Socio-emotional Support Research Articles

Between Life and Death: How do Muslim Terminal Patients in Pakistan cope with Hepatitis C utilizing their Beliefs and Social Support?

Life-threatening events including terminal illness intensify the search for meaning and incite individuals to get closer to religion. Terminal patients canoften findreligious practices as helpful as medical therapy for bettering both physical and mental health. The present research aims to explain the interaction between religion, spirituality, and social support in coping with terminal illness among Muslim hepatitis C patients in Pakistan. A semi-structured open-ended interview guide was utilized to collect the data. Participants expressed that the deployment of religious and spiritual beliefs along with socio-emotional support during illness fostered medical therapy. Participants also revealed that belief in God provided them the strength to be steadfast during the terminal stage of the disease. Religious beliefs enabled terminal participants to accept death as an eventual reality and a normal part of their lives. Furthermore, participants put forward their longing for those kinds of religious practices that terminal diseases usually restrained them from receiving.The emotional support stemming from social relationships also improved resilience to cope with the terminal stage of illness. The study concludes that the interplay of religion, spirituality, and social support normalizes the fear of death, lessens pain, and improves resilience among Muslim hepatitis C patients in Pakistan.

Tri-process model of interpersonal mindfulness: theoretical framework and study protocol.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 14% of the US population practice mindfulness meditation. The effects of mindfulness training on physical and mental health have been consistently documented, but its effects on interpersonal relationships are not yet fully understood or investigated. Interpersonal relationships play a crucial role in the wellbeing of individuals and society, and therefore, warrants further study. The aim of this paper is to present a tri-process theoretical model of interpersonal mindfulness and a study protocol to validate the proposed model. Specifically, according to the proposed model, mindfulness meditation training increases the self-awareness, self-regulation, and prosociality of those receiving the training, which ameliorates the quality of interpersonal interactions and the socioemotional support provided to other individuals. Finally, better socioemotional support increases the support receiver's ability to regulate their emotions. Using a multiphasic longitudinal design involving 640 participants randomized into 480 dyads, the proposed protocol aims to validate the tri-process model and to investigate its mechanisms of actions. The proposed study has important theoretical and social implications and will allow devising new and more effective interpersonal mindfulness programs with applications in multiple fields.

Towards an Enhanced Implementation of Printed Modular Distance Learning in the Philippines: A Meta-Synthesis

Implementing modular distance learning (MDL) in the Philippines remains problematic. We review studies on printed MDL to create themes for its enhanced implementation. A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies was executed, and a comprehensive search in Google Scholar was conducted. A thematic synthesis was performed, revealing the four presences to enhance the implementation of printed MDL, such as: structural; community; intervention; and quality assurance. The structural presence underscores module designs that can capture students' interests and learning, as well as module content that can articulate curricular learning competencies and students' context, needs, and situations. The community presence highlights that education in the MDL is not the sole responsibility of students. Contrary to the common idea that MDL is about providing modules for students to study independently, MDL is everyone's responsibility. The family members and teachers, as well as community members and sectors, have roles to play and must work together to produce more desirable learning outcomes. The intervention presence emphasizes instructional and socio-emotional support to help students overcome academic and personal difficulties and foster a positive and supportive learning atmosphere. Quality assurance presence highlights the systematic actions in the planning, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation processes to ensure the MDL's quality implementation and continuous improvement. The provision of quality includes meeting stakeholders' needs and conforming to desired outcomes or standards. Hence, education officials may adopt the identified presences for the orientation and training activities to enhance the implementation of MDL.

