Combining Farmers’ Preferences With Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent and Lower Farmers’ Distress: Co-design and Acceptability Testing of ifarmwell

Background Farming is physically and psychologically hazardous. Farmers face many barriers to help seeking from traditional physical and mental health services; however, improved internet access now provides promising avenues for offering support. Objective This study aims to co-design with farmers the content and functionality of a website that helps them adopt transferable coping strategies and test its acceptability in the broader farming population. Methods Research evidence and expert opinions were synthesized to inform key design principles. A total of 18 farmers detailed what they would like from this type of website. Intervention logic and relevant evidence-based strategies were mapped. Website content was drafted and reviewed by 2 independent mental health professionals. A total of 9 farmers provided detailed qualitative feedback on the face validity of the draft content. Subsequently, 9 farmers provided feedback on the website prototype. Following amendments and internal prototype testing and optimization, prototype usability (ie, completion rate) was examined with 157 registered website users who were (105/157, 66.9%) female, aged 21-73 years; 95.5% (149/156) residing in inner regional to very remote Australia, and 68.2% (107/157) “sheep, cattle and/or grain farmers.” Acceptability was examined with a subset of 114 users who rated at least module 1. Interviews with 108 farmers who did not complete all 5 modules helped determine why, and detailed interviews were conducted with 18 purposively sampled users. Updates were then made according to adaptive trial design methodology. Results This systematic co-design process resulted in a web-based resource based on acceptance and commitment therapy and designed to overcome barriers to engagement with traditional mental health and well-being strategies—ifarmwell. It was considered an accessible and confidential source of practical and relevant farmer-focused self-help strategies. These strategies were delivered via 5 interactive modules that include written, drawn, and audio- and video-based psychoeducation and exercises, as well as farming-related jokes, metaphors, examples, and imagery. Module 1 included distress screening and information on how to speak to general practitioners about mental health–related concerns (including a personalized conversation script). Modules were completed fortnightly. SMS text messages offered personalized support and reminders. Qualitative interviews and star ratings demonstrated high module acceptability (average 4.06/5 rating) and suggested that additional reminders, higher quality audio recordings, and shorter modules would be useful. Approximately 37.1% (52/140) of users who started module 1 completed all modules, with too busy or not got to it yet being the main reason for non-completion, and previous module acceptability not predicting subsequent module completion. Conclusions Sequential integration of research evidence, expert knowledge, and farmers’ preferences in the co-design process allowed for the development of a self-help intervention that focused on important intervention targets and was acceptable to this difficult-to-engage group. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617000506392; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372526

Literasi Depresi: Gambaran dan Kebutuhan Self-help Book Untuk Meningkatkan Pemahaman Depresi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran dan kebutuhan mengenai literasi depresi pada remaja untuk mengembangkan self-help book sebagai salah satu strategi dalam meningkatkan pemahaman depresi pada peserta didik. Metode penelitian menggunakan kuantitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan non probability incidental sampling dan sampel yang digunakan 76 remaja. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah Depression Literacy Questionnaire (D-Lit) dan angket kebutuhan mengenai self-help book literasi depresi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan rata-rata skor literasi depresi remaja adalah 13,85. Sebanyak 82,35% (30 orang) remaja perempuan lebih banyak dalam kategori sedang, 30,95% (13 orang) remaja laki-laki dalam kategori tinggi dan 2,38% (1 orang) remaja laki-laki terasuk kategori rendah. Dari dua aspek literasi depresi yang tertinggi adalah aspek gejala-gejala depresi, yaitu dengan rerata skor 7,06. Kategori tertinggi dari aspek gejala-gejala depresi lebih banyak remaja laki-laki 38,09% (16 orang), kategori sedang lebih banyak remaja perempuan 58,82% (20 orang), dan kategori rendah lebih banyak remaja laki-laki (10 orang). Aspek penanganan mengenai depresi dengan kategori tinggi lebih banyak remaja laki-laki 50% (21 orang) sedangkan kategori sedang lebih banyak remaja perempuan 44,11% (15 orang) dan kategori rendah lebih banyak remaja laki-laki 26,19% (11 orang). Sebanyak 92,10% (70 orang) remaja menginginkan media yang menarik dan informatif sebagai pendamping dalam layanan bimbingan dan konseling dan 90,78% (69 orang) remaja tertarik bila media berbentuk buku seperti self-help book. Oleh karena itu, remaja membutuhkan bantuan melalui self-help book untuk menguatkan pemahaman mereka mengenai gejala-gejala depresi dan penganan mengenai depresi.

Gambaran Dimensi Body Image Siswi Terhadap Pengembangan Self-Help Book Dengan Body Image Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran dimensi body image pada siswi di salah satu sekolah SMK Negeri Jakarta dan kebutuhan untuk meningkatkan dimensi body image dengan self-help book. Sampel penelitian ini menggunakan teknik random sampling dengan jumlah sebanyak 141 peserta didik. Alat ukur yang digunakan adalah Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire – Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS) dan studi kebutuhan self-help book mengenai dimensi body image. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa gambaran dimensi body image pada siswi berada pada kategori positif 8,9%, netral 9,2% dan negatif 9,9% . Hal tersebut dimensi body image siswi dalam kategori negatif, sebagian besar siswi belum memiliki pengetahuan mengenai materi dimensi body image, semua siswi pada studi kebutuhan mengenai self-help book terdapat hasil 71,3% dari 141 siswi belum pernah membaca self-help book, dan 79,7% yaitu 114 siswi yang tertarik untuk mengetahui lebih jauh dan membaca self-help book ini. Oleh karena itu, pengembangan self-help book sangat penting untuk membantu siswi dalam meningkatkan dimensi body image.

