Thesis (Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-17T19:34:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-07-17. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-06-18T12:46:58Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000830335.pdf: 452662 bytes, checksum: 44515188d9f84455feb4fd27d299f837 (MD5) / Introdução: Os transtornos psiquiátricos são os principais fatores de risco para comportamentos suicidas ou suicidalidade, mas são relativamente escassos os estudos sobre este tema com portadores de transtornos de ansiedade em geral e transtorno de pânico (TP) em particular. A maioria dos pacientes com TP que procura tratamento apresenta agorafobia associada. Pesquisas sobre suicidalidade em pacientes com TP ainda são poucas e inconclusivas, não havendo estudos nacionais publicados sobre o tema. Objetivos: Este estudo objetivou estimar a prevalência de vários comportamentos suicidas na vida (achar que não vale a pena viver, desejar estar morto, ideação suicida, planejamento e tentativas de suicídio) em pacientes com TP e agorafobia (TPA), assim como avaliar fatores sóciodemográficos e clínicos associados à ocorrência de tais comportamentos. Método: Estudo transversal, com uma amostra clínica de conveniência de pacientes adultos (18 anos ou mais) portadores de TPA (critérios do DSM-IV) em tratamento em uma clínica privada de Bauru e no ambulatório de transtornos ansiosos e obsessivo-compulsivos (ATAOC) da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-Unesp de janeiro de 2011 a outubro de 2013. Os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados foram: um questionário especialmente elaborado para obtenção de dados sociodemográficos e clínicos, a Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) para avaliar a gravidade dos sintomas de TPA e a Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) para avaliar a ocorrência de comorbidades psiquiátricas. Calculou-se a prevalência de comportamentos suicidas (desfechos de interesse) e, a seguir, foram feitas análises bivariadas entre estes e diversas variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. Para as variáveis categóricas foi utilizado o teste de qui-quadrado ou de Fisher, quando indicado, e para variáveis quantitativas (ex. idade, anos de escolaridade, pontuação na PAS) utilizaram-se os ... / Introduction: Psychiatric disorders are the main risk factors for suicidal behaviors or 'suicidality', but there are few studies on this issue involving patients with anxiety disorders in general and panic disorder (PD) in particular. Most PD patients that seek treatment have agoraphobia associated to the disorder (PAD). Investigations of suicidality among PAD patients have been largely inconclusive and there are no Brazilian publications on this issue. Objectives: this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of various lifetime suicidal behaviors (feeling that life is not worth living, wishing to be dead, suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts) in PAD patients and to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with these behaviors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of adult patients presenting PAD (DSM-IV criteria) undergoing treatment in a private clinic in Bauru and in the outpatient service for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders at Botucatu Medical School - São Paulo State University from January 2011 to October 2013. The assessment instruments used were: a questionnaire designed to collect sociodemographic and clinical data, the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) to evaluate PAD clinical severity and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) to evaluate the co-occurrence of other psychiatric disorders. Initially, the prevalence of the outcomes of interest (suicidal behaviors) was calculated; then, bivariate analyses were performed between these outcomes and several demographic and clinical variables. For the categorical explanatory variables the Chi-squared and the Fisher exact tests were used, whereas for the quantitative variables (e.g.: age, schooling years, PAS score) the Student t test (normal distribution) and the Mann-Whitney test (non-normal distribution) were used. Results: 45 patients (66.7% women and 33.3% men) were assessed. Ages ranged from 19 to 68; ...

Psychobiography can be viewed as the re-writing of an individual‟s life story previously undetected. In general, it consists of a combination of two central elements: biography and psychological theory, which aim to explain the particular individual‟s psychological development. This particular study serves to explore the extraordinary life of renowned singer and songwriter, Ian Kevin Curtis (1956-1980), who died by suicide at the early age of 23. The basis for this investigation will take the form of notable biographical accounts of the subject‟s life, together with the application of Thomas Joiner‟s (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide which identifies factors that lead to suicidal ideation - in an attempt to understand the psychological circumstances that contributed to Curtis‟s suicide. In doing so, Adler‟s (1929) theory of Individual Psychology was applied to the life of Curtis in an attempt to build on Joiner‟s theory. This led to the concept of control being introduced and contributed to the development of an intake form to identify those at risk for suicide. It is hoped that exploring the psychological circumstances that contributed to Curtis‟s suicide and their interpretation by the subject will bring about an understanding of the risk factors that may induce suicide and, by extension, will highlight the relevance of this psychobiographical study as a tool for investigating and promoting preventative measures concerning suicide. The psychobiographical data collection and analysis for this research thesis will be guided by Yin‟s (2003) theory of „analytic generalisation‟ which uses a theoretical framework in selecting relevant data which develops a matrix as a descriptive framework for organising and integrating that data, and Alexander‟s (1988) analytical model which focuses on lifting out themes through principal identifiers of salience.

Orientador: Albina Robrigues Torres / Banca: Ricardo Torresan / Banca: Jair Sucro / Banca: Ana Teresa de Abreu Ramos Cerqueira / Resumo: Introdução: Os transtornos psiquiátricos são os principais fatores de risco para comportamentos suicidas ou "suicidalidade", mas são relativamente escassos os estudos sobre este tema com portadores de transtornos de ansiedade em geral e transtorno de pânico (TP) em particular. A maioria dos pacientes com TP que procura tratamento apresenta agorafobia associada. Pesquisas sobre suicidalidade em pacientes com TP ainda são poucas e inconclusivas, não havendo estudos nacionais publicados sobre o tema. Objetivos: Este estudo objetivou estimar a prevalência de vários comportamentos suicidas na vida (achar que não vale a pena viver, desejar estar morto, ideação suicida, planejamento e tentativas de suicídio) em pacientes com TP e agorafobia (TPA), assim como avaliar fatores sóciodemográficos e clínicos associados à ocorrência de tais comportamentos. Método: Estudo transversal, com uma amostra clínica de conveniência de pacientes adultos (18 anos ou mais) portadores de TPA (critérios do DSM-IV) em tratamento em uma clínica privada de Bauru e no ambulatório de transtornos ansiosos e obsessivo-compulsivos (ATAOC) da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-Unesp de janeiro de 2011 a outubro de 2013. Os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados foram: um questionário especialmente elaborado para obtenção de dados sociodemográficos e clínicos, a Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) para avaliar a gravidade dos sintomas de TPA e a Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) para avaliar a ocorrência de comorbidades psiquiátricas. Calculou-se a prevalência de comportamentos suicidas (desfechos de interesse) e, a seguir, foram feitas análises bivariadas entre estes e diversas variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. Para as variáveis categóricas foi utilizado o teste de qui-quadrado ou de Fisher, quando indicado, e para variáveis quantitativas (ex. idade, anos de escolaridade, pontuação na PAS) utilizaram-se os ... / Abstract: Introduction: Psychiatric disorders are the main risk factors for suicidal behaviors or 'suicidality', but there are few studies on this issue involving patients with anxiety disorders in general and panic disorder (PD) in particular. Most PD patients that seek treatment have agoraphobia associated to the disorder (PAD). Investigations of suicidality among PAD patients have been largely inconclusive and there are no Brazilian publications on this issue. Objectives: this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of various lifetime suicidal behaviors (feeling that life is not worth living, wishing to be dead, suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts) in PAD patients and to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with these behaviors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of adult patients presenting PAD (DSM-IV criteria) undergoing treatment in a private clinic in Bauru and in the outpatient service for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders at Botucatu Medical School - São Paulo State University from January 2011 to October 2013. The assessment instruments used were: a questionnaire designed to collect sociodemographic and clinical data, the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) to evaluate PAD clinical severity and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) to evaluate the co-occurrence of other psychiatric disorders. Initially, the prevalence of the outcomes of interest (suicidal behaviors) was calculated; then, bivariate analyses were performed between these outcomes and several demographic and clinical variables. For the categorical explanatory variables the Chi-squared and the Fisher exact tests were used, whereas for the quantitative variables (e.g.: age, schooling years, PAS score) the Student t test (normal distribution) and the Mann-Whitney test (non-normal distribution) were used. Results: 45 patients (66.7% women and 33.3% men) were assessed. Ages ranged from 19 to 68; ... / Mestre

This paper describes the activities of a Clinical Psychological Unit and the demographic and psychopathologicalfeatures of the children assisted there. It also informs about sorne results of the collaborative research work undertaken by two Chairs. Diagnosis records of 75 children between 6 and 12 years old referred by schools and justice courts because of their behavior problems were analyzed. The children belong to poor families of Greater Buenos Aires. Indicators were selected in arder to distinguish when the violent behavior is caused by a character disorder, or it is an expression of psychotic features or whether it t is a neurotic symptom as a result of a trauma (loss situation). Another aim is to find indicators of suicidal risk. The preliminary results are that most of the behavior problems are related to character disorder ("disocial disorder of early beginning" DSM IV). Less pre­ dominan! are the behavior problems asan expression of psychotic features andas neurotic symptoms. There is a potential risk of acting-out and of worrying self-destructive behavior among the two former groups. / Se describen las actividades de un Servicio de Psicología Clínica de Niños, las características demográficas y psicopatológicas de la población asistida y se informan resultados del trabajo de investigación realizado en colaboración entre dos cátedras de la Facultad de Psicología de la U. B.A. Se analizaron los protocolos de diagnóstico de 75 niños entre 6 y 12 años de edad que reciben asistencia psicoterapéutica en el Servicio, derivados por escuelas y juzgados en razón de problemas de conducta. Se seleccionaron indicadores que permitan diferenciar las manifestaciones de violencia según respondan a trastornos del carácter, a expresiones de rasgos psicóticos y a síntomas neuróticos como respuestas a situaciones traumáticas del ambiente (situaciones de pérdida). Se buscó, asimismo, detectar indicadores de riesgo suicida en esa población. Los resultados preliminares indican que en la población asistida, proveniente de hogares carenciales de sectores populares del Gran Buenos Aires, predominan conductas violentas como expresión de trastornos del carácter (trastorno disocial de inicio infantil, DSMIV); en menor proporción se registran las manifestaciones de desestructuraciones psicóticas y de síntomas neuróticos. Se observó riesgo potencial de acting out y de conductas autodestructivas inquietantes en los dos primeros casos.

The prevalence of sexual harassment among college women has been reported to range from 33% to 97% (Klein, Apple, & Khan, 2011; Yoon, Funk, & Kropf, 2010) across the lifespan. In any one year of college, the prevalence of sexual harassment reported by women ranges from 33% to 57% (Crown & Roberts, 2007; Huerta, Cortina, Pang, Torges, & Magley, 2006). The severity and frequency of sexual harassment has been found to be related to reports of psychological distress (Nielsen & Einarsen, 2012), feelings of shame (Yoon et al., 2010), anxiety and depression symptoms (Murdoch, Pryor, Polusny, & Gackstetter, 2007), and social isolation (Pershing, 2003). These consequences of sexual harassment are concerning given the association between depression, isolation, and suicidality (Boardman, Grimbaldeston, Handley, Jones, & Willmott, 1999; DeWall, Gilman, Sharif, Carboni, & Rice, 2012). While there are numerous studies documenting the negative consequences experienced by women who are sexually harassed, little is known about the relationship of sexual harassment to the more severe negative outcomes of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors and what variables might facilitate this hypothesized relationship. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore whether the experience of sexual harassment is related to increased suicidality and if this hypothesized relationship is mediated or moderated by other factors such as an individual’s response style and/or degree of connection to or isolation from others.

The widespread practice of non-suicidal self-injury suggests that it might no longer be reasonable to frame such behaviours as individual pathologies and highlights the need to understand such acts as sociological phenomena instead. This dissertation therefore explored the core elements of self-injury such as the self, the body, and meanings ascribed to acts of injuring the self/body, in relation to forms of sociation. Focusing on intent and aetiology, this qualitative enquiry used an interpretive mode of explanation, and collected data via indepth face-to-face interviews from a characteristically diverse community sample of fifteen participants. Findings indicated that respondents' aetiologies of self-injury were located in social interactions characterised by abuse, neglect, bullying, and invalidation. Individuals who perceived themselves as worthless and unlovable objects punished themselves, or branded themselves as failures. Paradoxically, sufficient castigation averted the complete annihilation of the existential self. Findings concur with previous studies which reported that, at its deepest level, self-injury is antithetical to suicide. This study also highlighted the body's communicative role in the symbolic expression of traumatic experiences, and emphasised its physiological role in (a) emotion regulation and (b) self-injury's propensity to become addictive. From a sociological perspective, instant emotion regulation via self-injury allowed individuals to avoid social stigma; well managed social performances in turn protected social bonds. Although self-injury constitutes a maladaptive coping mechanism, its reported physiological, psychological and social gains are significant and need to be considered in intervention programmes and policy. This dissertation therefore makes two recommendations: firstly, restorative practices should be reinstituted, particularly in schools; secondly, the growing and alarming trend of copycat behaviours reported in children and young teens needs to be researched further in relation to the mediation, ideation and imitation of self-injurious behaviours.

No description available.

Afrikaans: In hierdie navorsingstuk en proefskrif word die probleem van adolessente selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag binne ‘n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese paradigma met die klem op ‘n pastoraal narratiewe terapeutiese benadering ondersoek. Met hierdie doelstelling voor oë word die verhale van adolessente met selfmoordgedrag aangehoor en in gesprek gebring met literêre verhale oor adolessente, selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag. Hierdie studie soek terselfdertyd na 'n gepaste terapeutiese werkswyse deur middel waarvan daar met hierdie tieners in interaktiewe verhoudings getree kan word. In die terapeutiese proses wat uit hierdie wedersydse samewerking ontwikkel, kan daar aan hulle betekenisvolle berading verleen word. In die sensitiewe interaksie tussen die vertel van en luister na noodverhale word dit progressief duidelik dat adolessente selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag spruit uit ‘n integrasie van oorkoepelende komplekse omstandighede en verhale wat in negatiewe wisselwerking ten opsigte van mekaar staan. Die noodwendige gevolg hiervan is ‘n gevoel van sinloosheid en gevangenheid in die lewe wat uitloop op selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag. • Die algemene tendens is om adolessente te tipeer as "blote tieners". Hierdie kategorisering het tot gevolg dat alle adolessente as gesamentlike groep hanteer word. Met in agneming van die verskillende adolessente se verhale, blyk dit duidelik dat die individu in sy uniekheid en eksentrisiteit totaal binne hierdie tiperingsraamwerk verdwyn. Die narratiewe benadering tot en beskouing van adolessente selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag skep ‘n onbevooroordeelde platvorm waarop elke unieke lewensverhaal van die individu aangehoor kan word. • Normaalweg vra ouers vrae oor die rede of motief waardeur die adolessent tot ‘n selfmoordpoging gedryf is. Hulle aanvaar summier dat slegs een gebeurtenis die oorsaak of probleem kan vaspen. Hierdie studie toon aan dat dit ‘n kumulatiewe opeenhoping van oorsake is wat uiteindelik tot so ‘n desperate poging of daad aanleiding gee. Die narratiewe benadering skep die ruimte vir die aanhoor van die individueel unieke verhaal binne die vervlegte verhale. • Die invloed van die groter samelewingsdiskoers ("grand narrative") is ook ‘n aspek wat in die studie uitgelig word as ‘n besonders bydraende faktor tot adolessente selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag. Die pastoraal narratiewe beskouing van adolessente selfmoord en selfmoordgedrag het nie al die antwoorde nie, maar stel ten slotte die vraag na die begrip selfmoord aan die orde. Is dit "self” en is dit "moord"? English: In this research study and thesis the problem of adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior is examined within a social - constructionist paradigm with the emphasis on a pastoral narrative therapeutic approach. With this purpose in mind, the stories of adolescents with suicidal behavior are listened to and brought into conversation with literary tales of adolescents' suicide and suicidal behavior. At the same