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1
Carpenter, Felicity. "Satire and self-help : the satirical potential of the self-help industry." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2005. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16159/1/Felicity_Carpenter_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis combines a play, Getting Betterer all the Time, a satire about self-help, and an exegesis examining the possibilities that self-help offers for satire and why. The self-help industry has evolved into a massive social and economical phenomenon. The scope of self-help is constantly expanding, indicating a society of individuals desperate for help in all facets of life. As this movement has become more prevalent, self-help has attracted criticism for the way it thrives on the exploitation of people's insecurities. By playing to people's aspirations, many self-help practitioners have become wealthy, but there is a danger that some self-help products can have a harmful effect on people, and at best give rise to an insufferable hubris. Consequently, we have witnessed a rise in popular texts that spoof the self-help industry. The excesses of the self-help industry make it an easy target for satire. Self-help is well matched to satire's function to provide social commentary by ridicule of targets causing harm to the well-being of society. Self-help is an appropriate subject for satire because of its focus on social behavior such as modern parenting, consumerism and status anxiety. Self-help, in addition to providing these opportunities for social commentary, also offers much comedic potential.
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Carpenter, Felicity. "Satire and Self-help: The Satirical Potential of the Self-help Industry." Queensland University of Technology, 2005. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16159/.
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This thesis combines a play, Getting Betterer all the Time, a satire about self-help, and an exegesis examining the possibilities that self-help offers for satire and why. The self-help industry has evolved into a massive social and economical phenomenon. The scope of self-help is constantly expanding, indicating a society of individuals desperate for help in all facets of life. As this movement has become more prevalent, self-help has attracted criticism for the way it thrives on the exploitation of people's insecurities. By playing to people's aspirations, many self-help practitioners have become wealthy, but there is a danger that some self-help products can have a harmful effect on people, and at best give rise to an insufferable hubris. Consequently, we have witnessed a rise in popular texts that spoof the self-help industry. The excesses of the self-help industry make it an easy target for satire. Self-help is well matched to satire's function to provide social commentary by ridicule of targets causing harm to the well-being of society. Self-help is an appropriate subject for satire because of its focus on social behavior such as modern parenting, consumerism and status anxiety. Self-help, in addition to providing these opportunities for social commentary, also offers much comedic potential.
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Muftin, Zina. "Psychosocial self help for disfigurement." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2012. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/2889/.
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This thesis examines the utility of self-help for individuals with disfigurements. While variations in adjustment exist, research has also identified high levels of psychosocial distress, particularly relating to social anxiety and fear of negative evaluations. Psychological interventions have the potential to improve psychosocial functioning. However, owing to the stigma of disfigurements and gaps in services, psychological interventions are scarce. There is scope for self-help to meet the gaps in services. The first section is a systematic review of self-help for disfigurements. The aims were to identify and appraise what is currently known about self-help and explore outcomes and user perspectives in its use. Nine studies with varied methodology met the inclusion criteria. Randomised controlled trials are scarce but demonstrate tentative support for self-help interventions to lower psychosocial distress, particularly in reducing anxiety. Self-help is also actively sought with satisfaction for the medium. Recommendations for future research and clinical implications are discussed. To meet the gaps identified by the review, a randomised controlled feasibility trial was conducted with a psoriasis sample utilising compassion-focused self-help. The study aimed to address questions about recruitment, attrition, acceptability and effectiveness. The primary outcome of interest was external shame. Both self-help interventions significantly lowered external shame with small effects observed (d = .20). The interventions had high acceptability but attrition was high at 30%.
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Traviss, Gemma. "Guided self-help for eating disorders." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.515793.
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Burnham, Richard M. "Self-help housing and ecology : Tasmania." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.240796.
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Wildeboer, Michele D. "Self-Help: Reconstructing Over-the-Rhine." Cincinnati, Ohio : University of Cincinnati, 2009. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1235530307.
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Thesis (Master of Architecture)--University of Cincinnati, 2009.Advisors: Udo Greinacher (Committee Chair), Robert Burnham (Committee Member), Michaele Pride (Committee Member). Title from electronic thesis title page (viewed May 2, 2009). Includes abstract. Keywords: Over-the-Rhine;inner-city architecture; community building; anti-gentrification; architectural salvage; mobile architecture; architecture; Cincinnati; SCAD; South Bronx; self-help housing; grassroots organization; construction training; breakdown of welfare. Includes bibliographical references.
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Blainey, Sarah. "Exploring self help interventions following traumatic experiences." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2012. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/2913/.
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The literature relating to interventions aimed at reducing or ameliorating distress after experiencing a post traumatic event was reviewed. Both preventative and intervention approaches have been investigated. No evidence was found for the effectiveness of population wide approaches to reduce later development of post traumatic stress symptoms. Interventions for early or sub-clinical levels of distress following a traumatic event were more effective. Good quality evidence only existed for cognitive behavioural approaches, although writing approaches appeared promising. All studies reviewed had a number of conceptual issues and methodological difficulties, including difficulties with defining post traumatic distress and outcome measurement. Areas for future research, including qualitative exploration of participants' experiences of such approaches, are discussed. Qualitative exploration of the experience of writing about a traumatic experience and sharing this online was undertaken. Twelve women were interviewed both after writing and after posting their writing online. Template analysis was used to develop nine themes reflecting a journey from deciding to write and share their stories, the process of writing and the impact of writing and sharing their stories online, both immediate and delayed. An overarching theme developed reflecting some women's feelings that they may not be justified in feeling traumatised. The contribution of these results to the understanding of writing about traumatic experiences and sharing these online is discussed, along with the implications for self help and support groups. Directions for further research are suggested, including further understanding of factors that may impact on the utility of writing about a traumatic event.
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Hodgson, D. L. "Self-help in the treatment of agoraphobia." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.373151.
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Ironmonger, E. "Mindfulness self-help for health care professionals." Thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2018. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/17884/.
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Stress and anxiety are among the most significant reasons for staff sickness absence in the NHS. The provision of psychological support for healthcare staff may have the potential to improve staff job satisfaction and reduce staff stress and burnout. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are one type of psychological approach that has gained particular research interest in recent years. MBIs may have the potential to reduce stress and improve staff wellbeing. A fully powered randomised control, followed on from a pilot study, aimed to look at the effects of the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based self-help intervention for healthcare staff and the factors that may mediate any effects found. A total of 133 participants were recruited for the study. The results showed that participants in the intervention arm of the study reported a decrease in stress, anxiety and depression and an increase in wellbeing compared to controls. Further to this it was found that mindfulness is a mediator for self-compassion which increased wellbeing.
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Isbister, Chloe. "Young people, self-harm and help-seeking." Thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University, 2013. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/12505/.
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Given the high rates of completed suicide and poor help-seeking among young men, this research explored how young men, who had successfully sought help from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), experienced help-seeking. This study focused on the factors that facilitated initial access and on-going engagement in services. Eight young men between the ages of 16-18, who had entered CAMHS following self-harm or suicidal ideation, and who were engaged in on-going therapy, were recruited. Each young man was interviewed to elicit his personal experiences of help-seeking and help-receiving. Interviews were transcribed and subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Five dominant themes, that overarched participant’s individual experiences, emerged from the data: Role of external adult in recognising, normalising and initiating help seeking; Influence of another;Challenging and renegotiating perception of need for help and meaning behind this need; Change in perspective; Maintaining an independent self; Mechanisms of engagement and Shared experience. Help-seeking was described as a journey of two stages; 1) initial access and 2) on-going engagement, during which the presence and timing of external influences (parents, teachers) and internal influences (personal beliefs and attitudes) were crucial. A model of help-seeking is presented. This study is the first of its kind to consider factors that facilitate the help-seeking journey of young men aged 16-18 following self-harm. It highlights the need for provision of information to parents and teachers about how to identify need and ways to facilitate access to services. Information and guidelines on how to adapt services to meet the complex developmental needs of young men, is highlighted for service developers, commissioners and clinicians.
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Jonáš, David. "Chudoba, rozvojová pomoc a koncept self-help." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2007. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-4320.
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This diploma work analyzes two different approaches to "fight" poverty -- foreign development aid and self-help in communities. First part is concerned with international poverty and its dimensions. Second part concerns with ideas, background theories, goals and adverse effects of foreign aid. As an alternative to foreign aid, self-help in communities is analyzed in next part, with its advantages and shortcomings. The two approaches to development are tested on Kenya's example. Major task of this work is to compare the two concepts and try to decide which one conducts better in development. Outcome of this work suggests that foreign development aid fails to fulfill its goals and has many adverse effects on a recipient country (including Kenya). On the other hand, self-help has usually direct impact on conditions in which poor people are living, therefore is more effective in figthting poverty.
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Kingdon, Lorraine. "Team Offers Blueprint for Economic Self-Help." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/295736.
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Pearcy, Caitlin Patricia. "Self-help Therapy for Obsessive-compulsive Disorder." Thesis, Curtin University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2327.
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The aim of this research was to investigate the use of self-help therapy for the treatment of Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Firstly, a meta-analytic study found that self-help therapy for OCD improved symptoms across varying levels of therapeutic contact. The second study strengthened the evidence surrounding the metacognitive model, finding significant relationships between OCD symptoms and metacognition. In the third and fourth studies, an online metacognitive program for OCD was developed and evaluated within a preliminary trial.
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Lee, Cheuk-kiu Johnson. "An exploratory study of leadership in self-help organizations in Hong Kong /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1995. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B19470186.
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Wong, Chak-lun Lawrence. "Perceived outcomes for the leukemia patient group members who join self-help activities /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1998. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B20131367.
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Stenbäcken, Rasmus. "Do Self-Sustainable MFI:s help alleviate relative poverty?" Thesis, Uppsala University, Department of Economics, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-6406.
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The subject of this paper is microfinance and the question: Do self-sustainable MFI:s alleviate poverty?.
A MFI is a micro financial institution, a regular bank or a NGO that has transformed into a licensed financial institutions, focused on microenterprises. To answer the question data has been gathered in Ecuador, South America. South America have a large amount of self sustainable MFI:s. Ecuador was selected as the country to be studied as it has an intermediate level of market penetration in the micro financial sector. To determine relative poverty before and after the access to microcredit, interviews were used. The data retrieved in the interviews was used to determine the impact of micro credit on different aspects of relative poverty using the Difference in Difference method.
