Care Of Ourselves Research Articles

'Do I cry or just carry on?' A story completion study of healthcare professionals' anticipated responses to experiencing chest pain.

Healthcare professionals may experience barriers to seeking healthcare that differ from the general population. We explored healthcare professionals' anticipated responses to experiencing chest pain following a period of stress using qualitative story completion method with healthcare professionals (n = 44). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, which identified three themes: '"Do I cry or just carry on?": A Culture of Suffering in Silence' identified worries that expressing health concerns would be perceived as weakness, with potential impact on career opportunities. Participants also described self-diagnosis and self-medication rather than help-seeking. '"Me? Have a panic attack?": Psychosomatic Shame' suggested mental health issues may be ignored due to stigma. '"We definitely don't take care of ourselves": Prioritising Pressures of Multiple Responsibilities over Self-care' identified real or perceived pressures to de-prioritise their health. Future research should explore the design of confidential, time efficient support for healthcare professionals that tackle cultural norms and barriers to self-care.

The Effects of Air Quality on Mental Health, and A Comparative Study of Teenagers Aged 12-18 During January and February in Lampang, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya, and Bangkok

Nowadays, populations around the world are suffering from mental health issues, especially depression, and the number is estimated to increase every year. Not only depression issues but also air pollution that is surging. Air pollution has been shown to affect people’s respiratory systems and may even have an impact on mental health, leading to various diseases, for instance depression and Alzheimer’s disease. These disorders tend to occur in people of all age groups and in all countries and regions. Interestingly, each area has different air qualities, which raises concern of its impact on mental health. To investigate this issue, a cross-sectional survey was performed focusing on teenagers aged 12-18 in three different provinces in Thailand to compare the effect of air quality on mental health. This survey used a questionnaire consisting of 34 questions to collect data from 629 individuals participating in this research. The data analysis was performed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) program. Our results display the mean score of mental health and air quality as 2.62 and 3.02, respectively, which states that there is an average rate of these 2 variables. Furthermore, the one-way ANOVA test comparing mental health levels in 3 residents shows no significant difference (p-value = 0.225), however, one-way ANOVA comparing the air quality shows a significant difference between the 3 provinces (p-value less than 0.001). We also conducted a t-test to compare the 2 variables between pupils who have underlying medical conditions and pupils who don’t have them. Unfortunately, we found no significant difference for mental health in pupils with and without medical conditions (p-value = 0.75) and for air quality in pupils with and without medical conditions (p-value = 0.52). Nevertheless, the correlation analysis obtained an r-value of 0.30, which indicates that the survey produced a weak positive correlation between mental health and air quality. This type of study is rarely conducted in Thailand, which means there will need to be more studies in this field. Regarding this research, it is apparent that air quality has an effect on mental health, so an open mind of caring for ourselves and others about this issue would be practical.

Good husbandry of the cow vet

As a new graduate, we often think that honing our technical skills is the number one priority. While being a technically-skilled veterinarian is incredibly important for serving our clients and animals, we also need to develop the skills to take care of ourselves. We can assess our mental and physical states as cattle veterinarians through the lens of the 5 Freedoms and 5 Domains of Animal Welfare. We will discuss how goal setting is a habit of highly successful people and how we often overlook the value of intention setting. As cattle veterinarians, we can combat imposter syndrome through setting boundaries, recog­nizing burnout and investing in relationships. Cattle veterinar­ians, like our bovine patients, are herd animals too.

Wild Sea Swimming as a Slow Intimacy: Towards Reconfiguring Scholarship

Our oceanic swimming-writing-reading together practice coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and subsequent lockdown in South Africa. Awash with vulnerability, precarity, and isolation, oceanic swimming-writing-reading became one of the few ways in which we, as three academics from different higher education institutions, found respite in a practice of care for ourselves and others. Curious as to whether swimming and free writing could materialise alternative creative scholarly practices, we began to meet regularly to swim, write, read and think together with theoretical perspectives that subscribe to a feminist relational ontology. This article turns to visual and written narratives generated during this period and building on them, considers health and wellbeing at both subjective and planetary levels. Our global southern location articulates with these themes in very particular ways – access, risk and embodiment in relation to seas, beaches and littoral zones. South Africa remains haunted by the continuing geopolitical effects of its slave, colonial, apartheid, and neoliberal past and current contexts of global capitalism that seep into encounters with the ocean. Our swimming-writing-thinking is a reminder of our relationalities with and response-abilities for the hydrocommons as the measure of human, other species and the planet’s capacity to survive and flourish.

Self Love Pada Remaja SMA

In the era of digitalization like this, and in the realm of the process of finding the identity of a teenager, it is very easy for teenagers to be affected by many good and bad things by the surrounding environment. The problem that is often faced by teenagers is mental health where there are many causes and consequences that can trigger this to happen. Because of this problem, teenagers lack an understanding of self-love or love themselves. Self love has the meaning of a feeling where we feel confident and proud of our own abilities without attaching importance to the opinions of others by involving aspects of self-awareness, self-confidence, and caring for ourselves. Looking at the reality, this article uses qualitative methods and literature studies in answering these problems. In the interview that we have conducted to 7 existing resource persons and contain active high school teenagers based in the city of Surakarta. With the hope that the interview that has been done can help some and even all speakers about the importance of 'self love' for themselves. With the results we get in several existing aspects such as self awareness, self care, self esteem and in the 7th self worth aspect, the informant has a fairly good and high percentage. Even though in the aspect of self esteem at the same time it is still wrapped in a sense of insecurity.

Narrative of Malaysian modernity: COVID-19, Malay women portrayals and popular television serials

Academic studies often explore the dynamics between Malay women and popular culture within the context of Malaysian modernity. Researchers commonly investigate resistance to the government’s moral initiatives for women in society. This article examines how popular culture, specifically serial television drama, depicts the portrayal of Malay women during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the concepts of obedience, disobedience, and control. The government’s “Duduk Rumah” [Stay at home] and “Kita Jaga Kita” [We take care of ourselves] campaigns, initiated by then Prime Minister Muhyidin Yassin to combat the COVID-19 epidemic, placed additional burdens on women, assigning them significant domestic responsibilities as household managers, including the well-being and education of their children, as well as maintaining family cohesion. We argue that these targeted government policies exacerbated the concerns and uncertainties experienced by Malay women during lockdowns. Furthermore, we contend that the government demonstrated less sensitivity, care, or coordination in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an increase in domestic violence, divorce, depression, and emotional stress among Malay women. These challenges were prominently depicted in Malay television serials, serving as a vital platform for contemplating the impact of the government’s moral initiatives on Malay women. Our research offers insights into the enduring progress, or lack thereof, in the status of women both within and beyond the domestic sphere, as part of Malaysia’s pursuit of modernity.

Sitting on the fence: A qualitative study of perceptions regarding pelvic floor muscle training among pregnant women with urinary incontinence

ObjectivesTo explore the perceptions of pregnant women with urinary incontinence toward pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). MethodsSemi-structured personal interviews were used to collect data. Pregnant women with urinary incontinence and no contraindications to PFMT were recruited for semi-structured interviews in the Outpatient Department of Obstetrics in a Class A tertiary hospital in Shenzhen from October to November 2021. Purposive sampling was performed, and Braun & Clarke thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. ResultsSixteen pregnant women with urinary incontinence and a mean age of (30.81 ± 3.66) years participated in the interview. “Sitting on the fence” was the predominant theme acquired after analysis. Pregnant women had contradictory attitudes toward PFMT. A total of four themes and nine sub-themes have been extracted: “It is normal and does not really matter” (normalized urinary incontinence, insufficient attention to PFMT); “There is nothing I can do” (insufficient subjective motivations, limitation of objective conditions, lack of social support); “We have to take care of ourselves” (the increasing self-care awareness, emerging autonomous motivation to practice PFMT); “Training should be guaranteed” (requiring the guidance, suggestions, and surveillance of healthcare professionals; requiring the perceptive benefits). ConclusionsThis study reveals varying attitudes towards PFMT among pregnant women with urinary incontinence. To better promote pregnant women’s engagement in PFMT, it is necessary to provide professional guidance, increase self-care awareness, improve social support, and emphasize the benefits of PFMT.

(250) Male Physicians as Patients: Is Fertility an Issue?

Abstract Introduction Physicians may be subjected to grueling work hours, sleep deprivation, and a stressful work environment during their prime reproductive years. While attention to fertility among female physicians has garnered interest in recent years, little is known about the fertility of their male colleagues. Objective In this study we sought to compare semen parameters of male physicians presenting for a fertility evaluation compared to their non-physician counterparts. Methods Upon IRB approval, a retrospective review of all hospital employed individuals (or their partners) who underwent a semen analysis between 2013-2019 was performed. Post-vasectomy semen analysis patients were excluded. Baseline patient demographics including age, comorbidities, occupation, and BMI were recorded. Normal semen parameters were defined by the World Health Organization 2010 criteria. A comparison analysis of semen analysis parameters, baseline characteristics, and comorbidities was conducted with a significant p-value defined as <0.05. Results Of the 169 physicians and 438 non-physicians identified, physicians were more likely to have a lower BMI (median 25.8 vs. 28.0, p<0.0001) when compared to their non-physician counterparts. Physicians were less likely to have ADHD, depression, obstructive sleep apnea, malignancy, alcohol abuse, and history of smoking (p<0.05). Physicians had better semen parameters including pH, concentration, motility, volume, and morphology (p<0.05), with a greater sperm concentration (68.4 vs. 52.2 million/mL, p<0.0001) and higher total motile sperm count (125 vs. 86.4 million, p<0.0001) compared to non-physicians. However, male physicians were more likely to be older at time of semen analysis (33.8 versus 32.7 years, p<0.05), more likely to utilize assisted reproductive technology (IVF and IUI, p=0.0277), have older female partners (p=0.0053), and have older female partners at time of delivery (p=0.0124). Conclusions In this study we report, for the first time, semen parameters of physicians compared to non-physicians. Physicians had a significantly higher total motile sperm count and sperm concentration; however, they were older at time of semen analysis, more likely to utilize ART, and more likely to have older female partners. While physicians may be healthier, this may indicate increased difficulty achieving pregnancy. Patient care is directly impacted by the health and safety provided to their physicians. As the paradigm in the medical field shifts from caring only for our patients to caring for ourselves, fertility amongst male physicians warrants further investigation. Disclosure No

A Survey of Personal Health Habits, Wellness, and Burnout in Practicing Orthopaedic Surgeons—Are We Taking Care of Ourselves?

The personality traits of those who become orthopaedic surgeons may also lead to overwork, work-life balance issues, and burnout. Health and wellness practices of orthopaedic surgeons have not been widely explored. This study evaluated the personal health habits, wellness, and burnout of practicing orthopaedic surgeons in the United States. An anonymous self-assessment survey was completed by 234 practicing orthopaedic surgeon alumni from two large residency programs. The survey assessed exercise habits according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, compliance with preventive medical care practices according to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, prioritization of occupational wellness strategies, and the presence of burnout via an adapted Maslach Burnout Inventory. Survey responders' mean age was 52 years, 88% were male, and 93% had a body mass index <30 kg/m2. Surgeons were stratified according to practice type, years in practice, and subspecialty. Among orthopaedic surgeons, compliance with aerobic and strength exercise recommendations was 31%. Surgeons in academic practice were significantly (P = 0.007) less compliant with exercise recommendations (18%) compared with private (34%) or employed (43%) practicing surgeons. Most (71%) had seen their primary care provider within 2 years and were up to date on age-appropriate health care screening including a cholesterol check within 5 years (79%), colonoscopy (89%), and mammogram (92%). Protecting time away from work for family/friends and finding meaning in work were the most important wellness strategies. The overall burnout rate was 15% and remained not significantly different (P > 0.3) regardless of years in practice, practice type, or subspecialty. This survey study identifies practicing orthopaedic surgeons' health habits and wellness strategies, including limited compliance with aerobic and strength exercise recommendations. Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of areas of diminished personal wellness to improve quality of life and avoid burnout.

Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Birthing People and the Provider's Role.

Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change for Birthing People and the Provider's Role.

A Study on Work Life Balance of the Employees with Reference to Education Sector

The majority of us are pushed to work harder, quicker, and with less resources in today's hectic workplace. There appears to be greater pressure than ever before to succeed. We're supposed to be excellent parents, lead happy personal lives where we enjoy our hobbies, give back to the community, and take excellent care of our children while working two or three jobs at once.taking care of our bodies, brains, and souls. While seeking balance is an admirable objective, most people just cannot achieve it. Instead, it has turned into another item in an ever-growing, guilt-inducing list of "to-dos." Sometimes we must put in more hours than usual, and other times we can take more time off. Our interests and passions can sometimes be our primary focus, but other times, other priorities must take precedence. There may be times when we take really good care of ourselves and other times when we fall a little short; times when we give our family a lot of attention and other times when there isn't as much energy or daily time to do so. In order to live a balanced life and realise your full potential, you must regularly renew and refresh your creative energies.

