Research Articles (Educational Psychology)

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Browsing Research Articles (Educational Psychology) by Subject "Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder"

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    General practitioners' familiarity, attitudes and practices with regard to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults
    (Medpharm Publications, 2009) Louw, Charmaine; Oswald, Marietjie; Perold, Mariechen
    Background: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder, affecting 4% to 5% of South African children. Recent studies reveal that 30% to 70% of children continue to experience problems related to ADHD in adulthood. Adults are becoming increasingly aware of adult ADHD as a result of public awareness campaigns in the media. Their first line of action is to visit their family physician (GP), but the question that arises is whether these practitioners are ready to take on patients with ADHD. The aims of this study were to determine the familiarity, attitudes and practices of general practitioners (GPs) in South Africa with regard to ADHD in both children and adults, and whether there are differences in children and adults with regard to depression and generalised anxiety disorders as comorbid disorders. The study also briefly explored the training models of GPs in South Africa. Methods: The research questions were addressed by means of a survey approach, using quantitative measures. An e-mail message with a covering letter, explaining the purpose of the research project, provided a link to a web-based questionnaire. It was relayed to 6 704 GPs on the database of the company MEDpages, which managed the distribution. A questionnaire attached to an e-mail message was sent to all departments of Family Health at universities in the country to obtain information with regard to the training models of GPs. The questionnaire was completed by 229 respondents. The data were statistically analysed using Statistica Version 7.0. Results: The most significant outcome of the study revealed a considerable need among GPs to increase their knowledge base with regard to ADHD (87% with regard to children and 89% with regard to adults). As they were of the opinion that they should be able to diagnose and manage ADHD in both children (90%) and adults (85%) a significant need for a screening tool (83%) was also found. The GPs' knowledge and training with regard to depression and generalised anxiety disorders were significantly more extensive with regard to adults than to children. Training with regard to ADHD in adults was almost non-existent. With regard to children the most important barriers were uninformed parents (70%), limited funds (61%), uninformed teachers (58%), and with regard to adults these barriers were uninformed patients (64%), lack of knowledge on ADHD in adults on the part of the GPs (63%), and consultation time (58%). Although GPs did seem to have an awareness of the important role of the psychologist in the diagnosis and effective management of patients with ADHD, their referral practices generally involved a limited interdisciplinary approach. Conclusion: It is recommended that the limited knowledge base of GPs with regard to ADHD should be addressed by adapting the curriculum of undergraduate medical students and providing opportunities for continued medical education that focuses on the diagnosis and management of ADHD, in both children and adults. GPs should acknowledge the educational psychologist as an equal partner within a multidisciplinary team.
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    Ouers van kinders in hulle middelkinderjare met aandagtekort- en hiperaktiwiteitsversteuring se belewing : ’n veerkragtigheidsperspektief
    (LitNet, 2018) Du Toit, Susan; Swart, Estelle
    Aandagtekort- en Hiperaktiwiteitsversteuring (ATHV) word gekenmerk deur ‘n aanhoudende patroon van onoplettendheid en/of hiperaktiwiteit-impulsiwiteit wat ‘n negatiewe invloed op daaglikse funksionering en ontwikkeling het. Statistiek dui daarop dat al hoe meer kinders, ook in die middelkinderjare, daardeur geraak word. Middelkinderjare verwys na die ouderdomme van ses tot twaalf jaar. Kinders met ATHV in die middelkinderjare het eiesoortige ondersteuning nodig in die bemeestering van verskeie ontwikkelingstake eie aan hierdie fase. Dit plaas, bo en behalwe die gewone eise van ouerskap, eiesoortige druk en stres op ouers. Hierdie studie is vanuit bekwaamheidsteorie as teoretiese raamwerk benader, wat die navorsing gerig het om individuele bepalers, hulpbronne, sosiale bepalers, en faktore van veerkragtigheid te identifiseer in die beantwoording van die navorsingsvrae, te wete: Wat is die belewing van ouers van kinders met ATHV in hulle middelkinderjare? en Wat is die bepalers vir die vergestalting van veerkragtige ouerskap in terme van kinders met ATHV in hulle middelkinderjare? ‘n Verkennende narratiewe gevallestudie is as navorsingsontwerp gevolg. Een-en-twintig ouers van kinders met ATHV in hulle middelkinderjare het aan die studie deelgeneem. Data is oor ‘n tydperk van twee maande en primêr deur semigestruktureerde onderhoude gegenereer. Tematiese ontleding het ses temas opgelewer, naamlik (1) die proses van diagnose en behandeling; (2) ‘n ouer se algemene ervaring en emosies; (3) die invloed van ATHV op die gesinsdinamika; (4) die invloed van ‘n skoolstelsel; (5) die waarde van ‘n ondersteuningstelsel; en (6) die samelewing se persepsie van ATHV. Bevindinge is in ‘n diagrammatiese voorstelling saamgevat wat enkele bepalers van en hindernisse tot veerkragtigheid, asook prosesse wat hiermee verband hou, illustreer. Samevattend is onkunde van die samelewing as die grootste hindernis tot die vergestalting van veerkragtige ouerskap bevind, en hou dit klaarblyklik verband met mense se kritiek en oordeel, die uitsluiting van kinders met ATHV in hoofstroomskole, en die stigma wat aan die gebruik van medikasie, asook die plasing van kinders met hierdie toestand in spesiale skole, kleef. Die bepalers van deelnemers se veerkragtigheid sluit in: ‘n positiewe ingesteldheid en ‘n streng roetine tuis, tyd en ervaring om by hierdie toestand aan te pas, en die ondersteuning wat deur familie, die personeel van spesiale skole en ander ouers van kinders met ATHV in hulle middelkinderjare gebied word. In die lig hiervan lewer die studie ‘n bydrae tot die begryping van die belewing en vergestalting van veerkragtige ouerskap in terme van die teikengroep.