Sense Of Growth Research Articles

Addressing the Gap: A Pilot Study to Improve Graduate Student's Counseling Self-Efficacy Through Online Support Groups for Care Partners of People With Acquired Brain Injuries

Purpose: The purpose of this technical report is to (a) describe the development and pilot testing of a university training initiative for graduate students in speech-language pathology to conduct online support groups for care partners of individuals with acquired brain injuries and (b) share preliminary data on students' self-efficacy in their counseling skills as a result of training. Method: Four graduate students completed an intensive summer counseling training program consisting of two 90-min student orientations to counseling skills and two online support group sessions for care partners of people with acquired brain injuries. A mixed methods analysis of pilot data collected over the summer of 2023 was conducted. Students completed the modified Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales for speech-language pathologists within 1 week of beginning their counseling training and within 1 week after their clinical training experience. Students also submitted a short reflection paper within 24 hr of their two support group sessions to discuss their overall performance within the session and assess their self-efficacy in their counseling skills. Results: Preliminary data evidenced significant pre- to posttraining gains in two primary counseling areas: (a) psychoeducation (i.e., students' ability to provide information to care partners) and (b) empathy when addressing care partners' concerns regarding their loved one's communication disorder. Students' reflection papers illustrated their sense of growth as clinicians and paralleled the findings from their questionnaires. Conclusions: Our preliminary results highlight the importance of providing counseling opportunities for student clinicians in speech-language pathology graduate programs. Our online clinical model offers an example for replicability across universities to foster self-efficacy in students' counseling skills as part of their graduate studies. “Key” ingredients are provided for replication when developing a student-led online support group program for care partners of individuals with acquired brain injuries.

The Contribution of Sports Tourism to Sustainable Development Based on Sustainable Development Indicators – The Case of Greece

Development in the sense of growth under pure economic perspective is now considered outdated and anachronistic. In recent years, if not decades, development is only meant to be sustainable. This is due to the fact that if it does not become sustainable it will soon cease to exist. In this regard, there have been attempts to measure development and sustainability mainly by the United Nations but also by many scholars. This process resulted in the construction of 50 main and 46 secondary indicators for sustainable development in 2007, which differ from the indicators that determine the percentage of achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as set in 2015. In this paper, an attempt is made to categorize the 96 Sustainable Development indicators of the U.N. according to Maslow's pyramid of needs and Bossel's indicator categories. This combination forms the pyramid of sustainable development in which the individual indicators are distributed. The purpose of this categorization is to investigate the contribution of sports tourism to sustainable development based on the individual indicators as well as its extent within the categories of the pyramid. Schematically, the pyramid helps to visualize the contribution of sport and tourism to sustainable development.

Quarantine Victors: Lived Experiences of Hospitalized COVID-19 Survivors

The real-life experiences of the COVID-19 survivors during their admission to COVID facilities and their well-being during the COVID-19 phenomena are largely neglected. Given this, the study aimed to explore the experiences and grieving process of the COVID-19 survivors during and after their admission to the COVID facility. This study utilized the qualitative interpretative phenomenological design and used both the purposive and snowball sampling techniques to gather nine participants. A semi-structured interview guide developed by the researchers were used to gather data conducted online. Five themes and fifteen categories were extracted; the major themes were physiological experiences, psychological-emotional experiences, coping mechanisms, life after isolation, and stigma and discrimination. The findings revealed that the participants during the infection experienced both physiological and psychological-emotional experiences that varies based on the patient's health status and comorbidities. After the infection, the participants were relieved since they could return to their everyday lives and demonstrate a sense of growth to increase awareness to maintain a healthy physical body and observe precautionary measures. The strong association between the participants’ experiences and the stages of grieving has been known to be valid and relevant in this context. This study recommends that COVID-19 patients be given a holistic approach throughout and after their illness recovery, as this can increase their responsiveness to treatment and their overall well-being.

