Relational Competence Research Articles

Conceptualizing healthcare professionals’ relational competence in mental healthcare: An integrative review

IntroductionThe relationship between patients and mental health professionals is the cornerstone of all mental health treatment, and good patient-professional relationships are associated with several positive therapeutic outcomes for patients with mental health challenges. Mental health professionals’ relational competence is essential for high-quality services in mental healthcare. There is currently no unified understanding of the concept of relational competence. This study seeks to address this gap by exploring how relational competence is conceptualized within the context of mental healthcare. The research question was: How is relational competence described in the research literature within the context of mental healthcare? MethodsAn integrative review was conducted with systematic searches in the databases PsycInfo, Ovid Medline, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC, Academic Search Elite, IDUN, and Svemed+, spanning from January 2012 to October 2023, as well as hand searches in the reference lists of the included studies. A thematic synthesis was carried out based on the results in the included studies. ResultsOut of 2476 scientific studies screened, 30 were included, employing a variety of research methodologies to explore relational competence within mental healthcare. Four themes were found to describe relational competence in mental healthcare: having the ability to self-reflect and self-regulate, having a genuine interest in understanding the patient, engaging in reciprocal interaction with the patient, and meeting the patient so that they feel acknowledged. Each theme describes a central and important part of relational competence, but fully developed relational competence must be understood as a whole in which all the themes are present. ConclusionRelational competence in mental healthcare incorporates all the identified components. Each theme complements the others and contributes to the construction of a strong therapeutic relationship between patients and mental health professionals. To provide the best possible care for mentally ill patients, healthcare professionals must embrace and integrate these elements into their practice.

Humanizing neuropsychological assessment: The role of empathy

Context Recent research and the majority of neuropsychological testing manuals emphasize the importance of establishing a proper relationship between the evaluator and the evaluatee. However, there is relatively little empirical research on this point. Objectives The objective of this study was to operationalize empathy in the evaluator/evaluatee relationship during neuropsychological assessment. The subsequent aim was to determine the impact of this empathy on the evaluator/evaluatee relationship and cognitive performance. Methods The participants, designated as “evaluatees”, were randomly assigned to complete a brief neuropsychological test in either an empathic (N = 47) or neutral condition (N = 47). The neuropsychological tests included the Stroop task from the GREFEX battery, the Letter-Number Sequencing from the WAIS-IV, and the d2 test of attention. Following the tests, participants completed scales indicating perceived relationship with the evaluator, lived experience of the test, and sociodemographic information. Results The manipulation check indicated that it was possible to manipulate empathy. Evaluators demonstrating empathy led to a better evaluator/evaluatee relationship. However, the results regarding cognitive performance were less consistent. Conclusions In conclusion, there is a need for improvement in clinical neuropsychological practice with regard to relational competencies during testing. This study proposes benchmarks to make the evaluator’s empathy perceptible. This technique has not been shown to have a consistent effect on cognitive performance.

International and intercultural training on the use of Art Therapy for Dementia Care

Abstract In 2023 more than 55 million people had dementia worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases every year. Currently art therapy has been widely adopted in the assistance of people with dementia because of the positive outcomes in terms of reducing depressive and behavioural symptoms and of improving the patients’ overall quality of life. In literature there was a knowledge gap on social and health professionals’ training for being able to effectively use art therapy in relation with different origins of people with dementia in a multi-ethnic world. This research aimed to assess the impact of promoting joint international and intercultural training session for social workers and health professionals’ students. The used methodology was a prospective research-intervention study with the conductions of two seasonal schools (Florence - Italy in July and Ankara - Tukey in October 2023) on the use of art therapy in the different stages of dementia disease within the Erasmus+ Project DementiaCare (2021-1-TR01-KA220-HED-000027648). Each seasonal school was attended by 25 students from Italy (5), Portugal (5), Slovenia (5), and Turkey (10) to ensure an international and intercultural approach. Pre- and post- test results showed the increased knowledge of students on the theoretical notions on dementia care and art therapy. Positive opinion on the projects developed by mixed group of students (with representants of the 5 involved universities) manifested the enforcement of their relational competences and skills mutually adapting their way of doing and communication register to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural group’s needs. Evidence showed how mutual knowledge among social and health professionals with different cultures and their joint training allowed these professionals to be able to provide an integrated and effective assistance to every patient with dementia, personalizing assistance according with their different traditions and historical memories. Key messages • Art therapy has been adopted as non-pharmacological approach in dementia care to mitigate progression of symptoms’ severity, serving as alternative tool for self-expression for patients. • Conducting joint international and intercultural training sessions for social and health professionals in art therapy enabled them to develop a respectful, multi-ethical approach to dementia care.

Norwegian science teacher educators’ views of the master’s thesis and the supervision process

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to investigate Norwegian science teacher educators’ views of the master’s thesis and the supervision process in connection with the recent change to five-year master’s programmes. Interviews with fourteen science teacher educators from the seven teacher education institutions offering a master’s specialisation in science education were analysed inductively through thematic analysis. The teacher educators’ perceptions were represented by four themes: development of personal traits, academic competence, value for classroom practice and value for the teaching community. Furthermore, they emphasised being project leaders and having competence in science education and relational competence when supervising master’s theses. The science educators are positive about the general features of the master’s thesis, such as developing personal traits and more research-competent colleagues of teachers. However, the study revealed that many supervisors expressed a lack of competence and supervision experience, and we suggest involving teacher educators in research projects in education.

Learning how to explore spiritual aspects in encounters with patients with chronic pain: a pre-test post-test trial on the effectiveness of a web-based learning intervention

BackgroundIntegrating spiritual aspects into treatment plans can release essential resources for coping with chronic pain. However, some spiritual aspects may also induce distress and hinder the coping process. There is a lack of evidence regarding how to perform the clinical tasks of exploring spiritual aspects and of instruments assessing related competencies. Therefore, we developed a web-based learning module to provide education on the subject alongside corresponding assessment instruments. The module presents the InSpiRe (Integration of Spirituality and/or Religion in patient encounters) protocol. The instruments encompass cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions.MethodsThis paper aims to determine (i) the learning effects associated with completing the web-based spiritual-care learning module and (ii) the reliability and validity of the instruments employed. To address these aims, we conducted a pre-test/post-test trial with N = 32 randomly selected fourth-year medical students. During the pre-test, we assessed the students’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy regarding exploring spiritual aspects. For this purpose, we developed a short-answer knowledge test, an attitude questionnaire, and a self-efficacy scale. Additionally, the students explored spiritual aspects with a simulated patient portraying a person with chronic pain. Three trained raters evaluated the students’ performances using a self-developed scale. In the intervention phase, the students completed the 45-minute learning module on a personal computer. The module presented InSpiRe-related content as text and step-by-step video demonstrations, including hints that denote critical actions. The subsequent post-test was identical to the pre-test.ResultsThe internal consistency was suitable for all respective instruments, and there was an indication of solid validity of the performance test. After completing the spiritual care learning module, the students showed statistically significant increases in knowledge scores and significant positive shifts in their attitudes and levels of self-efficacy regarding exploring spiritual aspects. They also attained significantly higher performance scores in the same regard.ConclusionsCompleting the spiritual-care module is associated with meaningful learning effects on cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions related to exploring spiritual aspects, as demonstrated in the post-test conducted shortly after the intervention. Due to good reliability and validity scores, the self-developed instruments can be applied appropriately.

Relationally competent attitudes and actions: a systematic review of general practice literature

Objective To explore core elements from Teachers’ Relational Competence in general practice literature regarding building relationships in consultations, specifying actions doctors take to create and maintain relationship quality with patients. This systematic literature review aims to map and propose a similar framework for the doctor-patient relationship. Background The doctor-patient relationship, a well-researched yet complex field, often lacks clear descriptions. In recent definitions of patient-centred medicine, the responsibility of this relationship falls on the doctor, though how both relationship and responsibility is enacted needs clarification. Pedagogical literature on the student-teacher relationship provides a framework for relational competence, incorporating the needs and interactions between teacher and student and their alignment with institutional goals. Methods A systematic review of two databases yielded 1256 hits. After screening, 15 studies were included and assessed. A qualitative synthesis was conducted through iterative and thematic deductive analysis. Results Four relationally competent attitudes identified were: Attention to emotion, Devotion, Mentalization, and Time-oriented presence. Four relationally competent actions identitfied were: Being open, Attunement, Offering Support, and Using humor. Additionally, Trust and Continued connectedness were found as components of both attitudes and actions. Conclusion An explanatory framework for professional relational competence for GPs includes concrete actions and specific attitudes before and during consultations. These consist of four key attitudes and four categories of actions with several subgroups of actions. Two additional components to the framework was found.

Public Health Nurses' Competence Related to Long-Term Breastfeeding in the Context of Maternity and Child Health Clinics.

To explore public health nurses' competence (namely knowledge, skills, and attitudes) in relation to long-term breastfeeding and their experience of the need for additional training on the subject. The study design was quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional. Public health nurses (n = 270). Data were collected with the Long-Term Breastfeeding Competence Scale (LBCS) online survey. Data analysis was done with Spearman's correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis. Slightly more than half of the respondents had a good level of knowledge and skills. The majority had a baseline positive attitude toward long-term breastfeeding, but the attitude became more negative as the age of the breastfed child increased. Better competence was associated with younger age, parenthood, an additional degree in midwifery, and breastfeeding specialist certification. Knowledge and skills, and attitudes revealed a high correlation: the higher the knowledge and skills level, the more positive attitudes. Respondents with better knowledge and skills experienced more often the need for additional training on the subject. This study addresses that public health nurses lack competence in relation to long-term breastfeeding. This may compromise the quality of breastfeeding guidance for families in healthcare settings.

University Teacher´'s Relational Competence in Online Teaching

Universities have strengthened their capacity to conduct teaching online since the COVID-19 pandemic, yet online teaching poses new challenges for teacher-student relationships (TSR). International research emphasizes the significance of TSR for learning, but there is a lack of research on how TSR is built in digital classrooms. This paper discusses teachers’ relational competence as manifested in online teaching. Microscopic Relational Analysis (MRA) was used to explore a university teacher’s relational competence, focusing on nonverbal communication. The analysis shows how changeable and vulnerable the TSR can be. This is a characteristic of TSR in teaching face-to-face, but it is hardly expected of TSR in online teaching. In addition, the study indicates that teachers’ nonverbal communication is an important feature in this context. The MRA suggests that a teacher’s sensitivity to detecting a student’s subtle cues is crucial for successful online TSR. Further, it is suggested that teachers’ relational competence is manifested along five patterns, where respectful communication during the student’s turn is essential. Overall, the study suggests the importance of teachers’ relational competence in fostering a positive and supportive digital learning environment and highlights the need for teacher training and professional development programs to enhance teachers’ relational competence in online teaching.

The bottom-up approach in multigenerational family therapy: The child as the family guide.

In therapy, the child is mainly seen as a problem to be labeled or as a victim of various forms of abuse. The idea of the child as a therapeutic resource is the central point of my article where children's symptoms are quickly reframed and get a relational meaning in the family. Once the relational competence of the child is appreciated and his voice is heard, the child becomes a special guide to explore the emotional world of his family, and the genogram can provide a wonderful platform to start this therapeutic journey. Using a multigenerational lens, I describe how to explore family development with a "bottom-up approach."Intergenerational questions can be asked to the child and with his help relevant family events can emerge and broken bonds repaired. The therapeutic results I expect are the resolution of children's problems and family transformation.

Reflections from LGBTQIA+ individuals of their past experiences of psychotherapy and counselling and the use of creative therapy—A qualitative study

AbstractBackgroundPrevious literature tends to suggest that the LGBTQIA+ community face higher rates of mental disorders and illnesses. This appears to be due to minority stress as a result of the discrimination and hostility towards the community from society. In relation to psychotherapy and/or counselling, affirmative therapy has been found to be helpful; however, it is clear from the literature that the LGBTQIA+ population do not feel accepted or understood when accessing mental health support.MethodParticipants were invited to take part in an interview consisting of open‐ended questions relating to the topic of interest. Following this, a thematic analysis was completed.FindingsThe thematic analysis revealed four main themes: these were ‘sexuality and gender within the therapeutic relationship’, ‘desirable characteristics and attributes in a therapist’, ‘undesirable characteristics and attributes in a therapist’ and ‘creative therapy’.Implications for PracticeThe results could be used to inform mental health practitioners of the importance of cultural competency in relation to the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as helping aid how to approach sexuality and/or gender in a therapeutic space. The conclusions also highlight the need for practitioners to explore context with LGBTQIA+ clients rather than solely emotion focus.ConclusionThis study indicated that the LGBTQIA+ community prefer working with LGBTQIA+ therapists due to a shared lived experience and perceived baseline understanding of each other. It was also found that context was important for them in therapy, rather than emotion focus, and creative therapy was also shown to be useful for the community.

It Is Time to Take Complaints Seriously? An Exploratory Analysis of Communications Sent by Users to a Public Healthcare Agency before, during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Taking due account of users’ perspectives is crucial for improving the quality of healthcare services. This study aimed to analyse the representations and evaluation criteria that users of a public health agency express towards care and treatment services and to explore whether and how the content and meaning of their communications varied according to pre-pandemic, pandemic or post-pandemic periods. A total of 501 communications sent to the public relations office of an Italian health agency were collected. An automatic content analysis procedure was applied to the textual corpus. Four main thematic cores were identified concerning the request for care and respect, the value of the doctor–patient relationship and the difficulties in contacting services and accessing care. Two main latent dimensions of meaning were identified, which capture the dialectic between the demand for relationships and the demand for access to care, and between attention to the relational competence of health workers and attention to the needs and rights of users. Communications collected during the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods mainly concern the difficulty of access to care; those collected during the pandemic period mainly concern the doctor–patient relationship. Interpersonal aspects and timely access to care appear to be crucial in users’ assessment of the quality of care.

Why Brussels? Neruda’s ‘título absolutamente enigmático’

The primary purpose of this article is to propose a solution to longstanding literary mystery, namely, why Neruda’s disconcertingly enigmatic poem ‘Bruselas’ (from Tercera residencia [1947]) has a title which seems to bear little if any relation either to the city of Brussels itself or to its sometimes bewilderingly obscure content and imagery. The answer to this puzzle, I argue, lies deeply buried in Neruda’s biography—so deeply, however, that the core intelligibility of the text may be compromised as consequence. This raises questions concerning what might be deemed reasonable readerly competence in relation to both ‘Bruselas’ itself and, by extension, to some of the other, more hermetic, Residencia poems.

Teachers' relational competence towards students with neurodevelopmental symptoms: A microscopic relational analysis

Teachers' relational competence towards students with neurodevelopmental symptoms: A microscopic relational analysis

Determining dengue infection risk in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka by inferencing the genetic parameters of Aedes mosquitoes

BackgroundFor decades, dengue has posed a significant threat as a viral infectious disease, affecting numerous human lives globally, particularly in tropical regions, yet no cure has been discovered. The genetic trait of vector competence in Aedes mosquitoes, which facilitates dengue transmission, is difficult to measure and highly sensitive to environmental changes.MethodsIn this study we attempt, for the first time in a non-laboratory setting, to quantify the vector competence of Aedes mosquitoes assuming its homogeneity across both species; aegypti and albopictus and across the four Dengue serotypes. Estimating vector competence in relation to varying rainfall patterns was focused in this study to showcase the changes in this vector trait with respect to environmental variables. We quantify it using an existing mathematical model originally developed for malaria in a Bayesian inferencing setup. We conducted this study in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka where the highest number of human populations are threatened with dengue. Colombo district experiences continuous favorable temperature and humidity levels throughout the year creating ideal conditions for Aedes mosquitoes to thrive and transmit the Dengue disease. Therefore we only used the highly variable and seasonal rainfall as the primary environmental variable as it significantly influences the number of breeding sites and thereby impacting the population dynamics of Aedes.ResultsOur research successfully deduced vector competence values for the four identified seasons based on Monsoon rainfalls experienced in Colombo within a year. We used dengue data from 2009 - 2022 to infer the estimates. These estimated values have been corroborated through experimental studies documented in the literature, thereby validating the malaria model to estimate vector competence for dengue disease.ConclusionOur research findings conclude that environmental conditions can amplify vector competence within specific seasons, categorized by their environmental attributes. Additionally, the deduced vector competence offers compelling evidence that it impacts disease transmission, irrespective of geographical location, climate, or environmental factors.

Analysis of the integration of competencies in a Humanization Curricular Line: Case study on the curriculum of a technical career in health

Introduction: the curricular insertion of humanization in sociosanitary education faces the challenge of counteracting the predominant biomedical approach, which fragments healthcare. This technical model has led to the dehumanization of care, ignoring emotional, social, and cultural dimensions, and generating dissatisfaction among patients and professionals.Methods: descriptive case study, which analyzes the pre- and post-intervention learning outcomes of a humanization curricular line, evaluating the relevance of competencies and subcompetencies for humanization in healthcare through a descriptor matrix.Results: between 2017 and 2024, the humanization curricular line showed a significant change in the addressed competencies. The relational competence became predominant, increasing from 41% to 48% of the learning outcomes. Competencies such as ethics, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and management notably increased, while the scientific-technical competence decreased from 71% to 44%, becoming equivalent to the others.Conclusions: the incorporation of competencies for humanization in the health education curriculum reflects a more integral and human-centered approach, integrating relational, ethical, cultural, emotional, and spiritual competencies. This is essential for training professionals capable of providing inclusive and holistic care that addresses the complex multidimensional needs of users

Social Competence, School Engagement, and School Performance Among US Children Adopted Through Private Domestic, International, and Foster Care Adoption

We examined social competence, learning-related disorders, and school engagement in relation to grade point average (GPA) among three groups of children adopted by heterosexual and same-sex couples: 84 adopted privately, 29 internationally, and 20 from foster care. Structural equation modeling showed that increased school engagement predicts higher GPA, increased social competence predicts higher GPA via increased school engagement, and learning-related disorders predict lower GPA directly and via lower school engagement. Learning-related disorders had an equivalent or larger impact on GPA among children adopted privately than internationally or from foster care, potentially because diagnoses were made later. Learning needs should be considered regardless of adoption type.

Fostering resilience and post-traumatic growth in overseas Chinese left-behind children: The role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

This study examines the impact of parental migration on the psychological well-being and development of left-behind children (LBCs) in Zhejiang, China, within the broader context of the country's rural transformations and urban migration. It investigates how intellectual and relational engagement (RE), autonomy (AUT), competence (COM), and relatedness (RES) contribute to resilience (REL) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in these children, reflecting on the shift from viewing parental separation merely as a source of trauma to recognizing its potential to foster significant personal growth. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the research was conducted in April and May 2023 with 1348 LBCs from a total sample of 4049 students inZhejiang. A two-step random, stratified, cluster-based sampling strategy was employed, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among the constructs. The statistical analysis demonstrated significant positive effects of intellectual engagement (IE), AUT, COM, and RE on both REL and PTG (p<.05 for all). IE strongly correlated with AUT (r=.68, p<.001) and COM (r=.71, p<.001), enhancing REL and facilitating PTG. Additionally, the presence of secure and consistent relationships was identified as crucial for maintaining psychological well-being, with high correlation coefficients (r>.60) underscoring their importance. Notably, REL was found to moderate the relationships among RES, COM, and PTG, highlighting its critical role in the psychological adaptation of left-behind children. The study underscores the importance of nurturing intellectual and REs, AUT, and COM to enhance psychological REL and well-being among LBAs. These elements are crucial for supporting the mental health and developmental needs of children facing the challenges of parental migration. The findings advocate for targeted interventions that can address the unique needs of this vulnerable population, emphasizing the potential for growth and adaptation despite adversities.

Teacher education students’ experiences navigating inherent requirements within their courses of study

ABSTRACT Inherent requirements define core competencies that all students must demonstrate to be accepted, progress, and successfully complete professionally accredited programmes such as teaching. This paper presents research that examines how students of teacher education navigate supposed abilities to teach through their courses of study, to inform the development of a statement of inherent requirements for a large school of education in an Australian university. Drawing on critical disability perspectives, we present results from a survey conducted with students enrolled in teacher education courses. This analysis demonstrates that inherent requirements have little affect for students whose bodily capacities align with preconceived notions of abilities to teach. Yet, students with disabilities will likely experience impose barriers to their success within teacher education because of perceived inherent requirements to practice, which is not easily addressed through disclosure and reasonable adjustments. The paper concludes with a discussion addressing how when seeking to expand their impact in support of inclusive local and global communities, universities must necessarily start by paying close attention to the ways that they frame competency in relation to equity. Here we draw from concerns raised by students in the present study, and critical disability theory, to support an institutional transposition from inherency to coherency, reframing how ability to teach can align with contemporary policy aspirations and inclusive practices. The paper is unique for drawing on student experiences to inform the development of knowledge in the field of teacher education along with critical disability perspectives with which to analyse them.

Unveiling the Puzzle of Social Media Adoption Among Small Grocery Retailers

This research is aimed to understand the intentions of small grocery retailers in adopting social media for marketing purposes. The research used an integrated TAM-TOE framework combined with an SOR framework for understanding factors influencing the intention of small grocery retailers to adopt social media. Mixed methods were used for the study. Initially, in-depth interviews were conducted with 55 retailers to develop a grounded model, which was verified through a survey of 874 retailers. Findings suggest that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were positively related to relative advantage, interaction, organizational competency and complexity, bandwagon effect, and competitive pressure. Retailer age and retail outlet also had moderation effects. Small grocery retailers who understand the relative advantage of social media are more likely to adopt it, influenced by the bandwagon effect. Intense competition is also pushing retailers to adopt social media to avoid losing customers and missing out on potential opportunities.

Teachers' Digital Competencies: Diagnosis and Development in the Context of the Teacher21 Model

This article explores the use of the Teacher21 Model for the diagnosis and development of teachers' digital competencies. The Teacher21 Model is based on the European Framework of Reference for Teachers' Digital Competencies and divides them into six domains: professional engagement, digital resources, teaching, digital assessment, student support, and supporting students' digital competencies. The paper presents the results of the analysis of data obtained from a survey that included three groups of respondents: future (prospective) teachers, future (prospective) ICT methodologists and current teachers. The aim of the research is to find out how these groups perceive their digital competencies in relation to the Teacher21 Model and to identify differences between them. The results showed that all three groups have an average level of digital competencies, with the highest level in the area of professional engagement and the lowest in the area of digital assessment. The paper goes on to offer recommendations for developing teachers' digital competencies in line with trends in education and highlights the importance of the quality of education in the digital age.