Well-being Of Participants Research Articles

Mental health mobile application self-help for adolescents exhibiting psychological distress: A single case experimental design.

The present demand for child and adolescent mental health services exceeds the capacity for service provision. Greater research is required to understand the utility of accessible self-help interventions, such as mobile apps. This study sought to investigate whether use of a mental health app, underpinned by CBT, led to changes in psychological distress amongst adolescents. Mechanisms of change were examined, specifically whether changes are attributable to cognitive strategies. This study utilised a multiple-baseline single-case experimental design, tracking variables across baseline and intervention phases. Surveys assessing participant experience were also administered. Five participants with moderate-to-severe levels of psychological distress engaged with a CBT-based app over five weeks. Participants were recruited from both a well-being service and the general population. Supplementary weekly calls to participants offered clarification of app content. A small overall effect of the intervention of psychological distress was evident; however, outcomes were dependent on the analysis conducted. The intervention appeared to promote an increase in use of adaptive cognitive strategies but not negative thinking styles. The CBT app did not promote changes in participant well-being. Participant feedback highlighted practical challenges of utilising the app. The clinical benefits of app-based CBT were small, and a range of barriers to engagement were recognised. While further research is required, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of studies reporting on app effectiveness.

Analysis And Enhancement Of The Senior High School Physical Education And Health Curriculum

This investigation embarks on a thorough examination of the Senior High School Physical Education and Health Curriculum, aiming to dissect its existing framework, pinpoint areas for refinement, and ultimately amplify the curriculum's influence on students' physical well-being and educational journey. This scholarly inquiry seeks to evaluate and refine the Senior High School Physical Education and Health Curriculum under the purview of the Department of Education (DepEd) SHS. Its core objective lies in appraising the present condition of the curriculum, with a focus on alignment, efficacy, pedagogical approaches, challenges, and avenues for enhancement. Through a comprehensive inquiry, this study strives to address pivotal inquiries concerning the curriculum's blueprint, encompassing facets like Physical Fitness, Sports, Dance, and Recreation. Moreover, the research delves into potential disparities in curriculum status based on demographic attributes such as Age, Gender, Educational Qualification, Length of Service, and Teaching Grade Level. Employing a blended methodology, the study integrates quantitative techniques. Data collection transpires via surveys administered to 54 educators, including Physical Education and Health teachers, coordinators, and instructors from both public and private educational institutions within the Zamboanga region. The demographic insights gleaned from participants illuminate aspects of gender distribution, grade-level assignments, institutional categorization, age cohorts, tenure, and educational attainments. Rigorous validation and reliability assessments are upheld through expert scrutiny and preliminary testing of the survey instrument. Ethical considerations take precedence, safeguarding participant well-being, privacy, and informed consent. The study's findings hold the promise of advancing comprehension of the curriculum's current status and facilitating the development of strategies for its enrichment, thereby ultimately fostering heightened student engagement and enriching learning outcomes in the realms of physical education and health.

Cultivating capacities in community-based researchers in low-resource settings: Lessons from a participatory study on violence and mental health in Sri Lanka.

Participatory methods, which rely heavily on community-based data collectors, are growing in popularity to deliver much-needed evidence on violence and mental health in low- and middle-income countries. These settings, along with local researchers, encounter the highest burden of violence and mental ill-health, with the fewest resources to respond. Despite increased focus on wellbeing for research participants and, to a lesser degree, professional researchers in such studies, the role-specific needs of community-based researchers receive scant attention. This co-produced paper draws insights from one group's experience to identify rewards, challenges, and recommendations for supporting wellbeing and development of community-based researchers in sensitive participatory projects in low-resource settings. Twenty-one community-based researchers supporting a mixed-methods study on youth, violence and mental health in Sri Lanka submitted 63 reflexive structured journal entries across three rounds of data collection. We applied Attride-Stirling's method for thematic analysis to explore peer researchers' learning about research, violence and mental health; personal-professional boundaries; challenges in sensitive research; and experiences of support from the core team. Sri Lanka's first study capturing experiences of diverse community-based researchers aims to inform the growing number of global health and development actors relying on such talent to deliver sensitive and emotionally difficult work in resource-limited and potentially volatile settings. Viewing participatory research as an opportunity for mutual learning among both community-based and professional researchers, we identify practice gaps and opportunities to foster respectful team dynamics and create generative and safe co-production projects for all parties. Intentional choices around communication, training, human and consumable resources, project design, and navigating instable research conditions can strengthen numerous personal and professional capacities across teams. Such individual and collective growth holds potential to benefit short- and long-term quality of evidence and inform action on critical issues, including violence and mental health, facing high-burden, low-resource contexts.

Preface

Over the last 4 years, MEIE has been held in various locations, including Hangzhou (2018 & 2019), an online conference due to COVID-19 (2020), and a hybrid event in Kunming (2021), attracted speakers and participants from 12 countries and regions including Australia, Canada, China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the United States...The Fifth International Conference on Mechanical, Electric and Industrial Engineering (MEIE 2022) was co-organized by China Institute for Quality Research (Shanghai Jiao Tong University) and Ningbo University, which was supposed to be held on May 24-26, 2022 in Sanya, China. Due to the COVID-19 situation and focusing on the health and well-being of the conference participants, the organizing committee decided to hold MEIE 2022 virtually/online on June 24-25, 2022. This event attracted over 80 participants from 6 different countries and regions, and addressed both basic research and the societal/industrial-technological needs within mechanical, electric and industrial engineering.Conference program was divided into 3 sessions: keynote speeches, oral presentations and poster presentations. We are honored to invite 5 experts to give the impressive keynote speeches. And there were 22 oral presenters and 14 poster presenters. During these sessions, presenters shared their latest research findings. Audiences were actively participated in discussion and voting for the best presentations.The proceedings of this conference comprise 98 accepted contributions from 234 submissions, all the papers have been through rigorous peer review to meet the requirements of international publication standards. Many thanks to the authors for their valuable contributions and to the attendees for their active participation. We would like to express our gratitude to the reviewers, who provided constructive criticism and stimulating comments and suggestions to the authors. We are grateful to the organizers, technical program committee for their precious time and advice, as well as internationally renowned scientists who acted as keynote speakers at the conference.Finally, our sincere gratitude goes also to the IOP Publishing editors and managers for their helpful cooperation during the preparation of the conference proceedings.On behalf of the Organizing Committee of MEIE 2022.List of Technical Program Committee is available in this Pdf.

The Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the mental wellbeing of student-athletes and non-athlete students in a university in Ghana

Research suggests that major disruptions to one’s life can have negative effects on their mental wellbeing. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused psychological distress in various contexts of human life. Cancellation of sporting events and transition of courses to primarily online platforms can have significant impact on the lives of university student athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, hence increasing their risk of poor mental wellbeing and loneliness. The present study aimed at determining the mental wellbeing of student-athletes in a certain university in Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic. This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited a total of 200 participants (102 student-athletes and 98 non-athlete students). Mental wellbeing of participants in terms of depression, anxiety and stress was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Statistical analysis of data revealed significant difference between the mean scores of athletes and non-athletes for all mental health variables under consideration; depression, anxiety and stress (p

Subsistence Farmers’ Understanding of the Effects of Indirect Impacts of Human Wildlife Conflict on Their Psychosocial Well-Being in Bhutan

Indirect impacts of Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) are largely ignored, poorly understood, and scantly reported in the literature on HWC. Subsistence farmers in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan experience an increasing intensification of HWC impacts. Working across four districts representing different geographic regions of the country, we explored the perceived indirect impacts of HWC and how they affect the well-being and happiness of subsistence farmers using qualitative interviews (n = 48) and focus group discussions (n = 8). We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis. Based on respondent’s explanations, we coded the data according to effect of indirect impacts on human, social, financial, physical, natural, and psychological capitals. Mental distress, constant worries about food insecurity, fears for physical safety, frustration of movement restriction due to fear of being attack by wildlife, feelings of economic insecurity and anger over loss of crop and livestock due to wild predators affect the psychological health and well-being of research participants. Vulnerabilities related to gender and wealth status further deepen the effect of indirect impacts. Policies designed to address HWC should incorporate an understanding of the effects of indirect impacts of HWC and should focus on female-headed and poor households to reduce the negative effects of wildlife impacts.

Reflecting on Ethical Processes and Dilemmas in Doctoral Research

This paper discusses ethical dilemmas from an early-career researcher perspective, drawing upon doctoral research experiences—my own. The doctoral study involved life-history interviews with five primary-school-teacher mothers. During the study, ethical dilemmas arose that were not considered by me or in the official university ethical processes. This left me feeling vulnerable in the data-collection period and overwhelmed with concerns for the well-being of participants and for myself as researcher. This paper draws on my journal entries and reflections; detailed reflections of the pre-, during and post-fieldwork stages were collected (totalling over 600 entries). The paper utilizes critical incidents analysis to explore two ethical dilemmas from the data collection phase. Findings include personal reflections on experiences of university processes and the mismatch between the metaphor of ethics as a ‘hurdle’ on a smooth track to completion, and the real-life incidents and dilemmas that followed ethical approval. Recommendations are made for a consideration of doctoral ethical dilemma support and the limitations of formal ethics processes in UK universities.

“My quality of life was not the best” experiences of Australians during the COVID pandemic

Abstract Background The social and economic impacts that have occurred during the pandemic can disproportionally affect those already experiencing poverty. The social determinants of health aggravate inequalities and can adversely affect wellbeing. This study aims to gain rich insight into Australian adults’ experiences of the social determinants of health and the impact on their wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A descriptive qualitative study using purposive sampling to recruit participants for semi-structured interviews, conducted via videoconferencing between March-August 2021. Thematic analysis was performed with the support of NVivo 12. Results Participants included 20 Australian adults from various socioeconomic areas ranging in age from 21 to 65 years. Three main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: Food-related concerns; Housing outcomes; and Psychological and emotional impact. Accessing food, during the COVID-19 pandemic, for most participants who resided in low socioeconomic areas, was described as stressful and challenging. Along with the burden of food security, many participants from low socioeconomic areas expressed emotional distress in relation to securing and maintaining adequate housing. Conclusions The pandemic has amplified existing social determinants of health experienced by those within low socioeconomic areas, particularly those who are female and from migrant communities. The wellbeing of participants from low socioeconomic areas decreased in response to their experiences and challenges with food insecurity and housing instability, highlighting the need for housing affordability strategies and funding of emergency food relief initiatives. Food access for those in areas with high socioeconomic disadvantage, can be improved to address some of the barriers associated with food security by providing supermarket meal vouchers, access to community gardens, and school food programs. Key messages • The housing and food insecurity experienced by participants in this study during the pandemic has influenced their overall wellbeing. • The pandemic has amplified existing social determinants of health experienced by those in low socioeconomic areas.

Research ethics with real-world data (RWD) on COVID-19 infections: the unCoVer study

Abstract Issue The aim of the Horizon 2020 unCoVer project (Unravelling Data for Rapid Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19) is to coordinate research expertise in utilising Real World Data (RWD) to investigate the underlying risk factors for COVID-19 infection and severity, the effectiveness of treatments and the impact on health systems. RWD is particularly useful in a dynamic health context as it is relevant, timely, and more ecologically valid. Pooling clinical databases and integrating epidemiological principles and powerful biostatistical tools optimises resources and fully exploits routinely-collected data. Description of the problem RWD sharing poses new practical and ethical challenges to research. The unCoVer network has developed a federated data platform to access diverse databases for advanced analytics. This data access process entails GDPR, and regulatory and ethical nuances. The use of large-scale data from heterogeneous sources across multiple jurisdictions for research purposes presents a complex systems challenge. Effects & Lessons A dedicated team of unCoVer network members is responsible for addressing these challenges. Here, we describe the ethical and regulatory aspects of RWD sources, the role of the Data Protection Authorities and the Data Protection External Authority Board (DP-EAB) of the Uncover project, and the documentation involved, including a data processing agreement and a data transfer agreement. We provide an overview of the main principles for sharing RWD whilst maintaining integrity and security and how this translates into procedures to protect the rights, security, and well-being of human research participants. This represents a practical framework for researchers. Key messages

Digital Peer-Supported Self-Management Intervention Codesigned by People With Long COVID: Mixed Methods Proof-of-Concept Study.

BackgroundThere are around 1.3 million people in the United Kingdom with the devastating psychological, physical, and cognitive consequences of long COVID (LC). UK guidelines recommend that LC symptoms be managed pragmatically with holistic support for patients’ biopsychosocial needs, including psychological, emotional, and physical health. Self-management strategies, such as pacing, prioritization, and goal setting, are vital for the self-management of many LC symptoms.ObjectiveThis paper describes the codevelopment and initial testing of a digital intervention combining peer support with positive psychology approaches for self-managing the physical, emotional, psychological, and cognitive challenges associated with LC. The objectives of this study were to (1) codesign an intervention with and for people with LC; (2) test the intervention and study methods; (3) measure changes in participant well-being, self-efficacy, fatigue, and loneliness; and (4) understand the types of self-management goals and strategies used by people with LC.MethodsThe study used a pre-post, mixed methods, pragmatic, uncontrolled design. Digital intervention content was codeveloped with a lived-experience group to meet the needs uncovered during the intervention development and logic mapping phase. The resulting 8-week digital intervention, Hope Programme for Long COVID, was attended by 47 participants, who completed pre- and postprogram measures of well-being, self-efficacy, fatigue, and loneliness. Goal-setting data were extracted from the digital platform at the end of the intervention.ResultsThe recruitment rate (n=47, 83.9%) and follow-up rate (n=28, 59.6%) were encouraging. Positive mental well-being (mean difference 6.5, P<.001) and self-efficacy (mean difference 1.1, P=.009) improved from baseline to postcourse. All goals set by participants mapped onto the 5 goal-oriented domains in the taxonomy of everyday self-management strategies (TEDSS). The most frequent type of goals was related to activity strategies, followed by health behavior and internal strategies.ConclusionsThe bespoke self-management intervention, Hope Programme for Long COVID, was well attended, and follow-up was encouraging. The sample characteristics largely mirrored those of the wider UK population with LC. Although not powered to detect statistically significant changes, the preliminary data show improvements in self-efficacy and positive mental well-being. Our next trial (ISRCTN: 11868601) will use a nonrandomized waitlist control design to further examine intervention efficacy.

Providing recovery support to wounded, injured, and sick UK military personnel throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Health precautions implemented by the United Kingdom (UK) government to limit the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to the closure of many well-being support services in 2020. This created a need to re-think how impactful recovery support courses can be provided. One such service was that of the five-day Multi Activity Course (MAC) which was redesigned in accordance with national health guidelines to allow continued access for Wounded, Injured and Sick (WIS) military personnel to the service; the positive impacts of which are well established. This study investigated the influence of the newly developed Reduced numbers MAC (R-MAC) on the WIS participants lives during and for 12 months after attending. The R-MAC led to comparable impacts for participants well-being, at a time in which people’s mental well-being was often being adversely affected. The positive mental well-being of the 261 participants improved by 33% throughout the course and remained 14% higher for the 37 participants who provided data six months after attending. Key facets of the experience that were most impactful for the participants were (i) shared experience with other veterans, (ii) discussing issues in a safe environment while receiving support from the staff and (iii) developing knowledge around self-help/personal development. Adapting to the challenging circumstances and developing the R-MAC mitigated against the already adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the WIS participants.

Assessing the impacts of conservation volunteering on participant wellbeing:a systematic review protocol.

Background: Volunteers and citizen scientists have become an essential element of most nature conservation and restoration activities due to lack of resources but also due to the wish to engage and interact with local communities where conservation activities take place. Environmental or conservation volunteering is also considered to be a key resource in achieving much needed, ambitious nature restoration programs. Practical conservation work and various forms of environmental enhancement along with recreational and therapeutic use of natural or green and blue spaces have been studied for some time. The value of volunteers and the work is widely acknowledged but few studies have been carried out on the impacts of participating on the volunteers themselves. Using this protocol, a study will be undertaken to assess how impacts of participation have been assessed and reported in the literature; what these reported impacts are; how these are related to reported barriers and motivations for volunteering and whether they are affected by the region or country of study. Methods: This paper will identify studies that have described and assessed impacts of conservation and restoration volunteering on participants at an individual level, with a specific focus on physical, mental or societal wellbeing of individuals. Representative studies were sought from major search engines and relevant stakeholder publications, including both peer-reviewed and 'grey literature' in predominantly English language publications, published between 2000 and 2020. A priori inclusion criteria consisted of those publications and reports on studies with volunteer and community participants and which described impacts of, motivations for and barriers to participation. After a critical appraisal, a total of 105 articles were selected for further analysis to provide a narrative and mixed methods synthesis of the evidence base.

Dampak Intervensi Kebersyukuran Kesejahteraan Mental Mahasiswa Selama Covid-19: Studi Kuasi-Eksperimental

Gratitude interventions, in which participants engage in short activities designed to build gratitude on a regular basis, are acknowledged to be among the most successful psychological interventions. Previous study has demonstrated that thankfulness therapies (gratitude interventions) improve mental well-being, which may be useful for college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to see if gratitude interventions will improve student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental well-being of participants (N = 150) was examined before and after 10 weekly gratitude reflection journals and statistically compared to the control group (N = 150). The data was analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). When compared to the control group, the treatment group had significantly higher well-being after the gratitude intervention (Cohen's d = 0.74). The treatment group considerably rose (Cohen's d = 0.35) while the control group dramatically dropped (Cohen's d = -0.41). Even amid crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, gratitude interventions can be helpful in improving students' mental health. Gratitude interventions tend to be appropriate for promoting mental well-being in students who are experiencing transitory mental problems such as pandemics or other types of crises. Keywords: Welfare; Student Mentality; Covid-19

Constructing Health State Descriptions for Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer: Stakeholder Engagement and Formative Qualitative Research.

This paper describes stakeholder involvement and formative qualitative research in the creation of health state descriptions (HSDs) or vignettes for low-risk thyroid cancer. The aim of this project was to engage stakeholders in the contribution of a novel set of HSDs, an important first step in the process of assessing value in thyroid cancer health states. We draw upon formative, descriptive qualitative methods, following a multi-stage framework of data collection. We conducted individual semi-structured interviews, cognitive interviews, and focus groups with thyroid cancer patients, community providers, academic subspecialists, and participants with no thyroid cancer diagnosis (N = 31). The HSDs went through several iterations over the course of a year, in collaboration with a highly engaged community advisory board, laying the groundwork for HSDs that are comprehensible, comparable, and appropriate for stated-preference research. Thyroid cancer survivors compared their experiences with those described in the HSDs. Feedback included concern for the emotional well-being of study participants who would be reading them. Providers were attuned to the need for clinical accuracy and made suggestions to reflect their clinical experience, including for patients with complications or disease progression. The pilot participants with no thyroid cancer were particularly valuable in promoting the need to simplify language and maximize readability. Stakeholder engagement was critical to being responsive to feedback as the iterations were refined and presented. Continuous engagement and consultation with multiple sources strengthened the HSDs. A secondary outcome from this project is that stakeholders expressed interest in adapting the HSDs into decision aids for people newly diagnosed with low-risk thyroid cancer.

Motivation to Impact: Medical Student Volunteerism in the COVID 19 Pandemic.

ObjectiveVolunteerism represents an important mechanism to promote resilience, empathy, and general well-being in medical students, a group that stands to benefit. Medical students report feelings of fatigue, burnout, exhaustion, and stress that correlates with poor academic performance, and significant decline in empathy over the 3rd year of both MD and DO programs. Volunteer motivations have been shown to mediate participant well-being. The relationship between medical student volunteer motivations and specific outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been addressed.MethodsWe characterized features of medical student volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, including volunteering motivation using the Volunteer Functions Inventory, the types of activities in which they participated, and the physical, psychosocial, and emotional outcomes they experienced following volunteering.ResultsAltruistic and humanitarian values–centric motivation predicts positive volunteering outcomes including increased resilience, ability to deal with disappointment and loss, and ability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Values-centric motivation also increases volunteer empathy independent of educational stage. Values-centric participants were more likely to select volunteering activities with patient contact, which promotes student empathy and resilience. Conversely, career-centric motivation does not predict positive outcomes. These students are more likely to engage in research-oriented activities.ConclusionsThe efficacy of integrating volunteerism into medical school curricula may be limited by professional pressure that manifests as career-oriented motivation. We propose that practical integration should promote altruistic and humanitarian values–centric participant orientation to the volunteering process, which is associated with enhanced recruitment, preservation of empathy, and additional positive volunteering outcomes of interest.

Web-Based Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Well-being: Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial.

BackgroundMindfulness can improve overall well-being by training individuals to focus on the present moment without judging their thoughts. However, it is unknown how much mindfulness practice and training are necessary to improve well-being.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study was to determine whether a standard 8-session web-based mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program, compared with a brief 3-session mindfulness intervention, improved overall participant well-being. In addition, we sought to explore whether the treatment effects differed based on the baseline characteristics of the participants (ie, moderators).MethodsParticipants were recruited from 17 patient-powered research networks, web-based communities of stakeholders interested in a common research area. Participants were randomized to either a standard 8-session MBCT or a brief 3-session mindfulness training intervention accessed on the web. The participants were followed for 12 weeks. The primary outcome of the study was well-being, as measured by the World Health Organization—Five Well-Being Index. We hypothesized that MBCT would be superior to a brief mindfulness training.ResultsWe randomized 4411 participants, 3873 (87.80%) of whom were White and 3547 (80.41%) of female sex assigned at birth. The mean baseline World Health Organization—Five Well-Being Index score was 50.3 (SD 20.7). The average self-reported well-being in each group increased over the intervention period (baseline to 8 weeks; model-based slope for the MBCT group: 0.78, 95% CI 0.63-0.93, and brief mindfulness group: 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.91) as well as the full study period (ie, intervention plus follow-up; baseline to 20 weeks; model-based slope for MBCT group: 0.41, 95% CI 0.34-0.48; and brief mindfulness group: 0.33, 95% CI 0.26-0.40). Changes in self-reported well-being were not significantly different between MBCT and brief mindfulness during the intervention period (model-based difference in slopes: −0.02, 95% CI −0.24 to 0.19; P=.80) or during the intervention period plus 12-week follow-up (−0.08, 95% CI −0.18 to 0.02; P=.10). During the intervention period, younger participants (P=.05) and participants who completed a higher percentage of intervention sessions (P=.005) experienced greater improvements in well-being across both interventions, with effects that were stronger for participants in the MBCT condition. Attrition was high (ie, 2142/4411, 48.56%), which is an important limitation of this study.ConclusionsStandard MBCT improved well-being but was not superior to a brief mindfulness intervention. This finding suggests that shorter mindfulness programs could yield important benefits across the general population of individuals with various medical conditions. Younger people and participants who completed more intervention sessions reported greater improvements in well-being, an effect that was more pronounced for participants in the MBCT condition. This finding suggests that standard MBCT may be a better choice for younger people as well as treatment-adherent individuals.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03844321; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03844321

The role of public involvement in the design of the first SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study during an evolving pandemic

High quality health care research must involve patients and the public. This ensures research is important, relevant and acceptable to those it is designed to benefit. The world’s first human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 undertook detailed public involvement to inform study design despite the urgency to review and establish the study. The work was integral to the UK Research Ethics Committee review and approval of the study. Discussion with individuals from ethnic minorities within the UK population supported decision-making around the study exclusion criteria. Public review of study materials for consent processes led to the addition of new information, comparisons and visual aids to help volunteers consider the practicalities and risks involved in participating. A discussion exploring the acceptability of a human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 taking place in the UK, given the current context of the pandemic, identified overall support for the study. Public concern for the wellbeing of trial participants, as a consequence of isolation, was identified. We outline our approach to public involvement and its impact on study design.

Positive addiction recovery therapy: a pilot study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery and well-being of people in early addiction recovery. The programme, known as positive addiction recovery therapy (PART), is attentive to the recovery process through the G-CHIME (growth, connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment) model of addiction recovery. It also uses the values in action character strengths and includes a set of relapse prevention techniques.Design/methodology/approachAn experimental design using repeated measures has been adopted. Measures for recovery capital, well-being and level of flourishing were selected and pre- and post-data collected. Primary data analysis was conducted using the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Participants (n = 30) were required to be in early addiction recovery, classified as having been abstinent for between three and six months.FindingsThe results showed a statistically significant improvement in participant well-being. This was also true for recovery capital and flourishing. Whilst a meaningful increase was seen in all measures, exploratory analysis found females responded better to the PART programme.Practical implicationsThis study emphasises the importance of adopting a holistic therapeutic approach, one that considers multifaceted components of recovery such as those outlined in the G-CHIME model.Originality/valueThis study evaluates a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery outcome and mental well-being of people who are in early addiction recovery.

O2-7 Leading the Way Together: A cluster randomised controlled trial of the 5R Shared Leadership Program in older adult walking groups

Abstract Background With a rapidly ageing society, healthy ageing has become a key challenge for older adults. Engagement in physical activity, and particularly walking, is a key strategy that contributes to healthy ageing. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a group walking program for older adults that incorporates the 5R Shared Leadership Program (5RS), compared to a regular group walking program. By implementing a structure of shared leadership and strengthening peer leaders' identity leadership, 5RS has in other contexts been associated with greater performance and well-being. Methods Our cluster randomised controlled trial included 19 older adult walking groups (i.e., the clusters; N = 503; Mage = 69.23 years, SD = 6.68), which all participated in a 12-week structured group walking program. Nine of these walking groups (n = 304) were randomly assigned to the intervention condition and received additionally the 5RS program. Results Results revealed that 5RS was successful in strengthening the identity leadership qualities of the appointed peer leaders. Moreover, multilevel regressions showed that 5RS succeeded in increasing group cohesion and walking activity to a greater extent than a regular group walking program, while participants' group identification and well-being increased to a similar extent in both conditions. Furthermore, structural equation modelling revealed that group identification mediated the impact of peer leaders' identity leadership on group cohesion and well-being (but not walking activity). Conclusion We can conclude that by harnessing the capacity of the group and its peer leaders, 5RS constitutes a promising intervention to engage older adults in physical activity.

Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Upper Manhattan Community-Based Organizations: A Qualitative Analysis of Employee Focus Groups.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) play a key role in assisting local communities, especially those in under-resourced areas, through their deep knowledge of the community’s needs and available resources. We examined perceptions of COVID-19’s impact on health-related services in CBOs located in Upper Manhattan, New York City (serving East Harlem, Central Harlem, Morningside Heights and Hamilton Heights, and Washington Heights and Inwood). Three focus groups were conducted on Zoom in November 2020; focus groups were composed of participants employed at CBOs in this catchment area. Deidentified interview transcripts were evaluated using an iterative process of thematic content analysis. We identified five major themes related to the impact of COVID-19 on community needs: 1) increased mistrust and decreased service utilization, 2) breakdowns in communication, 3) shift in need, 4) increased risk factors for negative health outcomes among staff and community, and 5) decreased funding and an uncertain future. Because of the pandemic, CBOs have pivoted to cater to the immediate and changing needs of the community and, in doing so, revised their menu of services as well as their service delivery model. In trying to maintain connectivity with and the trust of community members, participants had to construct novel strategies and develop new outreach strategies; participants also recognized the role strain of trying to balance community needs with home responsibilities. Given these findings, concern arises around the long-term health and well-being of community members and participants. The government must provide the necessary resources to ensure the viability of CBOs and create a stronger infrastructure for future emergencies.