From stigmatisation to criminalisation: an exploratory study of the views on the criminalisation of HIV sexual transmission in England

This thesis investigated the intricacies of moral, conative, and cognitive contents, in the context of the criminalisation of HIV transmission and HIV stigma. Though HIV is a rather recent challenge with its outbreak placed during the late 70s and early 80s, HIV-related stigma, social seclusion, and legal repression are well-studied phenomena. Despite being an epiphenomenon, the criminalisation of HIV transmission appears to be disproportionately focused on; sometimes, it is also denounced as a form of stigma. To disentangle structural, institutional, social, and individual aspects of the criminalisation of HIV transmission, an interdisciplinary approach based on constructionist realism was chosen, drawn upon philosophical, psychological and socio-legal works, through descriptive reviews and critical syntheses. The multifaceted phenomena of both stigma and criminalisation required a layered or intersectional approach leading to a mixed-method study. This study investigated the views of participants from both key-informants and the general public on the topic of the criminalisation of HIV transmission. This mixed-methods study was designed to assess the impact of stigma research on participants and to consider its potential deleterious impact. Results highlighted that stigmatising views were associated with pro-criminalisation attitudes. The qualitative inquiry showed discrepancies between the rationales and principles invoked by participants and their different moral stances. The responsive analysis indicated potential prosocial effects of the study on participants and showed an increase of perceived stigma subscale scores among the participants from the public. This was interpreted as a familiarisation effect of the study and a secondary positive outcome. A sub-sample of participants showed increased blaming subscale scores, highlighting the ethical challenges of stigma research. Results were discussed in terms of knowledge and disclosure, in light of the primacy of moral ontological and epistemological aspects. Recommendations regarding stigma research were suggested in terms of longitudinal design, assessment reactivity, and/or evaluation of impact

Mental Wellbeing and Boosting Resilience to Mitigate the Adverse Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Critical Narrative Review

From SAGE Publishing via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2022-05-28Publication status: PublishedThe COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc globally. Besides devastating physical health consequences, the mental health consequences are dire as well and are predicted to have a long-term impact for some individuals and communities and society as a whole. Specific keywords were entered into various popular databases at three points in time (June 2020, April 2021, and February 2022). Articles about COVID-19 that focused on mental health and/or discussed improving resilience/coping were reviewed by the authors. A total of 119 publications were included. The pandemic is certainly a chronic stressor for many people, and some may be traumatized in the aftermath which may lead to stress-related disorders. The psychological impacts of this stress and trauma are reported and findings presented around three key themes: mental health impact, impact in the workplace, and improving resilience. In addition, particularly vulnerable populations are discussed and some of the violence and inequities they might face. Resilience literature offers keys to promoting positive mental wellbeing during and after the pandemic. Being able to effectively respond to the heterogeneity of specific situations while building resilience is addressed. Prevention, preparedness, Psychological First Aid training, and trauma informed practice can all contribute to building resilience and promoting peri/post-traumatic growth at all levels of society. This narrative review provides an overview of the literature on mental health and resilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors propose that, through the use of the accumulated empirical knowledge on resilience, we can mitigate many of the most damaging outcomes. Implications for mental health professionals, policy suggestions, and future research directions are explored

Behaviour change techniques in brief interventions to prevent HIV, STI and unintended pregnancies : a systematic review

Background : Behaviour-change interventions have been consistently considered an essential part of comprehensive HIV, STI and unintended pregnancy prevention. In 2015, the World Health Organization reviewed and assessed existing evidence on brief behavioural interventions, leading to the publication of Brief sexuality-related communication: recommendations for a public health approach. This guideline recommends the use of brief behaviour intervention and communication programmes to promote sexual health and to prevent HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancies in primary health services, particularly sexual and reproductive health services. Objective : With the purpose of informing the development of a brief behaviour intervention in sexual and reproductive health, we conducted a systematic review of brief intervention to prevent HIV, STI and unintended pregnancies, to identify behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used in health care settings. Methods : Participants from all ages and genders were included. Brief interventions delivered in <= 60 minutes were included. Data was extracted, and interventions were coded following the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy (BCTTv1) guidelines. Results : Of the 6.687 articles identified, 355 were reviewed and 37 studies were included. In effective interventions, we identified 48 behaviour change techniques (BCTs). A core set of 8 frequently used behaviour change techniques was identified: "Problem solving", "Feedback on behaviour", "Social support (unspecified)", "Instructions on how to perform the behaviour", "Information about health consequences", "Information about social and environmental consequences", "Demonstration of the behaviour" and "Credible source". Conclusions : The technical content of brief behaviour interventions was identified in a reliable and standardized way providing preliminary indications on potentially effective techniques to achieve behaviour change

