Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Joyce A. Baptist / Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent, pervasive chronic illness. It is a hereditary condition that affects those of African, Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Hispanic/Latino descent. It causes extreme pain for patients and a myriad of other symptoms and complications. The medical issues associated with and the very nature of SCD has the potential to cause psychological distress and related problems for patients. Parents, caregivers, significant others, and family members are similarly affected by a family member with SCD. Applying the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation Model, this qualitative study used heterogeneous sampling and explored the experience of three families with SCD. Three main themes emerged from the data, analyzed using thematic analysis: Stress and Challenges, Adapting to and Coping with the Demands of SCD, and Individual and Family Strengths. The pervasiveness and unpredictability of SCD as well as the strengthening effects of having experienced SCD were shared across families, despite their heterogeneity. Clinical implications for families with SCD are discussed.

<p>This study is an evaluation of the school Liljanskolan, which is a ”therapy-school” for children between the ages of seven and twelve with psychosocial problems. These problems can concern difficulties interacting with adults as well as children, acting out, difficulty concentrating and anxiety. Liljanskolan has a high number of professionals, both teachers and treaters, and few children. The aim of the study was to increase the understanding of how children that have attended Liljanskolan have progressed during their time at the school with focus on their behaviour in school, ability to interact with adults and children, anger management and self-confidence. This was carried out by sending out a questionnaire to parents that had their children registered at Liljanskolan between August 2002 and August 2004. Eighteen out of 23 parents filled out the questionnaire. Four out of these parents were also interviewed. The results show that a majority of the parents have experienced that their children have progressed favourably within all the areas. An analysis of the results through the attachment-theory and role-theory show that the children have developed a more secure attachment-behaviour and that both the children and their parents have been able to take on new more well-functioning roles.</p>

<p>The aim of this thesis was to explore the prevalence of parentally experienced infant sleep problems, with special interest in severe problems, in a total community sample of 2 518 infants aged between 6 and 18 months. Factors associated with severe sleep problems were sought. Parents reported 16 % of the infants to have difficulties in falling asleep at night, and 30 % to have frequent night waking. Severe sleep problems were associated with frequent night meals, psychosocial problems in the family, exhaustion and depression in the mother, and parental stress. An association with infant difficultness, high activity and problematic behaviour was also found. </p><p>In a five-year prospective study a group of children fulfilling specific criteria for severe sleep problems in infancy (N=27) was followed after an interventional sleep programme and compared with a control group regarding sleep characteristics, behaviour and development. One month after an interdisciplinary treatment programme, combining behavioural technique with family work, the average number of times the case babies woke up had diminished from 6.0 to 1.8 times per night. A 92 % rate of improvement was reported.</p><p>The changes were stable over time. Comparisons with the controls during five years revealed no significant group difference in sleep characteristics. Concerning behaviour and development, however, there were significant differences. At the age of 5.5 years, seven of the children in the former sleep problem group met the criteria for the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. No control child qualified for the diagnosis.</p>

The aim of this thesis was to explore the prevalence of parentally experienced infant sleep problems, with special interest in severe problems, in a total community sample of 2 518 infants aged between 6 and 18 months. Factors associated with severe sleep problems were sought. Parents reported 16 % of the infants to have difficulties in falling asleep at night, and 30 % to have frequent night waking. Severe sleep problems were associated with frequent night meals, psychosocial problems in the family, exhaustion and depression in the mother, and parental stress. An association with infant difficultness, high activity and problematic behaviour was also found. In a five-year prospective study a group of children fulfilling specific criteria for severe sleep problems in infancy (N=27) was followed after an interventional sleep programme and compared with a control group regarding sleep characteristics, behaviour and development. One month after an interdisciplinary treatment programme, combining behavioural technique with family work, the average number of times the case babies woke up had diminished from 6.0 to 1.8 times per night. A 92 % rate of improvement was reported. The changes were stable over time. Comparisons with the controls during five years revealed no significant group difference in sleep characteristics. Concerning behaviour and development, however, there were significant differences. At the age of 5.5 years, seven of the children in the former sleep problem group met the criteria for the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. No control child qualified for the diagnosis.

