The goal of this thesis was to investigate the hypothesis whether symptomatic remission for patents with schizophrenia spectrum syndrome would provide practical and qualitative benefits for patients and for society. The first work (Paper I) examines the relationship between cross-sectional remission and the patients’ practical resources. The patients’ adaptations to society as well as their employments, living situations and social networks were studied. Their activity of daily living resources are described in terms of the extent to which they could pursue various undertakings autonomously. Their need for care was also studied. The results showed that the patient group that had achieved remission scored better on all of the variables studied, had better resources and less need for medical care and sheltered housing. The second work (Paper II) analysed the relationship between cross-sectional remission and quality of life, burden placed on patients by the illness, and the patients’ satisfaction with care received and with their medication, and also their capacity for understanding their symptoms and their illness. Even the results of this study showed that the patients in the remission group had a better quality of life, bore a lesser burden, were more satisfied with their care and had better insight into their illness. The third work (Paper III) studied the patients’ neurocognitive capacity to see if a higher capacity resulted in a higher percentage of patients achieving remission. The results showed unequivocally that the patients in remission consistently performed better in the cognitive tests. They also showed that they even had a larger vocabulary indicating a higher premorbid capacity. The fourth work (Paper IV) followed the patients over an average time of 65 months. In this study, the patients’ needs for medical care and for housing were investigated. Patients who were not in cross-sectional remission at baseline had for all the measured variables a higher consumption than those in remission even if the differences were not significant, except for patients who lived in sheltered housing and who had greater need for medical care. Taking all these findings together, the result of this thesis shows that the attainment of remission provides practical and qualitative advantages to the patients and to society.

This thesis deals with a topic of specific needs of early traumatised children living in a foster family. The theoretical part is divided into five chapters. The first chapter describes foster care as a part of Czech system of care about children in need. The second chapter deals with the psychological development in early childhood. The third chapter applies itself to early trauma and its causes. The fourth chapter is focused on consequences of early trauma and resulting specific needs of children. The fifth chapter is devoted to the possibilities of working with early traumatised children in a foster family. The following practical part consists of three segments. The first one has a form of research among foster parents. It is focused on specific needs of children and also a need of support, which should be given to foster families. The second section presents the research survey among non-profit organisations that deal with direct support for foster families. It examines their experience with a topic of early trauma. The third section presents a unique project of one Czech organisation, which is focused on the transition of child from institutional care to family environment.

The presence of poverty, unemployment and children been infected or affected by HIV/Aids contributed to a high level of children in need of care and protection (Patel, 2005:165) and forced communities to came up with a ways of addressing this increasing need of alternative care. Cluster foster care schemes were one of the initiatives that were started spontaneously by community members to address need for more alternative care options (Colby-Newton, 2006:18). This form of alternative care was also included with the proclamation of the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005 and the Children’s Amendment Act, Act 41 of 2007 (Matthias, 2010:172-176). Although cluster foster care schemes are acknowledge and practice as a form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection the operationalising thereof remain a grey area. In an unpublished study by Taback and Associates, it was suggested that further research should be conducted regarding elements that need to be included in the operationalising of cluster foster care schemes (Taback and Associates, 2010:4). The above form the motivation for this study and also provide the basis for the formulation of the research question namely: “What are the operational elements necessary for the operationalising of cluster foster care schemes?” Following from the research problem and research question, the goal for this research was to explore and describe the present functioning of cluster foster care schemes in order to identify operational elements to be documented in a guideline for service providers and social workers. The researcher made use of qualitative research approach to explore and describe the participants’ perception on the research problem. This research endeavour firstly falls in the ambit of the phenomenology research design, which aimed to describe the conscious experience of the everyday life of the participants, which were in this study the managers of cluster foster care schemes as well as foster parents that provide foster care as part of a cluster foster care scheme. In addition to this the researcher also opted to include the exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design, which guided the exploration, description and contextualising of the views of the participants on elements needed to operationalise cluster foster care schemes. In order to achieve the above the researcher the researcher decided to make use of an intervention research model by Rothman and Thomas (1994:3-51), namely the “Intervention Develop and Design” framework (IDD framework). In this study the researcher only used phases one to phase four and certain steps of the IDD framework to develop the operational guidelines for the operationalising of cluster foster care schemes. In concluding the report of the study, the researcher provided summaries of and conclusions related to the background rational; research questions; goals and task objective of the study; the research methodology implemented; the empirical findings and literature consulted; and the developed operational guidelines. He concluded the document with recommendation related to the research process and methodology employed; research findings; and recommendation for further research on the research topic. / Social Work / D. Soc.Sc. (Social Work)