Perceived changes in sexual interest and distress about discrepant sexual interest during the first phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Assessment in Cohabiting Partnered Individuals

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, different restrictive measures in terms of physical distancing and lockdowns have been introduced in most European countries, affecting all facets of social life. Currently, little is known about how partnered individuals perceive changes in their sexual life during this complex emergency. This study explored retrospectively assessed changes in sexual interest for one’s partner and levels of distress related to perceived sexual interest discrepancy during the first phase of the pandemic in a large-scale online sample of partnered individuals (n = 4813; Mage = 38.5 years, SD = 10.74) recruited between May and July 2020 in seven European Union countries and Turkey. We also examined the possible role of approach/avoidance motives for sex in reported changes in sexual interest and associated distress. Most participants (53%) reported no change in their sexual interest during the pandemic, followed by those who reported an increase (28.5%). The pattern was similar across the eight countries. Distress about discrepant sexual interest, which was only weakly related to changes in sexual interest, was significantly associated with relationship quality and emotional closeness with a partner, coping with and worrying about the pandemic, and specific motivation for sex. In contrast to avoidant and relationship-focused approach motivation, ego-focused approach motivation was related to stable sexual interest during the pandemic. The current study contributes to the understanding of the link between sexual interest and complex emergencies. Considering that the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the reported experiences and perceptions are prone to change.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prospective study on a fast-track training in psychiatry for medical students: the psychiatric hat game

Abstract: Background: While medical students are losing interest in lectures in favor of other educational materials, many studies suggest the benefit of active learning, combined with gamified educational tools. The authors developed a psychiatric adaptation of the « Hat Game ». It was hypothesised that this game would increase both knowledge and motivation in medical students toward psychiatric semiology. The aim of the study was to assess the benefit of a Psychiatric Hat Game session for learning psychiatric symptoms in third-year medical students. Student performance was also evaluated at 3 months. Methods: This gamified fast-track training consists of two teams and each team has to guess as many psychiatric semiology terms as possible using different techniques (i.e. speech, mime). The study involved a pre- and post-evaluation of knowledge (Multiple Choice Questions) and a satisfaction survey. Baseline, post-immediate, and three-months scores were compared by using Friedman analysis for paired samples. Comparisons of mean scores at two different times were performed by using Wilcoxon test for paired samples. Results: One hundred and sixty-six students were proposed to take part in the study. Among them 129 completed the whole program (response rate = 77.7%). Mean scores measured at the three points in time were significantly different (p < 0.001, N = 129). Knowledge mean scores were significantly higher after the game than before (+ 28.6%, p < 0.001). Improvement was maintained 3 months after the game (+ 18.9%, p < 0.001). Satisfaction survey items highlighted that students enjoyed and would recommend this type of gamified training. Conclusions: The Psychiatric Hat Game improved knowledge of psychiatric semiology in medical students. Results suggest that it is a promising and efficient tool to playfully teach medical semiology, with transferable features, utility and acceptability from one medical field to another. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge advocating for serious games and gamified training in medical education.Version of Recor

Paroles de lecteurs 2. Poésie et autres genres

Le volume 12 des Approches Interdisciplinaires de la Lecture avait ouvert la question de la parole du lecteur. Le volume 13 l'approfondit en s’intéressant aux genres saisis dans leur diversité et leurs variations, et notamment à la poésie. L’expérience du poète est-elle transposable à celle du lecteur ? Une seule parole, celle du poète, peut-elle réunir poète et lecteur ? Certes, trop de différences, d’espace et de temps les séparent souvent. Il faut sans doute chercher aussi d’autres rôles que celui du lecteur diligent. Le lecteur critique, le lecteur savant, le lecteur traducteur, le lecteur-spectateur, le lecteur voyageur sont quelques-uns de ces rôles, repérables dans les contributions ici rassemblées

La langue du lecteur

La « résonance lectorale », thème de la précédente session, nous a amenés à formuler la question d'un partage de la langue, entre auteur et lecteur. La « langue du lecteur » est un des points aveugles de la théorie de la lecture. Selon le sens commun, il est entendu que « l’auteur écrit » et que « le lecteur lit ». Mais dans quelle langue le lecteur pense-t-il ce qu’il est en train de lire ? La question ne s’applique pas qu’à la lecture dans une langue dite étrangère: elle vaut aussi pour tous les cas où l’écrivain et son lecteur sont supposés partager la même langue naturelle. Les théories du langage ont nommé idiolecte l’inflexion apportée par un écrivain doté de quelque originalité à la langue commune conçue comme simple outil de communication. Les grandes écritures modifient sans doute la langue du lecteur, le transformant en quelqu’un « qui a lu Céline, Proust ou Joyce ». Mais la lecture active et vraiment littéraire reconfigure le sens en produisant son propre texte, qu’on l’appelle « contre-texte » ou « texte de lecture ». Dans quelle mesure la langue du lecteur critique mime-t-elle celle de l’écrivain ? N’y a-t-il, de l’écrivain au lecteur, qu’une seule et même langue à l’œuvre dans la relation littéraire ou convient-il d’envisager des seuils séparant deux modalités de la même langue, voire trois, si l’on distingue la langue du critique, à son tour inventive, de la langue de communication courante

Paroles de lecteurs

Après la « langue du lecteur », les contributions rassemblées dans ce nouveau volume du séminaire Approches Interdisciplinaires de la Lecture (12e session) s'interrogent sur la lecture comme performance, sur des « paroles de lecteurs ». Le pluriel semble de mise : si la parole engage un sujet, en-deçà de son discours, elle ne saurait s'abstraire de l’ensemble des déterminants, reconnus ou plus ou moins occultés, qui contribuent à en forger le tour particulier, oral ou écrit. Parmi les jeux de rôle subsumés sous la catégorie du lecteur mais socialement codés, on retrouve les fonctions de traducteur, d’éditeur, de critique ou de lecteur ordinaire, mais aussi d’auteur, fonction devenue depuis le siècle dernier hautement problématique. Acte de langage, la parole de lecteur se trouve en effet face au texte écrit confrontée au paradoxe d’un sujet-auteur absent, absenté, hypothèse devenue inutile depuis la proclamation de la « disparition élocutoire du poète ». Dès lors faut-il n’admettre que des paroles de lecteurs et faire l’économie d’une « parole d’auteur », renvoyée au néant de son insignifiance ou de son éloignement irrémédiable, de sa mort symbolique ? Doit-on au contraire, sous le signe de la parole, rendue au jeu interlocutif et au processus langagier de contre-interpellation, faire une place dans la pensée littéraire, à « l’incompréhensible pluralité des individus dans l’espèce »

Lecture et altérités

Lecture et altérités est le second volume de la collection « Approches interdisciplinaires de la lecture ». Il rassemble les communications présentées durant le séminaire interdisciplinaire tenu à Reims en 2006-2007. Après « Parcours de la reconnaissance intertextuelle » (session 2005-2006), il s’agissait d’élargir la perspective, de montrer que ce lieu commun du discours contemporain, l’altérité, se décline sous diverses formes : intertextuelles encore, mais aussi culturelles, sémiotiques, psychiques, génériques ; altérités de personnes ou de caractères… Selon l’angle de vue pris sur le texte à lire, selon la discipline convoquée pour penser l’autre, il faut ainsi concevoir des altérités, ce qui ouvre la voie à de nombreux croisements des perspectives. En attestent les contributions de chercheurs venus de France et d’ailleurs : linguistes, comparatistes, spécialistes de littérature française, espagnole, anglaise, qui ont contribué à enrichir ce volume. Les articles s’adressent à tout public intéressé par le rapport entre littérature et lecture