Germans’ awareness of refugees’ information barriers regarding health care access: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn light of their experiences on the refuge and upon their arrival in the receiving society, refugees may have differentiated needs regarding health care. However, negative attitudes of the members of the receiving society and a lack of information pose as barriers for refugees when trying to access health care services. In that sense, it is largely unknown, which antecedents positively affect Germans’ perception of information barriers that refugees face. Based on an extended version of the Empathy-Attitude-Action model, this study examined selected predictors of problem awareness in the form of perceived information barriers that refugees face, emphasizing the role of positive intercultural contact experiences.MethodsA sample of members of the receiving society, here: Germans (N = 910) completed a cross-sectional online survey with validated self-report measures. From the perspective of Germans, assessments covered positive intercultural contact, attitudes on refugees’ rights, the recognition of refugees’ socio-emotional support needs as a form of cognitive empathy, and the perception of refugees’ information barriers when accessing health care. We conducted structural equation modeling to examine hypothesized latent associations and specified three different models with unidirectional paths between the study variables, each allowing another direct path from intercultural contact to the variables. We determined the best model using the chi-square-difference test and tested for indirect effects along the paths through bias-corrected bootstrapping.ResultsOur results show consistency with the Empathy-Attitude-Action model. We found Germans’ cognitive empathy toward refugees to be associated with more positive attitudes and a greater awareness of refugees’ information barriers. We further found more positive intercultural contact to be associated with greater cognitive empathy toward refugees and with more positive attitudes. While these contact experiences showed a slightly direct negative effect on Germans’ perception of refugees’ information barriers to accessing health care, the indirect effects via cognitive empathy and positive attitudes were positive.ConclusionPrevious positive intercultural contact may be directly and indirectly linked to greater awareness for refugees, helping Germans as the receiving community (1) to become more empathetic toward refugees, (2) to improve their attitudes toward refugees’ rights and to (3) raise consciousness for information barriers that refugees face when trying to access health care services.

Insights of Parents and Parents-To-Be in Using Chatbots to Improve Their Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Health: A Mixed Studies Review.

Chatbots, which are also known as conversational or virtual agents, are digital programs that can interact with humans using voice, text, or animation. They have shown promise in providing preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum care. This review aims to consolidate the insights of parents and parents-to-be in using chatbots to improve their preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum health. Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception dates until April 2022 (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global) for relevant studies. English language primary studies that were conducted on parents or parents-to-be aged ≥18 years old who had undergone interventions involving the use of any type of chatbot were included in this review. The quality of included studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A convergent qualitative synthesis design for mixed studies reviews was used to synthesize the findings, and results were thematically analyzed. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria: quantitative (n = 11), qualitative (n = 1), and mixed method (n = 3). Three main themes were identified: (1) welcoming a new health resource, (2) obstacles blocking the way, and (3) moving toward a digital health era. Parents and parents-to-be appreciated the informational, socioemotional, and psychological support provided by chatbots. Recommendations for technological improvements in the functionality of the chatbots were made that include training sessions for health care providers to familiarize them with this new digital technology. Multidisciplinary chatbot development teams could also be established to develop more comprehensive chatbot-delivered health programs for more diverse populations.

Avaliação do processo de intervenção com professores para prevenção a problemas de comportamento infantil

Abstract Objective The prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems reaches 30% of school-age Brazilians. Management by teachers can reinforce such difficulties and, therefore, it is essential to assess interventions to provide them with the best tools available. In this study, it was aimed to present the development and implementation of the Facilitating Contact with Students Program was implemented in early grade teachers. Method The process of two modalities of this Program was evaluated: G1 (with a full program) and G2 (with a partial program, without the cognitive model contents, only instruction about behavioral management techniques and socioemotional support). Results The G1 gave better scores to the intervention on the importance and usefulness of the contents. Conclusion The teacher’s knowledge regarding the cognitive model is relevant for the modification of disruptive behaviors of students in the classroom.

Sensory Processing Dysfunction and Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder: Women share their experiences of participating in a sensory-based home programme

INTRODUCTION: Sensory processing dysfunction (SPD) has only recently been described in women with genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD). However, female sexual pain is a virtually unknown area of practice for occupational therapists providing intervention for adults with SPD AIM: To describe the experiences of women with GPPPD with identified sensory processing dysfunction (SPD) who followed a sensory-based home programme METHODS: Purposive, non-probability sampling was used to recruit participants for the qualitative arm of the study after they presented with SPD in the quantitative part of the study. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to gather information and sufficient information power was reached after five participants were interviewed. Data were analysed descriptively using inductive thematic and saliency analyses RESULTS: Two themes were identified. Theme one: Changes experienced after participating in a sensory-based home programme, reflected increased insight into SPD (allowing participants to identify sensory triggers) and intra-personal changes (increased tolerance of sensory stimuli, feelings of control and I can breathe again). Theme two: Coping strategies employed by women with SPD and GPPPD, included sensory seeking, changes to home and work environments, positive reinterpretation/growth, acceptance, and socio-emotional support (you're not the only one. There are plenty of us out there CONCLUSION: A sensory-based home programme, catering to specific sensory profiles is beneficial as a non-invasive occupational therapy intervention approach (based on sensory integrative therapy) for women with both SPD and GPPPD Implications for occupational therapy: • SPD in the context of sexual pain is an emergent field in occupational therapy, thus occupational therapists need to expand service-delivery to this population and other practitioners such as gynaecologists must be alerted to occupational therapy as a non-invasive, and non-pharmaceutical intervention option for patients. • Contribute to the knowledgebase of sensory integration in the adult population. • Improve the occupational therapist's role in sexuality. • Emphasize the importance of insight as part of a treatment programme.

How Does Perceived Organizational Support Reduce the Effect of Working Environmental Risk on Occupational Strain? A Study of Chinese Geological Investigators.

Sensitivity to working environmental risks is essential to ensure the safety of geological investigators, but persistent perceived risks may lead to occupational strain, with negative effects on physical and mental health. This study aimed to find ways to reduce the negative consequences of working environmental risk perception without losing situational awareness. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 268 participants from geological survey organizations, measuring their perception of working environmental risk, occupational strain, perceived organizational support, and other stressors. (1) The perception of working environmental risk and occupational strain of geological investigators was significantly higher than that of administrative staff, managers, and scientific researchers. (2) Working environmental risk is an important predictor of occupational strain in geological investigators even after controlling for other stressors. (3) Different dimensions of perceived organizational support play different roles in stress management; socio-emotional support negatively predicts occupational strain, and instrumental support moderates the relationship between working environmental risk perception and occupational strain. Our findings identify working environmental risk as one of the most prominent stressors for geological investigators. Socio-emotional support directly reduces occupational strain, while instrumental support buffers the effect of risk perception on occupational strain.

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY PARTNER VIEWS ON THE BENEFITS OF THE R3 PROGRAM

Abstract Housing with services programs have potential to benefit residents and operators of affordable senior housing communities. This study aimed to understand housing and community partner views on the benefits of the R3 program. Data derived from 31 interviews with R3 program managers and wellness team members, executives and direct service staff at the intervention sites, and community partners. Overwhelmingly positive overall assessments of the R3 program were reported. Concrete benefits to residents included receiving additional attention and support; connecting with family and health care resources; enhancing group programming; preventing ambulance transports; helping with transitions; and improving health and quality of life. Psychosocial benefits to residents included: empowering program participants; providing socio-emotional support; and alleviating psychosocial distress. Benefits to housing sites included augmenting staffing levels, skills, and capabilities; proactively tracking and responding to resident needs; lowering resident turnover; and learning from and adopting procedures and processes underlying the R3 philosophy.

What Makes a Near-Peer Learning and Tutoring Program Effective in Undergraduate Medical Education: a Qualitative Analysis.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01680-0.

Serial Mediation Model of Social Capital Effects over Academic Stress in University Students.

Background: Although several studies have shown that social capital and social support decreases academic stress (AS), there has been lack of atheoretical model to explain how this occurs. This study aims to verify a model that explains the effect of bonding social capital (BSC) over academic stress psychological symptoms (PsyS), considering the multiple sequential mediation of socio-emotional support (SES), self-efficacy (sEffic) and self-esteem (sEstee). Methods: In a transversal study, 150 undergraduate volunteer students were recruited using non-probabilistic purposive sampling. Data were collected using psychological questionnaires and were processed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: Goodness of fit of the models (SRMR = 0.056, 0.057, <HI95) (dULS, dG < HI95), reliability and validity are adequate. The indirect effect of BSC over PsyS (β = −0.196; IC 95% [−0.297, −0.098]) is relevant and significant and is serial mediated by SES and sEffic. Conclusions: From a very precise conceptual definition, a model is generated, within which empirical evidence explains the relationship between BSC and PsyS, emphasizing the role of BSC in the development of personal resources to cope with AS. This can be applied to policies and public health programs that affect these variables.

