Well-being Issues Research Articles

Teacher resilience and triple crises: Confucius Institute teachers’ lived experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract This article aims to investigate Confucius Institute teachers’ lived intercultural experiences during the triple crises, i.e., the pandemic, hostility towards Confucius Institutes (CIs) and rampant racism. Through the analytical lens of teacher resilience, the article looks beyond what has gone wrong and foregrounds resourcefulness, strength, and agency of CI teachers. It draws the data from interviews with nine CI teachers based in US, Europe and Australia where CI closure has been reported, over a period of three months in 2020 and 2021. In addition to technological and pedagogical challenges and well-being issues, CI teachers found themselves in the vulnerable position of ‘being caught in the middle’ exacerbated by the changing political dynamics, rising anti-Chinese racism, cross-cultural differences in health behaviours and broken partnership with the host universities. Our analysis shows that despite these challenges, CI teachers built resilience and remain committed to their professional values. They adopted a pragmatic approach to depoliticise language teaching through ‘safe’ cultural activities and engaged in perspective-taking and reflexivity. The findings further demonstrate the importance of mutual support and co-learning for developing resilience, thus offering new insights on factors contributing to teacher resilience. Our research raises questions about the CI operational/partnership model and urges policy makers and senior management teams to put teachers and students’ needs first in their decisions.

The politics of humility: Humility in historical Christian thought and its educational implications

In recent times, schools have begun to focus on issues of wellbeing, engaging with ideas from various fields such as positive psychology. It is in this context that there is a growing interest in humility, rather than this interest having emerged from debates in moral philosophy and moral education. However, to the extent that education for wellbeing initiatives might promote humility as a virtue, it is important to address the extent to which it can be considered as good. This paper critically explores the shift of humility from vice to virtue in the west with the advent of Christianity. Drawing on historical, religious, and philosophical sources, the status of humility as a moral good is brought into question. It is argued that humility can only be understood, like other virtues, within historical, political, and social context. Thus, it is in how humility is operationalised in contexts of social relations that we can evaluate its moral worth. As such, we suggest that educators and schools should take account of the contingent nature of humility, its paradoxes and politics, rather than promoting it as an unquestionable good.

A webbased intervention for patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, a qualitative study of nurses experiences

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy is the gold standard for prevention of sudden cardiac death. Patients generally adapt well to living with an ICD, but 20% have difficulties adjusting, with increased risk of anxiety and depression and decreased quality of life. New web-based interventions engaging patients with an ICD might be efficient, but there is sparse knowledge on experiences with web-based care from the perspective of cardiac nurses. Purpose The aim of the study was to explore cardiac nurses’ experiences with a web-based intervention designed to empower patients with an ICD. Methods We conducted a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. The informants (n=9) were experienced cardiac nurses across 5 Danish university hospitals. They were delivering a comprehensive web-based intervention for patients with an ICD, including patient education, chats, monitoring of anxiety and depression and a patient forum. The intervention was tested in a randomized controlled trial. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded and analyzed using qualitative content analysis with NVivo software. Results We identified an overall theme: "Between traditional nursing and modern eHealth". The theme emerged from six categories, each covering three or four subcategories (Figure 1). The categories were: (1) comprehensive intervention, (2) patient-related differences in engagement, (3) following the protocol is a balancing act, (4) online communication challenges patient contact, (5) professional collaboration varies, and (6) an intervention with potential. Cardiac nurses were in general positive towards the concept of this web-based intervention and believe it holds a large potential. On the other hand, they were challenged by not establishing a personal relation and by losing face-to-face contact with patients, which they found valuable for getting a feeling for patients’ wellbeing and potential mental health issues. Ensuring face-to-face contact by either starting the intervention with a personal contact or including the possibility of video contacts might enhance the value of web-based interventions from the perspective of cardiac nurses. The nurses found the intervention especially suitable for patients who had suffered a cardiac arrest. Conclusion Specific training in eHealth communication is necessary as web-based care entails a shift in nursing role and a new format of communication for cardiac nurses. Future evaluations of web-based cardiac rehabilitation interventions in clinical practice are needed to assess the potential impact in "real-life" cardiac care.

