Body image and psychological, social, and sexual functioning

This thesis examined the nature of the body image construct, as well as the relationships between body image and self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social functioning. Body image was demonstrated to play an important role in the everyday lives of adolescent boys and girls, and men and women throughout adulthood.

Psychological deficits and abundances among domestically violent offenders and non-offenders

The thesis compared domestically violent men and non-offenders on a number of psychological constructs. The results indicated that, with the exception of attitudes towards women, there were no significant differences between the groups. The thesis examined practical implications of the results for the assessment and treatment of domestically violent offenders. The professional portfolio examines, in four case studies, the purported link between childhood abuse and subsequent maladjustment in the adult.

The psychological and relationship impact of erectile dysfunction

This thesis demonstrated that Australian men with erectile dysfunction (ED) experience poorer levels of masculinity, self-esteem, quality of life, sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction than do men without ED. The implications of these findings for the current medical approach to treating this sexual dysfunction were discussed. The portfolio explores grief following elective abortion and reflects on how grief responses may present in post-abortion counselling. The potential utility of grief therapy to this counselling is demonstrated in four case studies.

Psychological study of consumer novelty seeking and mass media consumption

The thesis integrates theory from psychology and marketing, finding that those with an innate desire to seek out information on new products / brands are motivated to do so by aspects of regulatory focus, needs for uniqueness, and their susceptibility to interpersonal influence. In turn, these people consume more media and have higher information exposure.

Coping with unemployment : impact on psychological health

Investigates alternative solutions to promoting psychological health during unemployment. Unemployed people who engage in meaningful leisure activity, who had a pro-active approach to coping, and utilised more social support networks, demonstrated better psychological adjustment. Suggests that such activities may contribute to re-employment.

Biopsychosocial life-span perspective of menopause

Examines the role of biological, psychological and social factors within the individual menopausal experiences of women and the aging process. Sexual function, well-being, role, interpersonal relationships and body image were researched in a series of thre studies in a community sample of women aged 35 to 65 years.

Psychological factors and the sexuality of pregnant and postpartum women

This longitudinal research found that women reported significant decreases in sexual desire, frequency of intercourse, and sexual satisfaction during pregnancy and at three and six months after childbirth. The psychological factors examined (role quality, relationship satisfaction, fatigue, life satisfaction, and depression) influenced women's changing sexuality over the perinatal period.

The association between body image and psychological well-being in adult women

The findings of this thesis highlighted the role of functional aspects of body image (i.e., self-rated health/ fitness) in positively shaping the well-being of young and middle-aged women. A novel finding was the strong association found between women’s body image and how well they believed they managed their life situations.

Assessment of Quality of Life and Psychologic Aspects in Patients with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

OBJECTIVE: To assess quality of life (QoL) and psychological aspects in patients with gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD).METHODS: This cross-sectional self-report study was conducted among 54 women. Validated questionnaires assessed QoL (WHO-QOL-bref), symptoms of depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]) and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]).RESULTS: Most patients rated overall QoL as good (44.44%) anti were satisfied with their health status (42.59%). Mean QoL domain score was lowest for psychologic health (53.86 +/- 21.46) and highest for social relationships (65.74 +/- 22.41). BDI mean was 15.81 +/- 11.15, indicating dysphoria. STAI means were 46 +/- 6.46 for trait-anxiety and 43.72 +/- 4.23 for state-anxiety, both evidencing medium-high anxiety. Among employed patients, environment domain mean was the highest (p = 0.024). Presence of children resulted in lowest means for physical health (p = 0.041) and environment (p = 0.045). Patients desiring children showed significantly higher means for physical health (p = 0.004), psychological health (p = 0.021) and environment (p = 0.003). Chemotherapy had no significant influence on QoL (p > 0.05).CONCLUSION: This study evidenced psychological impact on GTD patients, suggesting specialized care centers should provide psychological interventions during treatment and follow-up of GTD patients, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. (J Reprod Med 2009;54:239-244)

Resposta da resistência insulínica de mulheres menopausadas ao protocolo de exercício intervalado em esteira ergométrica

Pós-graduação em Ginecologia, Obstetrícia e Mastologia - FMB

Clinical Implications for Working with Gay Men A Self Psychological Treatment Approach.

Specific training for conducting psychotherapy with gay men is limited for psychologists, particularly when using a Self Psychology theoretical orientation (Robertson, 1996). In fact, psychologists often are faced with conflicting and contradictory points of view that mirror society's condemnation of homosexuality (Robertson, 1996). This paper is written from a self-psychological perspective to address the lack of a constructive body of literature that explains the unique treatment needs which impact gay men. Estimates of the prevalence of male homosexuality have generated considerable debate. A common assumption is that there are homosexual and non-homosexual men. However, scientists have long been aware that sexual responsiveness to others of the same sex, like most human traits, is continuously distributed in the population (Michaels, 1996). Still the presumption exists that such traits are stable within each man over time (Michaels, 1996). Conflating same-sex sexual experiences with a categorization of the man as homosexual is problematic, in that defining sexuality solely on the basis of experience excludes people who fantasize about sex with others of the same sex but never have sexual contact. Thus, most modern conceptions of sexual orientation consider personal identification, sexual behavior, and sexual fantasy (McWhirter, Sanders & Reinisch, 1990). Gay men's mental health can only be understood in the context of homosexuality throughout history, since religious and moral objections to sexual attraction between men have existed for centuries. Men who desired other men were regarded as sinful and depraved if not ill or abnormal, and same sex contacts were not distinguished from lewd behaviors (Weeks, 1989). Although most people, regardless of sexual orientation, have experienced some feelings of personal rejection, rarely do heterosexuals become targets for disapproval based on the nature of their attractions and behaviors relative to the same and to the other sex. For lesbians, bisexuals, and gay men, however, homosexuality becomes the focus of aspects of themselves that make them feel hated and hateful (Isay, 1989). While gay men and lesbians are often considered together because of the same-sex nature of their relationships and the similar issues that they may experience in their treatment within society, there are many issues where they might be best studied separately. Issues involving with health, parenthood, sexuality and perceived roles and status in society, for example, are often related more to gender than to any shared concept of a 'gay and lesbian community'. Many issues surrounding lesbians and lesbian culture will have more to do with women's issues, and some issues involving with gay men will have more to do with the gay male subculture and with masculinity. The author of this paper has limited experience in working with lesbian and bisexual individuals, and although it is likely that some of the concepts articulated in this paper could translate to working with lesbian and bisexual individuals, further research is indicated to examine the beneficence of utilizing a Self Psychological orientation in psychotherapy with lesbian women and bisexual individuals. This paper presents an overview of the literature including historical treatments of homosexuality, the history of Self Psychology, key principles in Self Psychology, research on Self Psychology, identity development models for gay men, and Self Psychological perspectives on identity development related to gay men. The literature review is followed by a section on treatment implications for psychologists seeking to treat gay men, including case vignettes based on work from my own practice. I have preserved the anonymity of clients by changing demographics, and rearranging and combining presenting issues and historical backgrounds among the case examples.

Identificação dos principais fatores determinantes do envelhecimento ativo na população idosa do distrito de Castelo Branco - Portugal

Tese de Doutoramento em Gerontologia apresentada à Universidade de Extremadura, Espanha