This study is an evaluation of the school Liljanskolan, which is a ”therapy-school” for children between the ages of seven and twelve with psychosocial problems. These problems can concern difficulties interacting with adults as well as children, acting out, difficulty concentrating and anxiety. Liljanskolan has a high number of professionals, both teachers and treaters, and few children. The aim of the study was to increase the understanding of how children that have attended Liljanskolan have progressed during their time at the school with focus on their behaviour in school, ability to interact with adults and children, anger management and self-confidence. This was carried out by sending out a questionnaire to parents that had their children registered at Liljanskolan between August 2002 and August 2004. Eighteen out of 23 parents filled out the questionnaire. Four out of these parents were also interviewed. The results show that a majority of the parents have experienced that their children have progressed favourably within all the areas. An analysis of the results through the attachment-theory and role-theory show that the children have developed a more secure attachment-behaviour and that both the children and their parents have been able to take on new more well-functioning roles.

Vissa sjukdomar för konsekvenser med sig utöver den somatiska bördan. Hepatit C är en av dessa. Detta virus påverkar den drabbades liv på ett sätt som står över den patologiska beskrivningen. Varje år anmäls 2000 fall av hepatit C i Sverige. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att få kunskap om omfattningen av psykosociala problem hos hepatit C-smittade. Litteraturstudien grundar sig på sju vetenskapliga artiklar. Forskningsprocessen inspirerades av Goodmans sju olika steg. Som teoretisk referensram har använts Carnevalis modell för ett funktionellt hälsotillstånd i dagligt liv. Resultatet presenteras genom fyra olika teman som identifierades under artikelgranskningen: (1) Stigmatisering av individer med hepatit C, (2) rädsla förknippad med hepatit C, (3) Depressiva symtom förknippade med hepatit C och (4) Bristande socialt stöd vid hepatit. Resultatet pekar på att hepatit C-smittade i stor omfattning upplever psykosociala problem. Detta medför att den smittades livssituation påverkas negativt och därmed minskar dennes möjlighet till att uppleva hälsa. / Certain diseases carry consequences beyond the somatic burden. Hepatitis C is one of them. This virus influences the infected beyond its pathological description. Every year 2000 cases of Hepatitis C are reported in Sweden. The aim of this study was to illuminate the extent and character of psychosocial problems in patients with the diagnosis hepatitis C. The study is based on seven scientific articles. The seven steps for a literature study presented by Goodman inspired the research process. As a theoretical frame of reference Carnevali´s model for a functional and healthy daily life has been used. The analysis resulted in four themes: (1) Stigmatization, (2) fear associated with hepatitis C, (3) depressive symptoms connected with the diagnosis and (4) lack of social support The results indicate that patients with the diagnosis hepatitis C experience psychosocial problems to a larger extent. This also means that these patients are negatively influenced leading to a decreased opportunity to experience health.

Našlaitystė, kaip socialinis reiškinys, egzistuoja tiek pat, kiek pati visuomenė, ir yra neatsiejama civilizacijos dalis. Šio magistro darbo tikslas – išsiaiškinti su kokiomis psichosocialinėmis ir mokymosi problemomis, ugdytojų bendruomenės nuomone, susiduria vaikai, gyvenantys globos namuose. Tyrimo objektas – vaikų, gyvenančių globos namuose, psichosocialinės (elgesio, prisitaikymo prie aplinkos, sąveikos su aplinka) ir mokymosi problemos. Teorinėje darbo dalyje aptariami darbo su vaikais, likusiais be tėvų globos, atsiradimo priežastys ir vystymasis, trumpai apžvelgiama likusių be tėvų globos vaikų problemą Lietuvoje; remiantis moksline literatūra pateikiami vaikų gyvenančių globos institucijose ugdymo ypatumai; didelis dėmesys skiriamas socialinio darbuotojo veiklos tikslų bei krypčių atskleidimui, dirbant su vaikais likusiais be tėvų globos. Praktinėje darbo dalyje pristatytas kiekybinis vaikų, gyvenančių globos namuose, psichosocialinių ir mokymosi problemų empirinis tyrimas. Tyrimas buvo atliktas 2008 metų kovo – balandžio mėnesiais. Tyrime dalyvavo 100 respondentų (50 mokyklos ugdomosios bendruomenės atstovų ir 50 vaikų globos namų ugdomosios bendruomenės atstovų). Išanalizavus esamą padėtį paaiškėjo, kad dažniausios vaikų globos namų auklėtinių elgesio ir emocinės problemos, ugdomosios bendruomenės požiūriu yra: nerimastingumas/depresiškumas, pasyvumas, dėmesio sutrikimas. Didžiausi mokymosi sunkumai globos namų auklėtiniams kyla atliekant užduotis, kurių atlikimui... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Kids-orphans - is a well-known social fact that exists as long as the society exists. It is the integral part of civilization. The aim of this master‘s Thesis is to reveal psychosocial and educational problems of children living in sheltered housing face with. The subject of the Thesis – are psychosocial (behaviour, adaptation to the environment, interaction with the environment) and educational problems of children of sheltered housing. In the theoretical part of the Thesis we analysed the reasons of appearance of stray children and the development of this term, we viewed the problems of stray children in Lithuania. After analysing the scientific literature we made a sketch of care of children of sheltered housing. We also paid a lot of attention to the place of social worker in the shelter housing, his aims and ways towards successful work with stray children. In practical part of the Thesis we presented the research of psychosocial and educational problems of children living in sheltered housing face with through the prism of educators’ community. This research was made in March and April 2008. One hundred respondents took part in the research (50 persons from school educators’ community, and 50 persons from shelter housing educators’ community). After we analysed the whole situation we found out that the most popular behaviour and emotional problems of children of sheltered housing (from the point of view of educators’ community) are: anxiety/depression, passivity... [to full text]