Microclimatic and Environmental Improvement in a Mediterranean City through the Regeneration of an Area with Nature-Based Solutions: A Case Study

Dense urban areas are facing relevant issues related to their high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and ecosystem health. The study presents a case study of a regeneration project with Nature-based Solutions in the city of Genoa (Italy) and, more specifically, in a neighbourhood characterised by relevant health and well-being issues. The performances of three design scenarios for a city hotspot, including plant species selected with a systemic approach and light pavements, are analysed in terms of improved microclimate by means of the ENVI-met software V4.4.5. The results show different benefits on the microclimate compared to the current state depending on the different scenarios: A UTCI decrease from 4.1 °C to 5.4 °C, a reduction of mean radiant temperature from 12.3 °C to 17.3 °C, a relative humidity increase from 3.8% to 5.6%, and a progressive decrease in wind speed are detected in a directly proportional way to the gradual increase in greenery inside the scenarios. In reverse, better results for air temperatures are detected for the scenario with less greening (Δt = 1.8 °C). The study relies on the re-parametrisation of plant species characteristics in the ENVI-met database to reach a high level of accuracy.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND SMARTPHONE USE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

People’s overdependence on smartphones has led them to an abundance of psychological well-being issues. Various literature has examined the association between smartphone use, addictive behaviours, and mental well-being. To develop a deeper understanding of the correlation among these factors, the current study aims to find the psychological impact on smartphone use. Smartphone use and psychological well-being, specifically on how adolescents’ media use has led them to mental health issues such as addiction, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and the fear of missing out (FoMO). The results supported hypotheses 1, 2, and 3, smartphone addiction correlates with anxiety, depression, and FoMO; however, the results of the study do not support hypothesis 4, in which there is no correlation between smartphone addiction and sleep issues. In conclusion, smartphone overuse and addiction may subsequently affect an adolescent’s mental well-being.

Self-management goals of cancer survivors with an ostomy.

Ostomies due to cancer surgery impose complex and enduring care challenges that necessitate cancer survivors" self-management. The objective of this analysis is to evaluate ostomates' self- management goals using a qualitative approach. A multi-site randomized controlled trial testing the Ostomy Self-Management Training program (OSMT) was delivered via telehealth to a group of cancer survivors with an ostomy randomized to either the OSMT program with goal setting or usual care (UC), without goal setting. Goals were classified by type and frequency according to a modified City of Hope Health-Related Quality of Life framework (physical, psychological, social, spiritual, ostomy-specific, and healthcare quality domains), using a directed and systematic content analysis approach. The 524 self-management goals analyzed by domain frequencies physical (29.4%), ostomy specific (29.0%) and social well-being (25.0%) were predominant. Managing other health issues (7.6%), psychological issues (6.0%), and spiritual well-being issues (3.0%) were next. Common self-management themes were ostomy care independence (87.5%), handling cancer-related issues (62.5%), achieving acceptance (56.2%), resuming physical activity (43.0%), and maintaining fluid/diet balance (43.0%). Goal-setting offers insights into self-management concerns of cancer survivors with ostomies. Results demonstrate the broad aspects of self-management ostomates face. Self-management training with patient goal-setting may be used to help ostomates with cancer and their health care providers identify areas for needed education and support.

The Wicked Problem of Physician Well-Being.

The collective threat to physician well-being is a complex issue with no clear solution. Even before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, physicians suffered from widespread burnout and moral injury, with negative consequences for patient care, physician health, and the health care system. Initial clinician well-being efforts leaned heavily on individual-focused interventions. However, workplace culture and environment are key factors that affect burnout, and therefore clinician well-being efforts require both individual-focused and systems-level interventions. A sustainable culture of support in medicine is necessary to foster physician well-being.

Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

The new COVID, later dubbed coronavirus, is an incurable disease that can be transmitted to humans. It originally appeared in late December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where it documented cases of pneumonia of unclear etiology. After its rise, it marked as an episode that caused real concern for the general public by the WHO, and in the middle of January 2020, the WHO declared a global pandemic due to a dramatic increase in global diseases affecting many nations. More than 108 million cases had been validated worldwide as of February 14, 2021, with 5.99 million cases reported in the Eastern Mediterranean region. As a result of this global emergency, segregation and detention measures were being taken by international and governmental organizations to prevent the spread of the disease. Additional measures include airline suspension, large assembly congestion, and compulsory use of face masks in many countries, community evacuation, telephone work, child education, and home-based care. Conclusion: There is a need to build the mindfulness among the different media stages about mental difficulties during pandemics and feature the significance of looking for help and taking part in actual work for the administration of emotional well-being messes. Moreover, an increment in mindfulness among the medical care experts in recognizing and focusing on the high-hazard gatherings of the populace who are in danger in creating psychological well-being issues is crucially significant.

Cultivating The Mental Wellbeing Using Islamic Approach: An Expert Approach and Suggestion

This article used the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) as a method to proposed solution for mental wellbeing issues. Researchers have used this strategy to address the issue of mental wellbeing by utilizing an expert’s consensus and opinions. The overview of expert’s recommendations suggested 9 solutions to mental wellbeing issues. The NGT approach also helped researchers gain element validation fast and readily since the elements were generated by reading literature and then debated and voted on by experts. Further research with the developers of specialized modules to cure mental disorders is advised.

The impact of COVID-19 on dual career athletes: Three typologies of coping

ABSTRACT This research aimed to understand the coping and wellbeing of dual-career athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 159 dual-career athletes completed a series of questionnaires that aimed to identify the coping strategies and their impact on the wellbeing of respondents during COVID-19 restrictions. The survey included measures of coping, wellbeing, burnout, and identity along with open-ended questions with the focus of change, coping, and support. Findings identified three coping approaches that have been employed by dual-career athletes: positive coping, negative coping, and acceptance. The three coping approaches also showed distinct wellbeing and burnout profiles. The negative coping group showed high indicators of burnout and poor wellbeing, whereas the acceptance group showed the highest scores on wellbeing and low indications of burnout. Based on the findings, it is recommended that dual-career support providers and stakeholders consider how best to support athletes that have not coped well and have experienced wellbeing issues during this time. It is also important to recognise the benefit a dual-career has provided to some individuals during this period.

Distributional issues in well-being: a case study of New Zealand

Well-being is now widely accepted as being multidimensional (OECD, 2017). New Zealand (NZ) Treasury mimics this notion and suggests that well-being indicates ‘quality of life’ and ways of facilitating individuals and society achieving a better life (McLeod, 2018). To achieve the goal of a ‘better life for all’, the NZ government has launched the first Well-being Budget worldwide in 2019 (Government of New Zealand, 2019). Still, there are some limitations in their framework. My research aims to address one of them; namely well-being inequality. By constructing a composite well-being index for a country that runs a Well-being Budget, this answers the following questions: i) which domains of well-being are most unequally distributed in NZ? ii) what are the determinants of well-being inequality? and iii) how does well-being inequality compare across gender, ethnicity, age, and geography in NZ? In this presentation, I will explain how Categorial Principal Component Analysis was used to construct NZ’s first multidimensional well-being index. Additionally, I will discuss the current well-being distribution findings. The data used comes from NZ's General Social Survey spanning the period 2014 to 2018 which includes 24,618 individuals across NZ. Both ordinal and nominal variables are included in the well-being index. To measure the inequality in well-being we deconstruct the multidimensional well-being index for various groups to determine the well-being distribution pattern in NZ. The preliminary results indicate that civic engagement and governance, and income explained the most variance; whereas cultural identity and social connection explained the least variance. In addition, females, Māori, immigrants, and those outside of the Auckland region experience greater well-being inequality than their counterparts. These results suggest that policymakers should focus on policies that could increase public trust in the government and institutions, increase employment opportunities, and provide social support for those unable to enter the employment sector as full-time employees.