UAP Values Reflected in Selected COVID-19 Themed Digital Literature for Children and Young Adults

Digital Literature for Children and Young Adults (LCYA) reveals children and young adults’ experiences in the real world from their perspectives. It also portrays that most children and young adults face complex and enormous challenges in this digital world to find their true selves, potentials, and future, particularly during this COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this LCYA is in line with Jesuit’s Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAP), which “commit to promoting a healthy and safe environment for children and young people so that they can develop their full potential as human beings.” Therefore, this research scrutinizes Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAP) values reflected in selected COVID-19-themed Digital Literature for Children and Young Adults (LCYA). Importantly, Digital Literature is a Garden of Eden for digital natives, Gen-Z, and digital readers where they can access literary texts from their smartphones, tablet, and laptop. These issues are essential to be discussed because children and young adults are the future generations, the future world, and future humanity. This pandemic should be seen from a different perspective, for this condition has encouraged us to take care of ourselves and others, especially children and young adults. Importantly, those digital works are also reminders that children’s and young adults’ energy and spirit can bring love and changes to our planet. This research attempts to develop our empathy in understanding the loneliness, misery, and suffering of others during this difficult time. Digital Literature and Literature for Children and Young Adults (LCYA) discourses are suitable for use since this research uses digital short stories highlighting children and young adults’ lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To care for them, we need to take care of ourselves: A qualitative study on the health of home health aides.

To understand the perspectives of home health aides (HHAs) toward their own health and health behaviors, and how their job impacts both. Interviews were conducted with 28 HHAs from 16 unique home care agencies from August 2021 to January 2022. The study was conducted in partnership with the 1199SEIU Training and Employment Fund, a labor-management fund of the largest health care union in the US. A qualitative study with English and Spanish-speaking HHAs. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured topic guide, informed by Pender's Health Promotion Model and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Total Worker Health Model. To be eligible, HHAs had to be currently employed by a home care agency in New York, NY. Interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed thematically. The 28 HHAs had a mean age of 47.6 years (SD 11.1), 39% were non-Hispanic Black, 43% were Hispanic, and they had a mean of 14.1 years (SD 7.8) of job experience. Five themes emerged; HHAs were: (1) Healthy enough to work, but were managing their own chronic conditions while working; (2) Motivated to be healthy, in part driven by their desire to care for others; (3) Worked closely with sick patients, which influenced their perceptions of health; (4) Experienced occupational and patient-level barriers to practicing healthy behaviors; (5) Sought support and resources to improve their health and wellbeing. HHAs have numerous health challenges, many of which are influenced by their job. Culturally and occupationally tailored interventions may mitigate the barriers that HHAs experience to achieve optimal health.

Estrés laboral en médicos veterinarios y estudiantes avanzados dedicados a la clínica de pequeños animales

Stress (eng. "Stress", tension) is defined as a state of exaggerated tension that is reached by an excess of activity, work or responsibility, and that leads to physical and psychological disorders in people who suffer from it (Vilcahuamán, 2014). Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) can be defined as the consequent natural behaviors and emotions that result from knowing about a traumatic event experienced by another person (Figley, 1995). In this work, a descriptive study was carried out based on telephone survey methodology, incidental and cross-sectional design. Surveys were conducted through the use of different forms and scales as measuring instruments for the STS and the different variables. The sample consisted on 103 workers (advanced students in the career and Veterinary Doctors) belonging to the Small Animal Clinics of Montevideo and the Small Animal Unit of the Veterinary College Hospital. The objective was to estimate the prevalence of STS in this population, identify and evaluate risk factors for STS and analyze its relationship with the development of Burnout Syndrome and other psychological processes and behavioral strategies described. It was found that 3 out of 10 professionals presented symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the STS. It was concluded that the prevalence of symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to STS was considerable. We were able to observe that this acute process is related to a chronic condition known as Burnout Syndrome. Noting that an increase in STS symptoms is positively related to an increase in Burnout symptoms. This work can be the first step to continue researching on the subject and thus in this way build the best tools to take care of ourselves as professionals and be better doctors for our patients. &nbsp; &nbsp

Permission to Care for Ourselves.

Permission to Care for Ourselves.

