Principles Of Intervention Research Articles

“Quality” of interventions on built Cultural Heritage

The paper deals with a Document prepared by an expert group, chaired by the author, established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) under the mandate of the European Commission. The action took place in the framework of the flagship EU Initiative of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018: “Cherishing heritage: developing quality standards for EU-funded projects that have the potential to impact on cultural heritage”. The main objective of the “Document on quality principles for EU-funded interventions on cultural heritage”, is to provide guidance for all stakeholders directly or indirectly engaged in EU-funded heritage conservation and management (European institutions, managing authorities, international organisations, civil society and local communities, private sector, and experts).

Monitorare per conservare: il caso della Torre Ghirlandina di Modena

The monumental complex consisting of the cathedral, tower and main square of Modena (Northern Italy) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The visible tilting of the Ghirlandina tower has always generated concerns for its preservation, even more after the recent seismic events. This paper highlights the role of structural monitoring for the conservation of the site, with particular reference to the data acquired during the recent Emilia earthquakes. Unexpectedly, the inclination of this leaning tower decreased after the major seismic event. Some considerations are presented regarding the difficulty of modelling this kind of effects on buildings with complex historical stratifications and the application of the observational method, derived from geotechnical engineering, is proposed. The importance of structural monitoring is once again recalled, in order to preserve world heritage and comply with the principle of minimum intervention.

Персоналізованій підхід до профілактики серцево-судинних захворювань

The article presents a number of major updates on the assessment of the risk of cardiovascular complications and the principles of preventive intervention based on the materials of the analyzed clinical recommendations. Previous European guidelines focused on risk stratification and prevention of risk factors, whereas the updated European Society of Cardiology document places great emphasis on personalization and stepwise intervention in clinical practice. When developing a prevention strategy, it is recommended to pay attention not only to gender and age indicators, but also to geographic and ethnic factors. A personalized approach to prevention using a cardiovascular risk score and stepwise selection of treatment are more complex than a general prevention strategy, but they reflect the diversity of patients and their characteristics in clinical practice.

The harm principle, personal identity and identity-relative paternalism

Is it ethical for doctors or courts to prevent patients from making choices that will cause significant harm to themselves in the future? According to an important liberal principle the...

State regulation of the sphere of higher education as an element of the development of the national economy

The article substantiates the expediency of state regulation in the sphere of higher education; the theoretical principles of state intervention in the market of higher education educational services are revealed; the structural elements of the state regulation system are defined, in particular, the object, the subject, goals, tasks, models, concepts, principles and functions of regulation; the methods of state regulation in the sphere of higher education are classified. The study also characterizes the directions of the administrative and legal mechanism of state regulation in the national sphere of higher education, such as management of the higher education system at various levels, regulation of the specialists training scope in certain specialties and educational levels, standardization of the higher education content, licensing and accreditation, certification and advanced training of scientific and pedagogical personnel, organization of an introductory company, conducting an audit of activities in the field of higher education, development of international cooperation, as well as the tools for their implementation are highlighted. The use of tools of organizational, economic and social mechanisms of state regulation of higher education in Ukraine, namely price control for educational services, financing of higher education, tax leverage, provision of employee incomes, crediting of higher education recipients, and state support of higher education subjects in conditions of martial law. The paper also proposes the directions of state regulation regarding the further development of the higher education sphere in the war and post-war periods, in particular, the attraction of opportunities to compensate for the destruction and the organization of the educational process offline; creation of conditions for retaining qualified personnel and providing a contingent of higher education applicants in Ukrainian higher education institutions; training of specialists in popular specialties; restoring the work of damaged or displaced higher education institutions, transforming them into scientific and educational (innovation) centers; elimination of legal conflicts; provision of high-quality, competitive higher education for various population groups; internationalization of higher education; ensuring digitization of educational activities; reforming the model of budgetary financing of higher education and modernization of crediting mechanisms for higher education.

ԳՈՐԳԻ ՎԵՐԱԿԱՆԳՆՄԱՆ ՍԿԶԲՈՒՆՔՆԵՐԸ. ՄԻՋԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ՉԱՓՈՐՈՇԻՉՆԵՐ, ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆՅԱՆ ՓՈՐՁ / PRINCIPLES OF CARPET RESTORATION: INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, ARMENIAN PRACTICE

The principles of carpets' structural intervention are formulated by conservation institutes and advisory institutions as cultural heritage and museum objects. The article presents foreign experience of intervention on this issue. In this context, our task was to research the experience of the museums in Armenia. They have more than thirty years of experience in this field. Accurate and partial restoration were carried out in the Soviet and post-Soviet attempts. The experience of carpet restoration is based on knowledge developed in the private field. In general, the problems of the carpet intervention are mainly related to education, necessity of professional discussions and boundaries developing to propose appropriate solutions.

Mobility and balance rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

To assess the benefits of neurological rehabilitation and the dose-response relationship for the treatment of mobility and balance in multiple sclerosis. We included studies investigating the effects of neurological rehabilitation on mobility and balance with the following eligibility criteria for inclusion: Population, People with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS); Intervention, method of rehabilitation interventions; Comparison, experimental (specific balance intervention) vs control (no intervention/no specific balance intervention); Outcome, balance clinical scales; Study Design, randomised controlled trials. We conducted a random effects dose-response meta-analysis to assess linear trend estimations and a one stage linear mixed effects meta-regression for estimating dose-response curves. We retrieved 196 studies from a list of 5020 for full text review and 71 studies (n subjects=3306) were included. One study was a cross-over and 70 studies were randomized controlled trials and the mean sample size per study was 46.5±28.6 (mean±SD) with a mean age of 48.3±7.8years, disease duration of 11.6±6.1years, and EDSS of 4.4±1.4points. Twenty-nine studies (40.8%) had the balance outcome as the primary outcome, while 42 studies (59.1%) had balance as secondary outcome or did not specify primary and secondary outcomes. Thirty-three trials (46.5%) had no active intervention as comparator and 38 trials (53.5%) had an active control group. Individual level data from 20 studies (n subjects=1016) were analyzed showing a medium pooled effect size for balance interventions (SMD=0.41; 95% CIs 0.22 to 0.59). Moreover, we analyzed 14 studies (n subjects=696) having balance as primary outcome and BBS as primary endpoint yielding a mean difference of 3.58 points (95% CIs 1.79 to 5.38, p<0.0001). Finally, we performed meta regression of the 20 studies showing an association between better outcome, log of intensity defined as minutes per session (β=1.26; SEβ=0.51; p=0.02) and task-oriented intervention (β=0.38; SEβ=0.17; p=0.05). Our analyses provide level 1 evidence on the effect of balance intervention to improve mobility. Furthermore, according to principles of neurological rehabilitation, high intensity and task-specific interventions are associated with better treatment outcomes.

Unsupervised machine learning to classify language dimensions to constitute the linguistic complexity of mathematical word problems

The study examines language dimensions of mathematical word problems and the classification of mathematical word problems according to these dimensions with unsupervised machine learning (ML) techniques. Previous research suggests that the language dimensions are important for mathematical word problems because it has an influence on the linguistic complexity of word problems. Depending on the linguistic complexity students can have language obstacles to solve mathematical word problems. A lot of research in mathematics education research focus on the analysis on the linguistic complexity based on theoretical build language dimensions. To date, however it has been unclear what empirical relationship between the linguistic features exist for mathematical word problems. To address this issue, we used unsupervised ML techniques to reveal latent linguistic structures of 17 linguistic features for 342 mathematical word problems and classify them. The models showed that three- and five-dimensional linguistic structures have the highest explanatory power. Additionally, the authors consider a four-dimensional solution. Mathematical word problem from the three-dimensional solution can be classify in two groups, three- and five-dimensional solutions in three groups. The findings revealed latent linguistic structures and groups that could have an implication of the linguistic complexity of mathematical word problems and differ from language dimensions, which are considered theoretically. Therefore, the results indicate for new design principles for interventions and materials for language education in mathematics learning and teaching.

ASSESSING QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH SURGICALLY CORRECTED VALVULOPATHIES AFTER CARDIAC REHABILITATION

Valvulopathy is a valvular disease that causes changes in the structure and dysfunction of the valvular system with impaired individual functionality and social impact. Surgical treatment consists in replacing the heart valve with a prosthesis using extracorporeal circulation. The most used prostheses are biological and mechanical, while homografts are less commonly used. Continuous progress in prosthesis valve technology has forced a reorientation towards conservative surgery and thus led to a new development of the cardiac rehabilitation process. An important aspect is the increasing proportion of patients with valvulopathies in general and particularly those which surgery, which raises the importance of postoperative cardiac rehabilitation. After surgical correction, even if the patient is sedated and intubated, the physiotherapist initiates the cardiac rehabilitation programme in accordance with the principle of early kinetic intervention so that recovery is achieved as quickly as possible at parameters that allow reintegration into family and socio-professional life. In this context, the aim of this research is to assess the quality of life of patients with surgically corrected valvulopathies after applying the cardiac rehabilitation programme to a sample of 30 people included in the case study. The methods used in this scientific research are: documentation, questionnaire (QLHR-Q10), observation and data processing. The findings highlight that the quality of life of patients with surgically corrected valvulopathies is average but it constantly improves as a result of adopting a healthy lifestyle and applying the cardiac rehabilitation programme.

Core components of project-based intervention after acquired brain injury: Delivering meaningful groups online.

Rehabilitation for cognitive-communication impairments following brain injury can be complex given the heterogenous nature of impairments post injury. Project-based intervention has the potential to improve communication skills and create a meaningful real-life context where individuals collaborate to develop a concrete product, which benefits others. While evidence for this intervention is emerging, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted increased use of telehealth interventions to serve people with brain injury. This paper aims to describe a framework for the delivery of project-based intervention via telehealth within community rehabilitation settings; and present several case studies of telehealth groups completed in the United Kingdom and the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. A working group was formed to map the components of project-based intervention onto the rehabilitation treatment specification system (RTSS). This system is a conceptual framework that helps to explain the link between treatment theory and ingredients, allowing a clinician to clearly understand how and why a treatment works. First, a literature search was completed to identify eligible studies on project-based intervention after brain injury. Second, those studies were thematically mapped onto the RTSS to identify important intervention components. Third, the presence of these components was assessed for community brain injury groups delivered via telehealth in the United Kingdom and United States. These groups were further described using a taxonomy of social activities that help to describe the degree of meaningful social engagement. The literature was described with a thematic RTSS summary. Treatment aims focus on skills training and self-efficacy, advocacy and self-empowerment, emotional well-being and quality of life, and collaboration and community belonging. Treatment ingredients involve a range of cognitive and behavioural supports to deliver meaningful activities and contexts to complete a project. Mechanisms of action involve learning by doing and cognitive and affective information processing. All four telehealth groups conducted in the United Kingdom and United States involved at least three treatment aims, >7 targets, and >8 treatment ingredients. All groups reported positive experiences from activities that involve working collaboratively to help others and contribute to society. Project-based intervention delivered via telehealth has the potential for supporting people with acquired brain injury to improve their communication skills and engage in meaningful, collaborative activity. Application of the RTSS helps clinicians to understand the aims and therapeutic ingredients (or clinician activities) through which a person with brain injury may achieve specific treatment targets during the rehabilitation process. What is already known on the subject Project-based interventions have the potential to improve cognitive, self-regulatory, behavioural and social communication skills, renegotiate identity and reaffirm sense of self, providing a positive impact on quality of life for persons with acquired brain injuries. Projects serve as a context for meaningful engagement for individuals in the chronic phase of traumatic brain injury recovery, without fulfilling work, family or social responsibilities. However, most published research has involved in-person projects and few projects have been delivered via telehealth. What this paper adds to existing knowledge While past published works have shared core principles of intervention, a variety of projects, durations, dosages and methods have been employed. The current paper provides a framework to support more consistent implementation. By mapping previous project-based interventions to the RTSS, clinicians will have a better understanding of the aims, targets, ingredients and theoretical underpinnings of project-based interventions. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to telehealth moved interventions to a virtual context. The four case projects in this paper demonstrate that it is possible to conduct project-based interventions via telehealth and provides a clear description to guide clinicians in their delivery. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This work begins to build the foundation for more rigorous, empirical examination of project-based interventions. By mapping project-based interventions to the RTSS, core aims, targets and ingredients are established that can be objectively examined. This investigation also provides a road map for clinicians who wish to implement this complex intervention.

Transparent hybrid glass-steel bracing to improve the seismic capacity of historic buildings with colonnades

Any seismic retrofitting plan on historical monuments has to follow the principles of minimal intervention, recognizability and reversibility. A feasibility study is here proposed for a new type of glass-based bracing, particularly suitable to strengthen soft storeys, typically represented by the presence of colonnades. This has the advantages of being stiff, slender and, most of all, transparent, recognizable and completely reversible. The bracing is a large laminated glass pane contoured by a thin steel lamina (frame), which confines the glass and provides a restraint against the pane rotation under horizontal actions. Since glass is a brittle material, we propose a system of gaskets and aluminum inserts, specifically designed to avoid contact stress concentration, especially at the corners of the glass pane. A paradigmatic case study, corresponding to a colonnade extrapolated from a representative historic building, has been analyzed in detail. Discrete element modeling has been used to simulate the dynamic response of the ancient masonry composed of stone blocks under horizontal seismic-like ground motion. Since the glass-based bracing represents a source of concentrated stiffness, we evaluate its correct placement inside the colonnade in order to avoid hammering effects, otherwise the bracing could even worsen the seismic capacity of the original structure. Another crucial issue is the connection of the bracing to the old masonry and foundations, for which possible technical details are provided. We show that a correct design and positioning of the bracing can improve the seismic capacity of the system with minimal visual impact.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Search for New Information Through Routine Laboratory Tests: Systematic Review.

In recent decades, the use of artificial intelligence has been widely explored in health care. Similarly, the amount of data generated in the most varied medical processes has practically doubled every year, requiring new methods of analysis and treatment of these data. Mainly aimed at aiding in the diagnosis and prevention of diseases, this precision medicine has shown great potential in different medical disciplines. Laboratory tests, for example, almost always present their results separately as individual values. However, physicians need to analyze a set of results to propose a supposed diagnosis, which leads us to think that sets of laboratory tests may contain more information than those presented separately for each result. In this way, the processes of medical laboratories can be strongly affected by these techniques. In this sense, we sought to identify scientific research that used laboratory tests and machine learning techniques to predict hidden information and diagnose diseases. The methodology adopted used the population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes principle, searching the main engineering and health sciences databases. The search terms were defined based on the list of terms used in the Medical Subject Heading database. Data from this study were presented descriptively and followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses; 2020) statement flow diagram and the National Institutes of Health tool for quality assessment of articles. During the analysis, the inclusion and exclusion criteria were independently applied by 2 authors, with a third author being consulted in cases of disagreement. Following the defined requirements, 40 studies presenting good quality in the analysis process were selected and evaluated. We found that, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of works that have used this methodology, mainly because of COVID-19. In general, the studies used machine learning classification models to predict new information, and the most used parameters were data from routine laboratory tests such as the complete blood count. Finally, we conclude that laboratory tests, together with machine learning techniques, can predict new tests, thus helping the search for new diagnoses. This process has proved to be advantageous and innovative for medical laboratories. It is making it possible to discover hidden information and propose additional tests, reducing the number of false negatives and helping in the early discovery of unknown diseases.

INNOVATIONS IN REMOTE SUPPORT FOR DEMENTIA FAMILY CAREGIVERS

Abstract Remote delivery of dementia caregiver interventions can decrease delivery costs, and make it more feasible to provide evidence-based interventions to caregivers across the country. As the science behind remote delivery develops, new technologies and their applications can ensure preservation of important intervention components and principles, as well as novel forms of data collection. In this symposium, investigators will present on studies that demonstrate how technology can be used to improve delivery and assessment of remote caregiver interventions. Walter Dawson, D.Phil, will share findings from the Support via Technology: Living and Learning with Advancing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (STELLA) intervention. Using secondary data collected via weekly survey, he examined the association between costs of care and behavioral symptoms of dementia. Next, Allison Gibson, PhD, MSW, will present results from focus groups about caregivers’ experiences of the Harmony at HOME (H@H), a telehealth intervention to improve person-environment fit and limit behavioral symptoms of dementia. Kylie Meyer, PhD, will present results from the Learning Skills Together intervention, which uses teleconferencing to teach family caregivers how to provide complex care tasks while adhering to self-efficacy theory. Lastly, Shirin Hiatt, MPH, MS, RN, will present findings from the REmote Assessment and Dynamic Response (READyR) study, which tests the application of remote monitoring technology to assess adherence to value-based care (e.g., autonomy) among spousal family care partners. Each study was supported by the Emory University Roybal Center for Dementia Caregiving Mastery or Oregon Roybal Center for Care Support Translational Research Advantaged by Integrating Technology.

Current Evidence and Future Perspective for Coronary Bifurcation Stenting.

Coronary bifurcation lesions account for 15%-20% of all percutaneous coronary interven tions and are associated with greater procedural complexity and consequently at higher risk for cardiac adverse events. Early clinical trials in the interventional approach to bifurcation lesions supported provisional stenting. However, the most recent randomized studies have indicated potentially superior results using a double-kissing crush technique, particularly for unprotected distal left main bifurcation lesions. Moreover, many operators recently favor double-kissing mini-culotte, nanocrush, and double-kissing nanocrush stenting techniques for bifurcation lesions. In this review, we describe the traditional and novel bifurcation stenting techniques and the current evidence for each and review general principles for bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention.

Biological Intervention Technologies for Seafood Processing

In this article, various biological intervention technologies for seafood processing are reviewed. An increasing global demand for high-quality seafood products and a rise in associated foodborne diseases have fuelled the development of novel and environmentally friendly preservation techniques in recent years. Current intervention technologies refer to those which have been approved by the government in various countries and are regulated in the food industry, and they include the use of bacteriocins, lactic acid bacteria and bacteriophages. The delicate nature of seafood poses many technological challenges due to the susceptibility to alteration during traditional processing. As such, the synergistic combination of different techniques to produce a hurdle effect could yield seafood of superior microbiological standards whilst retaining their desirable organoleptic properties. This review summarizes the principles of the various biological interventions in eliminating pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in seafood, and evaluates their benefits, limitations and potential for industrial application.

IWHELD, A Novel Digital Non‐Pharmacological Intervention with Live Virtual Coaching Reduces Antipsychotic Use in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia Compared to Usual Care in a 16‐week RCT

AbstractBackgroundImplementation of evidence‐based training into real world practice in nursing home settings is a major challenge. Digital approaches provide real potential to addressing the barriers, particularly over the difficult period of the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodiWHELD is a first‐of‐its‐kind digital programme evolving the principles of the WHELD intervention combining person centred care, social interaction, and antipsychotic review, combining virtual coaching with a digital resource for nursing homes. The intervention utilising a Dementia Champion model supported by live virtual coaching set within a digital resource hub and peer networking platform was compared to usual care in a 16‐week randomised control cluster study of 741 people with dementia across 149 nursing homes in the UK. The initial outcomes evaluated are the use of antipsychotic drugs and neuropsychiatric symptoms (using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory NH).Result36/72 (53%) of nursing homes allocated to the active treatment arm engaged successfully with the digital intervention, with 563 residents completing the treatment period. The average age of residents was 84.5 years, 71% were female, and there were no significant differences between treatment arms. There was a significant reduction in antipsychotic use in the digital iWHELD treatment group from 49% to 31% compared to no change in the group receiving usual care (p = 0.046). Initial analysis of neuropsychiatric symptoms indicates a non‐significant improvement in the intervention group compared to those receiving usual care.ConclusionThe current RCT using an online programme with live virtual coaching delivered through a Dementia Champion achieved better than 50% engagement, which compares favourably with previous studies of digital interventions in other therapeutic areas. The intervention also achieved significant reductions in antipsychotic use without any worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms, and provides an important potential approach to safely reducing the rise in antipsychotic use in nursing home residents with dementia that has become a major challenge during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

A Hybrid Ecological Momentary Compassion-Focused Intervention for Enhancing Resilience in Help-Seeking Young People: Prospective Study of Baseline Characteristics in the EMIcompass Trial.

Young people are a target population for mental health-related early intervention and prevention. Although evidence for early intervention is promising, availability of and access to youth mental health services remain limited. Therefore, the development of an evidence-based hybrid intervention is urgently needed. This study aimed to present a manual for a hybrid intervention, combining an ecological momentary intervention and face-to-face sessions aimed for enhancing resilience in help-seeking young people based on compassion-focused interventions, and explore whether participants' baseline characteristics are associated with putative mechanisms and outcomes of the EMIcompass intervention. Specifically, we aimed to explore initial signals as to whether participants' sociodemographic, clinical, and functional characteristics at baseline are associated with putative mechanisms (ie, change in self-compassion, change in emotion regulation, working alliance, training frequency); and whether participants' sociodemographic, clinical, and functional characteristics, self-compassion, and emotion regulation at baseline are associated with clinical outcomes (ie, psychological distress and general psychopathology at postintervention and 4-week follow-ups) in the experimental condition and obtain first parameter estimates. We recruited young people aged 14 to 25 years, with psychological distress, Clinical High At-Risk Mental State, or first episodes of severe mental disorder for an exploratory randomized controlled trial with assessments at baseline and postintervention and 4-week follow-ups. A structured manual was developed and optimized based on a pilot study's manual, a scoping review of existing literature and manuals, exchange with experts, the team's clinical experience of working with compassion-focused interventions, and the principles of ecological momentary interventions. This analysis focuses on the experimental condition receiving the EMIcompass intervention. A total of 46 young individuals were randomized to the experimental condition. There was evidence for initial signals of effects of age (B=0.11, 95% CI 0.00-0.22), general psychopathology (B=0.08, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.16), and clinical stage (B=1.50, 95% CI 0.06-2.93) on change in momentary self-compassion and change in emotion regulation from baseline to postintervention assessments. There was no evidence for associations of other baseline characteristics (eg, gender, minority status, and level of functioning) and putative mechanisms (eg, overall self-compassion, working alliance, and training frequency). In addition, except for an initial signal for an association of momentary self-compassion at baseline and psychological distress (B=-2.83, 95% CI -5.66 to 0.00), we found no evidence that baseline characteristics related to clinical outcomes. The findings indicated the reach of participants by the intervention largely independent of sociodemographic, clinical, and functional baseline characteristics. The findings need to be confirmed in a definitive trial. German Clinical Trials Register NDRKS00017265; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00017265. RR2-10.2196/27462.

Interdisciplinary approach of Yalom's group therapy factors: A theoretical model for including animal presence in social work education and practice.

An increasing number of studies in the field of Social Work (SW) address the incorporation of animal presence in practice and improved understanding of social support and therapeutic components. Education programs on the ethical and practical principles of animal-assisted interventions, including models and theories supporting the psycho-physiological effects of human-animal interactions (HAI), are being implemented around the world, especially in the US. While designing and implementing a new interdisciplinary curriculum can be time-consuming and, depending on the many variables, integrating elements of HAI components in existing curricula can be a more efficient approach. We present a step-by-step approach for inclusion of HAI knowledge and practice in teaching Yalom's principles and therapeutic factors of group therapy to SW students. Based on a qualitative analysis of the existent literature and on the results of several research projects in the field of HAI, we propose an approach for infusing research-informed examples and theories supporting the beneficial effects of HAI in the direction of the interdisciplinary understanding of the Yalom's primary factors in the therapeutic process, such as: instillation of hope, corrective recapitulation of the primary family group, development of socializing techniques, imitative behavior, interpersonal learning, and group cohesion. Applied values of HAI are discussed for each factor, emphasizing the added value of animal presence in group therapy settings from the perspective of the dynamic of interspecific social networks, i.e., animal-handler-group members.

Timing, approach, and treatment strategies for infected pancreatic necrosis: a narrative review

Timing, approach, and treatment strategies for infected pancreatic necrosis: a narrative review

Ubuntu and Values Underlying the Vatsonga Culture: Implications for Developmental Social Work with Children

The development of the social work profession in Western countries is criticised as being irrelevant to the African context. Although developmental social work was introduced in South Africa to align the profession with African contexts and adopted in some southern African countries, the acknowledgement of African indigenous knowledge systems remains a neglected area. In this article, we present the findings of the study that explored the use of Vatsonga indigenous knowledge in child protection. By using a qualitative study as the basis, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 Vatsonga elders who were keepers of their indigenous knowledge. The research findings indicate that beliefs and practices based on the African principles underlying ubuntu have a strong focus on enhancing the well-being of children, including orphans and vulnerable children, and could relate to the central goal and the concepts underlying developmental social work. We conclude that there is a strong association between the principles of ubuntu and developmental social work interventions that focus on the well-being of children.