Significant differences are found between old and new clients as well as for the change over time. But no significant results are found for the difference in change over time for clients compared to the non-clients. The author argues that the insignificant result can either be a result of a too small sample size, disturbances in the sample selection or that this specific kind of institution have little or no affect on the current clients economical development.
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Ghandehari, Hoordad. "Kit homes as a self-help affordable strategy." Thesis, McGill University, 2000. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=30841.
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Within the prefabrication industry, Kit homes have had a long history of success within the twentieth century. Kit homes are houses whose components are manufactured using a panelized or pre-cut prefabrication system, are numbered, packaged and shipped to the building site for erection. Among the different strategies in purchasing a manufactured house, buying a house as a kit has a great potential for self-help assembly. Since about one third of the cost of construction is labor costs, the author has investigated the option of self-help building using Kit homes, to eliminate the labor cost and thus further reduce the construction cost.In order to study the Kit home potential and costs when bought from, and assembled by the manufacturer, four manufacturers of prefabricated homes who offer Kit homes were visited. In order to study the Kit home potential and costs when assembled by the buyer, the building process of a self-helper was researched and documented. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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O'Brien, Michelle. "Self-help Parent Training for Childhood ADHD Symptoms." Thesis, Bangor University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.534455.
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Clark, Donald M. S. "Self-explanatory objects : investigation of object-based help." Thesis, Open University, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.386745.
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Ho, Guo-Fen 1954. "Self-help practice in persons with rheumatoid arthritis." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/291389.
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An exploratory study was designed to discover what are the self-care activities in persons with rheumatoid arthritis and the relationships among self-care activities, antecedent factors, and the consequent factor, quality of life. Content analysis was used to determine rheumatoid arthritis persons' descriptions of self-care activities and Orem's six categories of health-deviation self-care requisites that contribute to self-care activities. Antecedent factors which were associated with self-care activities included interpersonal, intrapersonal, and disease characteristics. Interpersonal factors included five domains; intrapersonal factors included three domains; and disease characteristics had four domains. The findings suggested that some antecedent factors, such as marital status, income, educational level, significant others, psychological support, physical support, number of years ill, and other diseases were associated with subjects' self-care activities. The findings also suggested that subjects' self-care activities were related to their quality of life. Recommendations for nursing practice and further research were discussed.
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Padoa, Carryn. "Deliberate self-harm a search for self or a cry for help? /." Access electronically, 2008. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/146.
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Alene, Getu Demeke. "Community Self-help Development , Spaces for Scaling Up : A Case Study of Awura Amba Rural Self-help Community in Northern Ethiopia." Thesis, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Geografisk institutt, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-17044.
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By positioning within an alternative development and agency/actor-oriented perspectives, and by employing diverse qualitative research methods, this study examines the dynamics of community self-help development and scaling up. The study investigates the processes and factors that contribute to successful community self-help development that leads to community capacity and empowerment. The diverse processes, through which poor people, through their individual and collective agency, strategize their actions, resist and negotiate with other stakeholders is emphasised. Community’s own mobilization for self-management, based on the networks of self-help groups; trusted leadership drawn from community members with excellent mobilization skill to spark community’s own mobilization for empowerment; poor people’s collective agency; trust that builds community and promotes collective actions; genuine participation within the community, which is realized because of planned and spontaneous interaction among intimate, small groups of people; and outside supports from government and NGOs, based on the bottom up proposals of communities are the main processes and elements of successful community self-help development. On the other hand, the study has shown that the scaling up of such successful community self-help development in Ethiopia is constrained by unfavourable institutional arrangements within the government structures, lack of capacity and power among local governments and inescapable nominal and instrumental participation, rather than genuine participation to build local people’s capability. Methodological limitations and lack of awareness about the goal of scaling up within the existing replication efforts are other challenges of scaling up. The researcher argues that the existing institutions and participatory practices may present opportunities for a gradual actualization of people’s agency, because the poor are capable of formulating new ways of strategizing and combining available resources in a new manner to solve problems. Thus, by using the available, small opportunity and systematically combining with other grassroots development approaches, by emphasizing on small, intimate groups of people (community/village), alternative spaces of scaling up can be identified and used.
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Khan, Nagina B. "Self help for depression in primary care mental health services : the key influences on the engagement of patients with guided self help." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.495738.
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The aim of the study was to identify predictors of (a) successful engagement with self management for patients with depression and (b) successful outcome of treatment. A number of Key issues were highlighted, which could impact on the success of self help in primary care. These included the importance of issues of control and social functioning among patients with depression, the need to ensure that the context of primary care is viewed as a suitable location for mental health care.
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Chaudhary, Sarah. "Self-help groups as sites of active citizenship : a qualitative study of the democratising role of self-help in the public sphere." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2014. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14525/.