The presence of poverty, unemployment and children been infected or affected by HIV/Aids contributed to a high level of children in need of care and protection (Patel, 2005:165) and forced communities to came up with a ways of addressing this increasing need of alternative care. Cluster foster care schemes were one of the initiatives that were started spontaneously by community members to address need for more alternative care options (Colby-Newton, 2006:18). This form of alternative care was also included with the proclamation of the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005 and the Children’s Amendment Act, Act 41 of 2007 (Matthias, 2010:172-176). Although cluster foster care schemes are acknowledge and practice as a form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection the operationalising thereof remain a grey area. In an unpublished study by Taback and Associates, it was suggested that further research should be conducted regarding elements that need to be included in the operationalising of cluster foster care schemes (Taback and Associates, 2010:4). The above form the motivation for this study and also provide the basis for the formulation of the research question namely: “What are the operational elements necessary for the operationalising of cluster foster care schemes?” Following from the research problem and research question, the goal for this research was to explore and describe the present functioning of cluster foster care schemes in order to identify operational elements to be documented in a guideline for service providers and social workers. The researcher made use of qualitative research approach to explore and describe the participants’ perception on the research problem. This research endeavour firstly falls in the ambit of the phenomenology research design, which aimed to describe the conscious experience of the everyday life of the participants, which were in this study the managers of cluster foster care schemes as well as foster parents that provide foster care as part of a cluster foster care scheme. In addition to this the researcher also opted to include the exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design, which guided the exploration, description and contextualising of the views of the participants on elements needed to operationalise cluster foster care schemes. In order to achieve the above the researcher the researcher decided to make use of an intervention research model by Rothman and Thomas (1994:3-51), namely the “Intervention Develop and Design” framework (IDD framework). In this study the researcher only used phases one to phase four and certain steps of the IDD framework to develop the operational guidelines for the operationalising of cluster foster care schemes. In concluding the report of the study, the researcher provided summaries of and conclusions related to the background rational; research questions; goals and task objective of the study; the research methodology implemented; the empirical findings and literature consulted; and the developed operational guidelines. He concluded the document with recommendation related to the research process and methodology employed; research findings; and recommendation for further research on the research topic. / Social Work / D. Soc.Sc. (Social Work)

EXPLORATION OF THE EXPERIENCES OF CHILD CARE WORKERS AS EDUCATORS IN A PLACE OF SAFETY SUMMARY OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore and describe the experiences of child care workers in their role as educators at a place of safety, in order to gain a better understanding of what they see as their educational task and the difficulties they experience in executing this task. The literature review provides a survey of the purpose of a place of safety, what education of children entails and the specific needs of children who experience trauma in their lives. Some of the factors that influence the way the care workers execute their task as educators, are discussed briefly. This qualitative case study is approached from the interpretative paradigm. Child care workers were engaged in individual interviews and a focus group discussion. The data-analysis leads to the following conclusions: • Although child care workers show understanding for the needs of the children in their care. And have a basic understanding of what education entails, aspects were identified in which they need training and support. • Child care workers show symptoms of burnout and reveal the need for supervision. • The way the institution is managed leaves child care workers dissatisfied, which leads to feelings of passivity, negativity, demotivation and a vengeful attitude. / Dissertation (Magister Educationis (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

