Yes / Role emerging placements in occupational therapy training are contributing to professional and workforce development because of their strong occupational focus and placement of students in emerging practice. This manuscript explores how one role emerging placement challenged and developed student theoretical and clinical skills, presented new ways of working at the recipient site and enhanced service delivery. Methods: The to role emerging placements in occupational therapy is explored through the use of a case study which reflects on and analyses how the assessment and treatment of occupation enhanced service delivery at a local, no-traditional site is presented. Eight students in England developed and ran a psycho-education group to support the occupational needs of female service users who have experienced domestic abuse. Results: There was an overall increase in self-esteem scores and an expressed increase in knowledge and understanding by participants. Students reported developing a deeper understanding of occupation and the hosts identified the student’s clinical skills as unique contributors to service delivery. Conclusion: By focusing on occupation, role emerging placements draw on the roots of the profession and anchor its future to the theoretical foundations of its past. However, in order to employ occupational therapists, these organisations need to understand what the occupational therapy profession can offer them.

Most couples eagerly anticipate the birth of their first child. However, the transition to parenthood is also associated with significant lifestyle changes and approximately 50% of couples report a moderate to severe decline in relationship satisfaction and quality. Low relationship satisfaction is associated with increased couple conflict, individual psychological distress, negative parent-child relationships and poor child outcomes. Despite our increasing knowledge of the factors that predict enhanced couple adjustment, few evidence-based programs are available to assist couples' adjustment to parenthood. In this first randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of a flexible delivery psycho-education program, entitled 'Couple CARE for Parents', 71 pregnant couples were assessed on self-report and observational measures of couple relationship and individual functioning and then randomized into either the Couple CARE for Parents program (n = 35) or a comparison program (n = 36). Couple CARE for Parents was a six unit program, comprising of an antenatal workshop, two home visits and three telephone support calls, and included skill-training in key relationship processes that are predictive of couple relationship quality, with the addition of parenting and baby care information. Among intervention couples the typical decline in female relationship satisfaction was prevented, with only 13% of intervention females reporting a decline in relationship satisfaction from pregnancy to 5 months postpartum, compared to 42% of females in the comparison program. Observed couple communication also improved as a result of the intervention, with Couple CARE for Parents couples showing reliably lower rates of negative speaker and listener skills at post-intervention relative to comparison couples. Couples were highly engaged in Couple CARE for Parents and there was a low drop out rate across the 7 month intervention period. These findings are promising and add to the early intervention studies showing positive effects of couple-focused psycho-education during the transition to parenthood by demonstrating that flexible delivery programs are feasible and attractive to couples. Providing cost-effective couple relationship education to expectant and new parent couples opens another window of opportunity for health professionals and governments to minimize the rates of relationship distress and divorce and their associated negative effects on individual, couple and family functioning.

No description available.

The study determines the effects of resilience training on team performance. An investigation was undertaken to: * establish a theoretical foundation for using resilience training to improve performance; * identify parameters and criteria for determining the effects of resilience training on the individual within the team; * gain insight on how learners experienced the resilience training; and * whether they implemented the resilience training within the workplace. This study included the review of literature on various motivational theories, resilience, psycho-education, adult learning and team performance. It also included an empirical investigation on the effects of resilience training on the individual within the team and the team performance as such. Data was collected against the main research question: What is the effect of strengths-focussed training on team performance? / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Didactics)

<p>The purpose of this study has been to investigate how psychosocial support for families where a parent suffers from a life threatening illness can be constructed. The intent was also to explore how the child's perspective is protected and what barriers and opportunities there are for family oriented support. The study has a qualitative approach and includes interviews with four social workers. The interviews were analyzed with a systems theory and attachment theory. The conclusions are that the whole family suffers psychological and social pressures when a parent is sick. The psychosocial support is given individually and to the family as a unit to help them deal with their changed life situation and facilitate subsequent grieving. An important aspect of the support is psycho education to parents and children, which aims to increase the understanding of the situation, their individual and each others' reactions. The social workers stress that it’s important to establish contacts in the family’s private network and support agencies in the community.</p><p>It falls under the medical mission to offer support to relatives and it includes a responsibility to inform and support the child based on individual circumstances. However, there seems to exist a variation and uncertainty about its nature and extent. Therefore professionals need to be aware of the importance of highlighting the child’s needs and support families.</p>

The purpose of this study has been to investigate how psychosocial support for families where a parent suffers from a life threatening illness can be constructed. The intent was also to explore how the child's perspective is protected and what barriers and opportunities there are for family oriented support. The study has a qualitative approach and includes interviews with four social workers. The interviews were analyzed with a systems theory and attachment theory. The conclusions are that the whole family suffers psychological and social pressures when a parent is sick. The psychosocial support is given individually and to the family as a unit to help them deal with their changed life situation and facilitate subsequent grieving. An important aspect of the support is psycho education to parents and children, which aims to increase the understanding of the situation, their individual and each others' reactions. The social workers stress that it’s important to establish contacts in the family’s private network and support agencies in the community. It falls under the medical mission to offer support to relatives and it includes a responsibility to inform and support the child based on individual circumstances. However, there seems to exist a variation and uncertainty about its nature and extent. Therefore professionals need to be aware of the importance of highlighting the child’s needs and support families.

