The Impact of Life-Long Illness on Women: A Qualitative Study of Low Socio-Economic Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients

The purpose of this qualitative, ethnographic study was to explore the impact of a chronic disease on low socio-economic women with RA in South Africa. Ten women participants with a mean age of 48 years and a mean duration of RA of 10 years were obtained through purposive sampling from a public hospital RA clinic. In-depth individual interviews were conducted as a method of data collection. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed for the data analysis. Grounded theory analysis was used which produced 3 primary categories around the impact of RA: (1) Physical impact, (2) Social and economic impact, and (3) Psychological impact; and 5 sub-categories, namely, Pain and poor Functional Status, Change in life-style following a weakened economic position, Change in the constitution of the “Self”, Change in the constitution of the “Self” of the spouse/partner, and Depression. Depression, pain and poor functional status are well known health outcomes for RA patients. Perceived change in the psychological concept of the “Self” is less frequently reported. The value of this study is that the concept of the self is further explored in chronically ill individuals as a ‘fluid’ one, with the potential for undergoing a complete transformation as a consequence of RA.     

Women's mental health: coping mechanisms in the context of poverty

This study explored the coping mechanisms of women from an economically disadvantaged community in a South African setting. Data on symptoms of depression, prevalence of ego-resilience and demographics were collected from 60 women (African women aged 20–78 years) using a survey and individual interviews. The quantitative data were analysed using the Spearman's correlation coefficient and Mann–Whitney-U tests, while thematic analysis was used for the qualitative component. The results indicated protective factors of inner strength, peer relationships, religion and music, and community group participation as coping mechanisms for depressive symptoms in resource scarce environments. A sense of purpose was found in caring for children, and social participation was a crucial support mechanism.     

The Impact of Life Design Counselling on Adolescents

This study records a process of heightening self-awareness within a semi-structured ‘life design counselling’ process. The research was conducted on the basis of a case study designed to facilitate co-constructive conversation with a purposefully selected youth. The participant was enabled to reconstruct a preferred and meaningful future that could change as different experiences, challenges and needs arose. The study suggested that the postmodern techniques that were implemented enhanced the involvement of the participant in the study. The participant revealed heightened self-insight into his personal experiences, a ‘changed’ attitude to certain aspects of his life context and pro-active behaviour with regard to the challenges he was facing. We (the researchers) concluded that life design counselling could be a promising strategy that could have a lasting effect on adolescents.     

Sport Psychological Characteristics of Talented 13-Year Old Adolescents

The objective of this study was to determine whether the sport psychological profiles of talented 13-year-old sport participants differ from less talented participants. 162 grade 8 learners with a mean age of 13.2 ± 0.33 years voluntarily participated in the study. The participants were subjected to the Australian Talent Search protocol and completed the Athlete Coping Skills Inventory for Sport (ACSI-28). The group was categorize according to the median of all the tests of the talent identification protocol (TID) in a talented (TG) and a less talented group (LTG). The TG obtained higher means in all seven sport psychological characteristics: coping with adversity, peaking under pressure, goal setting, confidence, coachability and the average coping profile, concentration and freedom from worry. The results indicate that talented adolescents exhibit specific sport psychological characteristics compared to less talented adolescents.     

Exploring risk and protective mechanisms associated with HIV infection among adolescents in South Africa

This study explored South African adolescents’ perceived risk and protection for HIV infection. Adolescents (N=28) with a mean age of 14.6 years receiving mental health care participated in Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to engage in an in-depth exploration of their perceived risk and protective mechanisms for HIV prevention. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Themes that emerged from the FGDs associated with risk for HIV infection were: Alcohol and illicit drug use; Non-condom use; Prostitution and risky sexual activity with multiple partners; and Non-disclosure of HIV status. Themes that emerged as protective mechanisms included: HIV knowledge and appropriate HIV risk reducing behaviour; and Proactive parental attitudes and behaviour. These findings highlight the importance of ascertaining the perceptions of adolescents about risk and protection from HIV infection in order to inform future programs for HIV prevention among adolescents.     

