Self-support Groups Research Articles

Effect of a structured health promotional program using the self-support groups on lifestyle behavior: The Ath Waas Interventional Trial.

Ath Waas is a one-of-a-kind health promotion intervention that focuses on chronic disease prevention behaviors through peer support and social support network development. The goal of the study was to see how effective Ath Waas was in a city setting in India. From July 2018 to July 2019, we used a mixed-methods intervention research design including many sites. At 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12 months, data were collected using participant surveys and in-person interviews. Throughout the research period, participants met in groups at least once a month to self-monitor health indicators, prepare and share a healthy snack, engage in physical activity, create a healthy lifestyle goal, and socialize. Data were analyzed using a paired t-test, and inferences were drawn thereof. There were statistically significant improvements in the majority of the domains of health from pre- to post-program, and 59% of participants reported specific behavioral changes as a result of their participation in the Ath Waas. Peer support, obtaining particular health knowledge, inspiration, motivation, or accountability, the empowering effect of monitoring one's own health indicators, overcoming social isolation, and knowing how to better access resources were all positive health outcomes. The mean knowledge scores for diabetes, hypertension, and nutrition in the first survey were 20.3 ± 2.1 and 5.2 ± 1.9 and in the last survey were 22.6 ± 3.1 (P < 0.05), 5.8 ± 2.4 (<.05), and 44.3 ± 3.9 (<0.001) after the intervention, respectively. The necessity to find novel approaches to chronic illness prevention and management drove the implementation and evaluation of Ath Waas. While more research is needed to confirm the current findings, it looks like Ath Waas could be a useful tool for empowering community members to support one another while promoting healthy lifestyle choices and recognizing early changes.Clinical Trial Registry of India: CTRI/2019/01/017028 (registered on 10/01/2019).

Is the internet a sufficient source of information on sarcoidosis?

Many patients use the internet as a source of health information. Sarcoidosis is a complex disease, and internet resources have not yet been analyzed for reliability and content on sarcoidosis. Our study aimed to investigate the content and the quality of information on sarcoidosis provided by internet resources. Google, Yahoo, and Bing were searched for the term "sarcoidosis," and the first 200 hits were saved in each case. Those websites that met the inclusion criteria (English language, no registration fees, and relevant to sarcoidosis) were then analyzed by two independent investigators for readability, quality (HON, JAMA, and DISCERN), and content (25 predefined key facts) of the provided information. The websites were most commonly scientific or governmental (n = 57, 46%), and the median time since the last update was 24 months. Quality was rated with a median JAMA score of 2 (1; 4) and a median overall DISCERN score of 2.4 (1.1; 4.1), both scores represent partially sufficient information. In total, 15% of websites had a HON certificate. Website content measured by the median key fact score was 19 (ranging from 2.5 to 25) with the lowest scores for acute vs. chronic course of the disease, screening for extrapulmonary disease, and diffuse body pain. Poor results were achieved in industry websites and blogs (p = 0.047) with significant differences regarding definition (p = 0.004) and evaluation (p = 0.021). Sarcoidosis-related content of internet resources is partially sufficient; however, several important aspects are frequently not addressed, and the quality of information is moderate. Future directions should focus on providing reliable and comprehensive information on sarcoidosis; physicians from different disciplines and patients including self-support groups should collaborate on achieving this.

Determinants of health-related quality of life among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Hanoi, Vietnam

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease which impacts patients’ lives. Many studies in high-income countries have focused on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, evidence of awareness of SLE and HRQoL in low- and middle-income countries is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinants of HRQoL of SLE patients in Vietnam, a lower-middle income country.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology in 2019. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. It consisted of Short Form-36 to assess HRQoL which comprised physical and mental component summaries, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Mental Adjustment to SLE. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the determinants of HRQoL.ResultsOne hundred thirty four patients with SLE participated in this study. The majority of the patients were women (n = 126, 94.0%). The mean age of all participants was 37.9 years old (standard deviation [SD] 12.5). Of 134 participants, 104 (77.6%) were married. Older patients were more likely to have a lower score of mental component summary (B=-0.45, 95% CI -0.73, -0.17). Patients with more children were more likely to have a lower score of physical component summary (B=-5.14, 95% CI -9.27, -1.00). Patients who felt more helplessness or hopelessness were more likely to have lower scores of physical and mental component summaries (B=-1.85, 95% CI -2.80, -0.90; B=-1.69, 95% CI -2.57, -0.81). Also, patients who felt more anxious were more likely to have a lower score of mental component summary (B=-1.04, 95% CI -1.77, -0.32). Patients who were more satisfied with their lives were more likely to have higher scores of physical and mental component summaries (B = 1.07, 95% CI 0.50, 1.64; B = 1.08, 95% CI 0.55, 1.61).ConclusionFactors associated with lower HRQoL in Vietnam were feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, and burdens of parenting roles. However, social support can contribute to a higher HRQoL, such as information support, self-support groups, and daycare services provided at the community level.