3. Constructing Meaning and Learning Collaboratively Through Movement and Body Expression

Abstract Movement and body expression exercises are not the obvious choices for mainstream approaches to cognitive and socio-emotional learning. Here we present the preliminary findings of a youth led participatory action research project aiming at a better understanding of wellbeing and educational equity issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on exploring how meaning making and collaborative learning were facilitated through a movement and body expression exercise. Implications for mainstream educational practice are discussed.

Credit Card Use, Hedonic Motivations, and Impulse Buying Behavior in Fast Fashion Physical Stores during COVID-19: The Sustainability Paradox

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 has affected consumption and payment patterns worldwide. Consumers have had to change their habits and deal with new sanitation guidelines and have often struggled with lengthy infrastructure closures. These factors significantly influenced both the choice of payment methods and purchase decisions made by consumers. Still, consumption patterns during the pandemic as a new social situation have not yet been thoroughly investigated. As the unsustainable consumption of resources is an important issue, this paper aims to analyze the relationship between credit card use, hedonic motivations, and its impact on the impulsive buying behavior in physical fast fashion stores during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted on a sample of 300 regular fast fashion buyers in physical stores. Structural equation modelling was used for the data analysis. The results show that there is a significant relationship between credit card use and impulse buying behavior for fast fashion in physical stores, as well as between credit card use and social shopping. It is also observed that hedonic motivations such as gratification shopping, value shopping, novelty-seeking shopping, and adventure-seeking shopping are related to impulse buying behavior. Therefore, this evidences the unsustainable overconsumption, thereby having a higher negative environmental and social impact. With the increased popularity of cashless payment methods, including credit cards relaxing tighter budgets during the pandemic, fast fashion impulse buying should be considered an important issue in individual, social and environmental well-being. Consequently, the need for more responsible consumption and sustainability-focused value orientation arises so as to mitigate the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry.

A Case Study: Psychological Issues in Coping and Wellbeing during Midlife Adult

A Case Study: Psychological Issues in Coping and Wellbeing during Midlife Adult

IOT Based Smart Health Care System to Monitor Covid-19 Patients

Clinical Surveillance Solutions are the most significant in the concise non-industrial nation people improves requests for caretaking. Coronavirus is as a substitute infectious it is vital to isolation Corona virus people however at the equivalent time clinical analysts need to really take a look at wellness of Corona virus victims additionally. With the helping sort of occurrences it's miles transforming into extreme to safeguard a tune on the wellbeing and prosperity issues of a few isolated people. Underneath the empowered machine plan of a Wi-Fi sensor network in light of IOT development. It is typically utilized for gathering just as moving the special sensors following information in regards to the individuals in medical services communities. This product comprises of Wireless basically based organization (Wi-Fi), having totally outstanding detecting devices connected with the transmitter region the ones are Heart thump detecting unit, Temperature stage detecting unit circulatory strain sensor and heartbeat oximeter. These sensors are straight away associated with the impacted man or lady and amass the client issues by utilizing method of the utilization of detecting gadgets. Similar measurements are conveying remotely to the beneficiary area this is with the clinical specialist and via that collector inconvenience he'll harvest all refreshes in their clients. Furthermore moreover it will really convey voice word to people to take their prescriptions reasonable time. What's more one sharp ringer will indeed there at patient so as to essentially advocate crisis situation of clients. At the point when patient will squeeze crisis button then the ringer will be ON.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIFE SATISFACTION AND PERSONALITY TRAITS OF YOUNG DOCTORS