Effects of Training to Improve Novice Nurses’ Sense of Coherence

Background: Our previous research concerned the relation between Sense of Coherence, workplace stress, and burnout for nurses in their first three years of work. We found that their psychological state in the first three months on the job was particularly critical to their success and retention. As workplace stress increased over their first three years, their Sense of Coherence declined, and their burnout increased. Follow-up interviews after five years revealed the importance of identifying role models early on and feeling their own growth in the responses of their patients. Based on these findings, in 2015 we instituted a program to improve new nurses’ Sense of Coherence. The present research was to evaluate the effectiveness of this training program. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training program in raising Sense of Coherence. Method: From June of 2015 to March of 2017, we surveyed Sense of Coherence of 137 new nurses who completed our training program, comparing them to a cohort of 960 nurses whom we had studied in 2010-11 without such a training program. We analyzed their responses using SPSS Version 24.0, taking a probability of less than 5% to be significant. Results: In terms of Sense of Coherence, the training program improved new nurses’ “comprehensibility” and “manageability” in the first three months, but both dropped to levels comparable to the untrained nurses after six months. There was no significant difference in “meaningfulness”, which dropped over the first year in both groups. Categorized into three groups according to SOC score at the time of employment in the intervention group, 36 participants were classified into the low score group, 41 participants were classified into the medium score group, and 44 participants were classified into the high score group. Then changes in SOC in each group were then compared. In the LOW group, the scores for “comprehensibility”, “manageability”, and “meaningfulness” increased significantly throughout the year, while in the HIGH group, scores decreased significantly. Conclusions: Our training program did raise new nurses’ sense of growth over the first year, and significantly improved their “comprehensibility” and “manageability” over the first three months. However, the fact that their Sense of Coherence dropped to control group levels after six months suggests the need for further intervention to maintain “comprehensibility” and “manageability” over the longer term. In the LOW group, the scores for “comprehensibility”, “manageability”, and “meaningfulness” increased significantly throughout the year, however, the total SOC score for the LOW group remained low throughout the year. Thus, additional support is needed over-and-above the training presented in this study for those nurses with low SOC scores at time of employment.

Understanding leisure’s impacts on sources of life worth living: a multi-domain approach

ABSTRACT Although leisure’s relationships with well-being have been widely studied, the literature lacks non-Western and eudaimonic perspectives. Moreover, leisure researchers have often focused exclusively on leisure. This leaves leisure’s impacts on well-being compared to other life domains understudied. The purpose of this study is to identify various sources of ikigai or ‘life worth living’ in Japanese and to explore leisure’s influences on these sources. The secondary, thematic analysis was applied to data from 27 photo-elicitation interviews with Japanese university students. Five main themes were identified. Self referred to personal standards with which students evaluated the value of their activities and relationships. Tanoshimi, or enjoyment, provided present-focused experiences, positive short-term goals and rewards, and elements of novelty. Shigoto, or work, gave students roles, goals and motivations, and a sense of growth and achievement. Self-care replenished physical, mental, and social resources to continue tanoshimi and shigoto. In authentic relationships, students shared valuable activities with their significant others and exchanged support. Leisure allowed for self-expression, while most tanoshimi activities were deemed as leisure. Some shigoto activities were serious leisure. Leisure activities were also used to do self-care and to maintain authentic relationships.

Positive Planning with The Happy STUDENT Company

Resilience can mean so many things to different people. I love exploring resilience in the context of personal development. Personal resilience is an area that cannot be measured by others, but only by your own sense of growth and wellbeing. I believe this can have a positive correlation to our professional development and wellbeing at work.

Defeating dragons and demons: consumers’ perspectives on mental health recovery in role-playing games

ABSTRACT Objective: Role-playing games elicit narratives of heroism, mastery and agency. These are factors considered to promote mental health recovery. This study investigates whatthemes emerge from the stories of role-playing game players in recovery from mental health difficulty and how their stories reflect existing models of mental health recovery. Method: This study utilised narrative inquiry to understand the experiences of Dungeons and Dragon players in recovery from mental health difficulties. Thirteen Dungeons & Dragonsplayers (M = 33.31; SD = 10.05) were interviewed about their experience with the game and recovery. Analysis of narratives was conducted inductively and deductively. Result: Participants discussed a number of factors that linked Dungeons & Dragons to their mental health wellbeing. These included a) experiencing through characters, b) skill building, c) finding space from mental health symptoms, d) safely engaging with mental health difficulties, and e) building relationships. All five stages of the Psychological Recovery Model (Andresen, Oades & Caputi, 2003) were present, and participants engaged with Dungeons & Dragons in a manner reflective of their mental health recovery process. Conclusion The current study expands on research that conceptualizes recovery asa multidimensional process and highlights new elements that have implications for consumers and theoretical frameworks. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Mental health difficulties can severely impact a person’s quality of life and disrupt their internal narrative. (2) Mental health difficulties can severely impact a person’s quality of life and disrupt their internal narrative. (3) Community based activities can foster a sense of growth, self-mastery and agency that may ultimately lead to identity reconstruction and a sense of personal recovery. (4) Role-playing games have been identified as potentially helpful in assisting people with mental health difficulties restore a sense of agency and positive identity. What this topic adds: (1) Australian Dungeon and Dragon (D&D) players with a history of mental health difficulties were interviewed in regards to their experiences of role-playing and their mental health recovery. (2) Participants reported D&D assisted with building relationships with other players, experiencing emotions through their character, developing adaptive skills, engaging with difficult mental health topics and experiencing a safe space from mental health difficulties. (3) All five stages of the Psychological Recovery Model were present, and participants engaged with D&D in a manner reflective of their mental health recovery process.

Mindfulness-based programmes to reduce stress and enhance well-being at work: a realist review

ObjectivesTo understand how and why workplace mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs) work or do not work.DesignA realist review.Eligibility criteria for selectionWe considered any studies (experimental quasi-experimental, observational, qualitative and mixed-methods studies) of...

A eudaimonic perspective on prejudice and female workers’ psychological well-being

PurposeThis paper aims to use Ryff’s (1989) eudaimonic view to examine how prejudice toward female workers affects their psychological well-being.Design/methodology/approachResponses were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews along with open-ended questions in a paper-based survey. In total, 24 female workers across various organizations in Jordan participated in this study.FindingsThe results show how prejudice against female workers can affect the six dimensions of their eudaimonic psychological well-being (Ryff, 1989). Specifically, the results show that prejudice may push women to work harder to prove they are capable of achieving their goals and, as a result, it may positively enhance their self-acceptance, sense of growth, purpose in life and autonomy. However, the study also shows that prejudice against women negatively affects their environmental mastery and relationships with others.Practical implicationsThis study may help create greater sensitivity and awareness about gender prejudice and its effects on female workers’ psychological well-being. It also highlights women’s resilience which may be deemed valuable to develop women in leadership roles in organizations.Originality/valueThis study offers a fresh and nuanced understanding of the impact of gender prejudice on female workers’ psychological well-being.

Facing challenges and drawing strength from adversity: Lived experiences of Tibetan refugee youth in exile in India

ABSTRACT The current study is a qualitative investigation aimed at exploring the lived experiences of Tibetan youth who had escaped to India as unaccompanied minors and since then have been living as refugees in India without their parents. The study attempts to explore the challenges, struggles and coping of this unique population of youth refugees growing up in exile in India without the support of parents. Ten Tibetan refugee youth now studying at university level were interviewed in depth. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse their narratives. Major findings included the unique sociocultural, political and emotional challenges they faced related to acclimatisation, status of their own political identity, difficulties pertaining to retaining their Tibetan culture in a host country, and loneliness. Their adaptation in the host country was perceived to be facilitated by their unique Buddhist spiritual and cultural beliefs, strong faith in the Dalai Lama, community bonding and peer support and the use of social media to communicate with family in Tibet. The Tibetan refugee youth derived a sense of growth from their adversities related to appreciating the value of family, personal growth in the form of self-reliance, and finding meaning in life by feeling part of a larger purpose related to the Tibetan cause. Implications for practice: The study highlights the unique psychosocial issues of Tibetan refugee youth in exile in India. Culturally sensitive psychosocial support and an understanding of traditional spiritual and religious coping mechanisms may be integrated into health services for the Tibetan refugees who lack family support and may not be familiar with the Western constructs of mental health.

Predictors of unplanned discharge from community-based residential mental health rehabilitation for people affected by severe and persistent mental illness

Background Little is known about what predicts disengagement from rehabilitation treatment for people affected by severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). Aims To identify predictors of unplanned discharge among consumers admitted to community-based residential rehabilitation units in Australia. Method Secondary analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of consumers admitted to three Community Care Units (CCUs) between 2014 and 2017 (n = 139). CCUs provide transitional residential rehabilitation support to people affected by SPMI. Demographic, treatment-related and clinical predictors of unplanned discharge were identified using binomial regression models controlling for site-level variability. Factors associated with self- vs staff-initiated unplanned discharge were also examined. Results 38.8% of consumers experienced unplanned discharge. Significant predictors of unplanned discharge were younger age, higher alcohol consumption and disability associated with mental illness, as well as recovery stage indicating a sense of growth and higher competence in daily task performance. 63.0% of unplanned discharges were initiated by staff, mostly for substance-related reasons (55.9%). History of trauma was more likely among consumers with self-initiated discharge than those with staff-initiated unplanned and planned discharge. Conclusions Assertive intervention to address alcohol-use, and ensuring care is trauma-informed, may assist in reducing rates of unplanned discharge from rehabilitation care.

Mengembangkan Kecerdasan Linguistik Anak Usia Dini Melalui Metode Cerita

Currently, children are adapting hate speeches which come from their neighborhood as well as social media without any limitation on top of parents’ advisor. Those comprised disrespectful speech, figuring senses of violence, and imitating adult’s behavior which is not appropriate regarding their age. The situation of that notion influence children in reaching adulthood if it happens regularly. Besides, the environment and media refer to a part of an object which handling big influence towards early childhood development and growth. Children’s language development was affected in the sense of growth. Their vocabularies increase in line with what they see and listen. In addition, language is essential in accordance with interaction and relation in terms of the cognitive aspect. This research aimed to recognize children’s language development using story method in a way of literature and library study in accordance with related theories. Based on the findings, the story method was able to develop children’s linguistic intelligence in which they received many new vocabularies and increased communication skill.

A Sense of Growth Among Teenagers After Hurting Others: A Potential Application of Posttraumatic Growth Theory

Research on psychological growth after suffering has focused on survivors and victims of trauma and has largely ignored those who are not on the receiving end. The current study aimed to understand the sense of growth adolescents may experience as a result of hurting others by applying the theoretical model of posttraumatic growth. Adolescents completed a series of questions. Results demonstrated, consistent with the model, the more central the events were to the adolescents and the more they deliberately thought about the event, the more growth they reported. However, neither social support nor intrusive rumination were associated with growth. These findings demonstrate that some factors associated with personal growth after hurting others overlap with the theoretical model.

Aspectos gerais do concreto armado e os procedimentos técnicos para sua utilização

O crescimento populacional fomentou diversos seguimentos da indústria, na qual a se encontra dentre eles a construção civil pode. Nesse sentindo do crescimento, a construção de casas passou e ser considerada uma peça fundamental dentro da economia dopais, por empregar grande quantidade de mão de obra além de fomentar toda uma cadeia de fornecedores. Para dinamizar as construções, o concreto armado teve papel primordial pois com sua utilização foi possível otimizar tempo e recursos, obtendo construções mais seguras e de melhor qualidade. O objetivo do trabalho é demonstrar o emprego do concreto armado nos sistemas estruturais de edificações, observando os diversos critérios normatizados em relação ao entendimento do projeto e dimensionamento das estruturas. O trabalho descreve a história do concreto armado na construção civil, expondo a sua evolução que foi proporcionada pela difusão técnica dos métodos de cálculos; apresenta o concreto armado e seus componentes, os elementos estruturais do concreto armando, os procedimentos técnicos para a utilização deste sistema construtivo. Ao demonstrar os aspectos gerais do concreto armado e os procedimentos técnicos para a sua utilização, pretende-se contribuir para que os projetos sejam mais bem observados quanto à sua elaboração, para que as especificações e procedimentos sejam seguidos durante a execução.

SOCIAL IDENTITY OF CADETS – FUTURE MILITARIES

The article presents the results of research on the social identity of cadets – future militaries. In this case, social identity is defined as the direction of individual knowledge on belonging to a particular social group that has an emotional and appraised value for an individual and his/her membership in the group. Self-concepts and values are the leading structural components of social identity. The results of the empirical study indicate that a significant group for the cadets – future militaries is not their membership group, with which they have to spend almost all their time, but an informal group where they feel free, relaxed, and supportive. The study of the Self-concept components shows a predominance of reflective Self at the most respondents. This confirms the results of the choice of informal groups as significant ones, where cadets have creative, friendly relationships that give them a sense of growth and development, or where they simply meet their personal needs. It is empirically determined that the students are more inclined to domination than subordination, which confirms the conclusion that their study group is not the significant one. Cadets – future militaries highly value the health, love, life wisdom and existence of good and loyal friends, as well as politeness, cleanliness, independence, responsibility, and firmness of will. The sample value the least the beauty of nature and art, creativity, the happiness of others, indifference to their and strangers’ negative qualities, as well as sensitivity.

