An investigation of the psychosocial work environment of ministers in the Dutch reformed church, in the Western Cape and Kwazulu-Natal

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nursing qualification of the Department of Nursing Signed on 19 November 2015, JohannesburgBackground: According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, no 85 of 1993, Section 8, employers need to ensure a healthy and safe environment for employees to work in. Anecdotal evidence shows that the only psychosocial support ministers receive is from their peers. Purpose and objectives: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the psychosocial work environment of ministers in the Dutch Reformed Church. The objectives are to explore the psychosocial work environment; to describe the existing psychosocial support for and to establish preferred supporting programmes in dealing with stress, regarding psychosocial health care programmes for ministers in the Dutch Reformed Church in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Research design and method: A quantitative survey study, with a self-administered questionnaire has been e-mailed to the total sample of respective participants using the REDCap system. Data analysis: Descriptive statistical methods were used to describe the socio-demographic information. Data was exported using Redcap and outcome data was presented with tables; numerical data was described using means (with standard deviations) and categorical data was presented using frequencies (counts) and percentages. Open questions were analysed and emerging themes were identified. Findings: High emotional work demands, poor leadership quality and ineffective social support were some of major indicators of ill health, burnout and stress in this study of the psychosocial work environment. Conclusions: The findings of the study highlighted the need for an occupational health programme due to the fact that ministers in these regions are exposed to psychosocial hazards in the work environment. Key words: Dutch Reformed Church, psychosocial work environment, ministers, occupational healt

A rede de proteção à mulher em situação de violência doméstica : avanços e desafios

No Brasil, a violência nas relações conjugais tem sido objeto de crescente denúncia junto à polícia, ao judiciário e aos órgãos públicos de Assistência Social, educação e saúde. A violência doméstica acarreta amplas repercussões psicossociais, econômicas e políticas, não só no plano individual e familiar como também na esfera social da mulher. Diante da complexidade da problemática, permeada por preconceitos e diferentes discriminações, as mulheres vítimas de violência doméstica, com o passar dos anos, vão sofrendo mudanças diversas, muitas vezes drásticas, no meio em que vivem e com quem convivem, resultando na completa fragilização de suas redes de pertencimento.O presente artigo apresenta dados baseados em duas pesquisas: "Rede de atendimento à mulher em situação de violência doméstica: Limites e Possibilidades"; e "Das lágrimas à esperança: o processo de fortalecimento das mulheres em situação de violência doméstica", desenvolvidas no Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisa em Violência - NEPEVI, Faculdade de Serviço Social da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brasil. Nosso objetivo foi fornecer subsídios teóricos práticos para contribuir com o atendimento e fortalecimento de mulheres em situação de violência doméstica. Esta pesquisa consistiu em identificar os limites e possibilidades da rede de apoio a mulher em situação de violência doméstica nos municípios de POA, São Leopoldo e Novo Hamburgo. Foram entrevistadas usuárias dos serviços da rede de proteção à mulher e profissionais vinculados a rede, entre eles, assistentes sociais, psicólogos, delegadas, entre outros.In Brazil, violence in marital relations has been the object of an increase in police charges, as well as in the judiciary system and public institutions of social welfare, education and health. Domestic violence causes large psychosocial, economic and political repercussions in the individual and family sphere as well as in the woman's social sphere. Given the complexity of the problem, surrounded by the prejudice and different types of discrimination, women who are victims of domestic violence suffer diverse changes, often drastic, in the environment they live and with whom they live as time passes by. This results in a complete process of fragilization in their belonging networks. The present article presents data based on two researches: "The Support Network for Women in Domestic Violence Situations: Limits and Possibilities", and "From tears to Hope: The Process of Empowerment of Women in Domestic Violence Situation", carried out in the Research Group on Violence - NEPEVI, Faculty of Social Work, Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil. Our purpose was to provide theoretical and practical bases to contribute with the services and empowerment of women in domestic violence situations. This research consisted in the identification of the limits and possibilities of the network support for women in domestic violence situation in the municipalities of Porto Alegre, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Women who were service users of this network of support and professionals connected to this network, among them, social workers, psychologists, delegates, and others were interviewed

Women violence network of protection : advances and challenges

No Brasil, a violência nas relações conjugais tem sido objeto de crescente denúncia junto à polícia, ao judiciário e aos órgãos públicos de Assistência Social, educação e saúde. A violência doméstica acarreta amplas repercussões psicossociais, econômicas e políticas, não só no plano individual e familiar como também na esfera social da mulher. Diante da complexidade da problemática, permeada por preconceitos e diferentes discriminações, as mulheres vítimas de violência doméstica, com o passar dos anos, vão sofrendo mudanças diversas, muitas vezes drásticas, no meio em que vivem e com quem convivem, resultando na completa fragilização de suas redes de pertencimento.O presente artigo apresenta dados baseados em duas pesquisas: “Rede de atendimento à mulher em situação de violência doméstica: Limites e Possibilidades”; e “Das lágrimas à esperança: o processo de fortalecimento das mulheres em situação de violência doméstica”, desenvolvidas no Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisa em Violência – NEPEVI, Faculdade de Serviço Social da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brasil. Nosso objetivo foi fornecer subsídios teóricos práticos para contribuir com o atendimento e fortalecimento de mulheres em situação de violência doméstica. Esta pesquisa consistiu em identificar os limites e possibilidades da rede de apoio a mulher em situação de violência doméstica nos municípios de POA, São Leopoldo e Novo Hamburgo. Foram entrevistadas usuárias dos serviços da rede de proteção à mulher e profissionais vinculados a rede, entre eles, assistentes sociais, psicólogos, delegadas, entre outros.In Brazil, violence in marital relations has been the object of an increase in police charges, as well as in the judiciary system and public institutions of social welfare, education and health. Domestic violence causes large psychosocial, economic and political repercussions in the individual and family sphere as well as in the woman’s social sphere. Given the complexity of the problem, surrounded by the prejudice and different types of discrimination, women who are victims of domestic violence suffer diverse changes, often drastic, in the environment they live and with whom they live as time passes by. This results in a complete process of fragilization in their belonging networks. The present article presents data based on two researches: “The Support Network for Women in Domestic Violence Situations: Limits and Possibilities”, and “From tears to Hope: The Process of Empowerment of Women in Domestic Violence Situation”, carried out in the Research Group on Violence – NEPEVI, Faculty of Social Work, Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil. Our purpose was to provide theoretical and practical bases to contribute with the services and empowerment of women in domestic violence situations. This research consisted in the identification of the limits and possibilities of the network support for women in domestic violence situation in the municipalities of Porto Alegre, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Women who were service users of this network of support and professionals connected to this network, among them, social workers, psychologists, delegates, and others were interviewed

The formulation of guidelines for an occupational health and safety program to address women’s health concerns of mineworkers at a selected coalmine in Mpumalanga South Africa

The inclusion of women in mining and the growing number of women working underground in South Africa are by no means indicative of a woman-friendly and gender equal work environment. The impact of the hazardous underground mining environment on women’s health has been well documented. However, occupational health and safety legislation and regulations do not specifically address women’s health concerns, and guidelines to address and incorporate women’s health concerns into their onsite Occupational Health Services (OHS) do not exist. Consequently, women’s health concerns are often considered to be non-work related and are therefore excluded from the services offered by onsite OHS centres. Thus, this study aimed to: 1) explore and describe women’s health concerns of underground coalmine workers, and 2) formulate guidelines to address women mineworkers’ health concerns in the mine’s OHS programme. A case study research design was followed. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the researcher explored the women’s health concerns of mineworkers, the perceptions of the professional nurses working at the OHS centre on women’s health at a selected mine, and the mine managers’ expectations regarding the implementation of the guidelines to address women’s health concerns. Primary data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. Data analysis lead to the development of a set of initial statements that were further developed as guidelines in phase 2 of the study. In the second phase of the study, the researcher used an E-Delphi technique and an online platform with support from University of Pretoria’s Learning and Management system. The online platform was used to facilitate discussions among a sample of occupational health and safety experts on the draft guidelines. The E-Delphi process was implemented in four stages: preparatory, exploratory, consensus and verification phases. Eight guidelines were formulated to respond to the women’s health concerns at the coalmine. The guidelines related to the following aspects: 1) enabling a supportive organisational environment wherein women mineworkers can function to their full potential; 2) effective measures for controlling hazardous environments that could affect women mineworkers; 3) a ‘fit for work and fit for life’ work environment for women underground coalmine workers; 4) supportive structures that facilitate a conducive environment in which women underground coalmine workers can express their health concerns; 5) processes that uphold women underground mineworkers’ human dignity and adhere to the human rights framework for non-discrimination against women; 6) procedures needed to adhere to safety procedures in reporting accidents and injuries; 7) measures to enhance accessibility, availability and relevant on-site health care services to promote women mineworkers’ health and wellbeing, and 8) methods to capture the needs, inspiration of hope and resilience of women underground coalmine workers. Substantial effort is needed to improve the safety of and quality of healthcare for women mineworkers. Implementing the guidelines could advance attainment of this goal, both for women and men at the selected coalmine. When women’s human rights are upheld, women and men benefit, together with positive outcomes for productivity.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.Nursing SciencePhDUnrestricte

Participatory development of decision support systems: which features of the process lead to improved uptake and better outcomes?

