831 research outputs found
A mixed mixed-methods investigation of mental health stigma, absenteeism and presenteeism among UK postgraduate researchers
Purpose
Postgraduate researchers (PGRs) appear to be particularly vulnerable to mental health problems. Mental health-related stigma and discrimination may be endemic within universities, creating a threatening environment that undermines PGRsâ health and well-being. These environmental characteristics may increase PGRsâ absenteeism and presenteeism, attendance behaviours that have great personal and institutional consequences. The study of this issue, however, has been limited to date.
Design/methodology/approach
This was a mixed methods psychological study using cross-sectional data provided by 3,352 UK-based PGRs. Data were collected in a new national survey (U-DOC) led by a British University in 2018â2019. We used structural equation modelling techniques to test associations between workplace mental health-related stigma and discrimination, presenteeism, absenteeism and demographic characteristics. The authors analysed qualitative survey data with framework analysis to deductively and inductively explore associations between workplace culture, stigma and discrimination, and attendance behaviours.
Findings
The authors found that some PGRs report positive perceptions and experiences of the academic mental health-related workplace culture. However, experiences of mental health stigma and discrimination appear widespread. Both quantitative and qualitative results show that experiences of mental health-related stigma are associated with greater absenteeism and presenteeism. People with mental health problems appear especially vulnerable to experiencing stigma and its impacts.
Practical implications
Key implications include recommendations for universities to improve support for PGR mental health, and to encourage taking annual leave and necessary sickness absences, by providing a more inclusive environment with enhanced mental health service provision and training for faculty and administrative staff.
Originality/value
This study presents the first large-scale survey of PGR experiences of mental health-related stigma and discrimination, and their associations with absenteeism and presenteeism
Wave scattering from self-affine surfaces
Electromagnetic wave scattering from a perfectly reflecting self-affine
surface is considered. Within the framework of the Kirchhoff approximation, we
show that the scattering cross section can be exactly written as a function of
the scattering angle via a centered symmetric Levy distribution for general
roughness amplitude, Hurst exponent and wavelength of the incident wave. The
amplitude of the specular peak, its width and its position are discussed as
well as the power law decrease (with scattering angle) of the scattering cross
section.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages including 2 figures. Submitted Phys. Rev. Let
Three disks in a row: A two-dimensional scattering analog of the double-well problem
We investigate the scattering off three nonoverlapping disks equidistantly
spaced along a line in the two-dimensional plane with the radii of the outer
disks equal and the radius of the inner disk varied. This system is a
two-dimensional scattering analog to the double-well-potential (bound state)
problem in one dimension. In both systems the symmetry splittings between
symmetric and antisymmetric states or resonances, respectively, have to be
traced back to tunneling effects, as semiclassically the geometrical periodic
orbits have no contact with the vertical symmetry axis. We construct the
leading semiclassical ``creeping'' orbits that are responsible for the symmetry
splitting of the resonances in this system. The collinear three-disk-system is
not only one of the simplest but also one of the most effective systems for
detecting creeping phenomena. While in symmetrically placed n-disk systems
creeping corrections affect the subleading resonances, they here alone
determine the symmetry splitting of the 3-disk resonances in the semiclassical
calculation. It should therefore be considered as a paradigm for the study of
creeping effects. PACS numbers: 03.65.Sq, 03.20.+i, 05.45.+bComment: replaced with published version (minor misprints corrected and
references updated); 23 pages, LaTeX plus 8 Postscript figures, uses
epsfig.sty, espf.sty, and epsf.te
The Opinion-Policy Nexus in Europe and the Role of Political Institutions
A strong link between citizen preferences and public policy is one of the key goals and criteria of democratic governance. Yet, our knowledge about the extent to which public policies on specific issues are in line with citizen preferences in Europe is limited. This article reports on the first study of the link between public opinion and public policy that covers a large and diverse sample of concrete public policy issues in 31 European democracies. The findings demonstrate a strong positive relationship and a substantial degree of congruence between public opinion and the state of public policy. Also examined is whether political institutions, including electoral systems and the horizontal and vertical division of powers, influence the opinionâpolicy link. The evidence for such effects is very limited, which suggests that the same institutions might affect policy representation in countervailing ways through different mechanisms
Bcc He as a Coherent Quantum Solid
In this work we investigate implications of the quantum nature of bcc %
He. We show that it is a unique solid phase with both a lattice structure and
an Off-Diagonal Long Range Order of coherently oscillating local electric
dipole moments. These dipoles arise from the local motion of the atoms in the
crystal potential well, and oscillate in synchrony to reduce the dipolar
interaction energy. The dipolar ground-state is therefore found to be a
coherent state with a well defined global phase and a three-component complex
order parameter. The condensation energy of the dipoles in the bcc phase
stabilizes it over the hcp phase at finite temperatures. We further show that
there can be fermionic excitations of this ground-state and predict that they
form an optical-like branch in the (110) direction. A comparison with
'super-solid' models is also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure
Growth responses of Ailanthus altissima seedlings to SO2
Growth of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle seedlings exposed to various levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2) was observed. Exposure for 1 or 2 weeks at 260 [mu]gm-3 (0[middle dot]1 ppm) or 520 [mu]g m-3 (0[middle dot]2 ppm) of SO2 significantly (p 2 concentration.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24357/1/0000626.pd
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