Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the Internet.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Paediatrics))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Abstract in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Tübingen, 2000.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Economics, August 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, page: 3554. Adviser: Thomas Giordano. Includes bibliographical references.

The focus of the research study is to explore chronically ill African American, Latino, and White patients' causal attributions of symptoms of depression and factors that predict depression care treatment preferences among these groups. Research has demonstrated that perception of illness impacts what treatments a person will deem appropriate for their mental health problems and from whom they will seek treatment. Research also indicates that certain ethnic groups are more likely to seek treatment for their symptoms of depression in the primary care setting. Yet, it is unclear how they actually perceive their symptoms and what best predicts the treatments that they are likely to consider acceptable. A convenient sample of 109 HIV+ adults, 79 diabetic adults, and 3 adults with both conditions were recruited for this study. Participants had to be receiving services for either HIV, diabetes, or both conditions in one of the three central Austin facilities and be a representative from one of three racial/ethnic groups: African Americans, Latino, and White. Differences were found across ethnicity with regard to causal beliefs and treatment preferences for the symptoms of depression both among the HIV and the diabetic subgroups. Latinos in both groups were more likely than Whites to prefer counseling or a single form of treatment over combined treatment methods. Diabetic Latinos were more likely to prefer counseling for symptoms of depression. HIV seropositive individuals who reported the least number of symptoms of physical illness were more likely to attribute their symptoms of depression to stressful life events, whereas those who reported the greatest number of symptoms of physical illness were more likely to attribute their symptoms of depression to their medical illness. Additionally among the HIV subgroup, individuals who reported high stress tended to predict the preferences for treatment provided by a psychiatrist/psychologist and Whites scored highest on this factor. Finally, differences in depression scores across race/ethnicity were also revealed. The utility of assessing a patient's understanding of symptoms of depression in order to determine how personal illness models impact treatment preferences and knowledge of patient's causal attributions can aid medical social workers and physicians in collaborative management of chronic illness and depression are discussed.

M. Tech. Nursing / Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) related stigma has been reported as a major barrier of HIV control and prevention globally. It creates social inequalities that distance people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) from social interactions and support, impacting negatively on prevention and care. The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines to reduce HIV and AIDS stigmatisation in Soshanguve. The objectives were to explore the perceptions of PLWHA regarding stigmatisation of their illness and the impact on their daily living; describe the reactions of the community members towards PLWHA and develop guidelines to reduce HIV and AIDS stigmatisation in Soshanguve.

According to the Puerto Rico Health Department as of January 2008, 258 cases of HIV, ages 10 -19 had been reported and 224 cases of AIDS, ages 13-19 (Puerto Rico Health Department, 2008). The purpose of this research was to describe the basic social processes of medication adherence in Puerto Rican youth who are HIV positive. Three research questions were proposed: 1) What are the basic social processes of medication adherence in Puerto Rican youth who are HIV- positive?; 2) What factors influence medication adherence (or nonadherence) among HIV- positive adolescents?; 3) What behaviors indicate that the HIV- positive adolescents adhere or do not adhere to their prescribed medications? The Autonomy Development of Adolescence by Steinberg provided the theoretical framework for this study. Grounded theory was used to study 13 Puerto Rican HIV-positive adolescents. Data collection included semi-structured, in-depth interviews, field notes, participant observation, and a demographic questionnaire. A substantive theory Striving to Live a Normal Life, with the core category of normal emerged from data analysis. Striving to Live a Normal Life explains how these Puerto Rican HIV-positive adolescents try to integrate their HIV status and treatment with their lives. These adolescents concentrate their lives on striving to live a normal life. A variety of ways is used to deal with HIV and has helped them visualize themselves as a normal adolescent with a normal life. Because they see themselves having a normal life, taking or not taking their medications for HIV is also seen as a normal part of their lives. This study suggests the beginning of understanding the concept and process of normalization in this population. These findings support the findings in a study done with HIV-positive adolescents from France in which the concept of normality was related to their lives. It also informs interventions to promote improved medication adherence among Puerto Rican youth who are HIV -positive.

We wanted to know how the subject HIV/AIDS was handled in the Indian newspaper The Hindu, which is written in English, during a period of 16 days (30 October-14 November) in 2005 compared to the corresponding period during 2007. Because we liked to study what kind of differences there were in the reporting between these two years. In addition we also wanted to learn how people living with HIV and AIDS are represented in pictures and text. To find out this was the purpose with this investigation. The study is made from the theory of stigma, semiotics and from a professional model of the normative theory. The articles about HIV/AIDS were quantitatively analyzed with help of a schedule of codes and we performed a qualitative analysis on several articles, four from 2005 and four from 2007. We also did four research interviews based on how people infected with HIV thought about journalists’ reporting in general and also one specific article that was written about HIV/AIDS. A journalist at The Hindu was interviewed so that we could learn more about how the editorial staff on a newspaper work and what they should have in mind when they write about the subject. He told us that the newspaper didn’t have any written guidelines to follow when they made an article about HIV/AIDS. The result of our study was that The Hindu wrote more about HIV/AIDS 2007 compared to 2005 and the articles were larger and had more pictures. In the qualitative text analysis we found out that the articles from 2005 often were about the disease, while the articles from 2007 were more about the HIV-positives and the problems they sometimes face with discrimination and stigmatisation. 2005 journalists used doctors and experts as sources, two years later the journalists talked more with ordinary people. These results are similar to earlier research in the same subject. We could also see that children living with HIV/AIDS now could be found in the articles, they were the ones who got least space in the media before. Even though the media are starting to talk more with people living with HIV/AIDS, we found out during our research interviews with PLWHA in India that it may be hard to get someone to openly talk about the subject, because it’s taboo. And one man we interviewed said he would commit suicide if a journalist revealed his status. The PLWHA are less stereotyped in the paper nowadays, but the fear and the discrimination in the society still seem to be there.