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Self-help groups in the United Kingdom continue to grow in number and address virtually every conceivable health condition, but they remain the subject of very little theoretical analysis. The literature to date has predominantly focused on their therapeutic effects on individual members. And yet they are widely presumed to fulfil a broader civic role and to encourage democratic citizenship. The thesis uses qualitative data derived from individual and group interviews with 33 groups in order to provide an outline of the ethos, aims, activities and structural arrangements of a broad range of self-help groups in Nottinghamshire, UK. It then uses these findings as the foundation on which to construct a model of self-help groups’ democratising effects in the public sphere and as a means of differentiating them from other types of ‘health citizenship’ organisation such as new social movements. In order to do this it broadly follows the work of Jurgen Habermas, making use of his concepts of communicative action; system-lifeworld integration; lifeworld autonomy and collective identity as an appropriate framework against which to account for these groups in civic terms. It was found that in their pursuit of personal and collective identities the groups were augmenting individual autonomy through increasing mutual recognition and understanding in the lifeworld. Although at first sight the groups appeared to be structured hierarchically, leaders tended to use their influence to foster a type of communicative equality that sustained the democratic negotiation of these identities. In addition, through their two-way communicative links with the system the groups were adding to the complexity and quality of discourse in the public sphere and increasing the possibility of attaining social consensus. Unlike new social movements who are believed to operate at the protest end of civil society, the self-help groups were oriented to its enabling sector.
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Shaw, George A. "A Study Concerning Self-Help Groups and College Mathematics." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1985. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc330953/.
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The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining whether utilizing self-help groups for remedial mathematics students would improve their course completion rates, achievement, and attitudes toward learning mathematics. The methods of determining the success/failure of self-help groups in this study were the Z-test from inferences concerning two proportions, the t-test from inferences concerning the difference between two independent means, and the t-test from inferences concerning the difference between two dependent means. The participants of the study were chosen from the students enrolled in "daytime" mathematics classes at Tarrant County Junior College - Northeast Campus, Hurst, Texas. The experiment was conducted over two semesters and the data combined for statistical analysis. There were one hundred four students involved in the study. Fifty-two students comprised each of the experimental and control classes. The term self-help group was utilized to describe a small group of two-to-fifteen people who engaged in discussion of responsibility, standards, confession, lay leadership, and action. The students did not study mathematics in self-help group sessions. The group meetings dealt with anxieties, attitudes, and commitment that may be associated with mathematics in general. To investigate the hypotheses of this study, data was collected to calculate the percentage completion rates, the means of the final exams taken by students, and the differences of the Semantic Differential scores given to students in the experimental class at the beginning and the end of the semester. This data was utilized for statistical analysis to determine if the experiment was successful. The report concludes that self-help groups did not significantly improve course completion rates, achievement, or attitudes of students toward learning mathematics. Forty-four per cent of the students that completed the experimental class participated in self-help groups.
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Sinitsky, Gail. "A discourse analysis of self-help books for bulimia." Thesis, University of East London, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.536625.
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Understandings of bulimia nervosa (bulimia) may be conceptualised as being embedded within psychiatric, psychological and socio-cultural paradigms of understanding. Research within these paradigms has largely devalued the constitutive role of language in the construction of bulimia. I propose that a discursive paradigm for understanding bulimia is congruent with counselling psychology values. Self-help book reading constitutes a vital therapeutic option for bulimia that may be researched within this discursive paradigm. Accordingly, my research project employed a social constructionist, discursive analytic approach to the exploration of language use self-help books for bulimia. In particular, I aimed to explore how features of language may be used to construct varying accounts (interpretative repertoires) of bulimia, and to analyse the effects that this language use may achieve. Three self-help books for bulimia were selected for analysis. The analysis presents five mam interpretative repertoires of bulimia - "pathological disorder", "female disorder", "powerful force-passive victim", "control is possible", and "psychological causality". The analysis demonstrates that a myriad of complex and diverse rhetorical strategies are deployed in the construction of these repertoires, including, the use of metaphor, the use of anecdotal accounts and the use of a scientific style of writing. I argued that the five repertoires are reflective of conflicting cultural ideals relating to medical, individualist and collectivist frameworks. I present suggestions for how this research could be applied to enhance counselling psychology practice and service development. I conclude with a personal reflection on how this research process has shaped my practice.
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Pulcins, Indra R. "Self-help in mental health : operationalizing a conceptual model." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26597.
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This study aims to examine the self-help mode of care giving in mental health, especially the manner in which the working self-help model differs from its theoretical counterpart. For this purpose, a conceptual model of operationalizing self-help has been developed. This model traces the process of establishing self-help groups, from theory to practice, and incorporates the barriers such groups may face in becoming a viable alternative to the current health care system. These include the effects of public policy, the professional and the community. The results of this study, based on empirical evidence collected in Vancouver, B.C., suggest that at least to some extent, this model does accurately depict the processes involved with the operationalization of a self-help model, as well as the factors impinging on a full realization of self-help goals. Both public policy and professional influences serve to act as direct constraints to the full implementation of self-help. The community does not share this characteristic, partially due to favourable zoning policy in Vancouver. In spite of these barriers, self-help groups are able to function as an effective alternative. However, it is demonstrated that some of their original goals have not been fulfilled. In conclusion, a theoretical perspective, in the context of Marx and Weber, is outlined, thereby suggesting some of the broader issues associated with implementing a self-help model.Arts, Faculty of
Geography, Department of
Graduate
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Toews, Stuart Berl. "Reading as interference for remembering of self-help words." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ53126.pdf.
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Long, Margaret-Ann. "Self-harm and help-seeking: client and helper perspectives." Thesis, Ulster University, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.591079.
