Support Seeking Research Articles

Physical Activity Level among Physicians of the Philippine General Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction. COVID-19 is a pandemic that shut down businesses and industries worldwide. The spread of the disease changed social behavior as residents around the world were obliged to endure lockdown and quarantine measures, reducing their physical activity. Objective. To determine the level of physical activity before and during the pandemic among physicians. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 422 qualified physicians of the Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila. The data was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. Results. Results of the study revealed a shift of lifestyle from physically active to sedentary in 42.4-57.11% of the respondents during the pandemic. There was no change between the activity levels at work before and during COVID while there was a change in the travel and recreational activities. The results also showed that significant factors including lack of energy, fear of injury, lack of skill, resources, social influences, support seeking activities, and positive alternatives affected their activity levels. Conclusion. During the pandemic, overall physical activity level decreased. Similarly, factors that motivate health workers to be physically active or sedentary during the COVID-19 pandemic can affect their physical activity levels. Based on this study, the hospital can create guidelines to ensure physical activity among its doctors, especially during a pandemic.

Analysing loneliness forum posts, the comments they elicit, and the responses to these comments

In May 2023, the United States surgeon general put out an advisory suggesting that loneliness and social isolation should be tackled and prioritized like health conditions such as substance abuse. Online loneliness forums provide a platform for users experiencing loneliness to engage with, share experiences/concerns, and seek support from others. On these forums, users (posters) publish support seeking posts and other users respond by either reacting to these posts and/or writing comments in which they provide support. In some cases, the posters respond to and engage with the comments that their posts elicit; understanding these interactions between posters and the comments their posts elicit can inform helpful communication strategies on online loneliness forums and online health forums, in general. Prior work on analyzing data from online loneliness forums did not study the interactions between posters and the comments their posts elicit. To address this, we present a dataset of posts and comments published in a 4 year time period i.e. from January 1 2019 to December 31 2022 on an online loneliness forum on Reddit. This dataset consists of (a) posts, (b) all the comments associated with these posts, (c) the comments that elicited responses from the posters, and (d) the responses of the posters to these comments. With this dataset, we conduct analysis using a topic modeling algorithm called BERTopic and a psycholinguistic dictionary called Linguistic Inquiry and word count (LIWC) to gain insights and elucidate the language markers associated with comments (to posts) that elicit responses from the posters. We find that as it relates to comments that received responses from posters, the following topic themes were associated with these comments i.e. relationships, empathy, and mental health concerns and the LIWC categories on second person pronoun, social processes, and present focus, were associated with these comments. We also find that the topic themes on appreciation was associated with the responses by posters to comments their posts received. We discuss these findings in the discussion section.

Differences in university experiences, support seeking, and mental well-being in Australian university students according to bereavement status

In Australia, nearly half of university students report high levels of distress during their studies. Bereavement increases a student’s risk of mood changes, eating disorders, suicide, poorer academic achievement, and attrition. We used an online, quantitative, cross-sectional survey to investigate the prevalence of bereaved students in Australian universities and differences between bereaved and non-bereaved university students’ mental well-being, university connectedness, current grade average, and support experiences. Findings indicated 22.3% of students experienced bereavement in the previous 24 months. Bereaved students had higher ratings of perceived social support than non-bereaved peers. There were no significant differences in mental well-being, grade averages, and university connectedness once sex, living arrangements, enrolment type (full/part-time), and religious affiliation were controlled. Bereaved students who continued their studies showed resilience and a preference for social support. Findings present a rationale for universities to harness resources to support bereaved students throughout their studies to promote engagement and retention.

LGBT Myanmar Migrants in Thailand: Unveiling Diverse Forms of Abuse, Healthy and Unhealthy Coping Strategies

ABSTRACT This study investigates the challenges faced by LGBT Myanmar migrants in Thailand, including discrimination and abuse due to their gender identity or sexual orientation, and their coping strategies. Through qualitative interviews with 20 self-identified LGBT Myanmar migrants aged over 18 years who experienced discrimination or abuse in Thailand, the findings underscore the presence of a segment within the Myanmar LGBT migrant community in Thailand subject to discrimination and violence across diverse settings, including workplaces, public areas, and even within their homes. Additionally, the research identified healthy coping strategies like self-soothing thoughts, relaxation activities, and seeking support, contrasted with unhealthy coping strategies such as negative self-talk, rumination, and suppressing one’s identity, leading to harmful behaviors and even suicidality. The experiences of severe discrimination and violence among LGBT migrants help this study advocate for policy interventions, such as extending the coverage of the Gender Equality Act to encompass LGBT migrants and implementing mental health support services as a form of secondary prevention. Given the significant contribution of LGBT migrants to various sectors of Thailand’s workforce, these measures are essential. However, the existing legislation concerning gender equality in Thailand inadequately addresses the specific concerns of this demographic group.

Supporting Long Covid Care: a webtool to facilitate help-seeking among people with Long Covid

Abstract Background Long Covid (also known as Post-COVID19 Condition or Post-COVID Syndrome) is characterised by persistent symptoms following SARSCoV2 infection not explained by other pathology. Some evidence suggests that people from marginalised communities are more likely to experience Long Covid but are less likely to be represented in post-covid care in England. Objectives Findings from the STIMULATE-ICP case finding and HI-COVE studies show that some people living with Long Covid struggle to get adequate healthcare and social support. Barriers to obtaining support include a lack of awareness of Long Covid and supports available, uncertainty around the cause and complexity of symptoms, as well as experiences and expectations of stigma. The new Supporting Long Covid Care (SLCC) webtool was developed based on these findings and aimed to both facilitate help-seeking for people with probable Long Covid who are not receiving care and raise awareness among professionals. Extensive engagement with people with lived experience and professionals shaped the webtool. SLCC content was then beta-tested with stakeholders. Results SLCC (long-covid-care.org.uk) was launched in March 2024. One of its features is the acknowledgement that Long Covid can be a stigmatising condition. SLCC includes real-life quotes to connect emotionally with users, highlights the shared experiences of people living with Long Covid and illustrates the difficulties faced when seeking recognition and support. It encourages conversations with professionals, friends, family and others who may be relied on for support and offers resources to facilitate those conversations and inform next steps. SLCC is also an informative tool for healthcare professionals around Long Covid stigma. Conclusions SLCC is open to use by members of the public. Real-world evaluation and translation to other languages are now needed to explore if this webtool is beneficial and contributes towards addressing health inequalities. Key messages • SLCC encourages people with probable Long Covid to seek help and support. • SLCC raises awareness among healthcare professionals about the barriers and stigma people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, may face when considering reaching out for support.

How Can the Coping Strategies Mediate the Relationship Among COVID-19 Stress, Depression, and Anxiety?

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health. To explore the underlying mechanisms that influence mental health, a critical question is whether different types of coping strategies may mediate the relationships between COVID-19 related stress and mental health. Recruited between October 19 and 24, 2021, a total of 500 participants aged 20 to 69 years completed an online survey to evaluate the COVID-19 stress, coping orientation, depression and state anxiety. The period corresponded to the highest level of COVID-19 restrictions (level 4) immediately before the adjusted restriction to level 3. Parallel mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling. Distinct mediation effects of the COVID-19 stress (i.e., fear of infection, difficulties of social distancing, anger toward others) through three types of coping strategies (i.e., functional, dysfunctional, seeking support) were found. Fear of infection was likely to be related to functional coping and dysfunctional coping. Social distancing model indicated dysfunctional coping and seeking support, while anger toward others model was associated with functional coping and seeking support. The results highlight the different relationships between COVID-19 stress and mental health coping strategies. The identification of these mediation pathways offers guidance for designing effective interventions and support systems to promote psychological well-being during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mediating Role of Hesitancy in the Associations Between Mental Disorders and Social Support Seeking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has consequential impacts on not only physical but also mental health. However, the types of social support that individuals with mental health needs sought during the pandemic and their underlying reasons for it are not well known. Drawing on a community needs survey with 4282 participants, we found a positive association between self-reported anxiety and seeking social support from health professionals, family and friends, and mediated sources. There was also a positive association between self-reported depression and seeking support from medical professionals and mediated sources but a negative association with seeking support from family and friends. Importantly, a positive indirect effect was observed between mental health and seeking support from family and friends through hesitancy, whereas negative indirect effects were documented between mental health and seeking support from health professionals and mediated sources through hesitancy. Theoretical, practical, and methodological implications were discussed.

The Help-Seeking Behavior of Victims of Image-Based Sexual Harassment and Abuse: A Scoping Review.

Image-based sexual harassment and abuse (IBSHA) has recently gained scientific attention. To date, research has primarily focused on victim characteristics and impact, while little specific empirical research exists on victims' help-seeking behavior, including barriers and facilitators to seeking support. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the current state of literature on IBSHA victims' help-seeking behavior and barriers and facilitators to seeking support. Seven electronic bibliographic databases were searched up to June 2023 to identify relevant literature. Inclusion criteria consisted of (1) English or Dutch language, (2) original empirical data, (3) studying one or more forms of IBSHA, (4) victim sample, and (5) addressing help-seeking behavior, and/or factors encouraging or discouraging help-seeking. The scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews. In total, 81 articles were included. Varying definitions of IBSHA, sample sizes, and populations complicated the drawing of general conclusions. The research was primarily conducted in English-speaking Western countries with a majority of young, White, heterosexual, and women samples. Prevalence rates of help-seeking strongly varied. Multiple sources of informal and formal support were identified, including friends, family, social media platforms, and police. Informal support appeared preferred. Articles identified several barriers to help-seeking including shame, (fear of) negative social responses and negative expectations of formal support, and facilitators, including desire for justice and takedown of non-consensually shared images. Research on IBSHA is growing rapidly. The field would benefit from further research focused on help-seeking with diverse samples, standardized measures, and intersectionality. Recommendations for policy and practice are provided.

Good Friends Have Boundaries: Provider Strategies for Creating Support Boundaries in Friendships

ABSTRACT Minimal social support research has studied support boundaries, defined as a support provider’s parameters around the amount and/or type of support they are willing to offer. I argue that evaluating support boundary creation is one communicative pathway for understanding difficult supportive relationships and how support providers navigate no longer offering the same amount and/or type of support to their friends. Analyzing 22 semi-structured, narrative-focused interviews, this study proposes an initial typology for how support providers create support boundaries. Participants utilized indirect (i.e., implicit strategies and behaviors to minimize support seeking and provision), direct (i.e., explicit parameters around the support they were willing to provide), and collaborative (i.e., open and honest conversations with their friend to establish mutually agreed upon expectations) support boundary creation strategies with their friends. By creating boundaries skillfully, providers can mitigate and manage potential negative outcomes of support, as well as protect themselves and their friendships. Investigating how providers create support boundaries is crucial for current research gaps in understanding challenging supportive relationships from the provider’s perspective, and how support providers navigate discrepancies between their needs and the needs of support seekers.

Professionalism lapses in health professions training: Navigating the 'Yellow Card' moments for transformative learning.

Health professions training programmes face increasing reports of professionalism lapses, which can delay, or end, trainee progression. How programmes respond to professionalism lapses to facilitate professional identity development has not been clarified. The objective of this study is to identify factors that facilitate and impair transformations around professionalism lapses in health professions training programmes. We conducted a qualitative study interviewing 5 faculty and 20 trainees with firsthand or secondhand experience with professionalism lapses from a range of health professions training programmes at McMaster University. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we coded verbatim transcripts informed by the lenses of social and transformative learning theories. We constructed themes through iterative and comparative analysis, seeking meaningful variation across professions and triangulating faculty and trainee perspectives. Four themes were constructed. First, lapses are in the eye of the beholder with personal definitions intersecting with institutional and situation norms. Difficulties exist in recognising and convincing trainees to respond to lapses that are perceived to be minor or subject to interpretation. Second, responses to professionalism lapses occurred within power hierarchies, which impacted how trainees reacted to the remediation process, risked superficial trainee responses to concerns and led to concerns around inequitable treatment in how standards were applied. Third, fostering transformation involves building trainee confidence, agency, trust and engagement. Focused support and advocacy for trainees can empower and promote agency in tackling disorienting lapses. Fourth, perspective shifts involve deep engagement over time, including but not limited to self-reflection, structured discussion and seeking support. Identifying and addressing professionalism lapses is complex and requires nuanced and contextual exploration of personal, institutional and situational dynamics at play. By fostering environments that promote genuine reflection and dialogue and focus on building trainee confidence, agency, trust and engagement, health professions training programmes can better support trainees in navigating these complex situations and contribute to the broader goal of socialising to a professional culture and practice.

