Group Of Adult Users Research Articles

The changing face of aging: Characteristics of older adult user groups

The changing face of aging: Characteristics of older adult user groups

Exploring Mental Health Professionals' Perspectives of Text-Based Online Counseling Effectiveness With Young People: Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

BackgroundPopulation-based studies show that the risk of mental ill health is highest among young people aged 10 to 24 years, who are also the least likely to seek professional treatment because of a number of barriers. Electronic mental (e-mental) health services have been advocated as a method for decreasing these barriers for young people, among which text-based online counseling (TBOC) is a primary intervention used at many youth-oriented services. Although TBOC has shown promising results, its outcome variance is greater in comparison with other electronic interventions and adult user groups.ObjectiveThis pilot study aimed to explore and confirm e-mental health professional’s perspectives about various domains and themes related to young service users’ (YSUs) motivations for accessing TBOC services and factors related to higher and lower effectiveness on these modalities.MethodsParticipants were 9 e-mental health professionals who were interviewed individually and in focus groups using a semistructured interview. Thematic analysis of qualitative themes from interview transcripts was examined across the areas of YSU motivations for access and factors that increase and decrease TBOC effectiveness.ResultsA total of 4 domains and various subthemes were confirmed and identified to be related to YSUs’ characteristics, motivations for accessing TBOC, and moderators of service effectiveness: user characteristics (ie, prior negative help-seeking experience, mental health syndrome, limited social support, and perceived social difficulties), selection factors (ie, safety, avoidance motivation, accessibility, and expectation), and factors perceived to increase effectiveness (ie, general therapeutic benefits, positive service-modality factors, and persisting with counseling despite substantial benefit) and decrease effectiveness (ie, negative service-modality factors).ConclusionsParticipants perceived YSUs to have polarized expectations of TBOC effectiveness and be motivated by service accessibility and safety, in response to several help-seeking concerns. Factors increasing TBOC effectiveness were using text-based communication, the online counselor’s interpersonal skills and use of self-management and crisis-support strategies, and working with less complex presenting problems or facilitating access to more intensive support. Factors decreasing TBOC effectiveness were working with more complex problems owing to challenges with assessment, the slow pace of text communication, lack of nonverbal conversational cues, and environmental and connectivity issues. Other factors were using ineffective techniques (eg, poor goal setting, focusing, and postcounseling direction) that produced only short-term outcomes, poor timeliness in responding to service requests, rupture in rapport from managing service boundaries, and low YSU readiness and motivation.

Communicative anxiety in the second and third language

ABSTRACTThe present paper reports a study on communicative anxiety of two groups of adult users. The paper aims at exploring the communicative anxiety of multilingual speakers and at analysing the communicative anxiety in second and third languages. This study includes 532 participants who were divided in two groups according their L1. One group of participants (N = 346) had Spanish as their L1 and the other group had Basque (N = 186). Quantitative and qualitative instruments were used to collect the data. Participants completed a background questionnaire and a questionnaire about communicative anxiety. In addition, focus group discussions and interviews were also held with the objective of getting deeper insights from the data. The results indicate that there are significant differences between the two groups of participants (Spanish L1 and Basque L1 speakers) in communicative anxiety and that anxiety is different when the second and third languages are compared.

Communicative anxiety in English as a third language

ABSTRACTThe present study focuses on the link between three factors, proficiency, language certificates and bilingualism, and levels of communicative anxiety in the third language (English) in two groups of adult users, university students and young professionals. The first group consisted of 217 university students who were enrolled at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the second group consisted of 135 young professionals working in companies and institutions of the Basque Country. The main aim of this research study is to explore the communicative anxiety towards a third language, English, in a context where exposure to English is limited and there are two other official languages, Basque and Spanish. A variety of instruments were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Participants completed a background questionnaire and a questionnaire to measure communicative anxiety. In addition, focus group discussions and interviews were also used. The results indicate that there are significant differences between the two groups of participants (university students and young professionals) in communicative anxiety. The findings also show the relationship between anxiety and some factors such as the proficiency level, English language certificates and multilingualism.

Children's perceptual cognitive factors in book selection and metadata schema: Pilot study

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to understand children's perceptual cognitive factors and processes during book selection. Moreover, this study aims to explore how the perceptual cognitive factors can be described in a metadata schema for children's libraries. The study contributes to the improvement of Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) reflecting children's perceptual cognition. Current Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) in most school and public libraries are minimally specialized for children. Most school and public libraries have been using the standard KOS, e.g., AACR2, DDC, LCSH, Sears Subject Headings. These KOS usually focus on describing characteristics of information and targeting adult user groups. However, children perceive, categorize, and name information in a different way than adults do. Due to the lack of consideration of children's cognition in KOS, children have trouble in searching for information. Therefore, it is necessary to examine how well current KOS consider children's cognition. In KOS, metadata elements correspond to conceptual aspects of information. Consequently, the study suggests how conceptual aspects of information based on children's perception can be represented in metadata elements.The findings of this study identify 14 emergent facets of information through various factors of information during the perceptual cognitive process in book selection. These factors and facets are re‐analyzed within a Knowledge Organization theoretical context. This study suggests multiple characteristics of perceptual cognitive processes: 1) two different types of processes: PAL (Paying Attention by Looking) and BAR (Being Aware by Recalling); 2) direct and indirect factors of resources; and 3) concrete or abstract factors. Lastly, this study discusses how these perceptual cognitive factors can be represented in metadata schema.

Case studies of adults receiving horse-riding therapy

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychotherapeutic effect of riding therapy (RT) on a group of adult users of a social services mental health team in South Devon. The benefits of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and pet ownership on human health and well-being are well documented. However, whilst research has been conducted on the benefits of hippotherapy (the employment of horse riding as a physiotherapeutic aid) little has been undertaken on the psychotherapeutic benefits of riding therapy. Through case studies, the current study sought to explore whether the participants benefited in terms of confidence, increased self-esteem and social/interaction skills. A further objective was to find out whether these benefits, if identified, were transferable to other areas of the riders' lives. The study was conducted utilizing a case study, participant observational methodology following the progress of six women with various mental health problems receiving RT on a weekly basis. The sessions comprised of learning to look after the horses and carrying out stable management tasks, in addition to the riding; the chief instructor was aware that an important factor of the RT was building up a relationship and trust with the horses on the ground. Methods employed to record the sessions, apart from participant observation, included interviews and questionnaires. The prime objective of the study was for the riders' experience of the therapy to be expressed in their own words. It was found that the participants benefited in areas ranging from increased confidence and self-concept, and that the therapy aided social stimulation and led to transferable skills being acquired.