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Background. Studies found an association between personality types and field of specialty. The current study could assist aspiring specialists in deciding which specialty they are best suited for by comparing their own personalities with the results.. To explore the personality characteristics of doctors in three consulting and four surgical specialties at an academic hospital in Bloemfontein,South Africa.Methods. In this analytical cross-sectional study, questionnaires, including the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, were handed out.Overall, 58 consultants and senior registrars from the departments of Family Medicine, Paediatrics and Internal Medicine (response rate 71.6%) and 70 consultants and senior registrars from surgical specialties (response rate 60.3%) participated.Results. Family medicine had the lowest median score for impulsive sensation seeking (21.1%) and aggression-hostility (11.8%), and highest for parties and friends (33.3%). Paediatrics scored highest for neuroticism-anxiety (44.7%) and aggression-hostility (23.5%). Internal medicine scored highest for sociability (25.0%) and isolation intolerance (37.8%), and lowest for neuroticism-anxiety (36.8%) and activity (47.1%). Overall, the consulting group scored lower than the surgical group for impulsive sensation seeking, aggression-hostility, sociability and activity, and higher for neuroticism-anxiety. Conclusion. The study identified personality types of some specialties, and revealed differences between characteristics of local specialists compared with findings from studies elsewhere
RESUMO
According to a literature study and a research survey conducted in 2004; caregivers are increasingly forced to deal with people living with AIDS as health services are unable to cope with the fast-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. Caring for an individual with AIDS-related disease is usually time-consuming; burdensome and stressful. There is also evidence of increased susceptibility to physical health problems; emotional distress and psychiatric disturbances amongst caregivers. There are a number of strategies that should be employed to ensure that caregivers are encouraged to do their work to the best of their ability; without them having to sacrifice their health; family life and own needs. One of the strategies that could help in this regard is the presentation of a group work programme. A programme was presented to 14 female caregivers from a church in a disadvantaged community. The group met for eight consecutive weeks. During the two-hour sessions various topics; including self-knowledge; self-esteem; communication;conflict handling; roles of caregivers; and relationships with the person living with AIDS; were discussed. The group members were subjected to measurement by means of the single system. According to this measurement and an evaluation questionnaire; the programme did succeed in supporting and empowering them as caregivers