Poul Rohleder

For many members of the LGBTQ community, holding hands with their partners in public, and other public displays of affection (PDAs) is seldom a carefree and spontaneous act. Survey studies have previously indicated that a majority of LGBTQ individuals report that they never hold hands with their partner in public, out of a fear of possible negative...

Psychoanalysis, like psychiatry, has in the past understood non-heterosexual sexuality as pathological and perverse. Contemporary psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy has moved away from this thinking and has a much more open and nuanced approach to sexual diversity. This chapter explores what psychodynamic psychotherapy can offer for wor...

This edited book presents a comprehensive guide to the research, challenges and differing perspectives within mental health for sexual minority populations in the UK. Drawing on clinical, social, health and community psychology perspectives, it brings the urgency of this topic back to the fore, providing insight into some of ways we understand and...

Many LGBTQ individuals grow up with a sense of being ‘other’ in a heteronormative society. This is not just an internal psychological experience, as many LGBTQ individuals report being recipients of hostility, victimisation and harassment. Interpersonally, homophobia and transphobia (both actual and fear of) may play out between partners and inhibi...

This paper presents the findings of a research project that explored the experiences of psychoanalytic psychotherapists based in the UK during the first period of lockdown in the COVID 19 pandemic. Groups of therapists met regularly to share and reflect on the impact of the sudden changes to their practice, and this paper pulls together the key the...

Beliefs and attitudes are essential in mental health discourse. However, cultural beliefs and attitudes towards mental health problems (ATMHPs) among the Berom people of Nigeria are under-researched. The present studies made original contributions using the Cultural Identity Model (CIM) as predictors to investigate ATMHPs, and semi-structured inter...

Sexual and gender minorities continue to face inequalities, discrimination and hostility, and in some parts of the world, significant threat. While in a country like the United Kingdom, many equalities for gay, lesbian and bisexual (LGB) individuals have been won (less so for, trans individuals), homonegativity and transnegativity remain significan...

In this chapter, we will explore the intersections of disability and masculinity. We will look at how disability influences how men are viewed by others, and how men with disabilities view themselves as masculine and as sexual beings. We also look at the influence of culture on masculinity in the South African context. We draw on existing research...

In this chapter, we will explore the intersections of physical disability and femininity. We look at how societies’ ideas about disability influence the way women with physical disabilities are viewed and view themselves as sexual beings. Using a combination of background literature and qualitative data from our photovoice study, we explore how soc...

In this chapter, we will explore some of the myths and misconceptions that exist about the sexual lives of people with physical disabilities. We look particularly at the myth of asexuality and we report on data from the survey study showing whether this myth exists in the views of South Africans without disability, about people with physical disabi...

In Chapter 10.1007/978-3-030-55567-2_1 we provided a discussion of participatory research as a method for doing research, and provided an outline of what we did in the research project upon which this book is based. In this final chapter, we reflect back on our experiences of doing a participatory research project of this kind.

In this chapter, we investigate some of the social (e.g. negative attitudes about sexuality and parenthood) and structural (e.g. inaccessible health care facilities) barriers that people with physical disabilities face when trying to lead a pleasurable, safe, and healthy sexual life. We do this by presenting an accessible review of the existing res...

In this chapter, we introduce central concepts and theories relevant to thinking about disability and sexuality in the global South. We discuss what we mean by physical disability, sexuality, gender, and embodiment, and provide a brief description of the research study on which this book is based. Here, too, we provide a rationale and outline for t...

This open access edited volume explores physical disability and sexuality in South Africa, drawing on past studies, new research conducted by the editors, and first-person narratives from people with physical disabilities in the country. Sexuality has long been a site of oppression and discrimination for people with disabilities based on myths and...

This paper examines how, in the midst of changing political times, some characteristics of HIV activism are changing, and suggests the relevance of these shifts for other fields of health activism. Despite the UK achieving UNAIDS's '90-90-90ʹ testing and treatment goals, many in the UK lack up-to-date HIV knowledge and retain stigmatising attitudes...

This paper presents a theoretically-informed psychosocial analysis of the case of M, a physically disabled man from South Africa. We use M’s account as a platform from which to consider projection, melancholic suspension and grief, as these are played out in the negotiation of dependency in relationships for disabled people. Making use of a case st...

Photovoice is presented here as an emancipatory, participatory research method with the potential to put minority subjects in charge of their own representation. Drawing on research with disabled people conducted in South Africa, we argue that the meaning of images is often hostage to interpretations which reify untruths about the subject. We consi...

This paper presents a response to the six papers comprising this special issue on Love, Sex and Psychotherapy in a Postromantic Era. The theme of temporality is explored in reading the papers: specifically, time in terms of self-other development and the capacity to relate to others as a separate subjectivity, the social and cultural context in whi...

Background: Although sexuality is a ubiquitous human need, recent empirical research has shown that people without disabilities attribute fewer sexual rights and perceive sexual healthcare to benefit fewer people with disabilities, compared to non-disabled people. Within a global context, such misperceptions have tangible, deleterious consequences...

The visual representation of people with physical disabilities has a history which is fraught. Disabled bodies have been variously portrayed as abnormal or abject, or else simply concealed. This mirrors social representations concerning the sexuality of disabled bodies which dictate that bodies which defy societal standards for normality cannot be...

Disability as a social justice issue is not part of mainstream talk. Approximately 15% of the world’s population has a disability, and yet persons with disabilities are systematically subjected to this sort of exclusion. If considered in terms of social power, then persons with disabilities are the largest single minority group. Amongst minorities,...

The present paper examines stereotyping in relation to physical disability and gender in the South Africa. Cross-sectional data for the present study were gathered using free response items in a large survey (n = 1990) examining the attitudes of people without disability towards different facetsof sexuality and disability. The most prominent stereo...

The sexuality of people with disabilities has historically been a site of oppression and discrimination. The sexuality of people with disabilities remains relatively under-researched and poorly understood. As a result, many myths and misconceptions about the sexuality of people with disabilities may prevail. This paper reports on findings from a qu...

This paper presents a team’s engagement with a creative collaborative project challenging the myths about the sexuality of people with physical disabilities in South Africa. The paper is presented in the form of a reflective diary account, which has been constructed from minutes of meetings, email correspondences and personal reflections of the act...

Research into the experiences of transgender students in the UK is extremely limited, despite surveys suggesting high levels of discrimination exist. This study aimed to explore the experiences of transgender students at UK universities, focusing on challenges and support. Six participants took part in semi-structured interviews which were analysed...

We demonstrate that pedagogic interventions utilising mediated contact and the parasocial contact hypothesis provide an effective means of instantiating both an immediate and long-term reduction in prejudice towards transgender people. Through application of the parasocial contact hypothesis, our quasi-experiment demonstrates that exposure to the c...

There is a growing recognition that people with disabilities have the same sexual needs and rights as people without disabilities. However, less attention is paid to the sexuality of people diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. This narrative review summarises what is currently known about the level of sexual health knowledge of people with int...

There is a growing recognition of the sexual and reproductive rights of people with disabilities, and since the World Health Organisation’s World Report on Disability, increased international attention has been given to these issues. Past research, however, suggests that this group encounter barriers to sexual and reproductive rights, which are bot...

Background: Although approximately 80% of the global population of people with disabilities reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), very little is known about their sexual lives due to a lack of empirical data. We aimed to provide a scoping review of English-language research conducted on disability and sexuality in LMICs. Objective: Ou...

There is good reason to believe that the attitudes of persons without disability towards dating a person with a physical disability might be unfavourable. However, in general, and in the Global South in particular, there is a dearth of research in this area. This study sought to take the first step in addressing this lack of enquiry, by surveying t...

There is a body of theoretical work, and some empirical research, which suggests that non-disabled people assume people with physical disabilities are not suitable romantic partners, do not have sexual drives or desires, or are not sexually active. It has also been proposed that people with physical disabilities face barriers to sexual healthcare a...

Despite a medical discourse of the ‘normalisation’ of HIV, it remains a highly stigmatising condition and makes the issue of disclosing one’s HIV status particularly complex. This article reports on the experience of 18 people living with HIV in the United Kingdom of disclosing their HIV+ status in arguably their most important relationship, their...

Despite growing interest in HIV disclosure, most theoretical frameworks and empirical studies focus on individual and social factors affecting the process, leaving the contribution of interpersonal factors relatively unexplored. HIV transmission and disclosure often occur within a couple however, and this is where disclosure has the most scope as a...

Primary objective: To examine emotional coping and support needs in children of persons with acquired brain injury, with a view to understanding what interventions would be helpful for these children. Design: The study was qualitative, using a thematic analysis approach. Methods and procedure: Six children between 9–18 years of age, six parents (th...

Objectives: This study sought to elucidate the process through which people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United Kingdom disclose their status to an intimate partner (IP). Design: A qualitative cross-sectional survey design was used. Method: A total of 95 PLWH took part. They were presented with a series of open-ended questions enquiring into...

Three decades into the HIV pandemic, the issues affecting people with disabilities remain less known. Increasing attention has been given to this overlooked population when it comes to HIV prevention, treatment and care. This is related to the significant unmet sexual and reproductive healthcare needs facing people with disabilities worldwide. This...

Major advances have been made over the last 20 years with regard to the medical treatment and care of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH), but the disease remains an important global health issue. Being a member of an already marginalized group increases both vulnerability to acquiring HIV and compounds the stigmatizing effect of...

Significant advances in HIV treatment has meant that for the majority of patients with HIV, they are able to live a normal lifespan. However, HIV remains a highly stigmatizing disease with the potential to significantly impact on one’s social identity and sense of self. This paper draws on data from a qualitative study of interviews with five gay m...

Much of the focus on sexual health for people living with HIV has been on promoting safe sex behaviours. However, also important for sexual health is a positive sexual self-esteem. This article reports on an interpretative phenomenological analysis of interviews with seven men about the impact that having HIV has had on their sense of sexual self....

Our new book is out! http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/qualitative-research-in-clinical-and-health-psychology-poul-rohleder/?K=9781137291042

Objective: Sexual health education is important in addressing the health and social inequalities faced by people with intellectual disabilities. However, provision of health-related advice and education to people with various types and degrees of linguistic and learning difficulties involves addressing complex issues of language and comprehension....

Over the past 30 years of the HIV epidemic, many advances have been made in HIV treatment and care, and HIV is now considered to be a chronic medical condition rather than the fatal illness it once was. People living with HIV are able to live longer, healthier lives. However, stigma remains a significant problem. The stigma of HIV also intersects w...

The recent AIDS and Disability Partners Forum at the UN General Assembly High Level Meetings on AIDS in New York in June 2011 and the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC in July 2012 underscores the growing attention to the impact of HIV and AIDS on persons with disabilities. However, research on AIDS and disability, particularly a soli...

The international literature suggests that disabled people may be at increased risk for HIV infection. There is a growing increasing recognition of this in South Africa, although there remains a paucity of literature on how disabled people are affected by HIV/AIDS. This is a concern given the seriousness of the epidemic here. This paper reports on...

In South Africa, little is known how HIV prevention education is implemented in schools for learners with disabilities. This article reports on findings from a study exploring the extent to which HIV education is reached to people with disabilities in South Africa, and the challenges faced by educators providing HIV prevention education to learners...

Few studies address the daily challenges faced by parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This article reports on a qualitative interview study with 20 parents exploring their experiences, challenges faced, and what has helped them to cope. A thematic analysis of the data identified five core categories: Dealing with challengin...

The notion of a pedagogy of hope has been conceptualised and symbolised as a significant conciliatory and propelling vision for the University of Stellenbosch. Yet few representations of hope engage with the historical and theoretical roots of this notion. These perspectives are crucial to understand in order to provide a foundation on which to bui...

The main research question in this article is how access to information about HIV/AIDS and level of HIV/AIDS prevention related knowledge are distributed among disabled people, and whether level of knowledge predicts access to HIV/AIDS related services. A survey was carried out among a sample of 285 disabled people from three provinces in South Afr...

The term “community” holds historical connotations of political, economic, and social disadvantage in South Africa. Many South African students tend to interpret the term “community” in ways that suggest that community and community psychology describe the experiences of exclusively poor, black people. Critical pedagogies that position the teaching...

HIV/AIDS, more than any other public health problem, challenges dominant models of the role of psychology in health promotion and prevention. This paper focuses on poverty and resulting food insecurity as a structural risk factor for HIV infection. The paper considers the role of health psychology in global health concerns and argues that, while in...

Little is known about how HIV/AIDS affects people with disabilities, although international literature suggests that people with learning disabilities and other disabilities may be at increased vulnerability to HIV infection. One factor that increases vulnerability to HIV is the lack of sex education and resulting knowledge about safe sex. People w...

The paper describes a collaborative curriculum development project implemented over 3 years at 2 universities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The project involved a short module in which students in their fourth year of study interacted and learnt collaboratively across the boundaries of institution, discipline, race and social class,...