As a social worker at the Desmond Tutu Child and Youth Care Centre in Gauteng province, the researcher noticed an increase in the number of applications for adolescents’ admission to the Centre due to a breakdown in their foster care placements. This raised a question regarding the factors contributing to this breakdown. The aim of the study was to develop an in-depth understanding of factors contributing to the breakdown of foster care placements from the perspectives of the adolescents who were fostered and from those of their foster parents. The qualitative research approach was used applying an explorative, descriptive and contextual design. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and was analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 2009:186). For data verification, Guba’s model (in Krefting (1990:214-220) was applied. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made about foster care involving adolescents. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

As a social worker at the Desmond Tutu Child and Youth Care Centre in Gauteng province, the researcher noticed an increase in the number of applications for adolescents’ admission to the Centre due to a breakdown in their foster care placements. This raised a question regarding the factors contributing to this breakdown. The aim of the study was to develop an in-depth understanding of factors contributing to the breakdown of foster care placements from the perspectives of the adolescents who were fostered and from those of their foster parents. The qualitative research approach was used applying an explorative, descriptive and contextual design. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and was analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 2009:186). For data verification, Guba’s model (in Krefting (1990:214-220) was applied. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made about foster care involving adolescents. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

No description available.

Misdade wat gemik is teen kinders veroorsaak tans ‘n nasionale krisis wat geïllustreer word deur die feit dat daar ‘n toename in die mishandeling en verwaarlosing van kinders is. Al hoe meer kinders word ook wees gelaat na die afsterwe van hul biologiese ouers weens MIV/VIGS-verwante siektes. Dit bring mee dat daar ‘n geweldige toename in pleegsorgplasings in Suid-Afrika is. Welsynsorganisasies beskik egter nie oor ‘n resente opleidingsprogram wat daarop gemik is om voornemende pleegouers op pleegsorg voor te berei nie. Die doel van die studie het behels om ‘n opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel, te implementeer en empiries te toets. Die doelwitte wat gestel is om die doel te bereik was om ‘n opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel, die program by voornemende pleegouers te toets en om die impak van die program waar te neem deur die resultate van ‘n voor- en natoets te vergelyk. Die inhoud van die opleidingsprogram wat vir die studie ontwikkel is, is beskryf. Gevolglik is van beskrywende navorsing gebruik gemaak. Hierdie studie het berus op die volgende hipotese: Indien voornemende pleegouers hierdie opleidingsprogram deurloop het, sal die voornemende pleegouers se kennis rakende die omvang, wetlike implikasies, verwagtinge, motiewe, verantwoordelikhede en pligte ten opsigte van pleegsorg, en die profiel van die pleegkind verbeter. Die empiriese resultate van die studie het die hipotese as waar bewys.‘n Kwantitatiewe enkelstelselontwerp, is die benadering wat gevolg is. Data is ingesamel met behulp van ‘n vraelys wat tydens ‘n voor- en natoets benut is. Altesaam 53 respondente (ouer as 20 jaar) bestaande uit getroude pare en enkellopendes wat gedurende die tydperk Februarie tot Junie 2006, by die Ondersteuningsraad van Pretoria as voornemende pleegouers aangemeld het, is by die studie betrek. Die 53 respondente is in drie groepe ingedeel. Drie opleidingsessies met elk van die drie groepe is onderneem. Rothman en Thomas se model vir intervensienavorsing is benut om die opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel. Die model bestaan uit ses fases, waarvan die eerste vyf fases in die studie benut is. Tydens die eerste fase is die probleem ontleed; in die tweede fase is teoretiese inligting versamel en deelnemers by die studie betrek; by die derde en vierde fases, is die opleidingsprogram tentatief ontwerp en getoets om leemtes te identifiseer. Daarna is die program volledig geïmplementeer en die impak daarvan empiries getoets. Die kwantitatiewe data (voor- en natoets) is met behulp van ‘n selfontwerpte vraelys ingesamel. Die vraelys is benut om inligting aangaande die respondente se kennis van pleegsorg te verkry. Individuele telefoniese onderhoude is een maand na afloop van die implementering van die program met die respondente gevoer om addisionele inligting te kry. Die resultate van die voor- en natoets het getoon dat die opleidingsprogram suksesvol was. Die respondente wat by die studie betrek is, het ‘n verbetering getoon ten opsigte van hul kennis van pleegsorg. Na die evaluering van die opleidingsprogram, is ‘n samevatting van die vernaamste bevindings, en gevolgtrekkings vir die ondersoek in geheel, aangebied. Aanbevelings is gemaak en is temas vir verdere navorsing geïdentifiseer. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Die alternde Bevölkerung gehört zu den größten gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen sämtlicher Industrienationen. Bewegungsanregungen wird im Rahmen des Altersverfalls eine signifikant präventive Schlüsselrolle zuerkannt, wobei auch Serious Games großes Präventionspotenzial und vielseitige Gesundheitsförderung zugeschrieben wird. Diese Dissertation widmet sich einer Zustandsdarstellung älterer Menschen im deutschen Pflegekontext, um folgend die Potenziale eines Serious Games zur Gesundheitsförderung älterer Menschen unter Einbezug des Pandemieeinflusses zu evaluieren und reflektierende Handlungsempfehlungen dieses Untersuchungssettings abzuleiten. Evaluiert wurde ein Serious Game zur Förderung physischer, kognitiver und psychischer Kompetenzen – zu Beginn bei 1000 älteren Menschen in 100 Pflegeeinrichtungen in Deutschland über ein Jahr hinweg anhand einer IG und KG. Die Studiendurchführung eröffnete Diskrepanzen, sodass unter anderem Folgeuntersuchungen wie RCT Designs, Drop-Out-Regelungen und differenzierte Messinstrumente empfohlen werden. Die deskriptive Analyse konstatiert ein literaturgeleitetes Bild, das geprägt ist von großer Varianz und einer Wechselwirkung eruierter Konstitutionen. Die aufgrund restriktiver Maßnahmen während der COVID-Pandemie stark verringerte Stichprobe zeigte im Vergleich zur KG sowohl erste tendenziell positive Veränderungen in den gemessenen Kognitionswerten (MMST) als auch in den Motorikwerten (Tinetti-Test), wobei der Einfluss der Isolationsmaßnahmen diese Entwicklung nivellierte. Die erhobenen Werte evidierten einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Motorik der Teilnehmenden aufgrund von Pandemie-Restriktionen. Dieses Ergebnis reiht sich in die aktuelle Forschungslage ein: Serious Games – vorausgesetzt, sie sind qualitativ hochwertig evaluiert und werden regelmäßig und langfristig gespielt – ist als Präventionsinstrument in der Regelversorgung und notwendigen Aktivierung von pflegebedürftigen Potenzial beizumessen. / Aging population is amongst the biggest societal challenges of the future of all industrial nations. These challenges can be faced by technological measures as Serious Games with have a big potential in preventing and promoting health, just as benefiting from the key role of mobility as a preemptive effective measure. This dissertation is first committed to give an overview of the condition of elderly people in German nursing contexts. It will then evaluate the potentials of a serious game for health-promotion of elderly people plus the influence of the pandemic and in order to derive recommendations for future studies. The study design evaluates a Serious Game for the promotion of physical, cognitive and psychological competencies, beginning with 1000 elderly people in 100 nursing facilities in Germany over the course of one year by means of an IG and CG. The implementation of the study unveiled discrepancies, so that following investigations, RCT-designs, clear drop-out-regulations and differentiated measuring instruments are recommended. The descriptive analysis of elderly people in nursing homes states a literature driven image of their specific constitution which is characterized by a big variance and an interactive multidimensionality of their main constitutions. The sample, which was very diminished due to the Corona-pandemic, showed first tendentially positive changes within the measured cognitive values (MMST) as well as in the motor values (Tinetti-Test) compared to the CG, whereas the influence of the isolation measures leveled this development, which suggests that the pandemic-restrictions had a crucial impact on motor skills of the participants. This result is consistent with the current research which attributes great potential to serious games as a preventive measure in standard care and for the necessary activation of those in need of care - given that those games are evaluated in a high-qualitative manner and are played regularly and long term.