time the study seeks for an appropriate therapeutic approach by means of which interactive relationships can be established with these teenagers. In the therapeutic process that results from this mutual collaboration, meaningful counseling can be provided. During the sensitive interaction between the telling of and listening to stories of distress, it progressively becomes clear that adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior is a result of the integration of complex circumstances and stories that have a negative reciprocal impact on each other. • The general tendency is to label adolescents as "mere teenagers". This categorisation results in all adolescents being treated as a collective group. In consideration of the different adolescents' stories, it becomes clear that the individual uniqueness and eccentricity totally disappears within this typifying framework. The narrative approach to and contemplation of adolescent suicide and suicide behavior creates an unprejudiced platform from which each unique life-story can be listened to. • Generally parents ask questions about the reason or motive that drove an adolescent to suicide. They summarily assume that only one incident can identify the cause or problem. This study shows that it is a cumulative conglomeration of causes that eventually leads to such a desperate attempt or action. The narrative approach provides a wide scope for listening to each unique story within the interwoven stories. • The influence of the greater social discourse (grand narrative) is also an aspect that is highlighted in the study as a particular contributive factor to adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior. The pastoral narrative approach to adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior does not have all the answers, but concludes with the question: Is it "self' (sui) and is it "murder" (cidium)? / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology: Pastoral Family Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The present study aimed to investigate the role of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism in conjunction with stressful life experiences in suicidal ideation, potential, and prior attempts among depressed adolescents. Self-oriented perfectionism involves striving to meet one's own unrealistically high standards and evaluating one's performance stringently. Socially prescribed perfectionism involves the perception that significant others have very high expectations for oneself, which the perfectionist strives to meet. This study examined correlations between these perfectionism dimensions and suicidal ideation, potential or risk, and prior attempts in addition to investigating whether either perfectionism dimension accounted for additional variance in suicide outcomes beyond the established risk factors depression and hopelessness. Also examined was a moderational model whereby dimensions of perfectionism were hypothesized to interact with stress to predict suicide outcomes. A sample of 55 adolescents (41 females, 14 males) who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; APA, 1994) criteria for Major Depression (65.5%), Dysthymia (16.4%), or Depressive Disorder NOS (18.2%) completed self-report measures of perfectionism, daily hassles, depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, suicide potential, and prior suicidal attempts. Additionally, adolescents and one of their parents completed a diagnostic interview and a stress interview measuring major stressful experiences. Results revealed that self-oriented perfectionism was not correlated with any aspect of suicide; however, socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with suicide potential. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that self-oriented perfectionism did not account for unique variance in suicide outcomes, whereas, socially prescribed perfectionism predicted additional variance in suicide potential once depression and hopelessness were controlled. Regarding the moderational model, both self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were found to interact with aspects of stress to predict suicidality. More specifically, self-oriented perfectionism interacted with daily hassles to predict suicide potential/risk. Socially prescribed perfectionism interacted with subjective and objective ratings of major stressful experiences and with daily hassles to predict suicide potential/risk. Neither perfectionism dimension interacted with stress to predict suicidal ideation or prior suicide attempts. Taken together, these findings suggest that among depressed adolescents, socially prescribed perfectionism is correlated with suicide risk and predicts unique variance in this suicide outcome beyond other established risk factors. Additionally, both selforiented and socially prescribed perfectionism act as vulnerability factors that are predictive of suicide potential when adolescents experience elevated levels of stress. As these relationships were apparent even after controlling for the contributions of depression and hopelessness to suicide, the results of this study highlight the importance of considering perfectionistic tendencies when evaluating suicide risk among youth. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate