Browsing by Author "Flisher, Alan John"

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    The development, implementation and evaluation of a training programme in rape crisis intervention for lay therapists : a community psychology approach
    (1981) Flisher, Alan John; Isaacs, Gordon; Papadopoulos, Renos
    A conceptual framework was developed in the context of community psychology for the development of a training programme in rape crisis intervention for lay therapists who were members of the Rape Crisis Organisation in Cape Town, South Africa. This framework was structured around the use of lay therapists, crisis intervention (including crisis intervention with rape victims) and consultation. The interrelationships of these three aspects were explored. The programme consisted of theoretical input and experiential exercises pertaining to rape crisis intervention and was held over two full days and one evening. The programme was evaluated by means of a modification of the instrument reported by Carkhuff (1969) to assess the levels of facilitativeness (FAC) and action orientedness (ACT) that therapists were able to offer. This instrument consists of 16 client stimulus expressions to which the therapists are required to provide responses which are rated. Besides the experimental group which consisted of the members of Rape Crisis who attended the programme (N=8), there were two control groups: control group A, consisting of members of Rape Crisis who did not attend the programme (N = 9) and control group B, consisting of people who were neither members of Rape Crisis nor who attended the programme (N = 8). The data were analysed by means of a 3 way AN OVA with repeated measures on two of the factors (the stage of assessment and the client stimulus expressions) and no repeated measures on the other factor (the groups). There were no differences in levels of FAC that subjects were able to offer within any of the groups for any of the client stimulus expressions. However, members of Rape Crisis offered significantly lower levels of FAC than subjects who were not members of Rape Crisis (overall the stage of assessment and the client stimulus expressions). The levels of ACT that subjects were able to offer increased in the case of the experimental group for all 16 client stimulus expressions, decreased in the case of control group A for 4 expressions and increased for one expression and decreased for one expression in the case of control group B. The theoretical and practical implications of these results were explored. In addition, this data was used in conjunction with information gathered from experiential reports that the members of the experimental group provided at the end of each component of the programme and from a questionnaire that they completed after the programme to yield a blueprint for future training programmes in rape crisis intervention. Finally, the training programme was discussed in relation to the conceptual framework that had been developed.
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    The epidemiology of risk behaviour of high-school students in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa
    (1996) Flisher, Alan John; Robertson, Brian
    Objectives: To document: (1) the prevalence of selected risk behaviours of high-school students in the Cape Peninsula; (2) whether the notion of a syndrome of adolescent risk behaviour is valid for this setting, and to investigate whether suicidal behaviour and behaviour exposing oneself to injury should be included in this syndrome; and (3) the relationships among risk behaviours, taking into account their influence upon one another. Design: The study was based on a cross-sectional survey utilising a self-completed questionnaire. Sample: A stratified random sample of 7 340 students was selected from 16 schools in the three major education departments. Results: High prevalences of risk behaviour were recorded; for example, 7,8% had tried to commit suicide in the previous year; 18, 1 % smoke cigarettes; 15,4% had engaged in binge drinking in the previous fortnight; 7,5% had ever smoked cannabis; 37,3% had failed to wear a seat belt on the last occasion this was possible; 9,8% of males had carried a knife to school and 25,0% had walked home alone at night in the previous month; and 17,4% had ever participated in sexual intercourse. With few exceptions, the unadjusted odds ratios for the relationships between pairs of these variables were significant. Between three and nine of 26 risk behaviours qualified for inclusion (p < 0,01) in each stepwise logistic regression model for each gender with each of the above risk behaviours as dependent variables. Cannabis smoking, alcohol bingeing, and exposure to danger in getting home at night were independently associated with having had sexual intercourse. Conclusions: Intervention programmes are needed to reduce the prevalence of risk behaviours in this population. The notion of a syndrome of adolescent risk behaviour is valid for this population, and both suicidal behaviour and behaviour exposing oneself to injury should be included in this syndrome. There are significant relationships between many adolescent risk behaviours even when the influence of other risk behaviours is taken into account. The probability of adverse sequalae of risk behaviours such as exposure to danger in getting home at night and sexual intercourse is amplified by the presence of selected other risk behaviours.
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    Selected results of the "methods for the epidemiology of child and adolescent mental disorders" study
    (2001) Flisher, Alan John
    Bibliography: leaves 68-75.
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    Studies in behavioural epidemiology
    (1994) Flisher, Alan John; Robertson, Brian A
    The following five papers are included in this collection. Paper 1. Flisher AJ, Joubert G, Yach D. Mortality from external causes in South African adolescents, 1984 - 1986. South African Medical Journal 1992; 81: 77-80. Paper 2. Flisher AJ, Chalton DO. High school dropouts in a working-class South African community: selected characteristics and risk-taking behaviour. Journal of Adolescence (in press). Paper 3. Flisher AJ, Roberts MM, Blignaut RJ. Youth attending Cape Peninsula day hospitals. Sexual behaviour and missed opportunities for contraception counselling. South African Medical Journal 1992; 82: 104-106. Paper 4. Flisher AJ, Parry CDH. Suicide in South Africa. An analysis of nationally registered mortality data for 1984-1986. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (in press). Paper 5. Flisher AJ, Parry CDH, Bradshaw D, Juritz J. Suicide in South Africa - seasonal variation. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (to be submitted) .