"The Peer Educator Is the Game-Changer of My Life": Perceptions of Adolescents Living with HIV in DR Congo on Involving Peer Educators in the Process of HIV Disclosure.

Several approaches to the disclosure of HIV status to children and adolescents have been described. Each of these places particular emphasis on the role of parents and health care workers (HCWs) to mitigate the impact of disclosure on the adolescent without exploring the possible roles that other individuals might play in the process of disclosure. This article assesses the perceptions of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) about disclosure done by parents, guardians, HCWs, peer educators in the role of peer supporters, accidentally or by self-discovery, and the subsequent effects of disclosure method on their mental health. We used a qualitative study to conduct semi-structured interviews with 73 ALHIV at the Kalembelembe Paediatric Hospital, in DR Congo disclosed to by parents, guardians, HCWs, and/or peer educators, respectively, or disclosed to accidentally or by self-discovery. Microsoft Excel analysis matrix was used to organize the qualitative data. The majority of ALHIV whose disclosure involved a peer educator unanimously acknowledged the important role of the peer in accepting their HIV status, in their ART adherence, and their development of self-esteem. However, most ALHIV disclosed without involving peers declared that they had accepted their situation after a relatively long period followed by contact with the peer and integration in the self-support group. We found that the peer approach is the game-changer of the HIV status disclosure process that would allow ALHIV to accept their HIV status with minimum distress, it builds resilience, and allows them to adhere to treatment.

Parenting Stress and Related Factors of Parents in Self-Support Groups

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between positive and negative effects of participating in self support group, attitudes towards self support group, parenting efficacy, and parenting stress among parents with preschool children by using structural equation modeling.Methods: The participants in this study were parents in Gyeonggido with at least one preschool child who participated in self-support groups. The number of participants was 495. The data were collected using an online survey, and structural equation modeling was employed to investigate significant factors related to parenting stress among parents in self-support groups. IBM SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 21.0 were used in this study to conduct statistical analysis.Results: First, attitudes toward self-support group had no direct effect on parenting efficacy and parenting stress. Second, negative effects of self-support group had a significant direct effect on parenting stress. Parenting efficacy had also a direct effect on parenting stress. Finally, through parenting efficacy, the positive effects of self-support group had both direct and indirect effects on parenting stress. Parents who perceived the self-support group as having a higher level of positive impact reported higher parenting efficacy and they were less likely to experience parenting stress.Conclusion: This study examined the mediation effect of parenting efficacy in relations between related factors of self support group(parents’ attitudes and perceived effects) and parenting stress. Individuals’ perceptions of the positive and negative effects of participating in self-support groups, rather than the circumstances of group activities, are highlighted in this study.

Challenging and Facilitating Factors When Coping with the News of a Newborn’s Down Syndrome Diagnosis: Perceptions of Activist Israeli Mothers

ABSTRACT Studies have shown that healthcare professionals (HP) play a significant role in parents’ experience when informed of the birth of a child with Down Syndrome (DS). Past studies have focused on faith dilemmas of religious mothers that were informed that their child was born with DS and on understanding how faith was a source of emotional support for them. Studies that focus on religious activist mothers are scarce. We utilized a qualitative methodology to explore the experiences of Jewish mothers who are religious and activists. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 17 religious Jewish mothers of children with DS, who participated in an activist, self-support group. The data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Most mothers felt unsupported by the HP although a few mentioned being congratulated on the birth and empowered by a physician who focused on their child’s potential to develop. The mothers appreciated when HPs considered their opinions and values. They shared the common goal of changing the existing pathological, statistics-based discourse concerning children with DS. The study reinforces the important role of HP and policymakers’ in collaborating with parents and their support groups early in the diagnostic stage.

Improving Outcomes for Children Affected by Parental Involvement with the Criminal Justice System in Scotland

With 20-27,000 children in Scotland experiencing a parent’s imprisonment and many more their parent’s involvement in the wider criminal justice system, it is vital that children’s needs and preferences are understood and acted upon. Parental imprisonment or involvement with the justice system short of imprisonment is a cause of deleterious chronic stress and adverse childhood experience. This 18-month participative study in Scotland was designed to establish the problems of having a parent involved in the criminal justice system and to co-produce solutions with affected families. The experiences of 14 children and young people were elicited through interviews (supplemented with input from parents and professionals), followed by a family consultation event. Schools elicited complex relationships of both stress and threat, an outlet, and a means for positive achievement despite the stressors. Schools need proactively to identify children who are struggling emotionally and to provide sensitive, discreet support. Children felt victimised by authorities and the community, experiencing devastating family disruption and loss of childhood. Community-based interventions could educate others about the impact on children of victimisation. Young people emphasised the need to humanise their experience from point-of-arrest to years after release. They sought more child-friendly prison visiting, physical contact, and meaningful activity with their parent. Parents wanted the development of parent-to-parent and young people-led support groups. A means to signpost affected families to self-support groups is needed. A model of symbiotic harm is used to offer theoretical context to the findings.

Self-Support Group for Chronic Renal Failure Patients and Caregivers on their Quality of Life: A Study Protocol

Background: Chronic renal failure (CRF) or Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an irreversible progressive loss of kidney functions in which, kidney fails to sustain the metabolic waste, fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. The prevalence of chronic renal failure is 15% to 17 % in adult population in many developing countries.&#x0D; Objective: To find out the effectiveness of Self Support Group (SSG) for Chronic Renal Failure patients (CRF) and caregivers on their quality of life (QOL)&#x0D; Methodology: It is a single arm trial, interventional hospital based study. The patients of chronic renal failure of age group 18 to 50 years and caregivers age group above 18 years. Selection of patients and caregivers as per inclusion criteria, detail explanation about nature and purpose of the study, from the subject will be taken before data collection by the investigator after that the formation of groups for chronic renal failure patients and caregivers. Empowerments of the group with knowledge of chronic renal failure and its management, than evaluation quality of life (QOL) for patient and their caregivers with use of QOL scale. The assessments of quality of life for four times, it include day one to three months, six months and nine months respectively. The setting of the study is selected hospitals of Vidarbha Region.&#x0D; Expected Results:&#x0D; &#x0D; Formation of Self Support Group for CRF patients and their caregivers in Hospital Setting&#x0D; Improvement in knowledge regarding CRF of patients and their caregivers&#x0D; Improvement in QOL for both CRF patients and caregivers&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: Conclusion will be drawn from the statistical analysis after completion of data collection.

Self Support Group for Chronic Renal Failure Patients

Self-support groups bring the patients together who is suffering from the same kind of disease conditions or problems or illnesses to share their experiences. Chronic renal failure patients and other illness support groups are a growing need in many communities.&#x0D; When planning for the management for CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) patient, if involve the patient or patient is participating actively, it will help in effective management of chronic kidney disease. &#x0D; It may aid in the patient's prognosis and can be postponed in part by self-management. Self-management of Chronic Kidney Disease is complicated due to the progressive nature of the condition and its progression. The management of Chronic Kidney Disease by a self-help group is difficult to assess, particularly over time. SMS (Self-Management Support) is important for this progressive disease because of the special nature of Chronic Kidney Disease self-management. SMS stands for the programmes that health-care providers provide to their patients in order to help them better control of their health. Dissemination of health information, patient education, telephone support, and participation in a support group are all part of you.

Information Needs and Preferences of Family Caregivers of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

The aim of this study was to explore the information needs and preferred sources of information of Korean family caregivers of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Family caregivers of patients with ALS (n = 108) completed a structured questionnaire to assess their information needs and preferred sources of information. Most of the caregivers obtained health information from Internet searches (89.8%) and healthcare professionals (85.2%). The source rated most helpful was healthcare professionals, and that rated least helpful was broadcast media. Family caregivers who were younger than 50 years and well educated and caregivers of bulbar-onset ALS patients had higher scores of information needs. Providing information through healthcare professionals and self-support groups could enhance family caregiver satisfaction. Family caregivers who are older and less educated need to be more empowered to be involved in information-based caring, and caregivers of patients with bulbar-onset ALS have substantial information needs.

Prevalence and management of tuberculosis among people who use drugs in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Background Although people who use drugs (PWUD) are a high-risk group for tuberculosis (TB), there is practically no data on TB prevalence in Ivory Coast. The aim of the study was to estimate pulmonary TB prevalence and assess the cascade of care with confirmed pulmonary TB (TB+) among PWUD in Abidjan.Methods The study targeted adult people who had used heroin and/or cocaine/crack in the previous six months. A first part consisted in a cross-sectional prevalence estimation survey using mobile facility testing in smoking spots. A multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with TB infection. In a second part, all participants who tested positive for pulmonary TB were offered follow-up for the duration of their treatment and invited to participate in a community-based support program (e.g. family mediation visits or self-support groups).Results Between October 2016 and May 2017, 545 PWUD were informed about the survey and 532 agreed to participate. Most of them were male (n = 484; 91.0%) single (n = 434; 81.6%), with an average age of 34.9 (SD 8.3) years. Drugs most commonly consumed were heroin and crack (n = 530; 99.6% and n = 353; 66.4% respectively) and were inhaled (i.e. smoked). Out of the 531 participants with an Xpert MTB/RIF® test result, 52 were diagnosed with pulmonary TB, i.e. a prevalence of 9.8%, 95% CI [7.5%-12.7%]. Among them, 17.3% had rifampicin-resistant TB. Factors significantly associated with TB infection in the multivariable analysis were: having been recruited in Treichville smoking spot (OR=2.0 [1.1 - 3.7]; p = 0.03), being unemployed (OR = 1.8 [1.0 – 3.4]; p = 0.05), and being co-infected with HIV (OR=3.3 [1.2 – 8.1]; p = 0.01); 60.0% of the patients were successfully treated.Conclusion TB prevalence among the PWUD is high. The community-based support model enables good treatment efficacy among this usually hard-to-reach population.

Helping women intrapreneurial leaders flourish: appreciating emotional labor

PurposeFaced with dynamic and challenging environments, organizations today expect all their leaders, including their women leaders, to be highly intrapreneurial. However, intrapreneurship is traditionally perceived to be a masculine activity. In order to appear intrapreneurial, women leaders consciously behave like men and suppress their feminine characteristics. This results in “emotional labor” that causes undue stress, emotional exhaustion, and burnout. Organizations can help intrapreneurial women leaders succeed by a combination of gender-related sensitization, focused training, setting up sharing and communication platforms, encouraging self-support groups and providing formal and informal mentorship to their women employees.Design/methodology/approachWe carried out qualitative research which involved 31 in depth semi-structured in-person interviews (including 11 repeat interviews) with 20 women leaders from seven large organizations from the Indian IT industry. The interviewees had 15 years of average work experience, were in the 35-50 years age group, and held senior management functional or project management responsibilities. The interviews were typically 60 minutes each. The researcher took detailed notes, and subsequently, manually carried out multiple levels and multiple rounds of coding (initially open-coding followed by focused coding) to identify and abstract the themes and categories.FindingsOur study identified that women leaders who are expected to behave as intrapreneurs, face “emotional labor” which results in stress, emotional exhaustion and burnout. To help women leaders succeed, a well-defined set of organizational interventions including gender sensitization, training, sharing & communication platforms, self-support groups, and formal and informal mentoring are useful.Research limitations/implicationsTo increase the generalizability of our study beyond the Indian cultural context and beyond the IT industry, future researchers may carry out both qualitative and larger sample quantitative studies in other countries, and draw upon data from multiple industries. The issues arising out of emotional labor of women intrapreneurial leaders are likely to be present in a wide range of industries and cultural contexts. However, there may be nuanced contextual differences that need further exploration. Future research can build on our findings and explore moderators, contingencies, and boundary conditions that affect the suitability of organizational interventions that we have suggested.Practical implicationsEmotional well-being of women intrapreneurial leaders would help them take innovative organizational initiatives, and make the organization strategically agile. To help women leaders be intrapreneurial, organizations need many interventions and need to provide the required supporting infrastructure.Social implicationsWays to resolve gender-related issues in workplaces are suggested.Originality/valueOur study is valuable as it simultaneously considers two strategic organizational objectives of intrapreneurship and gender diversity of leadership teams. The paper provides useful prescriptions for organizations to help women intrapreneurial leaders succeed. This will help organizations that are facing dynamic external environments become innovative and strategically agile.

Narrative synthesis of psychological and coping responses towards emerging infectious disease outbreaks in the general population: practical considerations for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emerging infectious disease outbreaks, such as the present coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, often have a psychological impact on the well-being of the general population, including survivors and caregivers. Our study aimed to synthesise extant literature regarding the combined psychological responses and coping methods used by the general population in past outbreaks. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the published literature over the last two decades with a quality appraisal of included articles that reported both psychological responses and coping strategies within infectious disease outbreaks. A total of 144 papers were identified from the search, 24 of which were included in the review. Overall, 18 studies examined the psychosocial responses of the general population towards the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic, four studies focused on the Ebola epidemic and two studies covered the H1N1 outbreak. Common themes in psychological responses included anxiety/fears, depression, anger, guilt, grief and loss, post-traumatic stress and stigmatisation, but also a greater sense of empowerment and compassion towards others. Coping strategies adopted included problem-focused coping (seeking alternatives, self- and other-preservation), seeking social support, avoidance, and positive appraisal of the situation. Amid the range of psychosocial responses seen in past infectious disease outbreaks, practical considerations for the current COVID-19 pandemic need to focus on the individual in the context of the larger social environment, with an emphasis on raising awareness of the range of possible psychosocial responses, access to psychological help, self-care, empowering self-support groups and sustained engagement with updated, reliable information about the outbreak.

Modes of Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Katowice Region, Poland.

Background: Our 2004 survey of breast cancer survivors in the Katowice region (Poland) showed that the detection of the disease was triggered by self-examination in 58.9%, mammography in 19.2%, and clinical examination in 19.7% of cases. The purpose of the current study (2019/2020) was to determine if the implementation of national screening (mammography) in 2007 resulted in an increase of the relative contribution of mammography to detection of cancer. Methods: Subjects were 215 breast cancer patients, members of self-support groups in Katowice region. The questionnaire included questions on early detection of breast cancer, participation in screening, and socio-economic status. Results: Early detection of cancer was initiated by self-examination in 63.7%, mammography in 22.8%, clinical examination in 13.5% of subjects. Age at detection depended on the method (p < 0.001): 54.1 ± 10.8 years for self-examination, 60.0 ± 7.6 years for mammography, and 58.7 ± 10.8 years for clinical examination. Conclusions: Both in 2004 and 2020 self-examination is the most frequent method of early detection of breast cancer in the study area. The contribution of mammography remains on a low level (23%). This finding could be explained by a low participation in screening and by age of 50 years used as the entry criterion to national screening of breast cancer in Poland.

Психолого-педагогическое сопровождение студентов с инвалидностью в инклюзивной образовательной среде вуза

The authors analyze the components of psychological and pedagogical support for students with disabilities in an inclusive educational environment of the University using as the example the Faculty of distance learning of MSUPE. It is shown that the active model of disability aimed at fostering students’ own activity may become a basis of psychological and pedagogical support for university students with disabilities. Psychological and pedagogical support of students with disabilities includes a variety of forms (pedagogical, social, psychological support, self-support) aimed at enriching the psychological and pedagogical conditions of the educational environment through: 1) support groups organization and functioning; 2) self-support groups functioning; 3) creating an optimally accessible educational environment using distant technologies. The system of psychological and pedagogical support of students with disabilities can be built on the basis of «understanding relationships», suggesting barrier-free understanding, overcoming the stereotypes of disability and erroneous interpretations of the multidimensional world of persons having disabilities; the full participation and involvement in the experience of disability. The article provides data of empirical studies conducted by students with disabilities themselves in the framework of their master theses which allowed to detect the most problematic and resource zones in: 1) support groups (parents of students with disabilities); 2) readiness of students with disabilities to self-help, their self-activation and hardiness resources; 3) the role of inclusive distance educational environment to develop motivation and psychological well-being in all students: with and without disabilities.

Potential of an Interactive Drug Prevention Mobile Phone App (Once Upon a High): Questionnaire Study Among Students.

BackgroundIn recent years, drug prevention networks and drug education programs have started using Web-based or mobile phone apps as novel prevention tools, testing their efficacy compared with face-to-face prevention.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the potential of an interactive app called Once Upon a High (VoltEgySzer).MethodsThe app approaches drug prevention from 6 different aspects, and it addresses youngsters with 6 different modules: (1) interactive comics/cartoons, telling stories of recovery; (2) quiz game; (3) roleplay game; (4) introduction of psychoactive drugs; (5) information on the somatic and psychological effects of psychoactive substances; (6) list of available treatment units, rehabs, and self-support groups in Hungary. Students of 2 vocational schools and 2 high schools filled out a questionnaire at a baseline (T0) and a 2-month follow-up (T1) data collection session. Students of 1 vocational school and 1 high school downloaded the Once Upon a High app (app group), whereas students from the other vocational school and high school did not (nonapp group). The time points of T0 and T1 questionnaires contained demographic variables, items with regard to substance use characteristics for both legal and illegal substances, including novel psychoactive substance, exercise habits, knowledge about psychoactive substances, attitudes toward substance users and validated instruments measuring the severity of tobacco (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence), alcohol (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), cannabis (Cannabis Abuse Screening Test), and synthetic cannabinoid consumption. Beliefs about substance use (Beliefs About Substance Abuse) and perceived self-efficacy (General Perceived Self-Efficacy) were also measured. At T1, members of the app group provided additional evaluation of the app.ResultsThere were 386 students who participated in the T0 session. After dropout, 246 students took part in T1 data collection procedure. Alcohol was the most frequently consumed psychoactive substance (334/364, 91.8% lifetime use), followed by tobacco (252/386, 65.3%, lifetime use) and cannabis (43/323, 13.3% lifetime use). Decreased self-efficacy (beta=−.29, P=.04) and increased daily physical exercise frequencies (beta=.04, P<.001) predicted higher frequencies of past month energy drink consumption, whereas elevated past month alcohol consumption was mainly predicted by a decrease in negative attitudes toward substance users (beta=−.13, P=.04) in the regression models. Once Upon a High was found to be effective only in reducing energy drink consumption (beta=−1.13, P=.04) after controlling for design effect, whereas perceived utility of the app showed correlation with a decreasing alcohol use (rS(44)=.32, P=.03). The roleplay module of the app was found to be the most preferred aspect of the app by the respondents.ConclusionsThe Once Upon a High app can be a useful tool to assist preventive intervention programs by increasing knowledge and self-efficacy; however, its efficacy in reducing or preventing substance use needs to be improved and further studied. Additional potential impacts of the app need further testing.

Experience of Mentoring through Acquisition of Positive Parenting Skills in Children’s Daily Care Centres

The current article reveals mentorship experiences of helping parents to develop their skills of positive parenting in children’s daily care centres (CDCC). Mentors for parents (social pedagogues and social workers) are perceived as persons enabling parents to manage the situations of children’s education applying positive parenting skills and observing the principles of positive parenting. The current article analyses CDC, which are in the process of developing their functions and traditions on the social scale. The object of the research is mentoring experience of specialists working in CDC to help parents, whose children attend daily care centres, develop their positive parenting skills. The purpose of the study is to reveal the experiences of CDC social workers and social pedagogues of working with parents, whose children attend daily care centres, seeking to develop their positive parenting skills. The study questions: 1) What possibilities are provided to parents to acquire positive parenting skills in CDC? 2) What are the experiences of parents’ mentorship seeking for the development of their positive parenting skills? Qualitative research type was chosen for the study. In the study, the method of a semistructured interview, which enables to come close to the understanding of human experiences, designation of meanings, the definition of meanings and the construction (explanation) of reality, was used. The obtained data were analysed by the content analysis method. Qualitative content analysis was carried out in accordance with the inductive, study data based and categories composed logic. According to J. W. Creswell (2009), content analysis is a technique which, having examined the specificities of the text, allows, objectively and systematically, draw reliable conclusions. The qualitative content analysis was performed regarding the following sequence (Creswell, 2009): repeated reading of the content of transcript interview texts, distinction of meaning elements in the text analysed, grouping of the distinguished meaning elements into categories and sub-categories, integration of the categories/sub-categories into the context of the phenomenon analysed and description of their analysis. Criteria-based sample was used in the study. The informants were chosen according to the following criteria: 1) a social worker or social pedagogues with higher education, 2) specialists that help parents, whose children attend CDC, develop positive parenting skills, 3) mentoring experience of not less than 2 years. Selecting the research participants, the snowball principle was observed, when the informants were asked to indicate other CDC specialists having mentoring experience. The study was conducted in October-December 2016. 9 informants participated in the research (5 social pedagogues and 4 social workers). The results of the qualitative research on the development of positive parenting skills in CDC revealed that parents were provided with a possibility to develop positive parenting skills in the organised courses/seminars, open lectures and individual consultations. Parents’ self-support groups, individual consultations and different available literature offered by CDC specialists created preconditions for (self-) development of parenting skills through cooperation-based interrelationships with own children. However, a part of the informants were inclined to render responsibility for their children’s development to CDC specialists rather than assume it themselves. A part of the research participants would like to attend training courses more often, yet they were unable to do so due to working or family conditions as they did not have anybody to leave younger children with. The analysis of the research results revealed that the welfare of children attending daily care centres necessitated for the development of parents’ positive parenting skills, which helped parents to positively communicate and cooperate with own children, to establish harmonious interrelationships and spend time together. The general competences acquired by parents (transferable skills) enabled a family to live more harmoniously, gave children an opportunity to observe parents’ positive behaviour and develop positive parenting skills through a harmonious participation in family life.

Compulsive sexual behavior: A twelve-step therapeutic approach.

Background and aimsSexuality is natural to human life and inseparable from it, yet some individuals develop compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). Many individuals with CSB seek treatment in free self-support groups based on the twelve-step program. This program was extensively studied in substance abuse disorders (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous), but little is known about its efficiency in CSB.MethodsWe “assesed” questionnaire data on sociodemographical-, psychological-, and recovery-related factors from 97 male participants of Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) programs in Israel.ResultsOur results indicated that advancement in the SA program, measured as a current step of the program, is significantly related to lower levels of sexual-related overall sense of helplessness, avoidant help-seeking, self-control, overall CSB, and sexual suppression. It is also related to the higher well-being.DiscussionThis is the first study to examine psychological factors of CSB recovery process in twelve-step groups, and future research is needed to replicate our results within a longitudinal study.

Chronic pain in medullary sponge kidney: a rare and never described clinical presentation.

Medullary sponge kidney (MSK) is a cause of nephrocalcinosis, associated with hematuria, renal colic, pyelonephritis. There are rare and atypical MSK cases characterized by chronic severe pain (CP), whose features are unknown, in particular the relationship with the stone disease activity. This study analyzes a cohort of MSK-CP patients belonging to three North-America self-support Facebook groups. Patients had to self-administer an on-line questionnaire (on intensity, progression and MSK-associated conditions, stone-related disease, pain features, drug use), the Brief Pain Inventory, the Fatigue Severity Score, and Wisconsin Quality of Life (WQL) in stone formers questionnaires. Ninety-two patients with a diagnosis of MSK joined our survey. Stone rate was very high (3.1 stones per patient-year, < 15% of patients had ≤ 1 stone per year). Most patients had repeated hospitalizations for stones symptoms (p < 0.001) or pain (p < 0.005). 71% of participants referred a daily pain that interfered strongly with everyday life and quality of life (WQL mean value 29.4). 69% used pain medications daily (70% opioids). In most cases, pain was associated with stone passage, while 15% referred a sine materia pain. We showed how MSK-CP symptoms affect very negatively on the quality of life of these patients. They also have a definite risk of progressing to end-stage kidney disease. Generally, CP seems to be associated with an exceptionally high lithogenic activity, suggesting that a better and earlier metabolic treatment for stone prevention should be the first approach in these patients before mini-invasive treatments to prevent pain.

CONSULTING AND INVOLVING PARENTS IN PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROCESS FOR FAMILIES IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The paper focuses on the issues of parents consulting and their involvement in an educational service process for families at schools. The quality of education and the effectiveness of provision of educational services are considered as an integral part of successful learning. To analyze parental opinion (N=530) towards their consulting and involvement in provision of educational service process quantitative and qualitative method of data collection have been chosen. According to the parental opinion, the content of consulting should be linked with learning achievements and motivation. Parental involvement is considered through the processes of professional orientation, prevention and organizing social events at school. Though, the fields of self-support groups, organizing teaching-learning programs for families, parental involvement in a formal educational process is considered as a challenging issue.