Exploring Trade-Offs for Online Mental Health Matching: Agent-Based Modeling Study.

Online mental health communities (OMHCs) are an effective and accessible channel to give and receive social support for individuals with mental and emotional issues. However, a key challenge on these platforms is finding suitable partners to interact with given that mechanisms to match users are currently underdeveloped or highly naive. In this study, we collaborated with one of the world's largest OMHCs; our contribution is to show the application of agent-based modeling for the design of online community matching algorithms. We developed an agent-based simulation framework and showcased how it can uncover trade-offs in different matching algorithms between people seeking support and volunteer counselors. We used a comprehensive data set spanning January 2020 to April 2022 to create a simulation framework based on agent-based modeling that replicates the current matching mechanisms of our research site. After validating the accuracy of this simulated replication, we used this simulation framework as a "sandbox" to test different matching algorithms based on the deferred acceptance algorithm. We compared trade-offs among these different matching algorithms based on various metrics of interest, such as chat ratings and matching success rates. Our study suggests that various tensions emerge through different algorithmic choices for these communities. For example, our simulation uncovered that increased waiting time for support seekers was an inherent consequence on these sites when intelligent matching was used to find more suitable matches. Our simulation also verified some intuitive effects, such as that the greatest number of support seeker-counselor matches occurred using a "first come, first served" protocol, whereas relatively fewer matches occurred using a "last come, first served" protocol. We also discuss practical findings regarding matching for vulnerable versus overall populations. Results by demographic group revealed disparities-underaged and gender minority groups had lower average chat ratings and higher blocking rates on the site when compared to their majority counterparts, indicating the potential benefits of algorithmically matching them. We found that some protocols, such as a "filter"-based approach that matched vulnerable support seekers only with a counselor of their same demographic, led to improvements for these groups but resulted in lower satisfaction (-12%) among the overall population. However, this trade-off between minority and majority groups was not observed when using "topic" as a matching criterion. Topic-based matching actually outperformed the filter-based protocol among underaged people and led to significant improvements over the status quo among all minority and majority groups-specifically, a 6% average chat rating improvement and a decrease in blocking incidents from 5.86% to 4.26%. Agent-based modeling can reveal significant design considerations in the OMHC context, including trade-offs in various outcome metrics and the potential benefits of algorithmic matching for marginalized communities.

Exploring links between attachment and mental health

Attachment theory provides numerous implications for mental health and individual functioning throughout the lifespan. Attachment styles, formed based on early interactions with a caregiver, play a crucial role in emotional regulation, relational satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Childhood experiences become the foundation for the development of internal models of self, the world, and others, influencing attachment patterns in adulthood. These patterns are significant for later relationships, especially romantic ones, mental health, and the development of psychopathology. If the primary caregiver responds consistently, supports, and comforts the child, the child will be inclined to cooperate, seek closeness, and feel loved and safe. Such a child will develop a secure attachment, viewing the caregiver as a secure base and a refuge from the unpredictable world. Individuals who formed a secure attachment style in childhood tend to create stable and mature relationships, exhibit greater psychological resilience, and are less likely to struggle with mental health issues. Conversely, if the caregiver is unresponsive or lacks sensitivity, the child may develop an insecure attachment style, characterized by heightened anxiety or avoidance. Attachment-related anxiety is associated with a persistent state of heightened vigilance, as individuals remain on alert, anticipating potential separation from their parents. Avoidant attachment is marked by a tendency to maintain emotional distance, reluctance to rely on others, and a lack of seeking comfort and support from caregivers. An insecure attachment style negatively impacts romantic relationships. Moreover, individuals characterized by attachment anxiety or avoidance are more prone to mental health disorders. Attachment theory provides a crucial framework for understanding the complex links between early relational experiences and mental health. Poor relationship quality, complex PTSD, depression, personality disorders—particularly antisocial and borderline—have their roots in early maladaptive relationships between the child and caregiver and may be related to interpersonal trauma. Secure attachment acts as a protective factor against psychopathologies, promoting emotional stability and healthy social functioning.