Decision support systems (DSSs) are important in decision-making environments with conflicting interests. Many DSSs developed have not been used in practice. Experts argue that these tools do not respond to real user needs and that the inclusion of stakeholders in the development process is the solution. However, it is not clear which features of participatory development of DSSs result in improved uptake and better outcomes. A review of papers, reporting on case studies where DSSs and other decision tools (information systems, software and scenario tools) were developed with elements of participation, was carried out. The cases were analysed according to a framework created as part of this research; it includes criteria to evaluate the development process and the outcomes. Relevant aspects to consider in the participatory development processes include establishing clear objectives, timing and location of the process; keeping discussions on track; favouring participation and interaction of individuals and groups; and challenging creative thinking of the tool and future scenarios. The case studies that address these issues show better outcomes; however, there is a large degree of uncertainty concerning them because developers have typically neither asked participants about their perceptions of the processes and resultant tools nor have they monitored the use and legacy of the tools over the long term.The authors would like to thank COST Action FP0804-Forest Management Decision Support Systems (FORSYS) for financing a three month Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) in Forest Research (Roslin, UK) in 2012, making possible this research; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for supporting the project Multicriteria Techniques and Participatory Decision-Making for Sustainable Management (Ref. ECO2011-27369) where the leading author is involved; and the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (Valencia, Spain) for financing a research fellowship (Ref. ACIF/2010/248).Valls Donderis, P.; Ray, D.; Peace, A.; Stewart, A.; Lawrence, A.; Galiana, F. (2013). Participatory development of decision support systems: which features of the process lead to improved uptake and better outcomes?. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. 29(1):71-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2013.837950S7183291Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35(4), 216-224. doi:10.1080/01944366908977225Atwell, R. C., Schulte, L. A., & Westphal, L. M. (2011). Tweak, Adapt, or Transform: Policy Scenarios in Response to Emerging Bioenergy Markets in the U.S. Corn Belt. Ecology and Society, 16(1). doi:10.5751/es-03854-160110Barac, A., Kellner, K., & De Klerk, N. (2004). Land User Participation in Developing a Computerised Decision Support System for Combating Desertification. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 99(1-3), 223-231. doi:10.1007/s10661-004-4022-6Bennet, A., & Bennet, D. (2008). The Decision-Making Process in a Complex Situation. Handbook on Decision Support Systems 1, 3-20. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-48713-5_1Blackstock, K. L., Kelly, G. J., & Horsey, B. L. (2007). Developing and applying a framework to evaluate participatory research for sustainability. Ecological Economics, 60(4), 726-742. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.05.014Breuer, N. E., Cabrera, V. E., Ingram, K. T., Broad, K., & Hildebrand, P. E. (2007). AgClimate: a case study in participatory decision support system development. Climatic Change, 87(3-4), 385-403. doi:10.1007/s10584-007-9323-7Bunch, M. J., & Dudycha, D. J. (2004). Linking conceptual and simulation models of the Cooum River: collaborative development of a GIS-based DSS for environmental management. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 28(3), 247-264. doi:10.1016/s0198-9715(03)00021-8Byrne, E., & Sahay, S. (2007). Participatory design for social development: A South African case study on community-based health information systems. Information Technology for Development, 13(1), 71-94. doi:10.1002/itdj.20052Cain, J. ., Jinapala, K., Makin, I. ., Somaratna, P. ., Ariyaratna, B. ., & Perera, L. . (2003). Participatory decision support for agricultural management. A case study from Sri Lanka. Agricultural Systems, 76(2), 457-482. doi:10.1016/s0308-521x(02)00006-9Chakraborty, A. (2011). Enhancing the role of participatory scenario planning processes: Lessons from Reality Check exercises. Futures, 43(4), 387-399. doi:10.1016/j.futures.2011.01.004Cinderby, S., Bruin, A. de, Mbilinyi, B., Kongo, V., & Barron, J. (2011). Participatory geographic information systems for agricultural water management scenario development: A Tanzanian case study. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 36(14-15), 1093-1102. doi:10.1016/j.pce.2011.07.039Drew, C. H., Nyerges, T. L., & Leschine, T. M. (2004). Promoting Transparency of Long‐Term Environmental Decisions: The Hanford Decision Mapping System Pilot Project. Risk Analysis, 24(6), 1641-1664. doi:10.1111/j.0272-4332.2004.00556.xDriedger, S. M., Kothari, A., Morrison, J., Sawada, M., Crighton, E. J., & Graham, I. D. (2007). Using participatory design to develop (public) health decision support systems through GIS. International Journal of Health Geographics, 6(1), 53. doi:10.1186/1476-072x-6-53Evers, M. (2008). An analysis of the requirements for DSS on integrated river basin management. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 19(1), 37-53. doi:10.1108/14777830810840354Iivari, N. (2011). Participatory design in OSS development: interpretive case studies in company and community OSS development contexts. Behaviour & Information Technology, 30(3), 309-323. doi:10.1080/0144929x.2010.503351Innes, J. E., & Booher, D. E. (1999). Consensus Building and Complex Adaptive Systems. Journal of the American Planning Association, 65(4), 412-423. doi:10.1080/01944369908976071Jakku, E., & Thorburn, P. J. (2010). A conceptual framework for guiding the participatory development of agricultural decision support systems. Agricultural Systems, 103(9), 675-682. doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2010.08.007Jessel, B., & Jacobs, J. (2005). Land use scenario development and stakeholder involvement as tools for watershed management within the Havel River Basin. Limnologica, 35(3), 220-233. doi:10.1016/j.limno.2005.06.006Kautz, K. (2011). Investigating the design process: participatory design in agile software development. Information Technology & People, 24(3), 217-235. doi:10.1108/09593841111158356Kowalski, K., Stagl, S., Madlener, R., & Omann, I. (2009). Sustainable energy futures: Methodological challenges in combining scenarios and participatory multi-criteria analysis. European Journal of Operational Research, 197(3), 1063-1074. doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2007.12.049Lawrence, A. (2006). ‘No Personal Motive?’ Volunteers, Biodiversity, and the False Dichotomies of Participation. Ethics, Place & Environment, 9(3), 279-298. doi:10.1080/13668790600893319Mao, J., & Song, W. (2008). Empirical study of distinct features and challenges of joint development of information systems: The case of ABC bank. Tsinghua Science and Technology, 13(3), 414-419. doi:10.1016/s1007-0214(08)70066-xMenzel, S., Nordström, E.-M., Buchecker, M., Marques, A., Saarikoski, H., & Kangas, A. (2012). Decision support systems in forest management: requirements from a participatory planning perspective. European Journal of Forest Research, 131(5), 1367-1379. doi:10.1007/s10342-012-0604-yMoote, M. A., Mcclaran, M. P., & Chickering, D. K. (1997). RESEARCH: Theory in Practice: Applying Participatory Democracy Theory to Public Land Planning. Environmental Management, 21(6), 877-889. doi:10.1007/s002679900074Peleg, M., Shachak, A., Wang, D., & Karnieli, E. (2009). Using multi-perspective methodologies to study users’ interactions with the prototype front end of a guideline-based decision support system for diabetic foot care. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 78(7), 482-493. doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2009.02.008Pretty, J. N. (1995). Participatory learning for sustainable agriculture. World Development, 23(8), 1247-1263. doi:10.1016/0305-750x(95)00046-fReed MS. 2008. Stakeholder participation for environmental management: a literature review. Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds.Reed, M. S., & Dougill, A. J. (2010). Linking degradation assessment to sustainable land management: A decision support system for Kalahari pastoralists. Journal of Arid Environments, 74(1), 149-155. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2009.06.016Rowe, G., & Frewer, L. J. (2000). Public Participation Methods: A Framework for Evaluation. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 25(1), 3-29. doi:10.1177/016224390002500101Schielen, R. M. J., & Gijsbers, P. J. A. (2003). DSS-large rivers: developing a DSS under changing societal requirements. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 28(14-15), 635-645. doi:10.1016/s1474-7065(03)00109-8Sheppard, S. R. J., & Meitner, M. (2005). Using multi-criteria analysis and visualisation for sustainable forest management planning with stakeholder groups. Forest Ecology and Management, 207(1-2), 171-187. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2004.10.032Thursky, K. A., & Mahemoff, M. (2007). User-centered design techniques for a computerised antibiotic decision support system in an intensive care unit. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 76(10), 760-768. doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2006.07.011Webler, S. T., Thomas. (1999). Voices from the Forest: What Participants Expect of a Public Participation Process. Society & Natural Resources, 12(5), 437-453. doi:10.1080/089419299279524Van Meensel, J., Lauwers, L., Kempen, I., Dessein, J., & Van Huylenbroeck, G. (2012). Effect of a participatory approach on the successful development of agricultural decision support systems: The case of Pigs2win. Decision Support Systems, 54(1), 164-172. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2012.05.002Von Geibler, J., Kristof, K., & Bienge, K. (2010). Sustainability assessment of entire forest value chains: Integrating stakeholder perspectives and indicators in decision support tools. Ecological Modelling, 221(18), 2206-2214. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.03.02

Preventing Suicide in Colorado: Progress Achieved & Goals for the Future

This 2009 report, issued jointly by Mental Health America of Colorado and The Colorado Trust, updates both the state's 1998 Suicide Prevention and Intervention Plan to address Colorado's historically high suicide rate, as well as The Trust's 2002 report Suicide in Colorado, which documented the problem of suicide across the state and identified suicide-prevention resources. This report details key facts and figures about the suicide rate in Colorado, many of the prevention achievements in the past 10 years, and recommendations to strengthen suicide prevention and awareness efforts into the future

Kresge Foundation 2010-2011 Annual Report

Contains an introduction to Kresge's strategy; board chair's letter; president's letter; foundation timeline; program information; grant summary, including geographic distribution; grants lists; financial summary; and lists of board members and staff