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Aim: To understand the experiences of self-harm and the process of seeking and accessing help for self-harm from the perspectives of counselling clients, gatekeepers and counsellors. Method: A qualitative study which focuses on the ideas and experiences of (1) current counselling clients who have a history of selfharm, (2) community gatekeepers in a range of ro les who are often the fi rst point of contact for people who self-harm when they seek help, including community workers, youth workers, helpline supervisors, clergy and the partner of a person who selfharms, and (3) counsellors who have experience of working with people who selfharm. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 participants from each sample group (tota l n = 30). Data analysis of the three sets of findings was conducted using Strauss and Corbin's (1 998) Grounded Theory and facilitated with NVivo 9.0. Findings: Each set of findings yielded six major categories, all of which inter-relate to form the core category, 'The journey through self-harm: Developing a healing reconnection with self and others". Discussion: The three perspectives were synthesised and areas of convergence and divergence with the existing evidence base were identified to provide a composite portrayal of the helping process for people who self-harm. Implications: Core and critical implications have been deduced from the find ings in relation to practice and research. A pertinent implication of the study is that it is possible to recover from self-harm, with the support of helpers who can relate with compassion and humanity and thus promote the individual's capacity for self-healing. Conclusion: There is a need for individual helpers and the organisations in which they work to seek to listen to, understand and respond to the individual life story communicated by every person who self-harms.
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Burgess, Rodney Durrant. "The state and self-help building in Pereira, Colombia." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.295170.
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Kelson, Joshua Norman. "Evaluating 'FearLess': An online self-help program for anxiety." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/16895.
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Anxiety is a common mental health condition that can be severely debilitating. Psychological treatment with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can avert the onset of anxiety disorders and the high cost of impairment. However, many people do not, or cannot, receive face to face psychological treatment. Barriers can include geographic location, lack of money, social stigma, and shortage of mental health professionals. To help overcome such barriers, web-based interventions that deliver mental health information and skill training online have been developed in recent years. However, most interventions to date have been based on Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy with less known about alternate therapy models. The present research first conducted a systematic review on the use of online ACT interventions for anxiety treatment. Significant reductions on anxiety measures were reported across most studies. However, there were no online ACT programs developed for the Australian population. An open trial pilot study on the efficacy and usability of a new Australian developed online ACT program for anxiety symptoms called ‘FearLess’ was then conducted. Forty young Australian adults (aged 18-25) completed the program with no therapist guidance over two weeks. Measures of system usability were taken alongside self-rated levels of depression, anxiety, stress and psychological flexibility at pre-test, post-test and 2-week follow-up. System usability was rated above average and significant improvements were found on all mental health measures from pre-test to follow-up, except for stress. These results warrant further scrutiny in a clinical randomised controlled trial on the intervention.
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Molefe, Sopeng Prince. "Welfare provision by selected self-help organizations : exploratory study." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/2556.
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Blauner, Michael Lee. "Self-help groups for the chronically ill: Different structures, varying processes." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 1991. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1055450373.
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Archibald, Matthew. "The population dynamics of modern self-help/mutual-aid : organizational and institutional change in the civil sector, 1955-2000 /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8892.
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Boyce, Melanie J. ""It's a safe space" : the role of self-harm self-help/mutual aid groups." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2016. http://arro.anglia.ac.uk/700655/.
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There has been very little research that has explored self-help groups (SHGs) in relation to self-harm. Yet, from the limited research undertaken self-harm SHGs appear to provide a valuable and much needed source of support. This study explores the perspectives of those who attend and support such groups with the aim of building a more comprehensive understanding of the role of these groups. The research is framed within an interpretative paradigm of inquiry and guided by a qualitative case study approach. The first phase involved working with two self-harm SHGs to gain an in-depth understanding of the strengths and challenges specific to these groups. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with four individuals who had experience of supporting self-harm SHGs directly and/or at an organisational level to gain broader insights into the running and development of such groups. A thematic approach to the analysis of the findings illustrated that these groups provide a safe, non-judgmental space where those who self-harm can meet, listen and talk to others who share similar experiences for mutual and reciprocal peer support. Participation in the groups was found to offer direct individual benefits and wider gains, along with external and internal challenges. Despite a current interest in the value of peer support in mental health services, the thesis illustrates that this is largely missing for those who self-harm. Concerns about the risk of peer support for those who self-harm remains a barrier affecting the development of self-harm SHGs, which is further constrained by a privileging of an individualistic approach in mainstream services. The thesis contributes new evidence about the value of collective peer support for those who self-harm. In addition it provides a more nuanced theoretical understanding of the paradoxical meaning of ‘safe space’ in a SHG for those who self-harm.
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Bruneau, Laura S. "The helpfulness of self-help reading as described by self-guided, adult female readers." [Kent, Ohio] : Kent State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=kent1176814992.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Kent State University, 2007.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed June 7, 2007). Advisor: Donald L. Bubenzer. Keywords: self-help techniques, bibliotherapy, self-change, reading process, qualitative research. Includes survey instrument. Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-203).
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Boyce, Melanie J. ""It's a safe space": The role of self-harm self-help/mutual aid groups." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2016. https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/id/eprint/700655/1/Boyce2016.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
There has been very little research that has explored self-help groups (SHGs) in relation to self-harm. Yet, from the limited research undertaken self-harm SHGs appear to provide a valuable and much needed source of support. This study explores the perspectives of those who attend and support such groups with the aim of building a more comprehensive understanding of the role of these groups.
