; Attachment to religiosity/spirituality; Support of the third sector/social network; Strengthening family relationships to face difficulties arising from the disease trajectory; The fight, the grief and the achievements; and Assessing the Fetal Cardiology Unit. The Chronic Illness Trajectory framework was used for the interpretative analysis, which is based on the assumptions of biographical disruption, the impact of treatment on everyday life and own health care, and adaptation and disease management, proposed by Michael Bury. Final considerations: This study provided a comprehensive view of the perception of the pregnant women/puerpera regarding the Fetal Cardiology Unit; the interpretation and incorporation of their experiences make it possible to qualify the health care, and thus the scenario of this study.

兒童的依附品質就如同樹木的根基和莖葉，是身心健全成長的關鍵；然而，並非每一個家庭皆能滿足兒童的依附需求，特別是當家庭遭逢風險事件。本研究旨在探究高風險家庭中兒童之依附品質。 研究目的有三項，包含探究高風險家庭中兒童與主要照顧者之依附品質；風險因子對兒童依附關係所產生的衝擊；社會工作者（以下簡稱社工）對於兒童依附關係修復之處遇方式。本研究採質性研究之深度訪談法，訪談主體為社工，係以臺北市五間高風險家庭承辦單位之督導與社工為選樣對象，一共徵得二位督導、七位社工同意受訪。研究結果茲分為四面向，敘述如下： 一、高風險家庭兒童的依附對象多元，兒童除透過主要照顧者獲得依附滿足外，亦會向他人尋求情感連結。其中，兒童的依附行為包含正向的、矛盾的，以及負向的依附行為。 二、本研究參考相關文獻，以「照顧品質」、「信任關係」、「溝通品質」、「親疏遠近」四面向為主軸以探究兒童的依附品質。研究結果顯示風險因子會直接或間接地影響兒童的依附品質；其中，風險因子對「照顧品質」、「親疏遠近」的衝擊最大。 三、風險因子可能為不安全依附的預兆。本研究結果顯示家庭中經濟困難、婚姻關係不佳與物質濫用等風險因子，對兒童的依附發展有很大的衝擊。 四、高風險家庭社工對於兒童依附關係的修復，除透過直接服務外，社工亦會尋求替代性資源作為兒童的安全堡壘，以修復其依附關係。 最後，本研究亦針對高風險家庭兒童的依附修復策略和未來研究方向提出相關建議，以作為未來實務工作和更進一步研究之參考。 / The attachment quality of children is like the roots and leaves of tree, which is the key to complete well-being and optimal development of children. However, it is unfortunate that not every family can satisfy the attachment need of children, especially when one is struck by risk events. The research focus on children attachment quality in high-risk families. The three purposes of the research are as follows: analyzing the attachment quality between children and primary caregiver in high-risk families; probing into the impact incurred from the risk factors to the children attachment; exploring the practical intervention of the social workers adopted to fix the children attachment. The study conducted the method of qualitative research, utilizing in-depth interview to the social workers. The research recruited two supervisors and seven social workers from the five agents of high-risk families in Taipei City. The results of the research can be presented in the four following prospects. 1.The attachment figure of children in high-risk families can be diversified. They might seek affectional bond from people other than primary caregivers for their special family background. To find the attachment satisfaction, their attachment behaviors might include positive attachment behavior, ambivalent attachment behavior, and negative attachment behavior. 2.The research referred to related literature and established four prospects, "Care Giving Quality", "Trust Relationship", "Communication Quality", and "Intimacy Nurturing" to explore the children attachment quality. The results point out that the risk factors might influence the children attachment quality directly or indirectly. Among all of prospects, the risk factors can cause greatest influence to "Care Giving Quality" and "Intimacy Nurturing". 3.The appearance of risk factors might cause the insecure attachment. Especially economic difficult, crisis in marriage, and substance abuse can greatly influence the children attachment quality. 4.Social workers can provide direct services or seek alternative resources as secure base to fix the children attachment in high-risk families. Lastly, the research proposes attachment fix strategies for children in high-risk families and points out the potentialities of the topic, hoping the results of the research may enrich the related understanding and serve as a reference for practical fieldwork and future studies.

