Due to the rise of psychosocial hazards and its increasing healthcare associated costs in Europe but also in the whole World, the poor management of those risks becomes an urgent issue to overcome for the states and companies but above all, for the people who suffer from it. The problem is that there is not enough awareness among the society about psychosocial factors and its associated risks. Our master thesis aims at examining and determining the roots of psychosocial hazards by starting from an already existing case study to set and classify the main variables. Thus, through the lens of psychologists and psychiatrists we interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire, we compare and analyze these variables and their answers in order to identify what are the most important factors to deal with in priority and how to manage them properly. Again, through the lens of the specialists in the field and ours, we question the risk management paradigm presented as a solution to tackle psychosocial hazards in the European survey we found. The main goals of our thesis are to raise awareness among people about psychosocial factors and its associated risks but also to provide a solution to identify and manage them properly in a lucid and realistic leadership but also more human, thanks to the enlightening vision of our dear interviewees.

This study involved an investigation of the perceptions that social workers and occupational health nurses have, of clinical and counselling psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, and priests. The present study includes a sample of social workers and occupational health nurses in the Pietermaritzburg region. Subjects were required to i) rate their confidence in the ability of each of these professionals to treat 5 clinical cases, ii) rate their confidence in each of the professionals to help them with their own problems iii) rate each of the 5 cases in terms of the severity of each case, iv) rate each of these practitioners on 11 personal qualities developed by Webb and Speer (1986), and v) choose from a list of 10 professions the one they would like their off-spring to persue. Repeated measures anovas, Tukey's HSD test, and descriptive statistics, were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the sample i) was moderately confident in the abilities of psychologists to treat 5 cases ii) was moderately confident in the abilities of psychologists to treat their own problems, iii) rated case 3 as being most severe and psychiatrists as being more competent to treat this 'severe' case, iv) rated psychologists quite favourably in terms of personal qualities, and chose engineers and accountants above psychologists. Further analysis revealed that in certain instances, the sample appeared to have a preference for counselling psychologists over clinical psychologists, and rated mental health professionals more favourably than non-mental health professionals. The results also indicated that the sample appeared to lack clarity about the roles, functions and skills of psychologists. Implications for the job security of psychologists, and the need for educational and public relations efforts are discussed. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive process for identifying and addressing primarily constitutional, medico-legal and liability issues, and in addition ethical, social and scientific issues related to the psychiatric and psychology professions in South Africa. In fulfilling this purpose, a comprehensive search is conducted of relevant historical, ethical, philosophical and clinical aspects pertaining to psychiatry and psychology, as well as an evaluation of the current juridical framework regarding the legal liability of the psychiatrist and psychologist balanced against the constitutional rights of the mentally disordered patient in South Africa. Recommendations are made for the establishment of any new controls needed to mitigate and prevent the exposure of mentally disordered patients, further attempting to provide specific remedies to adapt the current juridical framework in South Africa. The examination is conducted within the framework of the South African and United Kingdom's legal systems. Focus is placed on aspects of medical law, human rights law (as envisaged in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996), criminal law and the law of delict and, to a lesser extent, administrative law and the law of evidence. / Law / LL.D.

As a point of departure in this inherently interdisciplinary endeavour, the concept "Holistic Multidisciplinary Management" ("HMM") is introduced a.s a macrocosmic adaption of principles of project management. In line with HMM, a number of submissions regarding terminology and definitions in the interdisciplinary context of medicine (and particularly clinical psychiatry) and law, are made, and the foundations of medical malpractice are examined. Building on the various foundations laid, specific types of conduct that can constitute clinical-psychiatric malpractice, are addressed. A common theme that emerges in the various contexts covered, is that the psychiatrist must negotiate various proverbial tightropes, involving inter alia tensions between restraint and freedom, excessive and insufficient medication, becoming too involved and not being involved enough with clients, as well as client confidentiality and the duty to warn third parties. It is concluded that law and medicine. must work harmoniously together to establish appropriate balance. This can be achieved only if mutual understanding and integrated functioning are promoted and translated into practice. / Law / LL.M.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a comprehensive process for identifying and addressing primarily constitutional, medico-legal and liability issues, and in addition ethical, social and scientific issues related to the psychiatric and psychology professions in South Africa. In fulfilling this purpose, a comprehensive search is conducted of relevant historical, ethical, philosophical and clinical aspects pertaining to psychiatry and psychology, as well as an evaluation of the current juridical framework regarding the legal liability of the psychiatrist and psychologist balanced against the constitutional rights of the mentally disordered patient in South Africa. Recommendations are made for the establishment of any new controls needed to mitigate and prevent the exposure of mentally disordered patients, further attempting to provide specific remedies to adapt the current juridical framework in South Africa. The examination is conducted within the framework of the South African and United Kingdom's legal systems. Focus is placed on aspects of medical law, human rights law (as envisaged in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996), criminal law and the law of delict and, to a lesser extent, administrative law and the law of evidence. / Law / LL.D.

As a point of departure in this inherently interdisciplinary endeavour, the concept "Holistic Multidisciplinary Management" ("HMM") is introduced a.s a macrocosmic adaption of principles of project management. In line with HMM, a number of submissions regarding terminology and definitions in the interdisciplinary context of medicine (and particularly clinical psychiatry) and law, are made, and the foundations of medical malpractice are examined. Building on the various foundations laid, specific types of conduct that can constitute clinical-psychiatric malpractice, are addressed. A common theme that emerges in the various contexts covered, is that the psychiatrist must negotiate various proverbial tightropes, involving inter alia tensions between restraint and freedom, excessive and insufficient medication, becoming too involved and not being involved enough with clients, as well as client confidentiality and the duty to warn third parties. It is concluded that law and medicine. must work harmoniously together to establish appropriate balance. This can be achieved only if mutual understanding and integrated functioning are promoted and translated into practice. / Law / LL.M.