Inspirational Messages Research Articles

If I Was Your Girl by M. Russo

Russo, Meredith. If I Was Your Girl. Flatiron Books, 2016.At 18 years old, Amanda is taking a cautious approach to her new lease on life. Assigned the male gender at birth and named Andrew, Amanda endured bullying as a child and disappointment from a father who viewed his “son” as effeminate and ill-equipped to handle life’s challenges. Post-transition life in Atlanta wasn’t much easier, and a traumatic instance of violence led Amanda’s mother to decide to send Amanda to live with her father in small-town Tennessee. While the rural American South might not seem like an accepting environment for a transgender teen, Amanda is keeping her past sex a secret.As Amanda decides not to reveal her past to the Lambertville locals (known in the transgender community as going “stealth”), she starts to live the life of an average teenager for the first time. Her beauty attracts much attention from boys, and she finds friend groups with both the in crowd and social misfits - all of whom appear to be harbouring secrets of their own. As things get increasingly serious with her boyfriend Grant, Amanda grapples with sharing her own history.Russo’s debut novel depicts a round protagonist with whom all teens should be able to relate, on some level. As a trans woman herself, Russo deftly depicts teenage belonging and the politics of going stealth, while acknowledging that she intentionally chose a character that could easily “pass” to demonstrate the conflict. Moreover, the author’s note sends an inspirational message to trans youth that validates the uniqueness of their experience and the importance of self-love.Although Russo occasionally falls into YA romantic cliches, it’s not as though the genre is overflowing with romantic storylines featuring trans characters. If I Was Your Girl is a vital and timely addition to YA literature, and should have a place in every library for transgender, cisgender and non-binary teens alike to discover.Recommended: 3 stars out of 4Reviewer: Kyle MarshallKyle Marshall is the Planning, Assessment & Research Analyst for Edmonton Public Library. He graduated with his MLIS from the University of Alberta in June 2015, and is passionate about diversity in children's and youth literature.

Sound of a Slogan: Appealing to Audiences in the Global Market

Abstract Linguistic iconicity is the phenomenon that has become the focus of research in such spheres as philology, psychology, and neurology; it is one of the tools most frequently used to communicate the marketing or inspirational message, as its universal appeal allows reaching wider audiences and causing a predictable desired response of the recipients. The paper deals with the analysis of slogans composed according to three-element pattern in contrastive perspective to establish universal, relatively universal and language-specific manifestations of linguistic iconicity with an aim to consider the challenges in localization of these messages across the working languages (English, Russian, and Latvian).

Expert Premier League soccer managers’ use of transformational leadership behaviours and attitude towards sport integrity: An intrinsic case study

The present study is the first to examine transformational leadership behaviours and integrity attitudes of expert, Premier League and International level football managers. To provide a rich, detailed exploration of the expert managers’ experiences, a qualitative approach was adopted utilising holistic content analysis. Constructed narratives revealed that the key behaviours demonstrated were inspirational messages or team talks (i.e. inspirational motivation), empathy (i.e. individualised consideration), introducing new training methods (i.e. intellectual stimulation), using exemplar players (i.e. appropriate role modelling), and goal setting (i.e. high performance expectations). However, the use and effect of such behaviours varied greatly between managers. Each of the managers also claimed to have been willing to “bend the rules” as a player and frequently used euphemistic labels to describe such behaviour. However, upon entering management, all three managers claimed to have adjusted such attitudes without providing an explanation for this.

Is Your Child Ready to Face the World?: Anupam Sibal (ed)

The goal of nurturing or parenting is not merely to ensure physical vitality and freedom from disease or disability, but to make sure that children evolve to become productive citizens of society with a well-groomed personality endowed with positive social, moral and spiritual attributes. In this endeavor, BIs Your Child Ready to Face the World?^ by Anupam Sibal is an innovative publication to convey useful messages pertaining to the art and essence of living in a society which is mired by inequalities, social injustice and negative human traits. The book deals with 18 human qualities or virtues and a number of do’s and don’ts, which should be inculcated or acquired during childhood to enable them to face the world with confidence and equanimity. The book has an attractive jacket, which entices the reader to pick it and browse through. The initial pages are devoted to a large number of Bprepublication praises^ by eminent cricketers and journalists including a foreword by cine megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Interesting personal vignettes, historical motivational stories and quotes by eminent thinkers and leaders spice the publication. It is not a conventional parenting book but a book to promote human wellbeing and happiness by ensuring that children acquire the qualities of head and heart by effective child–parent communication and by emulating the personal examples of their parents and teachers. Most of the desirable human attributes have been covered by the author but there are other celestial principles such as acceptance, dignity or selfesteem, power of prayer, enthusiasm, leadership qualities, silence and solitude with a focus on the Bpresent moment^ and virtues of moderation or Bmiddle path^ in life also need to be groomed and harnessed to achieve happiness and mental peace. The book is characterized by a smooth flow of thoughts, lucidity of language with a horde of inspirational messages, and is recommended not only for parents, but also for wouldbe parents and non-parents.