This article reports on an interdisciplinary and collaborative educational module prepared for fourth‐year Psychology and Social Work students at two higher education institutions in the Western Cape, South Africa. The aim of the module was to provide students with the opportunity to experience learning across the boundaries of institution, discipl...

Despite the seriousness of the HIV epidemic globally, and in South Africa in particular, little is known about how HIV/AIDS affects disabled people. One important and little explored area is the role that organisations that represent disabled people or that work on behalf of disabled people, are playing in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic among the...

There has been a systematic imbalance between the treatment and prevention responses to the AIDS pandemic (Horton and Das, 2008). One of the consequences has been a dramatic rise in the number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy in South Africa (3 million), but at the same time there will be 2.5 million new infections this year (Horton and D...

Despite the severity of the HIV epidemic worldwide, and particularly in southern Africa, persons with disabilities have until recently been generally excluded from consideration in HIV prevention campaigns. This chapter outlines the situation with regard to HIV/AIDS as it affects persons with disabilities. The chapter will begin by first providing...

Disabled people in South Africa have been included, for the first time, in policy documents on HIV prevention. However, little is known about how persons with disabilities in South Africa may be at risk, or not. For policy to be implemented in effective practice, we need to know what the risk issues are for disabled people in South Africa. This stu...

A key problematic in any post‐conflict society is how to account for the injustices of the past, while at the same time making a space for the development of a shared future. In South Africa, there is an increasing demand for health and social service workers, who are required to address the impact of an unjust past upon individuals and communities...

In June 1981, a rare form of pneumonia, Pneumocystis Carinii, was diagnosed in five young homosexual men in Los Angeles in the United States. The diagnoses were reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) (Gottlieb et al., 1981). Other reports began to emerge in the United States of other unusual disease presentations, and Acquired...

Research suggests that disabled people may be at increased risk for HIV infection, yet are excluded from HIV prevention campaigns. Historically people with learning disabilities have been constructed as either being asexual or sexually uninhibited, and sex education considered to be unnecessary or potentially harmful. This article reports on findin...

Despite the severity of the HIV epidemic globally, and particularly in southern Africa where the epidemic is concentrated (UNAIDS, 2007), persons with disabilities have until recently been generally overlooked with regards HIV prevention and HIV care (Groce, 2003a, 2004, 2005). This is a serious omission, as it is well established that vulnerable g...

Purpose. HIV/AIDS has grown to become the biggest epidemic in modern history. Southern Africa is at the epicentre of the global epidemic, with just of a third of the world's HIV-positive population living here. It is known that HIV/AIDS affect vulnerable population groups. It is surprising then, that persons with disabilities, one of the world's mo...

Much has happened since the first appearance of AIDS in 1981: it has been identified, studied, and occasionally denied. The virus has shifted host populations and spread globally. Medicine, the social sciences, and world governments have joined forces to combat and prevent the disease. And South Africa has emerged as ground zero for the pandemic. T...

In prison populations around the world, the prevalence of HIV is often higher than that of the general population. The prison population is at high risk for HIV infection, particularly through the sharing of contaminated needles and high-risk sexual activity. Counselling is regarded as a key element in the prevention and treatment of HIV infection....

The authors report on their experiences as participants in the Community, Self and Identity Project; a collaborative teaching and research project between the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University. The project aimed to provide fourth year social work and psychology students the opportunity to become part of a shared ‘community...

Despite desegregation, and educational policies calling for increased inclusivity in higher education, students in South Africa generally continue to have homogenous social and learning experiences. This article reports on a collaborative student learning community across three disciplines at two universities. The e-learning project aimed to provid...

Online learning is increasingly being used in Higher Education, with a number of advantages to online learning being identified. One of these advantages is the suggestion that online learning provides for equality of opportunity. This article reports on students’ evaluations of the use of e-learning in a collaborative project between two South Afri...

The question of what constitutes ‘a community’ or even ‘the community’ takes on an extra salience in a divided society such as South Africa where the entire environment remains imprinted with the legacy of enforced segregation along racial lines. Higher education institutions need to prepare emerging health and social service students for the world...

Fourth year students in psychology and social work from two South African universities worked together across boundaries of race and class in a course which required them to engage in a personal reflexive way with issues of community and identity. A combination of face-to-face workshops and online tutorial groups was used. The course was demanding...

South Africa, after decades of apartheid, continues to be a highly segregated society. Higher education institutions need to prepare students for work in such a divided society. Recent work on inter-group contact has stressed the importance of taking into account people's interpretation and meanings about contact in particular contexts, and the nee...