scholarly journals An evaluation of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy delivered remotely during the Covid–19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain W. McGowan ◽  
Naomi Fisher ◽  
Justin Havens ◽  
Simon Proudlock
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Therapist Characteristics ◽  
Client Outcome ◽  
Therapist Experience ◽  
Discussion List ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background In addition to having a negative impact on the physical and emotional health of the population, the global Covid–19 pandemic has necessitated psychotherapists moving their practice to online environments. This service evaluation examines the efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy delivered via the internet. Methods A real–world service evaluation was conducted from a self–selecting group of EMDR therapists that subscribe to either a JISCMail discussion list or either the UK or All Ireland National EMDR Associations. Author designed questionnaires were used to gather information on the efficacy of EMDR delivered online as well as client and therapist characteristics. Results Thirty-three therapists provided efficacy data on a total of 93 patients. Statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions were found in all four-psychometrics used both in adult and children and young people populations. Client outcome was not related to therapist experience. Conclusions EMDR delivered via the internet can be an effective treatment for clients experiencing mental health issues.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on a Regional Stroke Thrombectomy Service in the United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Joseph Kwan ◽  
Madison Brown ◽  
Paul Bentley ◽  
Zoe Brown ◽  
Lucio D’Anna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Neurological Outcomes ◽  
Neurological Improvement ◽  
Patient Demographics ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> We examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on our regional stroke thrombectomy service in the UK. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This was a single-center health service evaluation. We began testing for COVID-19 on 3 March and introduced a modified “COVID Stroke Thrombectomy Pathway” on 18 March. We analyzed the clinical, procedural and outcome data for 61 consecutive stroke thrombectomy patients between 1 January and 30 April. We compared the data for January and February (“pre-COVID,” <i>n</i> = 33) versus March and April (“during COVID,” <i>n</i> = 28). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patient demographics were similar between the 2 groups (mean age 71 ± 12.8 years, 39% female). During the COVID-19 pandemic, (a) total stroke admissions fell by 17% but the thrombectomy rate was maintained at 20% of ischemic strokes; (b) successful recanalization rate was maintained at 81%; (c) early neurological outcomes (neurological improvement following thrombectomy and inpatient mortality) were not significantly different; (d) use of general anesthesia fell significantly from 85 to 32% as intended; and (e) time intervals from onset to arrival, groin puncture, and recanalization were not significantly different, whereas internal delays for external referrals significantly improved for door-to-groin puncture (48 [interquartile range (IQR) 39–57] vs. 33 [IQR 27–44] minutes, <i>p</i> = 0.013) and door-to-recanalization (82.5 [IQR 61–110] vs. 60 [IQR 55–70] minutes, <i>p</i> = 0.018). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the stroke admission numbers but not stroke thrombectomy rate, successful recanalization rate, or early neurological outcome. Internal delays actually improved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies should examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on longer term outcome.

An Expert Ranked List of Pro-nature Conservation Behaviours for Public Use

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Barbett ◽  
Edward Stupple ◽  
Michael Sweet ◽  
Miles Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mass Extinction ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Short Paper ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Ranked List

The planet is facing an anthropogenic mass extinction of wildlife, which will have a grave impact on the environment and humans. Widespread human action is needed to minimize the negative impact of humans on biodiversity and support the restoration of wildlife. In order to find effective ways to promote pro-nature conservation behaviours to the general population, there is a need to provide a list of behaviours which will have worthwhile ecological impact and are worth encouraging. In a novel collaboration between psychologists and ecologists, 70 experts from practical and academic conservation backgrounds were asked to review and rate 48 conservation related behaviours. According to their judgement, this short paper presents a ranked list of pro-nature conservation behaviours for the public in the UK and similar landscapes. This includes behaviours people can engage in in their homes, their gardens, on their land, and in their roles as citizens.

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Qualitative Experiences of Social Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Sample

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
National Study ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information ◽  
The Uk

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.

scholarly journals Overt acts of perceived discrimination reported by British working-age adults with and without disability

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Emerson ◽  
Allison Milner ◽  
Zoe Aitken ◽  
Lauren Krnjacki ◽  
Cathy Vaughan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Exposure to discrimination can have a negative impact on health. There is little robust evidence on the prevalence of exposure of people with disabilities to discrimination, the sources and nature of discrimination they face, and the personal and contextual factors associated with increased risk of exposure. Methods Secondary analysis of de-identified cross-sectional data from the three waves of the UK’s ‘Life Opportunities Survey’. Results In the UK (i) adults with disabilities were over three times more likely than their peers to be exposed to discrimination, (ii) the two most common sources of discrimination were strangers in the street and health staff and (iii) discrimination was more likely to be reported by participants who were younger, more highly educated, who were unemployed or economically inactive, who reported financial stress or material hardship and who had impairments associated with hearing, memory/speaking, dexterity, behavioural/mental health, intellectual/learning difficulties and breathing. Conclusions Discrimination faced by people with disabilities is an under-recognised public health problem that is likely to contribute to disability-based health inequities. Public health policy, research and practice needs to concentrate efforts on developing programs that reduce discrimination experienced by people with disabilities.

scholarly journals Effect of Instructing Care Program Through Group Discussion on the Quality of Life of the Parents of the Children Afflicted With Leukemia

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fariba Asadi Noughabi ◽  
Daryoush Iranpoor ◽  
Hadi Yousefi ◽  
Hakimeh Abrakht ◽  
Fatemeh Ghani Dehkordi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Bodily Pain ◽  
Care Program ◽  
Role Of Parents ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Taking Care