Integrating the Symptom Experience in Patients with Stage I-III Breast Cancer in China: A Qualitative Study

PurposeTo develop an in-depth understanding of the meaning of symptoms in the context of how women with stage I-III breast cancer in China coped with the effects of primary and adjuvant therapies for breast cancer. MethodA qualitative descriptive approach was used. A purposive sample of women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer were recruited from the “Be Resilient to Breast Cancer” study between November 2023 and March 2024. Data was collected from in person interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The framework analysis method was used to generate codes and themes. ResultsA sample of 17 women with breast cancer agreed to participate. The average age was 50.1 years (SD=8.45), and the majority (65%) had stage III. The overarching theme was Confronting Physical and Psychological Symptoms. The four themes explaining the experience were Changed Identity, Uncertainty, Finding Meaning and Seeking Support and Solace. Changed Identity and Uncertainty reflected the challenges of coping with multiple symptoms from the treatment. The themes of Finding Meaning and Seeking Support and Solace captured how women adapted a positive perspective to cope with the experience. ConclusionsThis study contributed to the evidence of the integration of the symptom experience in coping with breast cancer treatment in the context of a collectivist Chinese culture. It enhanced the understanding of the physical and psychological symptom experience of curative intent breast cancer therapy and offered insight into how women from China cope in early survivorship.

SELF IDENTIFYING MENTAL HEALTH STATUS USING MACHINE LEARNING

Growing awareness of mental health and its influence on overall well-being has heightened the focus on self-recognition and seeking help. This paper outlines a comprehensive strategy to assist individuals in identifying their mental health conditions and obtaining the appropriate support and guidance. Firstly, the paper discusses the importance of self-awareness in mental health, emphasizing the role of introspection and recognizing symptoms and patterns that may indicate underlying mental health concerns. Techniques such as journaling, self-assessment tools, and mindfulness practices are explored as effective means of self-identification. Secondly, the paper delves into the barriers that individuals may face in acknowledging their mental health status, including stigma, fear of judgment, and lack of awareness. Strategies to overcome these barriers, such as education, destigmatization efforts, and creating safe spaces for discussions, are highlighted. Lastly, the paper emphasizes the importance of ongoing self-monitoring and adjustment of support strategies based on individual needs and progress. It encourages a holistic approach that combines self-awareness, social support, and professional guidance to promote mental well-being and resilience. By adopting this comprehensive approach, individuals can empower themselves to self-identify their mental health status, break down barriers to seeking support, and access the resources necessary for effective mental health management and recovery

Compliance with COVID-19 government guidance and rules by disabled people and people from minoritised ethnic groups: Qualitative findings from the CICADA study.