Analyzing the Role of Micro-Entrepreneurship and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Women Empowerment and Development

In India, societal development is a cynosure, and thus, it is not a truism but a reality. Women's entrepreneurship emerging through self-help groups (SHGs) contributes to the economic well-being, sustainability, and in poverty reduction. The growth of SHGs is evidence in itself. In the recent decade, micro enterprises and SHGs have come up as prominent solutions to the entrepreneurial crisis existing in the country, and their role in empowering women and their development needs to studied. This study uses a descriptive statistic, reliability, and correlation analysis through SPSS and structural equation modeling (SEM) as an analytical tool to explore linkages between empowerment effected by SHG and micro-entrepreneurship. The research study results show that the contributory role of women entrepreneurs to the society is considerably worth appreciation. The causal relationship has also surfaced demonstrating the connection between women empowerment and development brought about by SHG and micro-entrepreneurship from a bottom-of-pyramid perspective.

Possibilities of receptive music therapy (RMT) for mothers raising children with developmental disorders as a self-help tool for overcoming stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

After the announcement of quarantine due to Covid-19 on March 16, 2020, parents of children with disabilities were left without help from educational and health professionals, while changes in routine, work and financial restrictions, isolation, exacerbations of children’s mental disorders increased the level of parental anxiety, tension, fear and anger. Research on music therapy conducted by the world scientists demonstrated the effectiveness of applying receptive music therapy (RMT) methods to cope with stress, when listening to music is used as a tool that can change the client’s state and help to reveal one’s experiences. The aim of the article is to reveal, theoretically and empirically, possibilities of remote application of receptive music therapy for mothers raising children with developmental disorders. Tasks: 1) to present a model of remote application of receptive music therapy for coping with stress; 2) to examine the possibilities of independent application of the developed therapeutic instrument for client’s self-help. Problem question: how can mothers use the therapeutic tool and skills acquired during the receptive music therapy on their own during the Covid-19 quarantine? The mixed data collection methodology was chosen for the research: 1) in-depth, semi-structured interview (content analysis method); 2) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire; 3) Musical Life Panorama (MLP) biographical interview; 4) Audio recordings of music therapy sessions – qualitative narrative analysis; 5) Music Listening Diary (MLD). Fours subjects were selected on a voluntary participatory basis by forming a homogenous group according to a similar experience of raising children with disabilities. The research revealed that remote application of RMT improved the study participants’ ability to recognize stressful situations better, feelings, and reactions arising during them, and helped them to understand their emotions better. The clients learned to apply the therapeutic instrument independently in order to relieve a stressful situation, adverse reactions, or the emerging emotions. With the formation of the habit of listening to music more often, not only did the ability to relax, not get upset, calm down was strengthened, but tension decreased and the general emotional background in the family improved. The application of RMT increased clients’ ability to cope with stress and reduced the risk of recurring stressful situations. Study participants confirmed the suitability of RMT both in remote sessions and in self-application of the instrument for self-help after the therapy during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Mindful Use of Facebook as a Self-Help Therapeutic Tool in Psychological Settings

Social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook have gained popularity over the years, acquiring billions of active users worldwide. There is much debate about the potential harm and benefits of using SNS. While some studies show that SNS such as Facebook can adversely affect the mental wellbeing of individuals, others show that Facebook use in therapeutic interventions can bring about positive results. According to past literature, ‘seeking gratification', particularly searching for positive emotions, is a key reason for using SNS. In this chapter, it is argued that SNS can be used mindfully to seek content that triggers positive emotions. The practical application of Facebook as a self-help tool to promote psychological well-being is explained through a hypothetical scenario. Further, a framework to educate individual users about the therapeutic potential of SNS is proposed. Practitioners in the fields of counselling and psychology may find the ideas presented in this chapter useful to their work with their clients/patients.

Economics of Small Tea Farming System (STFS): An in-depth Study of North Bengal,India

The study was conducted to find out the pattern of labour engagement (both family andhired labour), price realization of different type of small tea growers and economic analysisof the small tea growing system. Small tea growers of Jalpaiguri and Uttar Dinajpur districtof West Bengal were selected purposively. The present study mainly considered primarydata for analysis and a small amount of secondary data was also collected from records ofConfederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Association (CISTA) and Self-Help Group(SHG) registers. It has been found that there is a variation in price of green leaves in bothdistricts and higher rates are observed in the month of March. SHGs with own processingunits were found to fetch higher prices compared to other units because of their collectivebargaining power, absence of middlemen and owing co-operative processing units. Numberof such SHGs, with processing units were found in Jalpaiguri district whereas, UttarDinajpur district recorded no SHG with own processing units. The economic analysis alsopresented a clear picture about fixed and operational cost, gross return with or withoutdividend and benefit cost ratio.