The study determines the effects of resilience training on team performance. An investigation was undertaken to: * establish a theoretical foundation for using resilience training to improve performance; * identify parameters and criteria for determining the effects of resilience training on the individual within the team; * gain insight on how learners experienced the resilience training; and * whether they implemented the resilience training within the workplace. This study included the review of literature on various motivational theories, resilience, psycho-education, adult learning and team performance. It also included an empirical investigation on the effects of resilience training on the individual within the team and the team performance as such. Data was collected against the main research question: What is the effect of strengths-focussed training on team performance? / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Didactics)

South Africa is a heterogeneous society. It is a multilingual, multicultural country with more than eleven official languages. It is a country that also has big educational and economic inequalities. These differences are pertinent barriers that often obstruct communication, also and especially in health communication. This study addresses such a problem, by first exploring the effectiveness and/or appropriateness of existing schizophrenia information material The Alliance Programme which was produced in the USA for universal consumption and is currently used in the South African context. In the study the externally produced schizophrenia information material is adapted to fulfil in the specific needs and preferences of the audience targeted in this study. The study was conducted based on the assumption that people need to access information that is relevant, easy to understand and appropriate to them in order to make informed decisions about their health. This study was conducted at the Weskoppies hospital in Pretoria (South Africa) among Tshwana-speaking patients suffering from schizophrenia. The specific aim of this study was to communicate the information in such a way that this group could use it optimally. Since this empirical study’s main aim was to evaluate and adapt the Alliance Programme to make it more suitable for the South African context, a formative research design was implemented. Usability testing was chosen as the research method. Literature review, individual semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and participant observation were employed as data collection methods. The data was analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study indicated that the adapted messages or information about schizophrenia did improve the patients’ reception of the information. It was then concluded in this study that messages or information should either be adapted or created to suit the needs of a specific audience. This study also recommended that in order to make sure information (about schizophrenia) is communicated effectively and/or appropriately to any group (of patients suffering from schizophrenia), a participatory communication design should be used. / Dissertation (MIS)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Information Science / unrestricted

No / The European RHAPSODY project sought to develop and test an online information and support programme for caregivers of individuals diagnosed with young onset dementia. The objectives were to assess user acceptability and satisfaction with the programme and to test outcome measures for a larger effectiveness study. DESIGN: A pilot randomised controlled trial in England, France, and Germany was conducted with 61 caregivers for adults with young onset Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal degeneration. Evaluations at baseline, week 6, and week 12 assessed user acceptability and satisfaction. Use of the programme was measured from online back-end data. Qualitative feedback on user experiences was collected via semi-structured interviews. Measures of caregiver well-being (self-efficacy, stress, burden, frequency of patient symptoms, and caregiver reactions) were explored for use in a subsequent trial. RESULTS: Participants logged in online on average once a week over a 6-week period, consulting approximately 31% of programme content. Seventy percent of participants described the programme as useful and easy to use. Eighty-five percent expressed intent to use the resource in the future. Reductions in reported levels of stress and caregivers' negative reactions to memory symptoms were observed following use of the programme. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that the RHAPSODY programme was acceptable and useful to caregivers. The programme may be complementary to existing services in responding to the specific needs of families affected by young onset dementia. Distribution of the programme is underway in England, France, Germany, and Portugal.

Extra-marital affairs seem to be rampant among Seventh-day Adventist adult membership in Botswana. To determine the extent of the problem, to investigate the causative factors and to suggest ways in which individuals and families can be helped, has been the motivation for this study. It was discovered that 11.8% of married adults in the survey had at least one secret sexual partner, and 42.6% of singles had an illegal sexual partner(s). Seventh-day Adventist adults' sexuality in Botswana is characterized by hetero-sexual, multiple partners. Some of the contributing factors are economic, cultural and spiritual. Despite the prevailing influences, the majority of the adults (68%) still disagree with lax sexual behavior. This gives hope to work for their restoration and empowerment. Two key areas that were seen to be critical in empowering them were the family and spirituality. A psycho-spiritual program called, Harmonious Development, is being suggested for a systematic, educational, holistic and lifelong empowerment. This model is based on the psycho-educational theory developed by W.J. Schoeman for adult training. / SCH: HUM, SOC SCIENC & THEO / DTH (SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY)