German-speaking Part Of Switzerland Research Articles

Motivations and Limits for COVID-19 Policy Compliance in Germany and Switzerland.

In contrast to neighboring countries, German and Swiss authorities refrained from general curfews during the first pandemic wave in spring 2020, calling for solidarity and personal responsibility instead. Using a qualitative methodology, this study aims to explore why people in Germany and Switzerland were motivated to comply with policy measures during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and what factors hindered or limited their motivation. While quantitative surveys can measure the level of compliance, or broadly ask what motives people had for compliance, we here strive to explain why and how these motives lead to compliance. This publication has been made possible by the joint work of the members of the "Solidarity in times of pandemics" (SolPan) research commons. Seventy-seven semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with members of the general public in Germany (n = 46) and the German-speaking part of Switzerland (n = 31) in April 2020. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed following a grounded theory approach. Three themes were identified that summarize factors contributing to compliant or noncompliant behavior. (1) Social cohesion was, on the one hand, an important motivator for compliance, but at the same time related to conflicting needs, illustrating the limits of compliance. (2) Consequences were considered on both the individual level (eg, consequences of individual infection) and societal level (eg, the societal and economic consequences of restrictions). (3) While for some participants following the rules was perceived as a matter of principle, others stressed the importance of making their own risk assessment, which was often associated with with a need for evidence on the effectiveness and reasons behind measures. A variety of motives contribute to COVID-19 related compliance. Authorities should seek to address these multi-faceted aspects to support motivation for compliance in a large proportion of the population.

Facilitators and barriers to implement nurse-led interventions in long-term dementia care: a qualitative interview study with Swiss nursing experts and managers

BackgroundTo support the implementation of nurse-led interventions in long-term dementia care, in-depth knowledge of specific supporting factors and barriers is required. Conditions and structures of caring for people with dementia differ widely, depending on the country and the care context. Our study aimed to describe the experiences and opinions of nursing experts and managers with regard to facilitators and barriers to the implementation of nurse-led interventions in long-term dementia care.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative descriptive study using individual interviews based on qualitative vignettes as a useful stimulus to generate narrations allowing to study peoples’ perceptions and beliefs. The study took place in nursing homes in the German-speaking part of Switzerland and in the Principality of Liechtenstein using purposive sampling. We intended to conduct the interviews face-to-face in a quiet room according to the participant’s choice. However, due to the lockdown of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, we performed interviews face-to-face and by video. We analysed data thematically following Braun and Clarke to achieve a detailed, nuanced description. To verify our interpretation and to ensure congruence with participants’ perspectives, we conducted member checks. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) served to structure our manuscript.ResultsSix dyads of nursing home managers and nursing experts from six nursing homes took part in our study (n = 12). Our thematic analysis yielded seven themes reflecting facilitators and barriers to implementing nurse-led interventions in long-term dementia care: «A common attitude and cohesion within the organization», «Commitment on several levels», «A needs-oriented implementation», «The effect and the public perception of the intervention», «A structured and guided implementation process», «Supporting knowledge and competencies», as well as «Resources for implementing the intervention».ConclusionsTo support the implementation of nurse-led interventions in long-term dementia care, active commitment-building seems essential. It is necessary that the value of the intervention is perceptible.Commitment-building is the precondition to reach the persons involved, such as nursing home managers, nursing staff, residents and relatives. Furthermore, nurses should precisely inform about the intervention. It is necessary that the value of the intervention is perceptible. In addition, nurses should adjust the interventions to the situational needs of people with dementia, thus. Therefore, it is important to support dementia-specific competencies in long-term care. Findings indicate that the barrier is determined by the intervention and its implementation – and not by the behaviour of the person with dementia.

How chemophobia affects public acceptance of pesticide use and biotechnology in agriculture

Protecting crops from infestations is critical to ensuring stable, safe food production. However, many consumers are concerned about the use of pesticides and agricultural biotechnology (agri-biotech) applications. A lack of consumer acceptance can prevent potentially beneficial applications from being utilized. This study examines consumer acceptance of pesticide use in conventional and organic agriculture and agri-biotech applications as crop-protection measures. An online between-subject experiment was conducted with participants from the German-speaking part of Switzerland (N = 643). The results revealed that consumers were most willing to accept gene transfers as a protection measure, provided the gene came from a wild variety of the same species as the cultivated plant. Both chemophobia and the importance of naturalness in food influence consumer acceptance of pesticide use and agri-biotech applications. Addressing chemophobia and informing consumers about the role of technologies in pest-management and crop-protection could lead them to trust and accept related agricultural policies.

COCON – Swiss Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

This study profile describes COCON – the acronym for COmpetence and CONtext. This is an interdisciplinary, multi-cohort and multi-informant longitudinal study with a primary focus on how children and adolescents cope with the developmental tasks of early life course transitions. It strives to detect the social and individual antecedents and consequences associated with the handling of these transitions. The project frames child and adolescent development in the triple theoretical perspective of challenges imposed by early transitions in the institutionalised life course, inequality in resources and opportunities, and young people’s competencies. Thanks to the longitudinal and multi-cohort design of the study, this conceptual perspective facilitates the joint examination of intra-individual development, inter-individual differences in developmental outcomes and social change in developmental processes.COCON consists of three age groups, whereby each groups represents a prototypical stage in the process of growing up: mid-childhood (6-year-olds), mid-adolescence (15-year-olds) and early adulthood (21-year-olds). The samples are representative for the French- and German-speaking parts of Switzerland. The large sample sizes and the multilingual context of Switzerland permit the analysis of group disparities as well as cross-cultural differences. The multi-informant component of the study includes the primary caregiver and class teacher.The current study profile outlines the most important characteristics of the study in the context of the conceptual framework and discusses strengths and caveats related to study management as well as ethical considerations and information on data availability.

Persons with dementia as internet users: what are their needs? A qualitative study.

The aim of this study was to identify the needs and expectations of persons with dementia regarding dementia-related information on the internet concerning content, presentation, navigation, language and design. Research on internet-related needs of persons with dementia is lacking. However, the importance of the internet as a source of health information is increasing. To improve health literacy and to ensure participation in therapy decisions, target group-specific health information is necessary, especially for persons with chronic conditions like dementia. We conducted a qualitative interview study between April 2019 and April 2020 in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. To report the study, we used the COREQ checklist. We analysed the interview data using content analysis according to Mayring. Four interviews with five persons with dementia took place. We identified two main themes: (1) 'use of media and changing needs' and (2) 'information about dementia on the internet'. The first theme is related to changing user habits due to progressing dementia. The second theme is focussed on requirements concerning design and content. Critical reception and assessment of internet-based information are also addressed. Information should be adapted to the course of disease. Opportunities and positive aspects should also be mentioned. The presentation should be well-structured. Health professionals might support persons with dementia in searching and interpreting internet-based information. Website operators should consider specific needs of persons with dementia regarding design and content. Involving persons with dementia in the development of website content and design could be an opportunity for better meeting their needs.

НЕМЕЦКИЙ ЯЗЫК КАК ВТОРОЙ ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК ДЛЯ РОССИЙСКИХ СТУДЕНТОВ – ДИЛЕММА ВЫБОРА: КЛАССИЧЕСКИЙ ИЛИ ПЛЮРИЦЕНТРИЧЕСКИЙ НЕМЕЦКИЙ ЯЗЫК?

The article raises the problem of teaching German as a second foreign language within the framework of a pluricentric approach. Its relevance for the Russian undergraduate and graduate students is dictated by the modern needs and opportunities to obtain further education in the Common European higher institutions of Germany (D), Austria (A), the German-speaking part of Switzerland (CH), as well as the opportunity to participate in various international student exchange support programs of these countries. The aim of this article is to assess the willingness of the bachelor’s and master’s students undertaking the Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication course not only to study the classical German language but also to get familiar with the features of the standard German language in Austria and Switzerland. The pluricentric approach is based on the generally recognized theory of pluricentrism, according to which the German language is considered as a single language incorporating the national linguistic specifics in the Federal Republic of Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The article conveys the main ideas of the pluricentric theoretical research studies and covers the linguodidactic and methodological foundations in teaching pluricentric German developed by a special research group and described in the so-called ABCB theses. The readiness of students to learn German in the diversity of the linguistic and cultural national specifics of the DACH-Länder is one of the basic requirements of the pluricentric approach. The conducted research allowed assessing the readiness of the bachelor’s and master’s students to study the classical German language, taking into account the existing distinctive linguistic features of the standard German language in Austria and Switzerland. The research was based on the questionnaire method in the form of a written poll. Given the results of the research, students of the bachelor’s and master’s programs are equally willing to learn the standard Austrian and Swiss German vocabulary in the German language classes. Among bachelors, 70% prefer the vocabulary of the Austrian version and 65% of the Swiss version of German; among master’s students, 75% want to learn the vocabulary of both the Austrian and the Swiss versions of German. Besides, knowledge of the features of the standard German language DACH-Länder is considered as a prerequisite for traveling and further education in these countries. These statistics confirm the high motivation of the bachelor’s and master’s students to study German applying the pluricentric approach. The students also demonstrated the thoughtful choice of the Second Language Country Studies as a discipline for studying German, taking into account the diversity of the linguistic and cultural national specifics of DACH-Länder.

Public perception of palliative care: a survey of the general population.

Background:The public’s view of palliative care often involves its potential to improve of quality-of-life as well as its use as a last resource prior to death.Objective:To obtain an idea of the image of palliative care held by the public in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the authors sought to understand (1) the perceptions of palliative care and the (2) elements important when thinking about their own end of life.Methods and Sample:A qualitative design with an inductive reasoning approach based on Mayring (2014) was chosen. Visitors at an exhibition about palliative care in six locations provided hand-written answers on provided cards to two statements: (1) if I hear the term ‘Palliative Care’ I think of … and (2) when thinking about my own end of life, the following is important to me …Results:Answers of 199 visitors (mean age 52, mostly in a good/very good health status) were analysed. In response to hearing the term palliative care, six areas were categorized: (1) the main focus; (2) ways of providing palliative care; (3) the best timing; (4) places where palliative care is provided; (5) who is seen as provider and (6) outcomes of palliative care. Five categories to the statement about their own end-of-life were identified: (1) the ability to look back on a fulfilled life and being satisfied; (2) maintaining trusting relationships until the end; (3) organizing affairs and having everything settled; (4) having their family being cared for and (5) relief of suffering with the support of knowledgeable people.Conclusion:Palliative care was mostly associated with positive terms acknowledging an interprofessional approach. Maintaining one’s dignity as well as dying without suffering pointed at the persisting stigma that palliative care is mainly limited to end-of-life care. The results may help healthcare professionals to better understand how the public view palliative care.

Predictive power of high school educational attainment and the medical aptitude test for performance during the Bachelor program in human medicine at the University of Bern: a cohort study.

Prior high school educational attainment and medical aptitude tests are two of the most frequently used selection procedures for admission to medical school. Both of these have been shown to correlate with future performance. However, there is a need for further analysis of the combined impact of these two admissions tools and comparison of their predictive value for future performance. At present, successful completion of high school (Matura) and an aptitude test (Eignungstest Medizinstudium Schweiz, EMS; Swiss Aptitude Test in Medicine) are used for admission to all medical schools in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors that are most decisive for performance in undergraduate medical education. More precisely, we were interested in the contributions of the Matura grade and the EMS score to explanations of performance in the Bachelor program of Medicine at the University of Bern. Matura grades, EMS score and performance in the Bachelor program of Medicine were collected for 730 students from four cohorts. Of these, 277 graduated from high school with a biology-chemistry major. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted for each study year and type of examination to determine which predictors affected performance during undergraduate medical education. These data show that Matura grades are an important predictor for performance in undergraduate medical education. The EMS score had no impact when the Matura grades were part of the analysis. The biology-chemistry major grade was a predictor for performance in the first year of undergraduate study. From the second academic year onwards, past performance in the bachelor’s program was the best predictor for future performance during undergraduate medical education. Students’ Matura grades predicted their subsequent performance in undergraduate medical education in the bachelor’s program of the University of Bern. In contrast, EMS scores do not explain any additional variance in students’ performance throughout the entire bachelor’s program. These findings suggest a need for rethinking the admission process.

Die Problematik der Implementierung von Kinästhetik in Einrichtungen der stationären Langzeitpflege - Eine Multiple Case-Study.

Difficulty of implementing kinaesthetics in long-term care institutions - A multiple case-study Abstract. Background: Resources have been invested from long-term care institutions for the development of nursing staffs' kinaesthetics competence for years. Recent studies have shown that implementing or sustainably promoting the kinaesthetics competence is problematic, but in-depth knowledge of the causes thereof is lacking. Aim: Which barriers impede a sustainable implementation of kinaesthetics in long-term care institutions? Method: A "multiple case-study" was carried out in three institutions located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The data from guide-based interviews and (case-related) literature on the external context was inductively condensed in the within-case analysis. The results were then compared in the cross-case synthesis and summarized in an abstract way. Results: The synthesis showed that the implementation of kinaesthetics can be influenced negatively at three different institutional levels - management, nursing team and individual nursing staff - as well as by external factors. Conclusions: In nursing practice and nursing science, as well as in the health care sector, a basic understanding of kinaesthetics in the context of professional nursing care is required. Especially those responsible for management and implementation must be aware of possible barriers in order to develop appropriate strategies.

Zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit - Perspektive von fallverantwortlichen Pflegefachpersonen zur Rationierung in der spitalexternen Pflege.

Between demand and reality - Perspectives of case-leading nurses on rationing in home care Abstract. Background: The demand for home care services in Switzerland (Spitex) is growing at an annual rate of 8 %. With increasingly complex client situations, lack of time and professional resources, the risk of rationing care is rising. Objective: This study explores how case-leading nurses (CLNs) experience rationing of care and how they deal with this in their daily practice. Methods: We chose a qualitative approach with an interpretative description. Between September and December 2018, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 CLNs from seven Spitex organisations in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The data were analysed according to the thematic analysis of Brown and Clarke. Results: CLNs often experience not having enough time to fully oversee a client's care plan from the assessment to the evaluation of care needed. They show a high level of commitment to providing good quality of care, but have to walk a tightrope between demand and reality. Additionally, they are under pressure to defend the financing of needed services from health insurance companies. Conclusions: Rationing is an everyday experience of CLNs' practice and they invest a lot of effort in reducing its effects for their clients. CLNs work under pressure, thus targeted measures are necessary both at the political and Spitex organizational level, to reduce rationing of care.

Roles and Work Content of Peer Workers and Experts by Experience in Mental Health Practice, Education, Research and Development - Results of a Survey in Switzerland

To identify work contents, roles and tasks of peer workers in mental health services in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. A survey was conducted among peers in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Most respondents stated that they work mainly in specialized services in the treatment of people with psychoses and affective disorders and in direct contact with service users. "Building bridges" between service users and professionals, conveying hope and confidence, empowerment as well as support in symptom management was most frequently indicated as a work activity. The majority of respondents have job descriptions that correspond to their activities. For mental health services, the challenge is to integrate the new professional group of peers workers as well as possible without undermining their proximity to the service users or their possibly critical perspective with regard to the existing practice.