Producing Producers: Women and Electronic/Dance Music

At the time of our meeting, Ashley lived in San Francisco's famous Haight-Ashbury district now overrun with chain stores such as The Gap and Ben and Jerry's. She lived in a large Victorian house with six roommates, which is fairly typical of twenty-something artists in this city. We walked down a long hallway, through the kitchen and down the stairs to the basement where all her belongings, including the technology she used to make electronic music, were stored in the single room she called home. Inspirational messages--some cut out of magazines and newspapers, others hand-written--adorned the walls, giving some order to the disheveled space. For the next few hours we lounged on a futon on the floor while Ashley related stories about what it was like to be a young woman with few connections to San Francisco's electronic/dance music scene while nevertheless trying to create music and have it heard. There was an experience from a live performance she had recently given that she wanted to talk about: I was setting up my equipment and I disappeared for a minute. The band had taken my power strip and started plugging their stuff into it. The sound guy took it and gave it to the band, but I was going on before the band. [It] threw off my whole vibe. I'm a firm believer in making friends with the sound guy 'cause they make you or break you. Having the power strip stolen was a huge symbol of disrespect to me 'cause if I was a guy, and I hate saying this, I hate bringing in this if-I-was-a-guy statement, but it's true. If I was a guy setting up all my gear and I went to go to the bathroom and came back I doubt he would have stolen my power strip you know. (1) With interviews as the primary source material, this article illustrates the processes by which commonplace discursive and material practices situate women outside of the production of electronic/dance music (E/DM) in San Francisco. Because women's efforts in E/DM production are in their infancy, this study is more concerned with the barriers women are experiencing than the strategies they are using to succeed. Nonetheless, our interviews with women who are in the early phases of producing E/DM suggested the importance of strategies including networking with male producers, and working to undo a lifetime of exposure to the gendered discourses that circulate in popular culture, social contexts, and educational environments. Our descriptions and commentary draw on a series of informal, open-ended interviews with twenty-one female DJs and two producers working the large E/DM scene in San Francisco. Talks with the DJs began in the summer of 2003 and continued, on and off, through spring of 2006. The principal author of this study, Farrugia, first became interested in researching women in E/DM after years of attending E/DM related events and buying E/DM. Farrugia and Swiss collaborated on this project because they were interested in bringing their differing backgrounds, ages, and disciplinary lenses to the materials and data that Farrugia had gathered. The essay is part of Farrugia's larger book-length project about women in E/ DM that first began as a dissertation. The interviews referred to throughout the essay were recorded on a mini-disc and then transcribed. Although the women interviewed are mainly DJs, the essay focuses on producing because many of the DJs interviewed believe that the next step in trying to distinguish themselves from other DJs and gain status within E/DM culture is to find the desire, invest the time, and acquire the skills necessary to produce music. Farrugia initially made contact with the DJs in 2003 via an Internet mailing list called Sisterdjs. In addition to the original twenty-one interviews, there were thirteen follow-up interviews in 2006. The ages of the women interviewed ranged from 18-40 at the time of the initial interviews; with the exception of two women who are Asian Americans, all of the DJs interviewed are white. …

P125 The Irish Lung Fibrosis Association's 2000 Steps A Day Challenge: A Pilot Study To Evaluate A Novel Home Exercise Programme For Lung Fibrosis Patients

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, debilitating interstitial lung disease of unknown aetiology that results in irreversible scarring of the lungs. Patients develop impaired oxygen exchange and subsequent functional limitations including dyspnoea, hypoxia and fatigue. Patients’ fear of breathlessness leads to avoidance of physical activity yet, exercise is crucial to maintain health, strength, and mobility. Pulmonary rehabilitation is advocated for IPF patients but access to such programmes is difficult and restricted. Methods The Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA) in collaboration with the physiotherapy department at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital developed the 2000 Steps a Day Challenge as a new and innovative home-based exercise programme for IPF patients. The 2000 Steps a Day pack includes a pedometer, guidance and a diary to progress the step programme, and a Contract for Success to encourage commitment. Positive language and inspirational messages were used to motivate patients to make it part of their daily routine and reassure and support those experiencing setbacks. The programme was piloted by 15 ambulatory patients (11 male: 4 female) for 4-weeks. 10/15 patients required supplementary oxygen, 6/15 patients were on the lung transplant list and 3/15 patients were post-lung transplant. Patients were asked to record their baseline daily step count for 1-week, to gradually incorporate an additional 2000 steps (equivalent to 1 mile of walking) into their daily routine, and to complete a questionnaire on the suitability of the new exercise programme. Results 12/15 patients completed the pilot phase and successfully added at least 2000 steps extra to their daily routine. 10/12 patients completed the questionnaire. 90% said the written materials were clear and understandable, 70% said the programme was easy to incorporate into their lives, 80% were motivated to exercise every day, 90% considered the pedometer a good motivational tool, 70% found the diary practical, 80% reported improved confidence, 100% felt a sense of achievement after reaching their target, 100% would recommend the programme to another patient. To date, over 200 walking packs have been requested. The ILFA 2000 Steps a Day Challenge is a novel, safe, effective and achievable home-based exercise solution for IPF patients.

Powerful leverages and counter-currents in the unborn child spiritual care: a qualitative study.

In different cultures, pregnancy, birth and motherhood are perceived as spiritual events through their miraculous processes and create an ideal context for spiritual enrichment. However, studies on spirituality and birth are at very early stages. The purpose of this study was to understand the facilitators and barriers of the unborn child spiritual care in Iranian women. Twenty-two mothers with live pregnancy experience who were willing and able to share their life stories were selected purposefully in Tehran (Iran) from May 2012 to April 2013. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze 27 interviews. Active and passive acquisition of information, inner inspirational messages, receiving effective support from the people around as well as modeling of self and significant others created “powerful leverages” to accelerate mother for caring her unborn child. “Counter-currents” in the form of unsuitable physical conditions during pregnancy, poor economic and social conditions, unsuitable psychological and cognitive conditions and finally understanding unsuitable ideological conditions of the self and care giver were identified as barriers. Iranian cultural and religious perspective on the unborn child physical and mental influence from mother has an important role in mother’s self-care behaviors during pregnancy. It seems that using interdisciplinary professionals’ skills based on understanding facilitators and barriers of mother care of the unborn child can lead to providing comprehensive prenatal care according to mothers’ cultural, religious and social context.

Debunking the false dichotomy of leadership idealism and pragmatism: Critical evaluation and support of newer genre leadership theories

SummaryLeadership theories have shifted over the last few decades from a focus on managerial functions and economic leader–follower exchanges toward greater focus on the interpersonal dynamics occurring within the leadership process. Theories such as transformational, ethical, authentic, and other “newer genre” theories were created to address neglected topics such as leader vision and inspirational messages, transparency, emotional effects, morality, individualized attention, and intellectual stimulation. Critiques of these theories, however, have been raised. In this paper, we address five of those critiques and argue for the validity and practical effectiveness of the new genre theories. Further, we describe how newer genre leadership research should be viewed as a performative epistemology, entailing a process of co‐creation involving scholars and practitioners. Finally, from this view, we provide general ideas for leader development. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

White Coat Ceremony: a Medical Student’s Journey from Basic Sciences to Clinical Medicine

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Convention Brings Evidence of Excellence

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA Convention Coverage1 Jul 2012Convention Brings Evidence of Excellence Celia Hooper, andPhD, CCC-SLP Gregg GivensPhD, CCC-A Celia Hooper Google Scholar More articles by this author , PhD, CCC-SLP and Gregg Givens Google Scholar More articles by this author , PhD, CCC-A https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.ACC3.17092012.16 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In As co-chairs of the 2012 ASHA Convention, we have witnessed our great colleagues in the professions seize the opportunity to offer creative sessions that showcase the latest in clinical practice, research, and community service. We are excited that the communication sciences and disorders (CSD) discipline has continued its progress in evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence, leading us to our Convention theme—Evidence of Excellence: Opportunities and Outcomes. The CSD research community has helped us move our evidence to practice, and the Convention Program Committee has worked tirelessly to create what will be an exciting meeting centered on this theme. This year’s Convention has so much to offer—including some popular features returning from last year. From the Opening General Session on Thursday morning, to Thursday evening’s Welcome Reception (relocated to the Exhibit Hall, the heart of the Convention!), to more networked rooms that will expand access to popular at-capacity sessions, we’ve made sure to keep Convention features that attendees like best. We are very excited to have Maya Angelou as our keynote speaker for the opening session. Angelou, hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature, writes about the opportunities and challenges of life. Her speech and language challenges as a young child are highlighted in her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She will certainly capture the audience with the elegance and insight of her words. Her inspirational messages of hope and equality are especially appropriate for our setting in historic, vibrant Atlanta. Don’t miss the Awards Ceremony, where we recognize members’ achievements. Sen. John Glenn and Annie Glenn will present the 2012 Annie Glenn Award, given to someone who exemplifies the distinction, courage, and personal strength of Mrs. Glenn, who overcame a communication disorder. This year’s award goes to a couple—Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Captain Mark Kelly. The strength and determination displayed by their journey through rehabilitation—coupled with the excellence of their rehabilitation team—are inspirational to us all. Evidence of excellence in our professions takes many forms, from the outcome of a single client’s progress to the successful completion of a research project. In more than 1,800 sessions offered this year, our presenters will share their own excellence with participants in numerous ways. This Convention’s professional education features some great sessions with invited speakers, including our Premier Sessions. In the first such session, Mark Bauerlein of Emory University will focus on social media use among young adults in the United States in “Social Media Aren’t Social: Young Adults and Web 3.0.” This presentation will discuss the implications for CSD professionals of the avalanche of texts, Facebook entries, and other social media connections in this population. In our second Premier Session, Scott Simmons, director of telemedicine at the University of Miami, will present “Telehealth—Redefining the Point of Care,” which will focus on determining the point of care that is most convenient for the patient, and the impact of this change on all health care delivery. Several important themes have emerged in submissions proposed by ASHA members, including: Telepractice Use of technology, including social media, tablet computers, free apps, Internet materials, and imaging Grand rounds/best practices in a variety of clinical disorder areas Genetics and CSD Internationalization, including diagnosis and treatment in many languages Clinical research updates on implants and wearable devices “Dosage,” or evidence of how much treatment and how often Health care reform, including the changing health care landscape These themes will be evident in many seminars and poster presentations, which you will find to be relevant, timely, and stimulating. And we hope that your overall ASHA Convention experience will be rewarding, enriching, and invigorating—imparting new ideas, techniques, and professional connections to take back to your practice. Author Notes Celia Hooper, PhD, CCC-SLP, Convention co-chair for speech-language pathology, can be reached at [email protected]. Gregg Givens, PhD, CCC-A, Convention co-chair for audiology, can be reached at [email protected] Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 17Issue 9July 2012 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Jul 1, 2012 Metrics Current downloads: 62 Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagasha-article-typesleader-topicsCopyright & Permissions© 2012 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

Translating truth

The article considers the role of translation in encounters between religious citizens and secular citizens. It follows Habermas in holding that translations rearticulate religious contents in a way that facilitates learning. Since he underplays the complexities of translation, it takes some steps beyond Habermas towards developing a more adequate account. Its main thesis is that the required account of translation must keep sight of the question of truth. Focusing on inspirational stories of exemplary figures and acts, it contends that a successful translation makes truth appear anew; further, that it is the central role of truth in translation that enables the prospect of learning from the inspirational messages of religion. By highlighting truth as the point of continuity between intercultural learning and learning from religion, it provides support for the thesis that encounters between religious and secular citizens are a subset of intercultural encounters and, as such, contexts of possible mutual learning.

Twitter: The Sports Media Rookie

TwitterThe Sports Media Rookie Jaia A. Thomas (bio) Twitter has recently become a source of fascination and legal controversy for the sports world. Everyone from professional golfers (Steward Cink has over 900,000 followers) to professional basketball players (Shaquille O'Neal has more than 1.8 million followers) have signed on to Twitter (Gregory, 2009). Athletes rely on Twitter to share their thoughts, post pictures, make announcements and even relay inspirational messages to fans. For those unfamiliar with the new social networking phenomena Twitter, or who have been living under a rock for the past year,—here is a brief primer: Twitter, founded in 2006, is a free social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as 'tweets.' Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the authors profile page and delivered to author's subscribers who are otherwise known as 'followers.' Currently Twitter has 7 million unique monthly visitors and has a monthly growth of 1,382% (McGiboney, 2009). Technology gurus predict Twitter will surpass other social media outlets like Facebook and Myspace in the near future. Penalty Flags and Foul Balls Lead to New Regulation Athletes should be aware that opening a Twitter account can also open oneself up to a number of legal risks. Throughout the summer and fall of 2009, new Twitter accounts ushered in new [End Page 115] problems and new fines for a number of athletes. In August 2009, the San Diego Chargers fined Cornerback Antonio Cromartie $2,500 for using Twitter to complain about the food served at the team's training camp. The offending Twitter post not only complained about the food served at the team's training camp but also insinuated that it contributed to the team's failure to make it to the Super Bowl in recent years ("Cromartie tweets," 2009). During a recent game against the St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins backup linebacker Robert Henson used his Twitter page to label booing fans "dim-wits" and ask how people "who work 9 to 5 at McDonalds" could know what's best for the team. Henson later apologized and deactivated his Twitter account ("Henson takes," 2009, ¶3). Amid such recent controversy, many sports leagues have begun instituting formal Twitter policies. The NFL's Twitter policy, which applies to players, coaches and other team personnel, prohibits Twitter use beginning 90 minutes before a game until following the conclusion of media interviews after a game. The league does not restrict Twitter use by players and coaches on other days. In conjunction with their new policy, the NFL did issue an announcement that states "the growth of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has created new ways of or the NFL and clubs to communicate and connect with fans. The NFL has been at the forefront of the use of new media and will continue to emphasize innovation and approach use of these new forms of communication" ("League announces," 2009, ¶10). Fearful that the casual nature of Twitter could inspire players to inadvertently disclose privileged information ranging from game plans to injuries, the NBA has also followed suit by issuing a formal policy. On September 30, 2009, the league issued a policy prohibiting "coaches, players, and other team basketball personnel" from using cell phones and other communication devices 45 minutes before game time until after players have finished their responsibilities after the games ("NBA issues," 2009, ¶3). Following the lead of the NFL and NBA, the NHL most [End Page 116] recently instituted a league-wide policy pertaining to Twitter. The NHL policy prohibits players from using communicational devices for social media activity—including Twitter and Face-book—thirty minutes before and after games, practices, meetings and media access periods. In regards to the policy, NHL Director of Social Media Marketing, Mike Dilorenzo said he looked at the NBA and NFL rules and used that as the basis for his own recommendations (Corazza, 2009). Major League Baseball (MLB) has no specific guidelines but has a longstanding policy regarding communicational devices that prohibits their use thirty minutes before the start of a game. Defense v. Offense: Twitter's First Court...

Wasteaminute.com: Notes on Office Work and Digital Distraction

Wasteaminute.com: Notes on Office Work and Digital Distraction

Editor's desktop

The new media, including the 24/7 cable news networks, leave us all uncomfortably aware of the many disasters, natural and otherwise, that occur around the world and of the problems associated with information in such events. We witness the difficulties in sorting fact from rumor or initial impressions when sudden, complex events occur. As first responders scramble to reach victims and determine priorities for aid and assistance, communication and information are critical factors – thus, the emerging field of crisis informatics, which is the subject of this month's Bulletin. Our guest editor, Christine Hagar of Dominican University, has assembled a broad spectrum of papers in this area in terms of geography, problems and media studied. From Africa and Indonesia to Europe and the United States, from emergency preparedness to emergency response and from community radio to tweeting and cell phone video, the articles provide interesting examples of both human and the technological challenges. We also have two opinion pieces in this issue, one of which has some relationship to the crisis informatics section. Karen Hovde of the Northern Illinois University Libraries is concerned with “slow disasters” and the preservation of our cultural heritage. In another opinion piece, Deanna Hall extends our ongoing discussion of information professionals by considering the corporation as a stakeholder in LIS education. ASIS&T President, Gary Marchionini, and IA columnist, Thom Haller, both address recent ASIS&T activities. In “Possibilities Abound,” Thom Haller describes Richard Saul Wurman's keynote address at the 11th ASIS&T IA Summit held in Phoenix in April, which featured an unusual prop and an inspirational message. However, as Marchionini reports, the IA Summit was not the only one in Phoenix this year, as ASIS&T also concurrently sponsored its first Research Access and Preservation Summit. Marchionini also reviews the discussion from his first “teleconversation” with members, and welcomes an important new member of the ASIS&T Headquarters staff, director of communications Melissa Dawn Weaver.

Faith Tweets: Ambient Religious Communication and Microblogging Rituals

Faith Tweets: Ambient Religious Communication and Microblogging Rituals

On Our Own, Together: Peer Programs for People With Mental Illness

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book ReviewFull AccessOn Our Own, Together: Peer Programs for People With Mental IllnessSteven Einhaus C.S.R.Steven Einhaus C.S.R.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 May 2008https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2008.59.5.580aAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail The book takes a long overdue look at the power of peer-run services in the mental health system. It embraces the core principles of recovery, such as hope, personal responsibility, and empowerment. The book is a well-developed approach that looks at some of the successful peer-run programs throughout the United States. The chapters explore the clubhouse model, advocacy networks, and peer education. The authors demonstrate that peer support is a viable, successful strategy for people with psychiatric impairments to achieve the hopes and dreams of "normalcy."The authors also provide excellent insight, along with background statistics on how to organize and run a successful peer-support program in a community. The authors discuss how compassion, empathy, and understanding as integral values expressed through clubhouse, advocacy, and education empower consumers toward recovery. By showing that people can and do recover, the book succeeds in outlining a vision for the future and highlights the importance of peer services to people who struggle. In addition, the book addresses the importance of Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-step principles in consumer recovery. As a peer specialist at a major state psychiatric hospital, I highly recommend that professionals read On Our Own, Together to understand consumers' perspectives. The recovery model is fairly new. It will continue to grow as professionals, lay people, and consumers build their understanding and implement the model. It is refreshing to read a comprehensive text of success stories. The book is outstanding in its scope and vision for how these programs can help consumers enjoy more fulfilling lives in spite of limitations. The inspirational message rings true: recovery happens. Mr. Einhaus is a peer specialist at the Eastern State Hospital, Medical Lake, Washington. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 59Issue 5 May, 2008Pages 580-581PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES May 2008 Volume 59 Number 5 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 May 2008 Published in print 1 May 2008

Can a Cancer Program–Sponsored Spiritual Event Meet With Acceptance From Patients and Other Attendees?

While many cancer patients derive strength from spiritual or religious faith, concern often remains regarding how different patient subgroups and other community members might react to faith-based services when sponsored by a secular health care organization. "A Sacred Gathering for Those Touched by Cancer" was presented in 2 Catholic and 2 Protestant churches. The service included key themes (surrendering fear, peace, hope, community support, and God's love) reinforced by Scripture, music, ritual, and prayer. Patients, clergy, and staff participated. Questionnaires evaluating attendee characteristics, emotional response to the service, and satisfaction with service components were distributed. Attendees (women: 80%; Catholic: 71%; half older than 50 years) returned 450 questionnaires. Most found the service very (83%) or somewhat (14%) helpful. Multivariate regression of perceptions indicated (1) the opinion that the service was helpful was associated with the perception that the service made the respondent feel hopeful (P < .0001), that respondents found inspirational messages important (P = .058), and that the respondent was a current patient (P = .018) and (2) an angry response reported by respondents was associated with current patient status (P = .0044). Men tended to feel less loved by God (P = .012) and people (P = .034) and less hopeful (P = .057) than women did. Men liked music less (P = .048), liked Scripture and prayers concerning community less (P = .040), and found prayer (P = .0035) less important. However, men felt the gatherings were as helpful as women did. Past patients felt less sadness than did others (P = .0084). Increased perceived helpfulness of the service was associated in a multivariate analysis with current patient status, feeling hopeful as a result of the service, increased appreciation of the service's inspirational message, and the perception that the service was not too long. While almost all attendees found the service somewhat or very helpful, distinct preferences and reactions to the service were noted for gender, patient status, and religious affiliation. This evaluation will help tailor future events to better meet the spiritual needs of cancer patients and their loved ones.

