Emotional Roller Coaster Research Articles

“It's an emotional roller coaster… But sometimes it's fucking awesome”: Meaning and motivation of work for peers in overdose response environments in British Columbia

BackgroundThe province of British Columbia (BC), Canada is amid dual public health emergencies in which the overdose epidemic declared in 2016 has been exacerbated by restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Experiential workers, commonly known as ‘peers’ (workers with past or present drug use experience) are at the forefront of overdose response initiatives and are essential in creating safe spaces for people who use drugs (PWUD) in harm reduction. Working in overdose response environments can be stressful, with lasting emotional and mental health effects. There is limited knowledge about the personal meaning that experiential workers derive from their work, which serve as motivators for them to take on these often-stressful roles. MethodsThis project used a community-based qualitative research design. The research was based at two organizations in BC. Eight experiential worker-led focus groups were conducted (n = 31) where participants spoke about their roles, positive aspects of their jobs, challenges they face, and support needs in harm reduction work. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using interpretative description to uncover the meaning derived from experiential work. ResultsThree themes emerged from focus group data that describe the meanings which serve as motivators for experiential workers to continue working in overdose response environments: (1) A sense of purpose from helping others; (2) Being an inspiration for others, and; (3) A sense of belonging. ConclusionDespite the frequent hardships and loss that accompany overdose response work, experiential workers identified important aspects that give their work meaning. These aspects of their work may help to protect workers from the emotional harms associated with stressful work as well as the stigma of substance use. Recognizing the importance of experiential work and its role in the lives of PWUD can help inform and strengthen organizational supports.

Book Review: The Emotional Rollercoaster of Language Teaching

Book Review: The Emotional Rollercoaster of Language Teaching

Reflections on the lived experience of working with limited personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 crisis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has placed significant strain on United States’ health care and health care providers. While most Americans were sheltering in place, nurses headed to work. Many lacked adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), increasing the risk of becoming infected or infecting others. Some health care organizations were not transparent with their nurses; many nurses were gagged from speaking up about the conditions in their workplaces. This study used a descriptive phenomenological design to describe the lived experience of acute care nurses working with limited access to PPE during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 28 acute care nurses via telephone, WebEx, and Zoom. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The major theme, emotional roller coaster, describes the varied intense emotions the nurses experienced during the early weeks of the pandemic, encompassing eight subthemes: scared and afraid, sense of isolation, anger, betrayal, overwhelmed and exhausted, grief, helpless and at a loss, and denial. Other themes include: self‐care, ‘hoping for the best’, ‘nurses are not invincible’, and ‘I feel lucky’. The high levels of stress and mental assault resulting from the COVID‐19 crisis call for early stress assessment of nurses and provision of psychological intervention to mitigate lasting psychological trauma.

“It's an emotional rollercoaster” the spatial and temporal structuring of affect in diagnosing childhood hearing loss

Despite well-established screening for hearing problems, and objective, diagnostic techniques aimed at dispelling uncertainty, some parents spend months waiting for clear diagnosis of their child's hearing loss. In the clinical setting, providers use international best-practice policies in diagnosing and managing childhood deafness, yet limited attention is given to the role of emotion in this context. Drawing on socio-spatial and temporal theories we conceptualise the clinical waiting room and soundproof booth of a paediatric hearing clinic as affective spacio-temporal places that both constrain and evoke emotion. Tensions between parents and professionals grew, and emotion and affect were problematised in the clinical setting where temporal notions held significance. We consider contentious or difficult areas in the management of childhood deafness through a number of cases of parents experiencing uncertainty as they grapple with decisions for their children. Alternative spaces and experiences in non-medical settings that hold value for parents are discussed in considering new approaches to managing childhood deafness.

Book Review: The emotional rollercoaster of language teaching

Book Review: The emotional rollercoaster of language teaching

An Emotional Roller Coaster: Electrophysiological Evidence of Emotional Engagement during a Roller-Coaster Ride with Virtual Reality Add-On

Emotions are crucial ingredients of meaningful and memorable tourism experiences. Research methods borrowed from experimental psychology are prime candidates for quantifying emotions while experiences are unfolding. The present article empirically evaluates the methodological feasibility and usefulness of ambulatory recordings of skin conductance responses (SCRs) during a tourism experience. We recorded SCRs in participants while they experienced a roller-coaster ride with or without a virtual reality (VR) headset. Ride elements were identified that related to physical aspects (such as accelerations and braking), to events in the VR environment, and to the physical theming of the roller coaster. VR rides were evaluated more positively than normal rides. SCR time series were meaningfully related to the different ride elements. SCR signals did not significantly predict overall evaluations of the ride. We conclude that psychophysiological measurements are a new avenue for understanding how hospitality, tourism and leisure experiences dynamically develop over time.

This has been a true test of resilience for nurses of older people

Caring for older people has always demanded the most from nurses. The COVID-19 pandemic response by nurses has brought out the best in them, but has levelled an unprecedented series of challenges: caring for older people living with frailty, COVID-19 pneumonia and end of life needs; adapting working patterns when staffing levels have been critically low; and riding an emotional roller coaster throughout the crisis.

Parents of children with food allergy: A qualitative study describing needs and identifying solutions

BackgroundParents experience a wide range of emotions, specifically stress and anxiety, when their child receives a diagnosis of a food allergy. Managing this health condition and coping with emotions require professional and peer support. Currently, there is a lack of resources and a lack of awareness of the resources that are required to help assist parents in managing their child’s food allergy. ObjectiveTo describe parental experiences when caring for a child with food allergy and to review the resources parents need to manage living with a child with food allergy and more specifically how they would want these resources delivered. MethodsA total of 7 semistructured focus groups were conducted in British Columbia, Canada. Parents were asked to describe their experiences with managing their child’s food allergy and identify helpful resources. ResultsA total of 40 parents (33 females) participated in the focus groups. Participant demographics were collected. The following 3 main themes emerged: (1) anxiety (an emotional roller coaster); (2) a transformational journey (the waiting game, loss of normalcy, strained relationships and mistrust, and financial challenges); and (3) the need for resources (day to day management, ages and stages, mental health supports, and “the dream”). ConclusionAn in-person allied health care team is needed to provide an integrated, patient-centered approach for how families can live and manage food allergies. Credible information and resources, such as medically reviewed websites, support groups, and counseling services, with a goal of reducing child and parental anxiety, should be provided by health care professionals.

Positive sentiments as coping mechanisms and path to resilience: the case of Qatar blockade

ABSTRACT Existing research on coping accentuates the role of positive emotions as defensive mechanisms to cope with stressful situations and the ensuing negative emotions. The same literature justifies the long-term effects of positive emotions that help build lasting resilience. Grounded in theories of coping and resilience, this paper (1) identifies the emotions that people actuate to cope with adversaries and (2) evaluates the resulting long-lasting adaptation and resilience. To do this, we examined the emotions felt by Qatar residents due to a land, sea, and air blockade enforced by neighbouring counties. Accordingly, we analysed 160,000 Arabic tweets originating from Qatar between June-2017 and March-2018 using a novel machine-learning algorithm termed Weighted Conditional Probability. Our algorithm achieved state-of-the-art performance when compared with the often-used Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes and Deep Neural Nets algorithms. Results show that, while Qatar residents experienced an emotional roller coaster during the blockade, they used positive emotions like love and optimism to cope with adversities and accompanying emotions of fear and anger. Moreover, our analysis reveals that their adaptive resilient capacities gradually strengthened during the nine months of blockade. The study supports the renowned theory of positive emotions using an advanced methodology and a large-scale dataset.

Serenity in the Midst of a Pandemic: Resident Toolkit for Responding to COVID-19

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Residents’ ForumFull AccessSerenity in the Midst of a Pandemic: Resident Toolkit for Responding to COVID-19Rana Elmaghraby, M.D.Rana ElmaghrabySearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:10 Apr 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.4b29AbstractAre you looking forward to reading another piece about COVID-19? Did you expect to be doing your residency training in the midst of a public health crisis? I am guessing that the majority of us would say no to both questions. While residency training is stressful in itself, the pandemic has added a whole new level of stress that we could not have anticipated.These are unprecedented times. You may be on a roller-coaster of emotions, including a sense of instability, confusion, and panic, but these feelings are normal. While we want to help our patients in this pandemic, we may begin to fear that our feelings may impede our ability to learn and care for our patients. We need to recognize how our own distress can impact our feelings of competency and well-being.You are not alone in trying to deal with your reactions. I would like to share with you a toolkit of some of the tips I am using and consider helpful at this time. The goal is to find serenity in the midst of the storm.Acceptance: Start accepting the current situation for what it is. The sooner you accept it, the more ready you will be to problem solve.Resilience: Find a resilient role model who has coped well in tough times and reach out to that person. See what he or she has done to handle tough situations.Communication: Reach out to residents or staff and share your feelings and experiences in regard to the crisis.Connectedness: Stay connected to your friends and family. Find a support network. This is the best time to allow yourself frequent access to social media to stay connected and feel a sense of camaraderie. Social distancing does not mean isolation.Well-being: Utilize methods to manage or reduce your stress, including mindfulness, healthy diet, exercise, and rest.Reaching out to talk about my experiences and staying connected is comforting me and gives me a sense of collegiality and optimism. In fact, a recent poll conducted by APA found that nearly half of the respondents (48%) have anxiety around getting infected with COVID-19, and even more (62%) worry about their loved ones becoming infected. More than half of respondents (59%) feel that COVID-19 has a serious impact on their day-to-day living. While this poll is not specific to psychiatry residents, it highlights the anxiety and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.As psychiatry residents, we ought to be role models in learning how to self-regulate our emotions and reaching out to our colleagues in nonpsychiatric residency programs to offer them support and a sense of connectedness. My goal in writing this article is to share my experience with other residents who are going through this unprecedented event and to let them know they are not alone. We can and will do this together. In the end, the center of a tornado is quiet, peaceful, and calm. ■Rana Elmaghraby, M.D., is APA’s resident-fellow member trustee and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at the Mayo Clinic. ISSUES NewArchived

Could there be an alternative to Undergraduate Marketing Students’ Dissertation?

While recognising the emotional rollercoaster for students embarking on their dissertation and their struggle in selecting research topics, this reflective piece offers a short and thought-provoking reflection on the dissertation topic and support for undergraduate marketing students. The paper raises the question of alternative methods towards supporting undergraduate marketing students with their dissertation. The piece identified key issues that have warranted the questions and provide alternatives for consideration by tutors and academic staff supporting the students. Also, the paper presented the challenges to adopting the alternative methods.

Becoming a university student: An emotional rollercoaster

Students’ experiences during their first year of higher education affect study pace, retention and graduation. The aim of this study was to examine how students describe and perceive their studying and academic emotions during the first semester of higher education in order to analyse the interplay of different factors affecting student learning. The students participated in a compulsory study skills course, and wrote about their study experiences in reflective journals (N = 190) that were analysed qualitatively. Reflective journals have been rarely used in previous research on first year studies. The journals allow students to write about their experiences as a whole, and provide a broad and in-depth picture of students’ perceptions of their study habits and learning in higher education. Our results revealed that students’ academic emotions were profoundly affected by their self-regulated learning skills. Moreover, the study showed how self-regulated learning and academic emotions were tightly intertwined. In order to enhance student learning both self-regulated learning and academic emotions need to be considered in university teaching, and when universities plan the first year for new students.

Tamara's New House (A)

This case series simulates the quintessential American dream: buying and financing your first house. For most people, buying a house is the largest purchase they will experience in their lifetime. The process has both legal and economic components, and often requires that the buyer rely heavily upon a realtor to navigate all the technicalities. Along the way, the buyer may experience an emotional roller coaster with both the excitement of becoming a homeowner and the worry that comes with making a large financial commitment. Much of the worry comes from a lack of understanding, particularly when we buy that first house without any experience with such a transaction. The primary objective of these cases is to provide the key information needed to understand what is involved with the purchase and financing of a house, and to simulate the process as the students experience the cases in sequence over several class periods. Excerpt UVA-F-1886 Rev. Jan. 27, 2021 Tamara's New House (A) Introduction Tamara shuffled around the kitchen going through her usual morning tasks. Since her husband Daryll had died, it was hard for her to get out of bed and face each day. Daryll had passed away 10 months ago, and Tamara was still in a haze of grief. Sometimes she imagined he was still there, whistling his way through the house and making breakfast for everyone: frying bacon, scrambling eggs, pouring milk in the kids' cereal, and making coffee. He had been a great cook, and he had kept them all happy and well-fed. Tamara's friends had always been amazed to hear that Daryll did all the cooking in the house; they would always tell her she had found a good man. When Tamara got the call about the car accident, her heart had stopped. Time had stopped. She couldn't imagine how she was going to manage without him. Tamara had gone on bereavement leave after Daryll's funeral, but each day she stayed at home, the harder it became to actually return to her job. Most days it was hard for her to do anything at all. The house was filled with memories of Daryll. Sometimes Tamara thought she heard the sound of his laughter ringing through the house, or caught a glimpse of him coming down the stairs. She still did his laundry and ironed his shirts, leaving everything in the house exactly as he had left it. Tamara felt only half alive herself as she remained at home with her memories. . . .

The experiences, perceptions and challenges of mothers managing asthma in their children: a qualitative study.

Despite the fact that childhood asthma poses an important burden, especially on the families, little is known about the emotional experiences of mothers. This article describes the predominant emotional challenges and experiences reported by mothers of children with asthma. Individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a qualitative study method was used in collection of the data. Face-to-face interviews with mothers of children with asthma were conducted using sociodemographic data form and semi-structured interview forms developed by the investigators. The transcribed interview texts were analyzed according to a qualitative content analysis. A total of 20 mothers were interviewed. We found that the experience of mothers of the children with asthma was a strenuous journey of overriding an emotional rollercoaster, that is, from being thrown into a chaotic situation to later processing the difficult situation affected by the asthma. First moment at diagnosis, relaxation against uncertainties, anxiety, fear, truly acceptance, sadness were the predominant emotions. Mothers described experiences and challenges of frequent admission to emergency, administration of medication and treatments, school problems, limitations in physical activity and spouse relationship problems. Experiences of problems contributed to hopelessness, abandoned, angry and burnout. Mothers had concerns about the chronic nature of the disease, side effects of medications, complications that might develop, factors influencing the disease, and future plans. Mothers of children with asthma described complex emotional journeys. This has implications for healthcare providers who need to be aware of the complexity of these emotional journeys to support parents more effectively, thereby helping improve patient outcomes. Parents should be trained for symptoms and disease management with a written action plan. It is imperative to realize multi-disciplinary team collaboration and to regularly review training and information. Future research should concentrate on promoting awareness, education, advocacy, and support for parents of asthmatic children.

Childhood eye cancer from a parental perspective: The lived experience of parents with children who have had retinoblastoma.

This study aimed to explore the lived experience of parents with children who have had retinoblastoma. The study adopted a qualitative approach using the data collection method of written accounts. Eleven parents were recruited via snowball sampling from across the UK. Parents were asked to retrospectively produce a written account of their experiences. These narrative autobiographical accounts were analysed using thematic analysis. Data analysis elicited three themes: waiting and misdiagnosis; emotional rollercoaster; and support needs. Parents described experiencing prolonged periods of waiting from referral to clinical investigations and the implementation of a treatment plan. Difficulties in obtaining an accurate diagnosis for their child elicited anxiety for parents. Emotions were described in terms of a rollercoaster with highs and lows and times of despair, anger, relief, and hope. Experiences of personal support varied and had lasting impacts on relationships. However, the support from other parents with a child with retinoblastoma was perceived to be instrumental in facilitating coping. The findings show parental experiences were characterised by numerous difficulties and suggest a need for greater awareness of childhood eye cancer. This research highlights the importance of psychological and social support for parents of a child with retinoblastoma.

A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Riding a Roller Coaster

PurposePost-traumatic stress disorder rates in parents following PICU admission ranged between 12.2% and 42%. Despite the numbers affected and the magnitude of parents' distress, little is known about parents' experience in the PICU that could be a source of their stress. This study sought to describe parents' experience of the PICU during their child's stay, including their perceived stressors. Design and methodsSingle occasion interviews with 15 parents of children with complex medical conditions admitted for 48 or more hours to a tertiary PICU in the USA. Interviews were inductively coded using methods adapted from Grounded Theory. ResultsRiding a Roller Coaster was the core construct that explained parents' experiences. Analyses revealed four domains: Being in a New Stressful World, My Brain Is Burning All the Time, Going through a Hurricane of Emotions, and Being in a Safe Place with Great People. ConclusionDespite outstanding medical services, parents were traumatized by seeing their child in a life-threatening situation and were buffeted by a tidal wave of emotions. Parents lived in a constant state of uncertainty, helplessness and fear, not knowing if their child would survive or have devastating outcomes or permanent disabilities. Practice implicationsSupporting parents during their emotional roller coaster ride requires targeted services throughout the child's illness trajectory, including ways to interpret what is happening in the PICU, helping parents self-regulate their stress, and offering services around parents' fears, concerns, and strategies to manage their uncertainty and feelings of helplessness.

Maternal experiences of caring for a child with a ventricular assist device.

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of maternal experiences of caring for their child with a VAD at home as a bridge to transplant. A descriptive, qualitative study was conducted via telephone-recorded guided interviews. Participants were caring for or had a child with a VAD between 4 and 16years old. Data collection occurred over a 12-month period. Using the snowball sampling technique, a purposeful sample of mothers (n=6) was consented and completed the interview. The data were analyzed using an iterative process of thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: physical modifications, the loss of independence, the emotional rollercoaster, support from others, and transitions on and off the device. We introduced new evidence about sleep, contraception, and heart transplantation, and how VAD therapy impacts childhood development. The mean duration of VAD support was 263±170days. Five children had heart transplants by the time of interview. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study in the US that explores maternal experiences of caring for a child who is living at home with a VAD. VAD therapy is a novel approach to managing advanced heart failure among children and presents unique challenges when caring for them at home. Results provide insight into the education, physical environment, and support needed by parents.

Caregiving for ageing parents: A literature review on the experience of adult children.

More and more adults in their fifties and sixties are confronted with the need to support their ageing parents. Although many aspects of filial caregiving have been researched, a well-documented and comprehensive overview of the caregiving experience is lacking. This study aims for a better understanding of the caregiving experience of adult children by generating an overview of main themes in international research. A literature review of qualitative studies, focusing on the experiences of adult children caring for their ageing parents, was performed. The electronic EBSCO databases Academic Search Premier, CINAHL and PsycINFO, and Google Scholar were searched to identify relevant qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2017. The 'SPIDER' eligibility criteria directed the approach. The quality of studies included was screened with the assessment sheet designed by Hawker and colleagues. The experiences reported were analysed and themes were synthesized. Ethical requirements were respected in every phase of the research process. Nineteen qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the relationship with the parent appears to be an important determinant of the children's caregiving experience. Within this context, three themes were found: caregiving as an emotional rollercoaster, a normatively demanding experience and an opportunity for personal development. Children caring for their ageing parents have to deal with a wide range of contradicting and conflicting norms and values. Implications for healthcare professionals and future research have been discussed. Caring for ageing parents is a continuous quest for giving the best possible care and living up to one's personal values, within the context of the parent's declining health. Professionals who support filial caregivers should address not only practical responsibilities but also the normative questions and moral considerations caregivers are dealing with.

Riding the emotional roller-coaster: Using the circumplex model of affect to model motorcycle riders’ emotional state-changes at intersections

This study uses Russell’s Circumplex Model of Affect to examine whether motorcycle rider emotion is contingent on the environment and behavior. If it is contingent then it becomes predictable. If it is predictable it becomes potentially usable for innovating new ways to improve the safety and utility of this important transport mode. Eighteen motorcyclists took part in a 15 km on-road study during which they were videoed, tracked via GPS, and followed by a ‘chase vehicle’ as they negotiated intersections, all the while providing a concurrent verbal commentary. The verbal commentary was content analysed using a novel method for mapping the verbalized emotional themes to the Circumplex Model. Network analysis was then used to explore the state changes between affective zones in the model. Riders’ emotions at intersections were found to vacillate between negative and positive affect, demonstrating high degrees of emotional dynamism. Many of these transitions occur in and out of the dominant positive state of calmness, with non-calm states appearing to be aversive and those which riders were seeking to avoid. Knowing this brings forward interesting new approaches for safe intersection design.

How do family members experience drug death bereavement? A systematic review of the literature

Despite high rates of drug-related deaths (DRDs), drug-related bereavement has been sparsely investigated. A systematic literature search for qualitative and quantitative studies was conducted. Studies on bereaved DRD family members and systems influencing bereavement were eligible for inclusion. Eight studies were included. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis (Emotional Roller Coaster, Lack of Understanding by the Social World, and Meaning Making) describing an emotional and existential overload, stigmatization and lack of understanding and help from support systems. The results also shed light on life after the loss. Directions for further research were subsequently outlined.