The research is framed within an interpretative paradigm of inquiry and guided by a qualitative case study approach. The first phase involved working with two self-harm SHGs to gain an in-depth understanding of the strengths and challenges specific to these groups. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with four individuals who had experience of supporting self-harm SHGs directly and/or at an organisational level to gain broader insights into the running and development of such groups.
A thematic approach to the analysis of the findings illustrated that these groups provide a safe, non-judgmental space where those who self-harm can meet, listen and talk to others who share similar experiences for mutual and reciprocal peer support. Participation in the groups was found to offer direct individual benefits and wider gains, along with external and internal challenges.
Despite a current interest in the value of peer support in mental health services, the thesis illustrates that this is largely missing for those who self-harm. Concerns about the risk of peer support for those who self-harm remains a barrier affecting the development of self-harm SHGs, which is further constrained by a privileging of an individualistic approach in mainstream services. The thesis contributes new evidence about the value of collective peer support for those who self-harm. In addition it provides a more nuanced theoretical understanding of the paradoxical meaning of ‘safe space’ in a SHG for those who self-harm.
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Costas, Lisa Daniels. "Parental Expectations of Social-Emotional and Self-Help/Self-Direction Development in Abused Children." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1988. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500588/.
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The present study examined the existence of unrealistic expectations in abusive parents. It was hypothesized that abusive parents would have higher expectations of their children's social-emotional and self-help skills than nonabusive parents. It was also hypothesized that abusive parents would have higher expectations of their children's social-emotional skills than nonabusive parents when both groups compared their children to average children. Abusive and nonabusive parents were administered the Social Competence Scales of the Child Behavior Checklist and the Daily Living Skills domain of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. The results contradict previous studies in this area and raise questions about present conceptualizations of expectations in abusive parents and the importance of this factor in child abuse.
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Kelly, Joanne. "Guided self help for eating disorder treatment in primary care." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.485309.
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Introduction: Self help interventions in the eating disorders have an established evidence base and are recommended in the NICE guidelines as the first treatment for Bulimia Nervosa. However, there are still many gaps in the research. concerning guided self help for eating disorders. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effectiveI).ess of a new guided self help intervention for eating disorders in primary care as compared with a waiting list control. In addition, therapeutic alliance was measured to determine its effect on outcome. Method: The research used mixed methodology and was conducted in two stages. The first stage used a randomised controlled trial design. Thirteen participants were randomly assigned to either the guided self help intervention or the three month wait condition. Measures of eating disorder psychopathology (EDE-Q) and mental health (CORE-IO) were taken at allocation to group and post intervention or wait. Participants using the intervention received 6 guided self help sessions with a trained guide and were asked to complete a measure of the therapeutic relationship (ARM) at each session. The second stage was qualitative and used semi-structured interviews with intervention participants and . guides. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Two of the four guided self help particIpants achieved reliable change on some eating disorder psychopathology and they were all scoring hnder the clinical cut off on the CORE-IO post intervention. Scores for participants in the waiting list group remained unchanged and all but one scored above the clinical cut off point on the CORE-IO at post measure. Therapeutic- alliance data was largely unvaried, wi~h most· guides and participants rating the alliance similarly and consistently positive. Analysis ofthe qualitat~ve data indicated that elements of the relationship and workbook that were perceived as crucial in positive therapeutic change. Discussion: The present study offers tentative support for the burgeoning evidence base of self help resources for eating disorders. Furthermore, it offers some promising indications that with ininimal training, clinicians working in Primary Care can offer an appropriate and timely intervention where previously one did not exist. Further research may consider the use of an adapted version of the self help resource with adolescents and trialling the guided self help resource with guides without psychological therapy as a professional background and training. /
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Svensson, Magnus. "TQM-based self-assessment in educational organizations: help or hindrance? /." Luleå, 2004. http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1544/2004/40/LTU-DT-0440-SE.pdf.
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McMillen, Kirstin Michelle. "Postpartum Depression and Self-Help Books: Medicalizing Misery and Motherhood." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2009. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/sociology_theses/25.
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Motherhood is an ideal that is ostensibly valued and rewarded in American culture. It is no wonder, then, that a disease which threatens a woman’s ability to adequately fulfill her motherly duties receives a great deal of attention. My study aims to explore how ideas about postpartum depression (PPD) are presented in popular media through an examination of the messages and advice in PPD self-help books. Findings reveal that self-help authors make two significant assumptions: motherhood is a woman’s job that should bring happiness, and when mothers are not happy medical intervention in necessary. Through their gendered assumptions about parents’ roles and their insistence on a biological explanation for PPD, self-help authors prevent a healthy dialogue that examines patriarchal structures in the institutions of family and medicine. By focusing solely on the biological factors at play when women have babies, self-help authors alienate fathers, adoptive mothers, and foster parents who experience depression without biological origins. Only when PPD is discussed within the context of our social realities can we truly understand parenthood and depression.
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Juarez, Galeana Luis Gabriel. "Collaborative public space design in self-help settlements : Mexico City." Thesis, Oxford Brookes University, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.289135.