ICT-Mediated Learning as a Form of Socio-Emotional Support for Older Adults

The adverse effects of the pandemic on the emotional state of older adults have fuelled the debate regarding their digital exclusion and the need to promote their genuine inclusion. During this period, technology and technology-mediated learning have improved the quality of life of older adults in many ways. The purpose of this research is to identify the socio-emotional role of technology-assisted learning programmes for seniors ever since the onset of the pandemic. The results reveal a positive impact on the emotional well-being of older adults from these forms of learning. Participants highlight the value of intergenerational socialisation enabled by these learning formats in the process of self-learning and reciprocal learning that takes place on platforms such as YouTube and WhatsApp. However, a preference among seniors for in-person learning has also been observed, which is sometimes linked to a certain level of technological anxiety.

A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Mastery Goal Support in 7th-Grade Science Classrooms

Mastery goal structures, which communicate value for developing deeper understanding, are an important classroom support for student motivation and engagement, especially in the context of science learning aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Prior research has identified key dimensions of goal structures, but a more nuanced examination of the variability of teacher-enacted and student-perceived goal structures within and across classrooms is needed. Using a concurrent mixed-methods approach, we developed case studies of how three 7th-grade science teachers enacted different goal structures while teaching the same chemistry unit and how their students perceived these goal structures. Student perceptions were largely consistent with our observational analysis and suggested that a positive social climate and autonomy support are important elements of mastery goal structure. However, balancing socio-emotional support with sufficient academic rigor may be especially important for students with high levels of mastery goal orientation and self-efficacy in science. Implications for research include the need for further research linking classroom stimuli to variability in perceived goal structure, especially across students with different motivational characteristics. Implications for practice include strategies for science teachers to promote perceptions of a mastery goal focus in students, particularly through feedback and recognition practices.

Exploring Access and Utilization of Early Intervention Services Among Families Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study.

Children experiencing homelessness face particular barriers to accessing early interventions. Our study sought to explore the experiences of families in accessing Early Intervention Program services (EI) while living in a family shelter. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were undertaken with nineteen caregivers who had recently experienced or were contemporaneously experiencing homelessness from three shelter sites in Boston, Massachusetts. Our findings demonstrate the role of the shelter both in inhibiting and promoting access to early intervention. Shelter-related barriers included limited physical space, lack of care continuity amidst frequent relocations, and mistrust due to feelings of stigma. Early interventionists played a crucial role in mitigating challenges but were often unable to fully overcome these and other barriers tied to shelter environments. Effective strategies included flexibility in accommodating shifting schedules, provision of socioemotional support, and proactively linking caregivers to additional upstream resources. Efforts to mitigate shelter-related challenges will require interdisciplinary collaboration at both local and state levels. Further efforts should focus on providing increased continuity of care in a manner that acknowledges the structural barriers of homelessness.

Positive, complicated, distant, and negative: How different teacher-student relationship profiles relate to students' science motivation.

Researchers note a consistent decline in adolescents' motivation and participation in science. It is important to examine factors vital to students' motivation in science, such as teacher-student relationships (TSRs). Limited research in science has examined TSRs from a multidimensional or person-centered perspective. The present investigation adopts Ang's tripartite relational framework to examine three dimensions of TSRs: socio-emotional support, instrumental help, and conflict. Such research is needed to better understand the diversity of relationships that exist within a science classroom and their impact on science motivation. This study examined N = 2669 Australian high school students (66% girls; Mage = 15.11 years; SD = 0.69). Data were collected via online sampling in the final quarter of 2020. The data are cross-sectional. Latent profile analysis was used to (1) determine if distinct student profiles based on the three dimensions of TSRs existed and (2) the extent to which these profiles were associated with varying levels of science motivation: self-efficacy, intrinsic value, utility value, and cost. Four distinct profiles were identified: Positive, Complicated, Distant, and Negative. Students in the Negative TSR profile reported the lowest adaptive motivation and highest cost. The associations between profile membership and motivation were more varied for the Positive, Complicated, and Distant TSR profiles. Findings indicate that dichotomous perspectives (positive vs. negative) may be insufficient to describe the diversity of relationships within science classrooms. Results also suggest that concurrent attendance to all dimensions of TSRs is needed to improve relationships.