Night Shift Working Mothers: Mutual Perceptions with Adolescent Children

The study investigated the mutual perception of relationships between mothers with day and night shift work and their teenage children. A cross-sectional survey using purposeful sampling was used. Two groups of 35 mothers and their adolescent children completed a Parent-Adolescent Relationship-Questionnaire (Robin, Koepke, Moye & Gerhardstein, 2009). Data was analysed by means of SAS and SPSS programmes. Findings show that adolescent children of day shift working mothers perceive communication and problem solving with their mothers as more efficient than adolescent children of night shift working mothers. Global Distress was lower in day shift mothers and their children. Night shirt work lowers the perceived quality of parenting.     

The Verbal Summator and a Method for the Study of Latent Speech

Three age groups of children (7-8-, 10-11-, and 13-14-years) were administered a questionnaire dealing with their smoking experiences and attitudes and beliefs about cigarette smoking. The results indicated that the vast majority of children recognized the harmfulness of smoking and most strongly disapproved of smoking. However, experimentation with smoking was found to increase with age, and older children expressed less negative attitudes about smoking. The effects of age were due largely to the differences between the preadolescent groups, on the one hand, and the adolescent group, on the other. In addition, a similar percentage of children in all three age groups perceived strong parental pressure against smoking; however, with increasing age, less opposition from their teachers and friends was perceived. Theories of social influence and moral development are considered in explaining the results.     

The Role of Self-Compassion in Physical and Psychological Well-Being

The relation of self-compassion to physical and psychological well-being was investigated among 182 college students. The self-compassion scale was delineated into three composites, following the proposition by Neff that self-compassion consists of three main components: self-judgment versus self-kindness (SJ–SK), a sense of isolation versus common humanity (I–CH), and over-identification versus mindfulness (OI–M). Findings support the association between self-compassion and psychological and physical well-being, but the composites demonstrate different influences. SJ–SK and I–CH were predictive of both depressive symptomatology and physical well-being, and SJ–SK and OI–M were predictive of managing life stressors. The results of this study support and expand prior research on self-compassion.     

Adult Attachment Styles and Psychological Disease: Examining the Mediating Role of Personality Traits

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to examine differences in anxiety and depression related to differences in attachment models of the self and of others and whether personality traits mediate this relationship. The authors assessed attachment styles, anxiety, depression, and personality traits among 274 adult volunteers. Participants were classified into 4 attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing–avoidant) according to K. Bartholomew's (1990) Bartholomew, K. 1990. Avoidance of intimacy: An attachment perspective. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7: 147–178. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] model. The present authors found significant differences among attachment groups on anxiety and depressive symptoms with attachment styles involving a negative self-model showing higher scores than attachment styles characterized by a positive self-model. The authors also found that differences between attachment styles in anxiety and depression remained significant when personality factors related to attachment prototypes were entered as covariates. Results indicate that secure attachment in adults was associated with better mental health, while insecure attachment styles characterized by negative thinking about the self were associated with higher depression and anxiety scores. Our findings seem to evidence that attachment and personality are only partly overlapping and that attachment cannot be considered as redundant with personality in the explanation of psychological disease.     

People With External Preoccupation Are Vulnerable to Depression: A Longitudinal Study

External preoccupation, the tendency to maintain an external focus of attention on a specific object, is believed to be a vulnerability factor for depression. The present study is an investigation of this hypothesis in a longitudinal design. At Time 1, external preoccupation as well as depressive symptoms were assessed. At Time 2, 4 months later, life events experienced between Time 1 and Time 2 and depressive symptoms at Time 2 were assessed. Data from 195 undergraduates (147 men and 48 women) were analyzed. The results supported the hypothesis. Specifically, when reporting a greater number of negative life events, those who scored high on external preoccupation became more depressed than those who scored low on that tendency. When there was a smaller number of negative events, this difference disappeared.