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Stillwell, David J. "Intrapersonal externalities : when decisions help or hinder your future self." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2013. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13185/.
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Intrapersonal Externalities are outcomes from a decision which affect the payoffs from future decisions. Positive intrapersonal externalities represent self-investment in one's future self, such as learning a musical instrument or exercising. Negative intrapersonal externalities represent a disinvestment in one's future self, such as eating sugary food or smoking a cigarette. An individual who succumbs to the lure of an immediate payoff in lieu of future potential earnings is considered to be choosing myopically, and it is hypothesised that addictions are one such situation. This failure of the decision-making system to optimise its choices contrasts with delay discounting, in which an individual is assumed to choose rationally but to discount the future, and impulsive disinhibition, in which an individual is assumed to be unable to control their actions even while they state a preference for an action they do not take. This thesis starts by measuring the relationship between delay discounting and impulsive disinhibition with a range of addictive behaviours in a large online study, and finds that while they are consistent predictors there is further variance to explain. It then examines the validity of the intrapersonal externalities model, and finds that it adds independent variance beyond delay discounting and impulsivity in predicting smoking behaviour; there is no evidence that performance in intrapersonal externalities tasks is related to trait impulsivity. It also uses intrapersonal externalities in the laboratory to study advice seeking and taking in an impulsive decision-making context, which would be incompatible with delay discounting or impulsive disinhibition theory. This thesis concludes that the intrapersonal externalities model has been shown to be a viable third model to understand addictive decisions, and suggests that it could be extended to study social addictions.
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Durand, Mary Alison Aine. "Effectiveness of general practitioner supported self-help for bulimia nervosa." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2005. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1444643/.
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While bulimia nervosa may affect up to five percent of women attending general practice, little attention has been paid to the possibility of treating patients in primary care. Improvements have been reported in patients using cognitive behaviour, self-help manuals. General practitioners may be well placed to support such patients. The study was designed to compare in a pragmatic, randomised controlled trial, the effectiveness of a general practice based self-help approach to the treatment of bulimia nervosa (a self-help manual with general practitioner support) with that of specialist out-patient treatment ascertain, through two postal questionnaires, general practitioners' views about the experience of supporting patients in primary care and explore, using qualitative and quantitative methods, patients' views of the treatment interventions. It was hypothesised that there would be no serious disadvantage in outcome for patients randomised to receive the self-help intervention in general practice compared to those receiving specialist care. Patients recruited from general practitioner referrals to specialist clinics were randomised to receive the general practice based self-help intervention (n=34) or specialist clinic treatment (n=34). The main outcome measure was the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh score assessed at baseline and at six and nine months. Secondary measures included eating pathology, depression, social adjustment and self-esteem. Seventy-four percent and 80% of patients were followed up at six and nine months respectively. An intention-to-treat analysis revealed that while bulimic symptoms declined in both groups over time, there was no significant difference in outcome between the two groups. The general practitioner surveys and patients' subjective views highlighted advantages and drawbacks to the self-help approach, but suggested that in general neither patients nor general practitioners were averse to using a general practice based intervention. The study findings suggest that general practitioners should consider offering self-help interventions to patients who present with bulimia nervosa.
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Nakamura, Yuki. "Supporting self-help efforts : CanDo, a Japanese NGO in Kenya." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/1967.
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Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are now key players in international development, but their activities have also been facing a large volume of criticism since around the turn of the century. The role of Northern NGOs in development assistance has been of particular concern due to a range of aspects of their work. Critical in the debates about NGOs are issues of legitimacy and of imposing outsiders’ views and priorities on their host communities through their development assistance. In such scepticism about Northern NGOs, there has been a shift to the current focus of large scale international NGOs’ activities which is now more on advocacy and emergency relief activities; more development assistance has been handed directly to local grassroots organisations or to partner organisations of international NGOs. The small scale Northern NGOs, which comprise the majority, have been in danger in the international arena. Since the 1990s, Japan has also witnessed the surge of NGOs working in international cooperation. The new type of NGOs, whose activities are inspired not by anti-government movements but by international development, grew rapidly with increased governmental assistance. These Japanese NGOs are, however, often small scale and mostly engaged in development assistance, unlike their counterparts in Western countries. The purpose of this study is to explore the activities, lifestyle, and development thinking of a single Japanese NGO in order to deepen our understanding of Japan’s international cooperation conducted by citizens from a wide range of aspects and to verify whether and how the Japanese philosophy of self-help efforts is put into practice in Kenya. Chapter 2 presents the methodology which is employed in the study. Chapter 3 looks at the origin and international trends of NGOs working in development through the relevant literature. The main focus is not put on an examination of NGOs’ national roles, rather it is placed on the transition of their role and relationship with states in general development issues. Chapter 4 examines community participation in development in the local Kenyan context. The chapter provides insights into the role of self-help and the way local self-help efforts have been directed by the national and local politics for development in Kenya. Chapter 5 looks at Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) in order to explore the conceptual and historical context of Japan’s international cooperation, as this has a considerable influence over Japanese NGOs. The chapter provides insights into the philosophy of self-help efforts in Japan’s ODA as well as on the influence of Japanese policy over the activities of Japanese NGOs. Chapter 6 investigates the systems and mechanisms of NGOs in Japan, including the origin and history of Japanese NGOs, the scale and scope of their activities, their funding system, and their relationships with their donors and amongst themselves, in addition to the interaction between the government and Japanese NGOs. Chapters 7 and 8 are the main body of this study and provide in-depth research on a Japanese NGO in Kenya: Community Action Development Organisation (CanDo). Although it is small when compared with International NGOs, CanDo has been drawing substantial attention in the Japanese international development community in these five years. The main purpose of these chapters is not to evaluate whether the activities of CanDo are effective or not, but rather to explore its philosophy of facilitating local self-help efforts and how the philosophy is put into practice in its activities in poor communities in Mwingi District, Kenya. Its philosophy is analysed through describing in detail its organisational characteristics, development thinking, and its relationships with the local authority and local community. The final chapter explores the implications of CanDo’s philosophy and practice in understanding Japanese international cooperation in Africa as well as the role of small international NGOs working on development activities with local communities.