<p><strong>PURPOSE</strong><strong>:</strong> Children long-term involvement with cancer may have a negative impact on the quality of life their parents. Design and implementation of training programs for parents whose children have been diagnosed with leukemia, as the primary caregivers of children, will have a special significance and can contribute to better taking care of such children. The main purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of conducting group discussion, as care program training, on the quality of life parents whose children were suffering from leukemia.</p><p><strong>METHODS: </strong>This quasi-experimental before-after intervention study encompassed two groups of parents (in total 41) of leukemia children. To collect data, a demographic questionnaire and the shortened version of SF-36 questionnaire were used to determine the quality of life of parents. Both groups completed the quality of life questionnaires before and two months after the intervention.</p><p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Comparison of the parents’ quality of life mean scores, obtained before and two months after training, showed that promotion in 6 domains of bodily pain, general health, emotional health, role limitation due to emotional problems, social functioning, and vitality were occurred. (P &lt;0.05)</p><p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Considering the important role of parents in taking care of children suffering from leukemia, introduction of care program training can be a positive step to help these parents and empower them to manage their children’s problems more systematically and will ultimately lead to improved quality of life of parents.</p>

scholarly journals The role of the internet in testimony: the case of the ‘Forgotten Australians’

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1151-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Adkins ◽  
Donna Hancox
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Church And State ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
National Museum Of Australia

This article examines the case of the Forgotten Australians as an opportunity to examine the role of the internet in the presentation of testimony. ‘Forgotten Australians’ are a group who suffered abuse and neglect after being removed from their parents – either in Australia or in the UK – and placed in Church- and State-run institutions in Australia between 1930 and 1970. The campaign by this profoundly marginalized group coincided with the decade in which the opportunities of Web 2.0 were seen to be diffusing throughout different social groups, and were considered a tool for social inclusion. We outline a conceptual framework that positions the role of the internet as an environment in which the difficult relationships between painful past experiences and contemporary injunctions to remember them, are negotiated. We then apply this framework to the analysis of case examples of posts and interaction on websites with web 2.0 functionality: YouTube and the National Museum of Australia. The analysis points to commonalities and differences in the agency of the internet in these two contexts, arguing that in both cases the websites provided support for the development of a testimony-like narrative and the claiming, sharing and acknowledgement of loss.

scholarly journals Iron nutrition in the UK: getting the balance right

2004 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 519-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Iron Nutrition ◽  
Fe Deficiency ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
High Fibre ◽  
Single Meal ◽  
Fe Homeostasis ◽  
The Uk

Fe homeostasis is considered in the context of the UK diet, using information on Fe intake and status from the National Diet and Nutrition Surveys. The importance of assessing Fe availability rather than total Fe intake is discussed. Dietary and host-related factors that determine Fe bioavailability (Fe utilised for Hb production) are reviewed using information from single-meal studies. When adaptive responses are taken into consideration, foods associated with higher Fe status include meat (haem-Fe and the ‘meat factor’) and fruits and fruit juice (vitamin C). Foods that may have a negative impact include dairy products (Ca), high-fibre foods (phytate) and tea and coffee (polyphenols), but the effects are more apparent in groups with marginal Fe deficiency, such as women of childbearing age. Analysis of dietary intake data on a meal-by-meal basis is needed to predict the influence of changing dietary patterns on Fe nutrition in the UK. Current information suggests that in the UK Fe deficiency is a greater problem than Fe overload.

Social Exclusion and Transport in the UK: A Role for Virtual Accessibility in the Alleviation of Mobility-Related Social Exclusion?

2003 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN KENYON ◽  
JACKIE RAFFERTY ◽  
GLENN LYONS
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Physical Mobility ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Virtual Mobility ◽  
The Uk

This paper reports findings from research into the possibility that mobility-related social exclusion could be affected by an increase in access to virtual mobility – access to opportunities, services and social networks, via the Internet – amongst populations that experience exclusion. Transport is starting to be recognised as a key component of social policy, particularly in light of a number of recent studies, which have highlighted the link between transport and social exclusion, suggesting that low access to mobility can reduce the opportunity to participate in society – a finding with which this research concurs. Following the identification of this causal link, the majority of studies suggest that an increase in access to adequate physical mobility can provide a viable solution to mobility-related aspects of social exclusion.This paper questions the likelihood that increased physical mobility can, by itself, provide a fully viable or sustainable solution to mobility-related aspects of social exclusion. Findings from both a desk study and public consultation suggest that virtual mobility is already fulfilling an accessibility role, both substituting for and supplementing physical mobility, working to alleviate some aspects of mobility-related social exclusion in some sectors of society. The paper incorporates an analysis of the barriers to and problems with an increase in virtual mobility in society, and concludes that virtual mobility could be a valuable tool in both social and transport policy.

scholarly journals Older Carers and Carers of People with Dementia: Improving and Developing Effective Support

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Mary Larkin ◽  
Melanie Henwood ◽  
Alisoun Milne
Keyword(s):  
Third Sector ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Carer Support ◽  
Tailored Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Similar Stage

The policy drive to support carers is a longstanding national and international priority. Research about the design and delivery of support for carers is critical to the underpinning evidence base. Through a timely exploration of a third sector perspective, the UK-based study discussed in this article provides insights into approaches to, and the commissioning of, support for older carers and carers of people with dementia. The study highlights the importance of: embedding carers’ perspectives in service developments; the provision of both generic and targeted support which adopts a nuanced and tailored approach; titrating the delivery of information and advice at a pace to match carers’ needs; capturing quantitative and qualitative dimensions in service evaluation; and increased quantity and longevity of funding. Such insights not only complement existing research but are also generalisable to other countries at a similar stage in the development of carer support.

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