Nonprofit post-merger identification: Network size, relational heterogeneity, and perceived integration effectiveness

This paper incorporates insights from organizational identity and identification, social network research and post-merger integration to explore factors influencing employees' identification with a merged nonprofit organization. We propose that nonprofit employees' identification with the merged nonprofit organization is associated with their network size, relational heterogeneity, and perceived effectiveness of integration processes. Empirical results suggest that employees with larger mentoring and socioemotional support networks exhibit strong post-merger identification. Relational heterogeneity within the workflow network has an inverted U-shape relationship with post-merger identification. Employees' perceived effectiveness of integration processes significantly influences their sense of identity with the new organization. Implications for better managing post-merger identification are discussed.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of Brief COPE in Russian Schoolteachers

This study investigates the psychometric properties of brief COPE in Russian schoolteachers. A total of 773 (91% female; M = 43, SD = 9.79) teachers participated in the study. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied to assess the psychometric properties of the brief COPE. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess the construct validity. The main result of the current research is a revised structure for the brief COPE consisting of six sub-scales: «socio-emotional support», «religion», «acceptance», «problem-focused coping», «avoidance», and «humor». The goodness-of-fit criteria were as follows: SRMR = 0.054, RMSEA = 0.064, CFI = 0.888, and TLI = 869. Overall, the Russian version of the brief COPE shows acceptable psychometric properties and may be applied by researchers, school administrators, and psychologists; however, the reliability of the “avoidance” scale is doubtful and must be considered before application.

Four-Year Trajectories of Internal Strengths and Socioemotional Support Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults with HIV

Positive psychological attributes are associated with better health outcomes, yet few studies have identified their underlying constructs and none have examined their temporal trajectories in clinical vs. non-clinical samples. From data collected over 4 years from people with HIV (PWH) and HIV-uninfected (HIV−) participants, we identified two latent factors (internal strengths; socioemotional support) based on responses to seven positive psychological attributes. Internal strengths increased over 4 years for PWH, but not for HIV− comparisons. Socioemotional support did not change significantly in either group. Lower internal strengths and worse socioemotional support were related to greater depressive symptoms. We speculate that improvement in internal strengths in PWH could reflect their being in care, but this requires further study to include PWH not in care. Given the apparent malleability of internal strengths and their association with improved health outcomes, these attributes can serve as promising intervention targets for PWH.

Parents as partners in education during COVID-19-related school closures in England: challenges and opportunities identified by parents with Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage

ABSTRACT Educational disruptions during COVID-19 in periods of lockdown have redirected attention to homes and parents as key partners in schooling. Educational literature explores multidimensional disadvantages faced by communities in England. COVID-associated school closures changed the relationship between school and home. Parents and family played an important role to provide support for their children’s education. There is little reflection on the experiences of parenting during this time of uncertainty. The paper focuses on the parenting experiences of Bangladeshi and Pakistani families with GCSE years children (years 7-11) in supporting their children’s education during periods of abrupt school closures. Qualitative data were collected during the third national lockdown from 19-families in England using semi-structured narrative interviews. We find that most of the parents were largely satisfied with the support provided through schools. However, resources were unevenly distributed, and the learning experience was non-interactive for many children. Parental anxiety for their children’s futures and education was high. Nevertheless, families adopted diverse strategies to support their children by taking a more active role in providing educational as well as socio-emotional support. Notable in these accounts were significant reflections from parents, who regardless of the adversities, experienced a strengthening of the family as a unit.

LGBTQIA+ International Students and Socioemotional Well-Being

International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers rather than seeking out counseling services. However, this study shows that LGBTQIA+ international students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers due to fear of their sexual orientation being discovered and their families finding out about their identity. This study examines how LGBTQIA+ international students talk about their experiences on and off campus in relations to their socioemotional well-being. Specifically, this study sought to better understand the complexities of LGBTQIA+ students’ identities, and the challenges they faced in terms of their socioemotional well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.