Forskning visar att Sveriges unga rapporterar lägst psykiskt välbefinnande av alla EU-länder. Trots att den psykiska ohälsan orsakar höga samhällskostnader och lidande både för de drabbade och dess anhöriga, finns det inget entydigt svar på varför unga svenskar och barn mår så dåligt. Denna studie genomfördes då det finns en brist på forskning gällande främst yngre barn om vilka faktorer som orsakar försämrad psykosocial hälsa. En kvalitativ metod valdes för att fånga skolkuratorers och skolsköterskors subjektiva upplevelser av vilka faktorer som orsakar psykosociala problem hos barn i grundskoleålder. Det insamlade materialet har bearbetats med hjälp av en tematisk analys. Resultaten visar att faktorer som sociala medier, föräldrars engagemang, föräldrars skilsmässa, neuropsykiatriska diagnoser, ångest, skav i kamratskap, ökade krav på prestation och den fysiska skolmiljön hade betydelse för barns psykosociala hälsa. / Research shows that Sweden's young people report the lowest psychological well-being of all EU countries. Despite the fact that mental illness causes high social costs and suffering both for the affected and their relatives, there is no clear answer to why young Swedes and children feel so badly. This study was carried out as there is a lack of research concerning mainly younger children about which factors cause deteriorating psychosocial health. A qualitative method was chosen to capture school counselors' and school nurses' subjective experiences of which factors cause psychosocial problems in children of primary school age. The collected material has been processed using a thematic analysis. The results show that factors such as social media, parental involvement, parental divorce, neuropsychiatric diagnoses, anxiety, friction in friendships, increased performance demands and the physical school environment were important for children's psychosocial health.

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the psychosocial problems perceived (their phenomenological field) by children in middle childhood, living in shelters in the Cape Metropolitan Area. The psychosocial problems included poor self regulation as a result of disturbances in the contact cycle, restrictions in shelters negatively impacting the holistic sense of self, barriers hindering relationships with significant others and the continuation of violence into the participants‟ broader field. The experience of multiple losses and persistence of violent behavior within and without the shelter context was a thread that ran through this study. Current literature provided an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of this study which included the key tenets of Gestalt therapy theory, core Gestalt principles, the child living in a shelter and development in middle childhood. A qualitative research approach with a case study of ten children from three shelters was implemented. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

<p>Allmänläkare i primärvården är den första vårdgivare som människor i behov av psykisk hjälp möter. Det saknas forskning om behandling av psykiskt sjuka inom primärvården i enskilda länder. I syfte att hitta nya frågeställningar och få djupare förståelse av hur primärvården fungerar med avseende på psykiskt sjuka intervjuades elva allmänläkare i en kroatisk stad. Insamlade data från intervjuerna strukturerades och bearbetades genom en induktiv tematisk analys. Resultaten visar att allmänläkare upplever en hög arbetsbelastning. Deras tid för samtal med psykiskt sjuka är väldigt begränsad. Behandling med psykofarmaka blir ofta det enda vårdalternativet. Psykosociala problem och psykotrauma förekom ofta som konsekvens av krig. Sjukpensionering av krigsveteraner med PTSD-diagnos blev en omdiskuterad fråga. Undersökningen visar att det kan bli ansträngande för allmänläkare att behandla psykisk ohälsa. De behandlar dessutom majoriteten av psykiskt sjuka men deras vård kompletteras inte med några psykosociala tjänster. Behovet av psykiskt stöd blir inte bemött hos många patienter.</p>