ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES FOR WILDLIFE DAMAGE CONTROL

The Cooperative Extension Service was established by the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. It was designed to improve the lives of people, through education in: agriculture, natural resources, home economics and community development. Its audiences include both adult and youth. 4-H is the primary youth audience. The Cooperative Extension Service is an extension of the Land Grant university in each state. Its employees include university faculty (specialists) and professional agents in every county, in every state in the country. Extension\u27s primary mission is to conduct an educational program, using research-based information. Research results are condensed into a form that the average person can understand

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES FOR WILDLIFE DAMAGE CONTROL

The Cooperative Extension Service was established by the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. It was designed to improve the lives of people, through education in: agriculture, natural resources, home economics and community development. Its audiences include both adult and youth. 4-H is the primary youth audience. The Cooperative Extension Service is an extension of the Land Grant university in each state. Its employees include university faculty (specialists) and professional agents in every county, in every state in the country. Extension\u27s primary mission is to conduct an educational program, using research-based information. Research results are condensed into a form that the average person can understand

A Characterization of Woodpecker Damage to Houses in East Tennessee

Each year homeowners report damage and/or annoyance from woodpecker excavation and drumming activities on houses. Among the species that may be involved are the yellow-shafted flicker (Colaptes auratus), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), red-headed woodpecker (M. erythrocephalus), red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), hairy woodpecker (P. uillosus), and downy woodpecker (P. pubescens) (Carlton 1975)

Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help compared with supported cognitive behavioral therapy self-help for adults experiencing depression: The low-intensity guided help through mindfulness (LIGHTMind) randomized clinical trial

Importance Depression is prevalent. Treatment guidelines recommend practitioner-supported cognitive behavioral therapy self-help (CBT-SH) for mild to moderate depression in adults; however, dropout rates are high. Alternative approaches are required. Objective To determine if practitioner-supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help (MBCT-SH) is superior to practitioner-supported CBT-SH at reducing depressive symptom severity at 16 weeks postrandomization among patients with mild to moderate depression and secondarily to examine if practitioner-supported MBCT-SH is cost-effective compared with practitioner-supported CBT-SH. Design, Setting, and Participants This was an assessor- and participant-blinded superiority randomized clinical trial with 1:1 automated online allocation stratified by center and depression severity comparing practitioner-supported MBCT-SH with practitioner-supported CBT-SH for adults experiencing mild to moderate depression. Recruitment took place between November 24, 2017, and January 31, 2020. The study took place in 10 publicly funded psychological therapy services in England (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies [IAPT]). A total of 600 clients attending IAPT services were assessed for eligibility, and 410 were enrolled. Participants met diagnostic criteria for mild to moderate depression. Data were analyzed from January to October 2021. Interventions Participants received a copy of either an MBCT-SH or CBT-SH workbook and were offered 6 support sessions with a trained practitioner. Main Outcomes and Measures The preregistered primary outcome was Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score at 16 weeks postrandomization. The primary analysis was intention-to-treat with treatment arms masked. Results Of 410 randomized participants, 255 (62.2%) were female, and the median (IQR) age was 32 (25-45) years. At 16 weeks postrandomization, practitioner-supported MBCT-SH (n = 204; mean [SD] PHQ-9 score, 7.2 [4.8]) led to significantly greater reductions in depression symptom severity compared with practitioner-supported CBT-SH (n = 206; mean [SD] PHQ-9 score, 8.6 [5.5]), with a between-group difference of −1.5 PHQ-9 points (95% CI, −2.6 to −0.4; P = .009; d = −0.36). The probability of MBCT-SH being cost-effective compared with CBT-SH exceeded 95%. However, although between-group effects on secondary outcomes were in the hypothesized direction, they were mostly nonsignificant. Three serious adverse events were reported, all deemed not study related. Conclusions and Relevance In this randomized clinical trial, practitioner-supported MBCT-SH was superior to standard recommended treatment (ie, practitioner-supported CBT-SH) for mild to moderate depression in terms of both clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Findings suggest that MBCT-SH for mild to moderate depression should be routinely offered to adults in primary care services. Trial Registration isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN1349575

Low-intensity guided help through mindfulness (LIGHTMIND): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial comparing supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help to supported cognitive behavioural therapy self-help for adults experiencing depression