Within the 2020/21 CICADA (Coronavirus Intersectionalities: Chronic Conditions or Disabilities and Migrants and other Ethnic minorities) study, we explored full, partial or noncompliance with government COVID-19 infection-containment measures by people from minoritised ethnic groups with a disabling health condition or impairment. We used an assets-based intersectional approach and purposive sampling, included non-disabled and White British comparators, and trained community co-researchers to help us reach undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. We undertook 271 semi-structured qualitative interviews, followed by participatory workshops with interviewees to explore data and changes in experiences five and 10 months after the interviews. Perceiving their vulnerability to COVID-19, most participants quickly and often zealously adopted infection-containment behaviours, and continued this after restrictions were lifted. This could reduce mental wellbeing, especially in community-facing cultures, and could create family conflict. Various structural inequities impeded compliance. Many, especially undocumented migrants, felt imprisoned. The intersection of gender, citizenship, socioeconomic status and culture impacted disclosures of COVID-19 infection, support seeking and use. Many were unclear what was safe as well as unsafe. People complained that disability and cultural considerations were omitted from policymaking. Participants mostly had taken the COVID-19 vaccine by October 2022, but ethnic minority participants needed time to deliberate and trusted, community-embedded information whereas White British participants were mostly influenced by mass media. The intersection of health condition or impairment, poverty, and living alone led to more non-compliance with general rules, and more vaccine hesitancy than did misinformation spread through ethnic community channels. Many participants were reluctant to reintegrate in May 2022 because of continued perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 but by September 2022 = seemed more concerned about the economic crisis. We add two new 'types' to existing compliance typologies: deliberators (who eventually decide to follow the rules), and 'necessity-driven non-compliers' who are totally unable to comply because of their disabilities.

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL, LIVELIHOOD TRACK (TVL) SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WRITING TECHNICAL PAPERS IN THEIR CHOSEN TRACK: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

The purpose of This qualitative inquiry is to explore and understand the lived experiences of technical, vocational, and livelihood (TVL) senior high school students in writing technical papers in their chosen track within the Davao del Norte Division. This study aims to generate findings that will guide teachers in designing appropriate interventions to help students develop the necessary skills for writing technical papers in their chosen track. The participants are 14 TVL students from three different senior high schools in the Davao del Norte Division, selected through purposive sampling. Through in-depth interviews and focused group discussions the study identifies key challenges such as difficulties with grammar, problem in conceptualization, and meeting deadlines, as well as coping mechanisms like utilizing prior knowledge, resourcefulness, and seeking support. The results underscore the significance of considering online tools, English proficiency and awareness about prospective impacts of learning technical writing. The results of the study highlighted that innovative teaching strategies are required to help TVL students, such as digital literacy programs and mentoring procedures for further faculty enhancement on skills in reading technical writing. The implications call for a better understanding of TVL students' struggles, promoting an educational environment that values digital proficiency and effective communication. Future research should quantitatively examine these challenges' impacts and the role of AI tools in writing, aiming to develop targeted interventions for improved technical writing skills. KEYWORDS: TVL students, technical papers, qualitative study, lived experiences, writing challenges, teacher interventions. Davao del Norte

Resilience in the aftermath of trauma: Classes of adjustment in at-risk youth.

Youth who have been exposed to potentially traumatic events are at risk of developing chronic and severe adjustment problems. However, some youth exposed to potentially traumatic events exhibit better-than-expected adaptation. Person-centered analyses, based on multiple criteria for adaptive behavior and adversity, are well-suited to empirically identifying different patterns of adaptation among high-risk youth. Data from 381 youth from three at-risk subgroups in Portugal were collected using self-reported measures of trauma history, trauma-related symptomatology, coping skills, and perceived social support. Distinct classes of adaptation after traumatic experiences were examined with latent class analysis. Four classes were identified: (a) trauma-related psychopathology class (13.6%), (b) adaptive resilience class (36.8%), (c) low resources class (11.4%), and (d) high resources class (38.2%). Trauma-related psychopathology class and low resources class were characterized by high levels of maladjustment. Similarly to the low resources class, the trauma-related psychopathology class reported a significantly higher likelihood of trauma-related psychopathology and higher levels of problem-solving skills. The adaptive resilience class and high resources class also reported lower levels of maladjustment, and the high resources class reported higher levels of coping skills and lower levels of externalizing problems than any other class. Clinicians treating children's internalizing mental health or externalizing behavior problems should assess trauma history and trauma-related psychopathology, as well as protective resources that may enhance resilience such as skills for problem solving and social support seeking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Radzenie sobie matek zaangażowanych w realizację zadań rodzicielskich wobec dziecka z diagnozą padaczki