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Oliver, Nicholas. "ME/CFS, medicine and self help groups : a qualitative exploration." Thesis, University of East London, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.532426.
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Cunningham, L. Joseph. "A stop smoking guide for the self-help quitting process." Virtual Press, 1994. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/917044.
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The vast majority of smokers who manage to quit do so without the assistance of a facilitated cessation program. Since the majority of focused anti-smoking efforts are directed at facilitated programs, there is an apparent gap in service of the population at risk. Also, the sharp decline in smoking prevalence indicates a changing demographic dynamic. It is probable that those persons still smoking comprise a different population type than did smokers of a decade ago. A reexamination of major strategies for self-quitting is strongly indicated.The purpose of this thesis was to apply what was known about addictive behavior to a self-guided quitting process. Major variables guiding this effort were learning theory, theory of self-change, empirically demonstrated methods of cessation, and psychosocial effects on lifestyle change.The knowledge gained during the process was incorporated into a menu approach that emphasized personal responsibility for the quitting process and allows for choices that serve to tailor the program to the individual's needs. The end result was a quitters' guide, desktop published and prepared in a small quantity for pilot purposes. This guide was evaluated by persons with particular expertise in addictive behavior, especially smoking cessation. An ammended product was then presented to smokers and/or former smokers for further feedback. A journal of the process that detailed both difficulties and successes was also included.Fisher Institute for Wellness
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Siff, Sara Ellen. "Extending the limits of self-help housing strategies in Lima." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/77325.
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Rowe, Andy. "Self-help housing provision and capital accumulation in Atlantic Canada." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 1991. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/1109/.
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A third of Canadian housing starts and half of the housing starts in Atlantic Canada are produced by self-help means, yet this important sector of housing provision has been overlooked by analysts of Canadian housing. The objective of this thesis is to examine self-help housing in Atlantic Canada, and by this means, improve the understanding of Canadian housing. The thesis begins by developing an economic theory of self-help housing provision. The application of this approach is not restricted to Canada; it has relevance for housing analysis in all industrialised countries, and to self-help housing in the Third World. In the third chapter estimates are made of the level of self-help housing in different regions of Canada. Self-help is estimated to account for at least half of all housing starts annually in Atlantic Canada, and a third of all Canadian housing starts. Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta are predicted to have the lowest level of self-help housing, while Saskatchewan, Quebec and British Columbia are predicted to have medium levels of self-help. Self-help is not a rural phenomenon, it is estimated to account for 22 percent of all housing starts in Census Metropolitan areas of Canada. Case study information from Atlantic Canada is used to describe self-help housing provisioning and there appears to be little difference between households using self-help as opposed to purchasing a dwelling built by the residential construction industry, or indeed between the dwellings built by the two sectors. While there are no differences in the quality or the suitability of dwellings built by the two sectors, self-help provisioning is far more affordable, and self-help households have a much higher level of financial security in their dwelling. The incidence of self-help cannot be predicted by different skill levels of the population or by factors such as a greater amount of time for self-help as a consequence of high rates of unemployment (while self-help provisioning is highest where unemployment rates are highest, self-help households are rarely unemployed, at least in the areas covered by the case studies). It is argued that self-help is best viewed as a sector of housing provision, and is more likely to occur in areas where the residential construction industry has greatest difficulty obtaining profits from the production of housing. Others have noted that self-help appears to be most likely where the economy is weakest, an observation which is consistent with the predicted incidence of self-help provisioning in Canada. However this thesis demonstrates that self-help also contributes to uneven development by depriving the residential construction industry of profits (from production as well as extra profits) and also by contributing to the ability of the population to survive at lower money wage levels and concomitantly reducing incentives for local industry to improve productivity. In this fashion self-help housing provision slows the accumulation process of both the residential construction industry and industry in general, thereby contributing to uneven development. The impact of housing policy on self-help provisioning is also examined. Self-help is more sensitive to policy initiatives such as changes in the costs of inputs or interest rates, and thus is more responsive to policy initiatives. At the same time, self-help generates more employment than does industry production. Thus, given the size of the sector, its higher incidence in areas with the greatest economic problems, and, that self-help provisioning is more affordable and the housing produced is of equal quality and suitability, then there is considerable potential for social and fiscal gains through policies directed towards the self-help housing sector.
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Miller, Perry. "Freeing Associations: A Return to Psychoanalysis in Self-help Literature." The Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1480677301526948.
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