Psychometric properties of the German version of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory \u2013 short version

BackgroundThe aim of the current study is to examine the psychometric properties of the German Version of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory-Short Version (YPI-S).MethodsA sample of 856 adolescents (age: 15–19) from the German-speaking part of Switzerland was included. All participants completed the 50-item YPI, of which we derived the 18 items of the YPI-S. Furthermore, participants completed the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version-2 (MAYSI-2), as well a self-report delinquency questionnaire.ResultsWe were able to replicate a three-factor structure and found moderate to good internal consistency for the total score as well as for the three dimensions of the YPI-S. Measurement invariance across gender was established. Furthermore, we found positive small to medium correlations with both internalizing and externalizing mental health problems, substance abuse problems, and offending behavior.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the German version of the YPI-S is a reliable and valid screening instrument for psychopathic traits in both boys and girls from the general population in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

Limited access to family-based addiction prevention services for socio-economically deprived families in Switzerland: a grounded theory study

BackgroundFamilies living in poor socio-economic circumstances, already confronted with social and health inequalities, are often not reached by family-based addiction prevention services. Besides quantitative models and health literacy approaches, qualitative research is lacking that could shed light on the exact circumstances and processes that lead to hindered addiction prevention service uptake by these families. Drawing on the concept of candidacy, we therefore reconstructed how socio-economically deprived parents and their (pre) adolescent children in the German-speaking part of Switzerland (non-)identified their candidacy for family-based addiction prevention services.MethodsFollowing grounded theory, we collected and analysed data in an iterative-cyclical manner using theoretical sampling and theoretical coding techniques. Sixteen families with children aged 10–14 years were interviewed in depth (parent/s and child separately). All but one family lived below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold.ResultsSocio-economically deprived families’ modes of recognizing and handling problems in everyday life were found to be core phenomena that structure the process towards (non) identification of candidacy for family-based addiction prevention services. Four modes anchored within socio-demographic resources were found: Families with mode A perceived their current life situation as existentially threatening and focused daily coping on the main pressing problem. Others (mode B) perceived prevalent multiple problems as normal (now); problems were normalized, often not recognized as such. In mode C families, problems were pragmatically recognized at a low threshold and pragmatically dealt with, mostly within the family. In mode D families, problems were constantly produced and dealt with early by the worried and anxious parents monitoring their child. From modes D to A, vulnerability increased concerning non-identification of candidacy for family-based addiction prevention services. Further, thematic relevance of addiction prevention, past experience with offers, integration in systems of assistance, strategies to protect the family, and families’ search for information influenced whether identification of candidacy took place.ConclusionsSocio-economically deprived families differ in modes of problem construction and handling in everyday life; this differently opens up or closes routes to family-based addiction prevention. Addiction prevention practice should build on a bundle of diverse strategies for outreach to these families, stressing especially interventions on the structural and environmental level.

The Transition to Parenthood in the French and German Speaking Parts of Switzerland

After the first transition to parenthood, most couples adopt a gendered labor division, where mothers become main caregivers and fathers breadwinners of the family. By comparing two distinct language regions within one country, the present article explores how parents’ gendered labor division comes into existence and what role gendered culture and social policy play. The analysis draws on in-depth interviews with 23 German speaking and 73 French speaking participants from Switzerland. The results reveal that French speaking women and men presume an egalitarian labor division as parents. In German speaking regions, however, participants anticipate that mothers will become the main caregivers and fathers the breadwinners. It is shown that the labor market structure, which is in line with the male breadwinner norm, contributes to men’s full-time employment, whereas mothers’ labor market insertion is influenced by the acceptance of non-parental childcare and to a lesser extent by the offer of childcare facilities. Further, mothers experience more time conflicts than fathers, and the less mothers’ paid work is accepted, the more they suffer from feelings of guilt when being employed.

Effects of intensive care unit ambient sounds on healthcare professionals: results of an online survey and noise exposure in an experimental setting

BackgroundNoise levels on intensive care units (ICUs) are typically elevated. While many studies reported negative effects of ICU ambient sounds on patients, only few investigated noise as a factor to influence well-being or performance in healthcare professionals.MethodsAn online survey in the German-speaking part of Switzerland was conducted to assess how ICU soundscapes are subjectively perceived by healthcare professionals. The questionnaire was answered by 348 participants. Additionally, effects of noise on working memory performance were evaluated in an experimental noise exposure setting. Twenty-six healthcare professionals and 27 healthy controls performed a 2-back object-location task while being exposed to either ICU or pink noise.ResultsSurvey results demonstrate that a majority of participants was aware of heightened noise levels. Participants reported that mostly well-being, performance, and attention could be reduced, along with subjective annoyance and fatigue by ICU ambient sounds. Although no significant effects of noise exposure on working memory performance was observed, self-assessments revealed significantly higher stress levels, increased annoyance and distraction ratings as well as decreased confidence in performance after ICU-noise exposure.ConclusionSubjective assessments indicate that heightened noise levels on ICUs induce annoyance, with heightened stress levels, impaired well-being, and reduced performance being potential consequences. Empirical evidence with objective and physiological measures is warranted.

Work- and stress-related musculoskeletal and sleep disorders among health professionals: a cross-sectional study in a hospital setting in Switzerland

BackgroundMusculoskeletal and sleep disorders have been reported to be very common among health care and hospital workers and particularly nurses. They are assumed or found to be a result of psychological stress and/or physical strain or pain. However, no other study so far – at least in a hospital setting and for Switzerland – has considered and investigated musculoskeletal as well as sleep disorders in consequence of or rather in association with both physical workload and psychological stress.MethodsCross-sectional survey data of 1232 health professionals were used and analysed. Data were collected in 2015/16 among the health care workforces of three public hospitals and two rehabilitation clinics in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Musculoskeletal and sleep disorders were assessed by three items taken from the Swiss Health Survey, a 2-item measure of accumulated low back, back, neck and shoulder pain and a single-item measure of problems in getting to sleep or sleeping through. Stratified and adjusted bivariate logistic and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to calculate measures of association (adjusted odds ratios, z-standardized beta coefficients), to control for potential confounders, and to compare different health professions (nurses, physicians, therapists, other).ResultsAlmost every fourth of the studied health professionals reported severe or even very severe musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and nearly every seventh severe sleep disorders (SDs). These prevalence rates were significantly or at least slightly higher among nurses than among physicians and other health care workers. General stress, work stress, physical effort at work, and particularly a painful or tiring posture at work were found to be clear and strong risk factors for MSDs, whereas only general and work-related stress were found to be significantly associated with SDs. There was no or only weak association between MSDs and SDs.ConclusionsThis study found MSDs to be largely a result of physical workload or rather poor posture at work and only secondarily a consequence of (general) stress, whereas SDs were revealed to be primarily a consequence of stress on and particularly off the job. Preventive strategies therefore have to differentiate and combine measures for the reduction of both psychological stress and physical strain.

The home care work environment's relationships with work engagement and burnout: A cross-sectional multi-centre study in Switzerland.

This study aimed to investigate the levels of burnout and work engagement among home care workers in Switzerland and to test their association with job demands and job resources. We conducted a multi-centre, cross-sectional survey in the German-speaking part of Switzerland with a convenience sample of seven home care agencies. Data were collected between September 2017 and January 2018. We assessed burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and work engagement with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) as well as job demands (overtime, work-family conflicts, experienced aggression and work stressors) and job resources (predictability, staffing, teamwork, leadership, collaboration, social support, sense of community, feedback). To investigate the levels of burnout and work engagement, we applied descriptive statistics. Based on Bakker and colleagues' Job Demands-Resources model, we used a path analysis to test the associations of job demands and job resources with burnout and work engagement. We analysed data from 448 home care workers (response rate 61.8%, mean age 44years (SD 13.2), 96% female). The frequency of burnout in our sample was low, while that of work engagement was high. Job demands correlated positively with emotional exhaustion (β=.54, p<.001) and negatively with work engagement (β=-.25, p<.001). Job resources correlated negatively with emotional exhaustion (β=-.28, p<.001) and positively with work engagement (β=.41, p<.001). Work-family conflicts and work stressors correlated strongest with emotional exhaustion, whereas social support and feedback were found to correlate strongest with work engagement. Improvements to the home care work environment might enhance work engagement and reduce burnout. Corrective interventions could focus on reducing specific aspects of job demands, such as work-family conflicts and work stressors, as well as on increasing aspects of job resources, especially social support and feedback.