Introduction: Motherhood of women raising children with epilepsy is a topic that has not yet received a wider study in Poland. Special attention should be paid to mothers who, assuming the role of primary caregiver of a sick child, often take on tasks and responsibilities beyond their capabilities. Research Aim: The aim of the research was to establish correlations between mothers’ involvement in tasks related to raising their child with epilepsy and their preferred coping strategies. Method: The research used the diagnostic survey method and respondents filled in a questionnaire. The material was collected using the following tools: the Parchomiuk and Kręcisz-Plis Parental Involvement Scale, Carver's Inventory to Assess Coping with Stress (Mini-COPE) adapted by Juczyński and Ogińska-Bulik and a questionnaire of our own construction. Results: The parental involvement of mothers of children with epilepsy is average, both in the dimension of realization, motivation and satisfaction. Respondents' fulfillment of parental obligations, lower than their level of motivation, suggests that they are willing and ready to fulfill their maternal obligations by caregiving and upbringing their child, but they are not always able to engage in fulfilling them to the extent they would like to. Adaptation strategies such as Active Coping, Acceptance and Seeking Support were among the coping strategies most frequently used by the surveyed mothers. Conclusion: The existence of positive relationships between the parental commitment of the surveyed women and the use of adaptive strategies of coping with difficult situations was confirmed in some of the analyzed areas.

Support Needs, Barriers, and Facilitators for Fathers With Fear of Childbirth in Sweden: A Mixed-Method Study.

The aim of this mixed-method study was to identify support needs, as well as barriers and facilitators to seeking support in a sample of Swedish fathers with a fear of childbirth (FOC). Participants completed an anonymous quantitative online survey (N = 131), with three free-text items for those self-identifying as having an FOC (N = 71) and five individual in-depth interviews. Data analysis included descriptive and chi-square analyses for quantitative data, and manifest content analysis for qualitative data. Those with a severe FOC were more likely to report having on-going mental health difficulties (p = .039) and one fifth (21%) of the participants with severe FOC wanted to receive professional treatment, but only 8.1% received treatment. Most participants either preferred individual support or to receive support together with their partner. Fathers with severe FOC were more likely to report one or more barriers than those without FOC (p = .005), where unwanted social stigma was the single largest barrier. Qualitative findings identified one main category: Expectant fathers missing and wishing for support for FOC composed four generic categories: (1) support in developing an understanding of their fear, (2) coping by being aware of feelings, (3) professional support through trust and respect, and (4) needing individualized support. To encourage healthy fathers, clinical professionals should find ways to support fathers, such as by providing them with their own perinatal appointments, asking them about their feelings, as well as screening, diagnosing, and treating fathers with severe FOC.

“We just ignored them.” Adaptation strategies used by emergency department personnel in the face of workplace violence: A qualitative study

BackgroundWorkplace violence (WPV) can have adverse psychological, physical, and emotional effects on emergency department (ED) personnel. Adaptive strategies can help them better adapt to WPV. The study aimed to explore ED personnel’s experiences with adaptive strategies used in the face of WPV. MethodsIn this qualitative study, 22 ED personnel (nurses, doctors, services patient care assistants, and security guards) were selected using purposive sampling from Urmia city hospitals. Deep semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. After recording and implementing interviews, conventional content analysis was used to extract concepts. ResultsData analysis led to extracting an overarching theme of “mastering the situation and avoiding harm.” Two categories that supported the main theme were: “effort to avoid violence” and “effort to escape suffering.” The seven subcategories supported main categories included “managing patients and companions, ”self-control,“ ”seeking support, “emotional discharge,” “thought diversion, ”tendency to spirituality,“ and ”seeking medical assistance.“ ConclusionGiven the experiences of ED personnel regarding strategies used, health managers and policymakers are recommended to develop and implement comprehensive programs to reduce violence and empower nurses before and after dealing with violence. The following programs will help: developing and implementing guidelines such as zero-tolerance WPV policy, criminalizing violence against personnel and punishing perpetrators; holding classes related to communication skills, self-control skills, and deviant thinking skills for ED personnel; raising public awareness of the prevailing conditions in the emergency through mass media, and counseling and treating violent ED personnel.