Religion, nutrition and birth weight among currently married women (15–49) in India: A study based on NFHS-5

Background/objectivesIn countries like India, common public concerns regarding nutrition are low birth weight. The types and patterns of food consumption vary among Hindus and Muslims. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are in the Indian context based on two religious groups, Hindu and Muslim. To know how the nutritional status of women is associated with different socio-economic, demographic, and spatial determinants. To find out how birth weight is related to the nutritional status of mothers. MethodsThe study was based on data from 15 to 49 years of currently married women from NFHS-5. The chi-square test and ordered logistics regression have been used to find out how low birth weight, normal birth weight, and Heavy birth weight are affected by BMI. ResultsHindu (14.87%) women have a higher prevalence of being underweight than Muslim (9.82%). Normal weight is higher among Muslims (60.35%) than Hindus (59.49%). Being overweight is higher among Muslims (22.45%) than among Hindus (19.29%). In addition, obesity is higher among Muslims (7.39%) than among Hindus (6.34%). The study found little differences in LBW among Hindus (21.44%) and Muslims (21.15%) underweight. Normal, overweight, and obese are all significantly associated with birth weight. ConclusionDespite the religious variation of nutritional status (BMI) and birth weight, we can conclude that government needs to take particular interventions in the mother's socioeconomic status, health awareness programs, and provide different healthcare services. In addition, we need to take care of ourselves. Those cumulative effects will help to prevent problems associated with being underweight, overweight, obese, low birth weight, and heavy birth weight.

Humanizing with Humility: The Challenge of Creating Caring, Compassionate, and Hopeful Educational Spaces in Higher Education

Leading with care and compassion, critically reflecting on our teaching practices, and collaboration has always been central to our pedagogical practices. Participating in the #ONHumanLearn project, an initiative designed to humanize learning in higher education, we began to notice a growing divide between our engaged and disengaged students. As we learned/unlearned/relearned to take our professional practice one step further, we started to notice our own sense of powerlessness intensify alongside feelings of fatigue and frustration for our inability to reach the disengaged. We wondered what we could be doing differently to reach them. As we reflect on the process, we humbly accept that leading with care also means caring for ourselves, and that any initiative working to humanize higher learning ought to firmly embed and embody co-learning as a relational and reciprocal approach. In this paper we pay attention to inequities that became more apparent or were created as we sought to humanize education, the opportunities we have found, and our developing awareness of what is needed to sustain change.

Self-Care Can’t Always Be There (but it needn’t be far away)

There aren’t many people who would disagree that caring for ourselves is crucial, particularly when working in an emotionally and physically challenging profession. However, there is an assumption that we all know how to do this. Self-care isn’t lighting candles, going shopping or having a spa day – these might be part of your routine but it’s much more than this. Practising self-care is a skill and, without this being taught, it sets us up to fail when we find it difficult to put in place. It begins with the relationship we have with ourselves. Like any relationship, this will have its ups, downs and complexities. Connecting with ourselves requires holding a part of us that is vulnerable while acknowledging and believing we are “deserving” of being cared for.

Nearly 1 in 4 young adults in US treated for MH during pandemic, CDC survey finds

The share of U.S. adults who received treatment for mental health grew throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic, according to data published Sept. 7 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CNN reported. Nearly 22% of adults got mental health treatment in 2021, up from about 19% in 2019. This jump is probably due to a combination of increased need and better access to treatment, said Calliope Holingue, a psychiatric epidemiologist and member of Johns Hopkins University's COVID‐19 Mental Health Measurement Working Group. “The pandemic has spurred an important conversation about the need to take care of ourselves. In the population as a whole, we're seeing that reflected,” she said. Overall, the CDC report found that the increase in mental health treatment was driven largely by adults under age 45. Adults ages 18 to 44 were the least likely group to have received treatment for mental health in 2019 but became the most likely in 2021. Nearly 1 in 4 adults (more than 23%) in this age group received treatment for mental health in 2021, a jump of nearly 5% from 2019. “This young adult group is encountering the pandemic at a very vulnerable life stage. It's the stage at which disorders such as anxiety disorders and depression are at one of their highest levels across the life course,” Holingue said. “So there is this sort of natural vulnerability there, at the same time that the pandemic is happening.”

Ethical considerations in wildlife medicine

Component wildlife ethics includes two aspects: an understanding of ethical principles and skills in ethical deliberation. Ethical principles reviewed here include utilitarianism, deontological ethics, environmentalism or respect for nature, virtue ethics, relational ethics, care ethics and reverence for life ethics. Other processes and tools that take into account human sociology, behaviour and subconscious functioning in moral decision-making include conservation psychology, narrative ethics, socioscience, listening and communication skills, and needs-based ethics. We also take into account non-human functioning such as welfare science, conservation behaviour and cognitive ethology. Incorporating these tools and instituting ethical practices and programs within our wildlife and conservation management plans and organizations improve our ability to care for ourselves, other humans, wildlife and ecosystems.