Fighting the good mental fight

Mental Fight is an epic poem first published five years ago to celebrate the dawn of the third millennium. Its author, Ben Okri, describes the poem as an anti‐spell for the 21st century, and prefaces it with William Blake's famous lines (Blake, 1976), subsequently immortalised in the hymn Jerusalem: ‘I will not cease from Mental Fight, nor shall the Sword sleep in my hand, ‘til we have built Jerusalem, in England's green and pleasant land.’ The poem's inspirational message has stimulated the emergence of Mental Fight Club, a user‐led group in London that describes itself as ‘a new creative force for good mental health in Southwark and beyond’.

A structured spiritual service for cancer patients and families: Analysis of attendee responses

8133 Background: Compared to reported importance of religion and spirituality to Americans, investigation and reporting of attendee satisfaction and emotional response to spiritual programs for cancer patients and families is lacking. Methods: The content of a program, A Sacred Gathering for Those Touched by Cancer, was developed with clergy of different denominations and presented in two Catholic and two Protestant churches. The service included key themes (surrendering fear, peace, hope, community support, and God's love) reinforced by Scripture, music, ritual and prayer. Patient and staff participation was encouraged. Questionnaires evaluating attendee characteristics, emotional reaction to the service and satisfaction with service components were distributed. Results: Attendees returned 450 questionnaires. Most were women (80%) and Catholic (71%); half were over age 50. Most found the service very (83%) or somewhat (14%) helpful. In a stepwise regression model, perception that the service was helpful was associated with perception that the service made the respondent feel hopeful (p<.0001), that the respondent attached importance to inspirational messages (p=.058), and that the respondent was a current patient (p=.018). Stepwise regression also indicated those patients who reported an angry response tended to be current patients (p=0.0044). Men tended to feel less loved by God (p=0.012) and people (p=0.034), and less hopeful (p=0.057) than women. Men liked music less (p=0.048), the Scripture and prayers concerning community less (p=0.040), and found prayer (p=0.0035) and the litany of hope (p=0.043) less important than women. However, men felt that the gatherings were as helpful as women did. Evaluation of attendee characteristics reveals that past patients felt less sadness than others (p=.0084) while current patients felt more anger (p=.0010). Conclusions: While almost all attendees found the service somewhat or very helpful, distinct preferences and reactions to the service were noted for gender, patient status and religious affiliation. This evaluation will help tailor future events to better meet the spiritual needs of cancer patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

A structured spiritual service for cancer patients and families: Analysis of attendee responses

8133 Background: Compared to reported importance of religion and spirituality to Americans, investigation and reporting of attendee satisfaction and emotional response to spiritual programs for cancer patients and families is lacking. Methods: The content of a program, A Sacred Gathering for Those Touched by Cancer, was developed with clergy of different denominations and presented in two Catholic and two Protestant churches. The service included key themes (surrendering fear, peace, hope, community support, and God's love) reinforced by Scripture, music, ritual and prayer. Patient and staff participation was encouraged. Questionnaires evaluating attendee characteristics, emotional reaction to the service and satisfaction with service components were distributed. Results: Attendees returned 450 questionnaires. Most were women (80%) and Catholic (71%); half were over age 50. Most found the service very (83%) or somewhat (14%) helpful. In a stepwise regression model, perception that the service was helpful was associated with perception that the service made the respondent feel hopeful (p<.0001), that the respondent attached importance to inspirational messages (p=.058), and that the respondent was a current patient (p=.018). Stepwise regression also indicated those patients who reported an angry response tended to be current patients (p=0.0044). Men tended to feel less loved by God (p=0.012) and people (p=0.034), and less hopeful (p=0.057) than women. Men liked music less (p=0.048), the Scripture and prayers concerning community less (p=0.040), and found prayer (p=0.0035) and the litany of hope (p=0.043) less important than women. However, men felt that the gatherings were as helpful as women did. Evaluation of attendee characteristics reveals that past patients felt less sadness than others (p=.0084) while current patients felt more anger (p=.0010). Conclusions: While almost all attendees found the service somewhat or very helpful, distinct preferences and reactions to the service were noted for gender, patient status and religious affiliation. This evaluation will help tailor future events to better meet the spiritual needs of cancer patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.