'I know I'm not invincible': An interpretative phenomenological analysis of thyroid cancer in young people.

ObjectiveThyroid cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting young people and carries an excellent prognosis. Little is known about the psychosocial issues that face young people diagnosed with a treatable cancer. This study explored how young people experienced diagnosis, treatment, and how they made sense of an experience which challenged their views on what it means to have cancer.MethodSemi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight young people diagnosed with either papillary or follicular thyroid cancer, and analysed with interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).ResultsTwo inter‐related aspects of their experience are discussed: (1) the range of feelings and emotions experienced including feeling disregarded, vulnerability, shock and isolation; (2) how they made sense of and ascribed meaning to their experience in the light of the unique nature of their cancer. A thread running throughout the findings highlights that this was a disruptive biographical experience.ConclusionsYoung people experienced a loss of youthful immunity which contrasted with a sense of growth and shift in life perspective. Having a highly treatable cancer was helpful in aiding them to reframe their situation positively but at the same time left them feeling dismissed over a lack of recognition that they had cancer. The young peoples’ experiences point to a need for increased understanding of this rare cancer, more effective communication from health care professionals and a greater understanding of the experiential impact of this disease on young people. Suggestions to improve the service provision to this patient group are provided. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Differentiated thyroid cancer has an excellent prognosis.Quality of life of thyroid cancer has marginally been explored in the literature.Little is known on the support needs of young people diagnosed with thyroid cancer. What does this study add? Increased understanding of how young people make sense and cope with thyroid cancer despite the lack of support resources.Addressing illness perceptions through improved information support may aid coping and adjustment.Insight into the needs of young people diagnosed with thyroid cancer and recommendations on service improvements.

Creating a Bildungsroman from a Collage

The essay re-reads all of the stories in Shimmer Chinodya’s collection Can We Talk and Other Stories as one entity—a collage—that establishes the framework of a bildungsroman. Here, the exploration of the bildungsroman is limited to the tracing of levels/stages of growth and is extended to the protagonist’s adult life, against the traditional early years of life. From the opening story, of a three-year-old protagonist looking at the adult world through the stories of different protagonists who grapple with different stages of life, to the last story, of an embittered husband in a dysfunctional marriage, the collection strongly suggests a conscious arrangement conveying a sense of a coming of age, both individual and national. In essence, at the end of reading the collection, there is a strong indication that the different situations of the lives of the different protagonists of the eleven stories in the collection build up to yield a unified sense of growth.

Influences of Sense of Coherence on Good Health and Sense of Growth Through Job-hunting: A Longitudinal Study Comparing with Self-efficacy

Influences of Sense of Coherence on Good Health and Sense of Growth Through Job-hunting: A Longitudinal Study Comparing with Self-efficacy

Mothers of Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: The “Meaning” of Severity Level

In recent years, Positive Psychology has been shedding new light on the field of research examining the parenting of a child with disabilities. This study aims to provide a bridge between the “traditional” approach which focuses on the parents’ difficulties and pathologies, and the breakingthrough PP (Positive Psychology) approach which recognizes the points of strength and the positive ways of coping. The present study compared the sense of burden and the sense of personal growth among 106 mothers of adolescents with intellectual disabilities of varying severity. No differences were found between the two groups concerning the sense of burden, but among mothers of adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities, the sense of growth was higher. No differences were found in terms of the mother’s age, income level, the number of children in the family, and the age of the child. The theme of “Meaning” offers possible explanations for these findings.

Growth of the Field of Sexual Medicine

I am forever speaking about the “growth” of the field of sexual medicine. I now have four grandchildren and have a fifth “in the oven” (my daughter who lives in Costa Rica is pregnant with her third child, a boy, our fifth grandchild). I even have one future grandchild “in the freezer”—so more to follow in the future. Since none of the grandchildren currently live in San Diego, I am struck by their physical and emotional growth each time Sue and I visit them on various holidays, birthdays and vacations throughout the year. A sense of growth is more obvious with periodic observations.