Magister Commercii - MCom / The main sources of teacher stress stem from difficulty in maintaining classroom discipline, time pressures, workload demands, excessive change, being evaluated by others, challenging relationships with colleagues and poor working conditions. This study therefore highlights the significant relationship between occupational stressors and the stress experienced by teachers at high risk secondary schools in the Western Cape. Occupational stress is related to job satisfaction, job overload and job control. The coping strategies of teachers at high risk secondary schools are explored. The results indicate that there were no significant relationships between teacher stress and job satisfaction, job overload and job control at high risk secondary schools in the Western Cape. Job satisfaction however, showed an inverse, albeit not significant relationship to teacher stress. Furthermore, male and female teachers respond differently to these occupational stressors. Females were more prone to the experience of stress than males. The recommendations are based on the conclusions drawn from the study. In conclusion, occupational stress is considered a major source of stress for teachers, which needs to be addressed more vigorously at high risk secondary schools in the Western Cape. / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis is about HELLP Syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count in pregnancy): a devastating maternal hypertensive complication that results in multi-system changes that can rapidly deteriorate into organ failure and death. Despite rapid advancesin medical technology and medical science this disease continues to take the lives of women and their infants. The only effective intervention for this disorder is immediate termination irrespective of the gestational stage of the pregnancy. The primary objective of this thesis was to explore the subjective experiences and meaningmaking processes of women in and through their high-risk pregnancies. This objective crystallised into the following aims: to facilitate and listen to the voices of women who were HELLP Syndrome survivors; to explore the reported bodily, psychological and emotional experiences of HELLP Syndrome survivors; to understand the role medical intervention and biomedical discourses play in these women’s experiences and finally to explore the subjective experiences of HELLP Syndrome in the context of traditionallyheld notions of motherhood. The study was couched in a feminist poststructuralist epistemology. A material-discursive framework which comprised phenomenological and poststructuralist theorising was usedin an attempt to understand both the lived experiences as well as the discursively constructed nature of those subjective experiences. Thus the analysis encompassed both a broadly phenomenological framework to understand the lived experiences of HELLP Syndrome, and a discourse analysis to explore the meaning-making processes of participants in relation to larger social discourses, in particular the dominant biomedical and motherhood discourses. A qualitative approach using in depth semi-structured interviews was utilisedto gather data. Eleven participants from very diverse backgrounds consented to be part of thisstudy. The findings of the study highlighted the immense trauma, difficulties and challenges participants faced in these high-risk situations. What was evident from the analysis was that their experiences were so diverse and werecompletely shaped by the severity of the disorder and the gestational stage of the pregnancy. Some women ended up in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) and had near-death experiences, some had very premature babies, while some of the participants lost their babies during the process. With regards to the emotional, psychological and corporeal aspects of the disorder,participants described their situations as a disaster, painful and difficult. Due to the rapid deterioration of symptoms, they described the tempo of these events as a whirlwind in which they felt they had no control. Emotions ranged from shock, total disbelief and surprise to anger, helplessness and powerlessness. Lacking knowledge and access to appropriate information further compounded the situation for participants. Theparticipants who had premature babies found the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit experience (NICU) extremely challenging and stressful. A discourse analysis revealed that women’s talk was shaped by the disciplinary frameworks oftechnocratic medicine and patriarchal notions of gender. Participants’ discourses about their encounters inthe medical context werelocated in, and shaped by, the structure of health care in our country. In this regard binaries (like private versus public health care, women versus men and nurses versus doctors) were evident. Furthermore their hospital stay reflected their experiences in the Intensive Care (ICU) and the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) both of which are highly technologically orientated and managed. Biomedical discourses that filtered through the participants’ talk were: medicine as indisputable truth;mechanistic model of the body as machine; medical doctors as gods and the foetus as ‘super subject’. Discourses of risk were inevitably taken up as participants tried to make sense of both their current pregnancies and the potential ones to follow. The passage into motherhood for these participants was dependent on whether they had live babies or not. For those who had live babies it was a difficult time as they had to contend with their own recovery as well as the prematurity of their infants. The NICU experience was described as tiring, trying and cumbersome. For mothers who lost their babies it was a time of profound sadness and loss coupled to the notion that motherhood itself was lost. This loss of their children symbolised broken dreams, severed connections and a powerful taboo. In addition, discourses in which motherhood was naturalised and normalised saturated their talk and framed their experience in a narrative of deficit and failure. The ideologies of mother blame and the ‘all responsible’ mother were pervasive in their discussions. In conclusion, this high-risk situation represented a time of tremendous uncertainty and unpredictability for all participants and was powerfully shaped by dominant discourses about motherhood and the biomedical discursive and institutional framework in which participants were subjugated. The study thus highlights how the HELLP syndrome experience illuminates the erasure of women’s subjectivities while the foetus/infants’ life takes precedence. This has significant implications for scholarship in general and feminist scholarship in particular and highlights the need for this type of engagement in an area that has remained on the periphery of feminist research. / South Africa

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Alcohol remains the most commonly abused substance in South Africa and several studies have shown associations between alcohol use and risky sexual behaviours, which pose a risk of HIV infection. Research indicates that the age group of 15-24 years is a high risk group for HIV infection. This study aimed at examining the perceptions of alcohol as a risk factor to HIV infection amoungst a sample of university students.Specifically, this study tested the hypotheses that most students perceive that those who consume alcohol were more likely to engage in unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, casual sex and transactional sex. The Information Motivation Behavioural(IMB) skills model provided the theoretical framework for the study. Using a quantitative research design, a survey questionnaire was used to collect the data. The sample consisted of 240 first year psychology students (192 females, 48 males). Data analyses indicated support for the hypotheses that alcohol consumption was perceived as high risk for unprotected sex, casual sex and sex with multiple partners. However, the data showed no support for the hypothesis of alcohol increasing the risk of transactional sex. The data also indicated that non-drinkers were more likely to perceive alcohol as a risk factor than drinkers. The recognition by students of alcohol as a risk factor for HIV infection provides an opportunity for raising awareness about safer sex practices at institutions of higher learning in South Africa.