Nowadays, as never before, the issue of psychological well-being of medical workers, including young specialists, has been actualized. This article presents a study aimed at examining the life satisfaction of medical residents. The study involved 57 residents (average age 26.1±3.4 years, 40 women and 17 men). According to the results of the "Life Satisfaction Index" methodology, the respondents were divided into three groups depending on the level of life satisfaction: a group with a low, medium and high level accordingly. The article presents an analysis of a survey of the residents by groups about the most positive and negative aspects of their profession. Next, based on the correlation analysis, the interrelationships of life satisfaction components with the attributes of subjectivity and life hardiness characteristics were revealed. It was found that a positive assessment of satisfaction with one’s own life among medical residents is associated with the ability to manage one’s life, realize one’s goals, achieve them, and the ability to cope with difficult life situations. Thus, it can be concluded that the satisfaction of medical residents with their own life is associated with an active life stands, hardiness, and life activity awareness, and the ability to cope with stress is realized through positive perception and a conscious attitude to their life.

Women\u2019s experiences of surviving severe obstetric complications: a qualitative inquiry in southern Ghana

Women who survive severe obstetric complications (SOC) have health and well-being issues even up to 1 year postpartum and have challenges in their quality-of-life (QoL). However, little is known about their predicaments. This study aimed to describe the impact of severe obstetric complications on women’s QoL and well-being after surviving severe obstetric complications. Using the WHO standards for near-miss, twelve (12) women who survived severe obstetric complications were recruited between January and March 2019. The study adopted a qualitative approach with an exploratory descriptive design to explore the experiences of women who survived SOC in Southern Ghana. The participants were purposively sampled and were interviewed face to face in their homes and healthcare facility after discharge from the Hospital. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Two (2) major themes and nine (9) sub-themes emerged. The findings revealed that women who suffered SOC are unable to perform functional activities, have financial constraints, residual hypertension, signs and symptoms of anaemia, pain, and mostly have difficulty in sleeping due to fear of death when they fall asleep. Anxiety, sadness, and emotional trauma was a common phenomenon. The study findings offer insights and directions on measures to improve the care and QoL of women who have survived severe obstetric complications in Ghana.

Working with community interviewers in social and cultural research

AbstractWorking with community or peer interviewers can provide valuable access to the lived experiences of individuals and communities who researchers are unlikely to reach. However, the ethical and methodological issues involved in working with community interviewers has received relatively little attention in social and cultural geographical research. In this paper, we reflect on our work with community interviewers in qualitative research about the sexual relationship practices of young British Pakistani Muslims. We outline the training we offered to them and consider several ethical and methodological issues, including issues of power and positionality, the politics or remuneration, providing feedback to community interviewers, issues of mental health and wellbeing, and addressing expectations and community relationships. We explore the benefits of working with community interviewers while also highlighting the ethical and political challenges associated with such work.

Enhancing higher education student well-being through social prescribing: a realist evaluation protocol

IntroductionUK higher education (HE) student numbers are increasing and students report higher levels of mental health and well-being issues. Social prescribing links individuals to community-based, non-medical support. It is widely...

Teachers’ Collaborative Work at the Boundaries of Professional Responsibility for Student Wellbeing

ABSTRACT Wellbeing is a current theme in educational policy. However, responsibility for ensuring student wellbeing is an underexplored aspect of teacher professionalism. Although the scope and boundaries of those responsibilities are becoming to a greater extent defined externally, this does not make teachers’ work more straightforward. This article examines how teachers handle ambiguity and tensions in order to find practical solutions in routine work with issues of student wellbeing. Extended observations of collaborative work in a Norwegian primary school and interviews with teachers form the dataset. The analysis centres on different patterns of handling ambiguity and tensions in everyday work. The conclusions highlight the significance of workplace collaborative contexts oriented toward making the complexity and underlying normative tensions of wellbeing work more visible and approachable.