Multicenter Study Investigating Foreign Language Acquisition at School in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With Uni- or Bilateral Cochlear Implants in the Swiss German Population.

Evaluation of foreign language acquisition at school in cochlear implant patients. Multicenter cohort study. CI centers. One hundred twenty-five CI users (10-18 yr) in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were enrolled. Demographic data were obtained by means of written questionnaires. German-speaking children with mainstream foreign language tuition (English and/or French) were enrolled for further testing. The control group of normal-hearing individuals was matched on age, class, and number of foreign language lessons attended. Overall, 100 questionnaires were returned. The 12 CI users without foreign language learning attended special schools. CI users who attended foreign language classes had better German speech comprehension compared with those without foreign language tuition (89 versus 51%; p < 0.05). Thirty-one CI users of different grades were further tested. All (10/10) CI 6th graders attained the school objectives for both English reading and listening skills. French performance at 6th grade for reading was 3/7 and for listening only 1/7. There were 13 matched normal-hearing pairs for English and 10 for French. The total scores were on average 7% higher, with a statistical significance for English reading (p < 0.05). Almost 90% of CI children in Switzerland learn foreign language(s) at school. All the tested patients reached the current school objectives for English reading. The success rate for French was lower, especially regarding listening tasks. The 13 matched pairs with normal-hearing did not score substantially better.

Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland

ABSTRACT Background: Due to their experiences of major stressful life events, including post-displacement stressors, refugees and asylum seekers are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Yet, despite the availability of specialized mental health services in Western European host countries, refugees and asylum seekers display low mental healthcare utilization. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. Method: In this qualitative study, key-informant (KI) interviews with Syrian refugees and asylum seekers, Swiss healthcare providers and other stakeholders (e.g. refugee coordinators or leaders) were conducted in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and then analysed using thematic analysis, combining deductive and inductive coding. Results: Findings show that Syrian refugees and asylum seekers face multiple structural and socio-cultural barriers, with socio-cultural barriers being perceived as more pronounced. Syrian key informants, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders identified language, gatekeeper-associated problems, lack of resources, lack of awareness, fear of stigma and a mismatch between the local health system and perceived needs of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers as key barriers to accessing care. Conclusions: The results show that for Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland several barriers exist. This is in line with previous findings. A possible solution for the current situation might be to increase the agility of the service system in general and to improve the willingness to embrace innovative paths, rather than adapting mental healthcare services regarding single barriers and needs of a new target population.

Being a teacher with a so-called ‘immigrant background’: challenges of dealing with social boundaries

ABSTRACTThere have been calls in many European countries to diversify the teaching staff as a response to increasing diversity within student populations. These calls are often based on underlying assumptions that teachers with a migration history are well placed to act as ‘intercultural mediators’ and ‘role models’ for successful integration. However, these assumptions often lack differentiation. The presented study addresses this lack of differentiation for the case of the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Based on social constructivist theory (Barth; Wimmer) and pursuing a qualitative-hermeneutical approach (Schütze; Rosenthal), the study shows four ideal types of dealing with social boundary dynamics among teachers who have been categorised or labelled in terms of a ‘second immigrant generation’. Additionally, the study provides insight that (a) the category of ‘labour migration’ is experienced as a particularly significant category of boundary making and (b) that schools in urban-immigrant neighbourhoods – in contrast to those in rural-non-immigrant neighbourhoods – are experienced as places with an increased chance of recognition for a teacher ‘with an immigrant background’, although even there, these teachers find themselves in constant engagement to defend their belonging and to justify their sensitivity in dealing with migration-related diversity.