Personal Perspective Research Articles

Supported biopsychosocial self-management for back-related leg pain: a randomized feasibility study integrating a whole person perspective

BackgroundThere is limited high-quality research examining conservative treatments for back-related leg pain (BRLP). This feasibility study was done in preparation for a full-scale trial comparing a whole-person supported self-management intervention to medical care for chronic BRLP.MethodsParticipants were randomized to 12 weeks of individualized supported self-management delivered by physical therapists and chiropractors or medical care consisting of guideline-based pharmacologic care. Supported self-management was based on a behavioral model that used a whole person approach to enhance participants capabilities, opportunities, and motivations to engage in self-care. It combined BRLP education with psychosocial strategies (e.g., relaxed breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, communication skills) and physical modalities such as exercise and spinal manipulation therapy. Providers were trained to address participants’ individualized needs and use behavior change and motivational communication techniques to develop a therapeutic alliance to facilitate self-management. Feasibility was assessed using pre-specified targets for recruitment and enrollment, intervention delivery, and data collection over the six-month study period. In addition, areas for potential refinement and optimization of processes and protocols for the full-scale trial were assessed.ResultsWe met or exceeded nearly all feasibility targets. Forty-two participants were enrolled over a six-month period in 2022 and very few individuals declined participation due to preferences for one treatment. All but one participant received treatment and 95% of participants attended the minimum number of visits (self-management = 6, medical care = 2). At 12 weeks, 95% of participants in the self-management group reported engaging in self-management practices learned in the program and 77% of medical care participants reported taking medications as prescribed. Satisfaction with the self-management intervention was high with 85% of participants reporting satisfaction with the program overall. Self-management intervention providers delivered all required activities at 72% of visits. Providers also noted some challenges navigating the shared decision-making process and deciding what self-management tools to prioritize. Over the six-month study period, completion rates were 91% for monthly surveys and 86% for weekly surveys.ConclusionWe were able to demonstrate that a full-scale randomized trial comparing a whole-person supported self-management intervention to medical care for chronic BRLP is feasible and identified important areas for optimization.

Do you have depression? A summative content analysis of mental health-related content on TikTok.

TikTok is a global social media platform with over 1 billion active users. Presently, there are few data on how TikTok users navigate the platform for mental health purposes and the content they view. This study aims to understand the patterns of mental health-related content on TikTok and assesses the accuracy and quality of the advice and information provided. We performed a summative content analysis on the top 1000 TikTok videos with the hashtag #mentalhealth between October 12 and 16, 2021. Six content themes were developed to code the data: (1) a personal story, perspective, or confessional, (2) advice and information, (3) emoting, (4) references to death, (5) references to science or research, and (6) a product or service for sale. Advice and information were further assessed by clinical experts. A total of 970 mental health-related videos were pulled for our analysis (n = 30 removed due to non-English content). The most prevalent content themes included a personal story, perspective, or confessional (n = 574), advice and information (n = 319), emoting (n = 198), references to death (n = 128). Advice and information were considered misleading in 33.0% of videos (n = 106), with misleading content performing better. Few videos included references to scientific evidence or research (n = 37). Healthcare practitioners and researchers may consider increasing their presence on the platform to promote the dissemination of evidence-based information to a wider and more youth-targeted population. Interventions to reduce the amount of misinformation on the platform and increase people's ability to discern between anecdotal and evidence-based information are also warranted.

Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: A Review and Personal Perspective.

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are dominantly inherited diseases that lead to neurodegeneration in the cerebellum and other parts of the nervous system. This review examines the progress that has been made in SCA2 from its initial clinical description to discovery of DNA CAG-repeat expansions in the ATXN2 gene. ATXN2 repeat alleles cover the range from recessive and dominant mendelian alleles to risk alleles for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We review studies aimed at defining the normal function of ATXN2 and mutant ATXN2 using cellular and mouse models. Progress in testing small compounds and antisense oligonucleotides in preclinical studies is described as well including our recent focus on staufen-1 (STAU1) and mRNA metabolism and control of autophagy.

Does welfare technology contribute to security, activity, participation and independence within municipal elder care? A qualitative study protocol

IntroductionIn Swedish municipal elder care, there is a growing expectation that welfare technology (WT) will play a pivotal role in addressing the increasingly complex needs of older persons who receive...

The definition of vitality-the perspectives of Dutch older persons.

Vitality is often mentioned in the context of successful ageing, however, there is still no consensus on the definition of vitality. Moreover, older persons themselves have yet to be involved in establishing a definition of vitality. To explore and describe how older persons define vitality, how they experience vitality, and what influences their vitality. A qualitative study consisting of 33 semi-structured interviews with community-dwelling older persons (60 +) in the Netherlands. The interviews were analysed using the thematic content analysis. The definition of vitality that emerged from the interviews was "vitality is having the physical, cognitive, and social capacities to do what you want to do". The important dimensions of vitality can be divided into their capacities and their drivers in life. The capacities consisted of physical, cognitive, and social capacities. Sustaining these three capacities was important for the preservation of vitality. Main drivers in life were autonomy, independence, and meaning in life. Their experience of vitality was mostly determined by the balance between their capacities on one side and their drivers in life on the other side. Furthermore, this balance, and therefore their vitality, could be impacted by their lifestyle, loss of social network, coping, and role models. According to older persons, vitality is determined by the balance between their capacities to do what they want to do on one side, and their drivers in life on the other side.

Digital Mindfulness Training for Burnout Reduction in Physicians: Clinician-Driven Approach.

Physician burnout is widespread in health care systems, with harmful consequences on physicians, patients, and health care organizations. Mindfulness training (MT) has proven effective in reducing burnout; however, its time-consuming requirements often pose challenges for physicians who are already struggling with their busy schedules. This study aimed to design a short and pragmatic digital MT program with input from clinicians specifically to address burnout and to test its efficacy in physicians. Two separate nonrandomized pilot studies were conducted. In the first study, 27 physicians received the digital MT in a podcast format, while in the second study, 29 physicians and nurse practitioners accessed the same training through a free app-based platform. The main outcome measure was cynicism, one dimension of burnout. The secondary outcome measures were emotional exhaustion (the second dimension of burnout), anxiety, depression, intolerance of uncertainty, empathy (personal distress, perspective taking, and empathic concern subscales), self-compassion, and mindfulness (nonreactivity and nonjudgment subscales). In the second study, worry, sleep disturbances, and difficulties in emotion regulation were also measured. Changes in outcomes were assessed using self-report questionnaires administered before and after the treatment and 1 month later as follow-up. Both studies showed that MT decreased cynicism (posttreatment: 33% reduction; P≤.04; r≥0.41 and follow-up: 33% reduction; P≤.04; r≥0.45), while improvements in emotional exhaustion were observed solely in the first study (25% reduction, P=.02, r=.50 at posttreatment; 25% reduction, P=.008, r=.62 at follow-up). There were also significant reductions in anxiety (P≤.01, r≥0.49 at posttreatment; P≤.01, r≥0.54 at follow-up), intolerance of uncertainty (P≤.03, r≥.57 at posttreatment; P<.001, r≥0.66 at follow-up), and personal distress (P=.03, r=0.43 at posttreatment; P=.03, r=0.46 at follow-up), while increases in self-compassion (P≤.02, r≥0.50 at posttreatment; P≤.006, r≥0.59 at follow-up) and mindfulness (nonreactivity: P≤.001, r≥0.69 at posttreatment; P≤.004, r≥0.58 at follow-up; nonjudgment: P≤.009, r≥0.50 at posttreatment; P≤.03, r≥0.60 at follow-up). In addition, the second study reported significant decreases in worry (P=.04, r=0.40 at posttreatment; P=.006, r=0.58 at follow-up), sleep disturbances (P=.04, r=0.42 at posttreatment; P=.01, r=0.53 at follow-up), and difficulties in emotion regulation (P=.005, r=0.54 at posttreatment; P<.001, r=0.70 at follow-up). However, no changes were observed over time for depression or perspective taking and empathic concern. Finally, both studies revealed significant positive correlations between burnout and anxiety (cynicism: r≥0.38; P≤.04; emotional exhaustion: r≥0.58; P≤.001). To our knowledge, this research is the first where clinicians were involved in designing an intervention targeting burnout. These findings suggest that this digital MT serves as a viable and effective tool for alleviating burnout and anxiety among physicians. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06145425; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06145425.

Patients, parents and professional perspectives on molecular radiotherapy for neuroblastoma and paediatric neuroendocrine cancers.

Treatment with radioactive drugs (molecular radiotherapy, MRT) is an option for selected children with neuroblastoma and neuroendocrine cancers. As few hospitals are appropriately equipped and staffed to provide paediatric MRT, many families have to travel long distances from home for prolonged periods. To improve professional understanding of the challenges faced by children receiving these treatments and their parents, and to help them appreciate the difficulties faced by professionals in delivering complex treatments, a meeting bringing together parents, patients and professionals was held. Ten people (five parents of children with neuroblastoma, two parents of children with neuroendocrine cancers, two adults who had received treatment for neuroendocrine cancers in childhood and one adult treated for neuroblastoma) gave personal perspectives of treatment with MRT. Three professionals from different disciplines involved with this treatment and research to improve its results gave their views on the administration of MRT, and how treatment outcomes might be improved. Fifteen people, including parents and professionals, contributed to the general discussion. Following the meeting, a questionnaire was circulated to those attending to capture their overall views, and any reflections they may have had after the meeting. Whilst many positive comments and compliments were received, this report focuses on the reported challenges and difficulties. The event is an example of meaningful Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement and has resulted in development of better information resources, strategies to mitigate inconveniences experienced and a standing group of advocates to advise on research design and acceptability.

Mastering the complexities of cancer nanomedicine with text mining, AI and automation.

In this contribution to the Orations - New Horizons of the Journal of Controlled Release, I present a personal perspective on the complexities of cancer nanomedicine and the approaches to master them. This oration draws mainly from my lab's journey to explore three transformative approaches to master complexities in the field: (1) leveraging text mining to construct dynamic knowledge bases for hypothesis generation in cell-specific drug delivery, (2) introducing the concept of meta-synergy to further optimize and classify multi-drug combinations across dimensions such as chemical loading, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics (3) utilizing automation to accelerate nanoparticle discovery with advanced screening methodologies such as aggregation-induced emission (AIE). I argue that by embracing complexity in nanomedicine, we can manifest new therapeutic possibilities, paving the way for more effective, precise, and adaptive treatment strategies.

In defense of social work’s ADEI mandate: Perspectives on how we can move forward and combat antisemitism together

ABSTRACT Social work has long embraced the value of combating oppression and the 2022 Education Policy and Accreditation Standards enshrine “anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion” (ADEI) as core curricular areas. An upsurge in academic fights over legitimate concerns about social justice have created deep rifts within the profession and academia. As social work educators and academics with an ongoing and deep commitment to social work principles of social justice, we examine whether and how ADEI content can help us move forward. We describe how Jewish identity has been conceptualized in ADEI spaces and implemented within implicit and explicit curricula historically and in the wake of October 7 and rising antisemitism. We share personal reflections as social work academics with different positionalities about our own experiences, concerns, and hopes for the profession and our core principles. We include reflections grounded in our differences regarding our proximity to the Hamas-Israel conflict; institutional situatedness as it relates to power, credibility, and intersectional vulnerability; Jewish American and Jewish Israeli identities; and personal perspectives and viewpoints. While some have been calling for the removal of ADEI-related content in academia and elsewhere, our answer to the problems we face is not less but more of such content. This means deeper authentic engagement with fundamental principles of ADEI, more knowledge of what it means and how to do it, and suspicion of absolutism, certitude, and exclusion when it comes at the expense of humility and connection.

Exploring the Devastating Impact of Workplace Bullying on Employee Morale and Efficiency

This research investigates the effect of workplace bullying on organizational pride and productivity in the higher education sector in Pakistan. The aim of this paper is to uncover the significant moderating effects of workplace bullying on employees’ morale and productivity among the Pakistani employees in the higher education institution of Punjab. Based on a sample of 450 workers, the study uses standardized questionnaires to assess the relationship between bullying behaviors; professional undermining; social exclusion; and overwork on one hand and the level of psychological/physiological stress on the other, with the support of a five point Likert scale. The study reveals a clear and strong positive correlation between workplace bullying and stress which indeed influences negative behavior among employees such as job satisfaction and commitment and productivity levels. Lastly, structural equation modeling (SEM) confirms or supports the proposed relationships, with a focus on an organizational, social and personal perspective to bullying. In the closing, the researcher emphasizes the urgency for organizations to establish preventive measures against Workplace bullying, besides effectively managing stress in an effort to enrich Organizational health and productivity.

How I diagnose and treat systemic mastocytosis with an associated hematologic neoplasm.

Over the last decade significant advances have been made by honing in on the diagnostic evaluation and the significance of molecular profiles in patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM), non-advanced and advanced.This is reflected in the 2022 iterations of the World Health Organization Edition 5 and International Consensus Criteria classifications.The impact of targeted KIT inhibitor therapies on patients treated within global trials has demonstrated significant improvements in the prognosis and overall survival for patients, leading to a change the treatment paradigm.Patients with SM and an associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN) comprise of up to 70% of those in the advanced SM category, posing varying challenges in diagnosis and clinical heterogeneity due to the occupation of the bone marrow niche by two hematologic neoplasms.We are constantly learning about the complex, heterogenous genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of these patients with a view to provide personalised treatment options, aiming to improve outcomes, quality of life and ultimately a cure. This paper focuses on the management of patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis with an associated hematologic neoplasm and is a personal perspective using some illustrative patient cases treated at our centre, Guys and St Thomas's Hospitals, London: UK centre of excellence in Mastocytosis.

Towards a general theory of perspective taking

Perspective taking is emphasized by several developmental theorists as a basic aspect of human development, although it hasn’t been properly defined beyond the conventional stages and 3rd person perspective. The aim of this analysis is to present a general theory of perspective taking, introduce six orders of perspective taking and apply them to the psychological, relational and physical aspects of reality. The analysis is formulated from principles of adult development and compared with stage descriptions of social perspective taking according to Selman, children’s understanding of space according to Piaget and Inhelder and stage descriptions from Ego development theory by Cook-Greuter. This theoretical formulation of perspective taking allows for generalization into an understanding of physical reality according to 4th and 5th person perspectives with examples in Einstein’s theory of special and general relativity and quantum mechanics, according to Bohr.

The Role of Reflective Activities for Occupational Therapy Education: Key Elements from a Student Perspective

This exploratory study explored second-year students’ experience with reflective activities in a Canadian Master’s in Occupation Therapy program. A survey and follow-up interviews were conducted to examine multiple perspectives and the influences of reflective activities on students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi-Square, and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that reflections on personal or societal perspectives were perceived to be more beneficial than reflections on clinical simulations. Three themes emerged: (1) key elements influencing the reflective experience, (2) diverse experiences of reflective activity, and (3) the perceived outcomes resulting from positive reflective experiences. This study highlights the significance of reflective activities in occupational therapy education and identifies key elements that shape students’ experiences with reflective activities.

Management of inclusive data for Merapi volcano eruption risk areas using participatory action research (PAR) with the perspective of women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities

This research, conducted by Plan Indonesia, YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), and the Klaten Association of Disabled People (PPDK), with support from ELRHA, UKAid, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Plan International, aimed to foster inclusive research by integrating Views from the Frontline (VFL) guidelines with the Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) method. The study involved women, people with disabilities, including youth and children with disabilities, as well as the elderly. Research participants included people with disabilities, the elderly, health cadres, and elderly cadres, and was conducted from May to December 2023 in the disaster-prone areas of Kemalang and Manisrenggo Districts, Central Java. Data analysis was done through triangulation, utilizing multi-party meetings to verify findings based on various times, places, and participants. The research identified types of threats related to the Merapi volcano eruption and needs based on the Humanitarian Inclusion Standard, focusing on gender, age, and ability. Key recommendations include integrating disaster risk management approaches with community-led action plans, enhancing inclusion, promoting local leadership, and developing a national advocacy strategy to increase community involvement in disaster risk reduction efforts, particularly for women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Exploring the Relevance of Indigenous Knowledges to Dementia Care in Nursing.

In this paper, we engage in philosophical inquiry to consider the relevance of Indigenous Knowledges (IKs) for reimagining dementia care for individuals living with dementia. We outline the limitations of philosophical perspectives aligned with Eurocentric academic knowledge, arguing that such knowledge relies on an individualistic view of self and neglects the body and embodied experience in dementia care. We demonstrate how a personal diachronicity perspective diminishes the importance of valuing the fluid and dynamic self-identities of persons living with dementia. We then turn to the epistemological foundations of IKs through philosophical inquiry, focusing on relationality, connectiveness, and holism, and discuss the role of IKs in institutional knowledge systems. We then explore the potential relevance of IKs to widen the epistemological and ontological gaze centering on the relational concepts of personhood, holism, continuity, embodiment, and homogeneity of self that are foundational to reimaging dominant approaches to dementia care.

"Doctor, I Want to Be Like This!": Exploring Global Beauty Body Standards Through a Multicenter Survey.

Plastic surgery aims to enhance patients' positive features and improve perceived flaws without seeking complete transformation. The body is a living organism, not a sculptural object to be reshaped at will. Aesthetic standards are influenced by subjective factors, including technology and social media's effect on self-perception and beauty ideals. Understanding body perception requires consideration of personal views, mirror reflections, and external perspectives. We analyzed data from more than 4000 patients to obtain objective insights into contemporary aesthetic preferences. We examined the influence of globalization on beauty standards, the relationship between physical activity and desired body definitions, and regional preferences for specific body shapes. In addition, we assessed how patients' aesthetic preferences are shaped more by the surgical centers they choose than by their nationality. Our findings indicate that globalization has diversified perceptions of beauty, highlighting personal and cultural differences. We noted a significant correlation between patients' aesthetic preferences and the surgical center, reflecting the impact of medical tourism and social media on shaping beauty ideals. As patient opportunities expand, the remote management of complex procedures necessitates skilled surgeons to ensure safe and effective care. Our experience provides valuable data on current patient preferences, essential for adapting practices in the evolving landscape of plastic surgery.

Sportify: Question Answering with Embedded Visualizations and Personified Narratives for Sports Video.

As basketball's popularity surges, fans often find themselves confused and overwhelmed by the rapid game pace and complexity. Basketball tactics, involving a complex series of actions, require substantial knowledge to be fully understood. This complexity leads to a need for additional information and explanation, which can distract fans from the game. To tackle these challenges, we present Sportify, a Visual Question Answering system that integrates narratives and embedded visualization for demystifying basketball tactical questions, aiding fans in understanding various game aspects. We propose three novel action visualizations (i.e., Pass, Cut, and Screen) to demonstrate critical action sequences. To explain the reasoning and logic behind players' actions, we leverage a large-language model (LLM) to generate narratives. We adopt a storytelling approach for complex scenarios from both first and third-person perspectives, integrating action visualizations. We evaluated Sportify with basketball fans to investigate its impact on understanding of tactics, and how different personal perspectives of narratives impact the understanding of complex tactic with action visualizations. Our evaluation with basketball fans demonstrates Sportify's capability to deepen tactical insights and amplify the viewing experience. Furthermore, third-person narration assists people in getting in-depth game explanations while first-person narration enhances fans' game engagement.

LEADERS AND CONSULTANTS FROM AN AGING CENTER IN MICHIGAN: PRODUCTIVE AND TAILORED ENGAGEMENT WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS

Abstract The Healthier Black Elders Center (HBEC) is the community outreach core for the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research. Established in 1997, this center offers health education to older adults in Detroit and expanded to Flint, Michigan in 2021 and maintains a research registry of over 1100 older Detroiters and over 200 older Flint residents. HBEC Detroit launched a consulting program in 2020 with the Community Advisory Board (CAB) members to offer personal and professional perspectives regarding research. Through this program, CAB members have 1) disseminated knowledge about community engaged research approaches 2) offered feedback on comprehensibility and ease of use to individual researchers on instrument content and research design as well as 3) offered insights beyond the academy (technology and philanthropic sectors). This program has created opportunities for older Black adults to provide direct feedback on product, funding initiatives and research design. This presentation will provide an overview of the initiatives, recruitment, and retention strategies of a long-established center. This presentation will showcase the Consulting program as a way to engage leaders in its center’s work as well as provide learning and growth for its Detroit members. This presentation will also highlight the process of tailoring, adapting, and launching the HBEC program for the Flint community.

Effectiveness of Salam Contracts in Improving Farmers’ Personal Finance in Indonesia: Opportunities and Constraints.

Abstract Purpose - This research aims to explore the effectiveness of Salam contracts in improving farmers' personal finance through a qualitative case study. Methodology - This case study approach is taken to understand personal perspectives and experiences regarding the implementation of the Salam contract in farmers' daily personal finance, particularly in the context of their economic welfare and the challenges faced in their life. Findings - The research findings reveal that Salam contracts have great potential in helping farmers obtain upfront capital and price stability. However, there are various obstacles, such as limited knowledge about the Salam contract, production risks due to crop failure, and lack of infrastructure that supports modern agricultural technology. Practical Implications - Interviews also showed interest in Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that can improve productivity, although challenges in their application remain. Originality - The results of this study are expected to provide practical insights for the development of Salam contracts in the context of agricultural activities by considering technological support and education for farmers. It is believed that farmers’ ability to improve their financial administration would enhance their personal finance capability. Keywords: Salam, Farmers, Case Study, Personal Finance, IoT, AI

Psychological predictors of motivational saturation within professional life at the stage of professional education

Introduction. The main problem of this research is the insufficiency of psychological concepts about motivational saturation as a mechanism regulating relevant behavior for constructing and maintaining a subjective picture of a person's professional life at the stage of professional education. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate and empirically identify differences in psychological factors that affect the overall motivational saturation of the subjective picture of a person's professional life, as well as the motivational saturation of the professional future of university students. Materials and Methods. The research methodology is based on the ideas and principles of synergetic, system-activity and causometric approaches, within the framework of which motivational saturation is interpreted as filling professional life with causal and target connections between significant events, and the image of the professional future is considered as an ‘attractor’ of professional development. 188 students of the Russian State Professional Pedagogical University took part in the survey. The empirical data were collected using the following methods: the method of studying the subjective picture of the life path "Causometry" (A.A. Kronik, E.I. Golovakha, R.A. Akhmerov), a version adapted for studying the subjective picture of the professional life of an individual); the questionnaire of time perspective (ZTPI, F. Zimbardo); the method "Ability to forecast" (L.A. Regush); the method "Diagnostics of the level of development of reflexivity" (A.V. Karpova); the questionnaire "Diagnostics of the features of self-organization" (A.D. Ishkov). In order to process the obtained results, the methods of mathematical statistics in the IBM SPSS Statistics 22 programme were used. Results. In the course of theoretical analysis, it was revealed that the key psychological factors that have an effect on motivational saturation, and accordingly the desire to realize the subjective picture of life according to a certain scenario, are time perspective, prognostic and reflexive abilities, as well as self-organization indicators. It was suggested that, despite the commonality of factors for motivational saturation in general and motivational saturation of the future, they are built on different components of these factors. Indeed, as a result of the regression analysis, it was found that the predictors of motivational saturation of the professional life of university students are the characteristics of time orientation ("Fatalism in the present", "Hedonism in the present") and self-control, which correlates with the psycho-age portrait of a university student. In turn, the image of the professional future is determined by such variables of the presented factors as "Goal setting", "Correction" and "Volitional efforts", which creates a vector in the direction of the mode of the future. These results can be used in the system of psychological support of universities to improve professional choice based on the construction of a personal professional perspective and correction of the subjective image of professional life. Conclusions. The conducted mathematical and statistical analysis confirms the importance of self-organization components in building the image of the future and professional and life trajectory. The obtained results can be used in the development of measures for psychological and teaching support of professional self-determination of young people in the process of revision and correction of their professional choice.