Background: Depression has serious personal, family and economic consequences. It is estimated that it will cost £12.15 billion to the economy each year in England by 2026. Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is the National Health Service talking therapies service in England for adults experiencing anxiety or depression. Over 1 million people are referred to IAPT every year, over half experiencing depression. Where symptoms of depression are mild/moderate, people are typically offered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) self-help supported by a psychological wellbeing practitioner (PWP). The problem is that over half of people who complete treatment for depression in IAPT remain depressed despite receiving National Institute of Health and Care Excellent (NICE) recommended treatment. Furthermore, less than half of IAPT service users complete treatment. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of an alternative to CBT self-help. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy differs from CBT in focus, approach and practice and may be more effective with a higher number of treatment completions. Methods/Design: This is a definitive randomised controlled trial comparing supported mindfulness-based cognitive therapy self-help (MBCT-SH) with supported cognitive behavioural therapy self-help (CBT-SH) for adults experiencing mild/moderate depression being treated in IAPT services. Four hundred and ten participants experiencing mild/moderate depression will be recruited from IAPT services and randomised to receive either an MBCT-based self-help workbook or a CBT-based self-help workbook. Participants will be asked to complete their workbook within 16 weeks, with six support sessions with a PWP. The primary outcome is depression symptom severity upon treatment completion. Secondary outcomes are treatment completion rates and measures of generalized anxiety, wellbeing, functioning and mindfulness. An exploratory non-inferiority analysis will be conducted in the event the primary hypothesis is not supported. A semi-structured interview with participants will guide understanding of change processes. Discussion: If the findings from this randomised controlled trial demonstrate that MBCT-SH is more effective than CBT-SH for adults experiencing depression, this will provide evidence for policy makers and lead to changes to clinical practice in IAPT services, leading to greater choice of self-help treatment options and better outcomes for service users. If the exploratory non-inferiority analysis is conducted and this indicates non-inferiority of MBCT-SH in comparison to CBT-SH this will also be of interest to policy makers when seeking to increase service user choice of self-help treatment options for depression. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trial registration number ISRCTN 13495752. Registered on 31 August 2017 (www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13495752). Protocol Version: Version 1 (18 January 2020) Recruitment Status: Recruiting: participants are currently being recruited and enrolled Date first participant randomised: 24 November 2017 Trial Sponsor: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust ([email protected]

Psychological distress among primary school teachers: a comparison with clinical and population samples

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Objectives: This analysis explored the level of psychological distress among primary school teachers in the South West of England as compared to clinical and general population samples. Study design: Secondary analysis of data from the Supporting Teachers And childRen in Schools (STARS) trial completed by up to 90 teachers at baseline, 9, 18 and 30 months of follow up. Methods: We used the Everyday Feelings Questionnaire (EFQ) as a measure of psychological distress. Baseline data on teachers were compared with a population sample of professionals and a clinical sample of patients attending a depression clinic. Results: Our teacher cohort experienced higher levels of psychological distress than comparable professionals from the general population, which were sustained over 30 months follow-up. Levels of psychological distress were lower than those found in the clinical sample. Using a cut-point indicative of moderate depression, our data suggest between 19% and 29% of teachers experienced clinically significant distress at each time-point. Conclusions: We detected high and sustained levels of psychological distress among primary school teachers, which suggests an urgent need for intervention. Effective support for teachers’ mental health is particularly important given the potential impact of poor teacher mental health on pupil wellbeing, pupil attainment and teacher-pupil relationships.The STARS trial was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme (project number 10/3006/07) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula

Researching Identities through Material Possessions: The Case of Diasporic Objects

The article aims to contribute to the growing literature on exploring relationships between objects, homes, and identities in the context of migration. Using examples from a qualitative study of homemaking practices of Russian-speaking communities in the UK, the article discusses how the presence and use of certain objects and foods reflects complex meanings about home and belonging. Specifically, the article deploys the idea of ‘diasporic’ objects that signify the ambivalent nature of migrants’ relationships with their past and present homes simultaneously acting as symbols of connection and detachment. As the objects ‘travel’ through different homes so too do their meanings, and, through this, ‘diasporic’ objects accumulate new values and biographies embedded in wider cultural and transnational contexts. Analytically, the concept of diasporic objects is offered as a way to approach the feeling of home as a changing category that is (re)produced through memories and senses, as well as through particular ways of appropriation and personalisation of spaces and places

The Relationship between Therapeutic Alliance and Service User Satisfaction in Mental Health Inpatient Wards and Crisis House Alternatives: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Poor service user experiences are often reported on mental health inpatient wards. Crisis houses are an alternative, but evidence is limited. This paper investigates therapeutic alliances in acute wards and crisis houses, exploring how far stronger therapeutic alliance may underlie greater client satisfaction in crisis houses. Methods and Findings Mixed methods were used. In the quantitative component, 108 crisis house and 247 acute ward service users responded to measures of satisfaction, therapeutic relationships, informal peer support, recovery and negative events experienced during the admission. Linear regressions were conducted to estimate the association between service setting and measures, and to model the factors associated with satisfaction. Qualitative interviews exploring therapeutic alliances were conducted with service users and staff in each setting and analysed thematically. Results We found that therapeutic alliances, service user satisfaction and informal peer support were greater in crisis houses than on acute wards, whilst self-rated recovery and numbers of negative events were lower. Adjusted multivariable analyses suggest that therapeutic relationships, informal peer support and negative experiences related to staff may be important factors in accounting for greater satisfaction in crisis houses. Qualitative results suggest factors that influence therapeutic alliances include service user perceptions of basic human qualities such as kindness and empathy in staff and, at service level, the extent of loss of liberty and autonomy. Conclusions and Implications We found that service users experience better therapeutic relationships and higher satisfaction in crisis houses compared to acute wards, although we cannot exclude the possibility that differences in service user characteristics contribute to this. This finding provides some support for the expansion of crisis house provision. Further research is needed to investigate why acute ward service users experience a lack of compassion and humanity from ward staff and how this could be changed