Exploring the Confidence and Attitudes of Physiotherapy Students in the United Kingdom to Work with People Experiencing Mental Illness

Physiotherapists across all specialities are likely to treat patients with comorbid mental illness with potential increased regularity. Positive attitudes and confidence in managing people experiencing mental ill health is therefore vital for student physiotherapists to develop. A mixed methodological study, including a web-based survey and 1:1 semi-structured interview, was conducted with UK physiotherapy students(n=148) exploring confidence, perceptions and attitudes to working with people experiencing mental illness. Overall confidence levels(0-100 scale) to work with people experiencing mental illness was 35.6(±21.9). Seventy four percent of students reported <4 hours of curriculum coverage on mental health disorders (MHDs). Of the respondents 11.4% reported experience of a mental health clinical placement. Students who reported spending ≥5 hours covering MHDs within the curriculum compared to <5 hours demonstrated significantly higher confidence levels (t (97) = 2.71, p = .008). Resources identified as beneficial in increasing student confidence included increased clinical experience and more teaching coverage. Analysis of qualitative interviews identified five major themes: Utilising different pedagogical approaches to boost awareness (1); Competence from experience (2); Integrating the physical and the psychological in teaching and practice (3); Time: there is no magic number (4); and Developing the Curricula (5).Pre-registration physiotherapy students demonstrate a lack of confidence to work with people experiencing mental illness. Increased exposure within teaching and clinical experience was identified both quantitatively and qualitatively to increase confidence levels. Recommendations to increase student confidence include increasing curriculum coverage through directed teaching, case-based learning, an integrated approach to physical and mental health and simulation experiences

Modeling Real Time Prices for Energy Markets

Wholesale power markets operate as both “day-ahead” and “real-time” markets, where transactions for power are placed a day before flow and an hour before flow, respectively. This project focuses on comparing models for predicting the price of the real-time market, using the PJM region as a case study. The real-time market is notoriously more volatile than its day-ahead counterpart, so the ability to predict the price of power on an hourly basis is extremely valuable for making decisions such as when and where to transact and when to hedge against volatility. Additional variables considered include temperature, power demand (load), generation by fuel type, lags of the day-ahead price, and the lags of the components of the total real time price. All variables are at an hourly granularity. The models developed to predict real-time price include a neural network regression, a boosted decision tree regression, two specifications of multiple linear regressions, and a seasonal ARIMA. The models were used to predict a week of pricing and were evaluated by comparing their Mean Absolute Errors (MAEs) and Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSEs). The second regression model had the lowest RMSE of 6.84 and the second-lowest MAE of 4.12. This model is recommended to predict real-time price because RMSE is a better indicator of a model’s ability to adapt to large swings in value. Additionally, the regression is based on fundamental factors of demand, temperature, and generation mix, while the seasonal ARIMA is based on the time series analysis of the real-time price

Standing up for health: Improving mental wellbeing during COVID-19 isolation by reducing sedentary behaviour

The global COVID-19 outbreak and its management are disrupting ways of life and increasing the risk of poor mental and physical health for many. The restrictions on movement have made some forms of physical activity harder to achieve and increased the chances of more sedentary behaviour. Independent of exercise taken, sedentary behaviour can have a negative impact upon mental health, especially by lowering mood. We suggest evidence-based ways of reducing sedentary behaviour with commentary on how they may be adapted for life at home. These include: ways to use external cues, moving more frequently, maximising movement whilst waiting, reallocating time, workstation alternatives, restructuring the physical environment and recruiting help from others. At a time in which our mental and physical health needs are more critical than ever, the relationship between sedentary behaviour and low mood is of particular importance. The current situation represents a good opportunity for us all to change habits to implement a less sedentary lifestyle, for now and the future. This can start with changes we can make at home during lockdown

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions and experiences of physiotherapy for people with mental illness: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-ethnography

INTRODUCTION: There is a high global prevalence of patients presenting with physical and mental health comorbidities. Physiotherapeutic interventions, such as exercise, can have positive benefits for physical and mental health. However, poor accessibility and negative experiences of healthcare services for those with mental illness (MI) have been consistently observed within literature with recent research identifying poor experiences of physiotherapeutic interactions and processes such as referrals and discharges. One way to help improve physiotherapy services for this population is to understand the personal experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals (HCPs) toward physiotherapy for patients with MI. Qualitative-based evidence syntheses are suited to bring this data together with the aim of improving physiotherapy services for patients with MI. This review will systematically search and synthesise existing evidence around HCP experiences and perceptions of physiotherapy for people with MI. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic search and seven-phase meta-ethnography will be undertaken. A comprehensive search of electronic databases (CINAHL plus, MEDLINE, Pubmed, Embase and Psycinfo) and search engines as well as grey literature (unpublished primary research such as theses) will be completed. Searches are planned to take place in July 2022. Eligibility criteria include: (a) qualitative data, (b) perceptions identified from HCP, including physiotherapists, assistants and HCP referring into physiotherapy, about physiotherapy for patients with MI and (c) are primary studies. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This work is exempt from requiring ethical approval due to review methodology with data accessed from published works. This systematic review is expected to provide insight into experiences and perceptions of HCP around benefits and barriers to accessing physiotherapy for patients with mental health illness. Findings will be used to inform further research and co-develop recommendations to overcome barriers and optimise facilitators to care for this population. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal, conference presentations and to key stakeholder groups. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021293035

Predicting Social Responsibility and Belonging in Urban After-School Physical Activity Programs with Underserved Children

The purpose of this cross sectional study was to predict feelings of belonging and social responsibility based on the motivational climate perceptions and contingent self-worth of children participating in urban after-school physical activity programs. Three-hundred and four elementary school students from a major Midwestern city participated. Based on multiple regression analyses we predicted 39 % of the variance in feelings of belonging largely due to perceptions of leadership emotional support and task climate and 31 % of the variance in feelings of social responsibility largely due to perceptions of a caring climate. Our findings support the importance of after school physical activity programs, which appear to provide nurturing environments that may contribute to feelings of belonging and social responsibility

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Patient Care

Powerpoint showcasing a collaborative case reflection: Students utilized interprofessional team collaboration to develop skills among allied health professions to create the best plan of care for our Telehealth patient, and her family.https://dune.une.edu/caiepfall2023/1003/thumbnail.jp

Toward Justice: Reflections on A Lesson Before Dying

In 2016, the citizens of Knoxville, Tennessee, joined in a community reading program called the Big Read. Knoxvillians read Ernest Gaines\u27s book A Lesson Before Dying, and community groups hosted a series of lectures, book discussions, film screenings, and dramatic performances that immersed the community in a five-week conversation on racism. This book of essays is the University of Tennessee Libraries\u27 contribution to Knoxville\u27s Big Read. The Libraries put out a community-wide call for written responses to A Lesson Before Dying and was richly rewarded with the thoughtful and heartfelt commentaries gathered here.https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_newfound-ebooks/1015/thumbnail.jp

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Nuclear Physics

University of Dallas (UD) physics majors are offered a variety of undergraduate research opportunities in nuclear physics through an established program at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (UKAL). The 7-MV Model CN Van de Graaff accelerator and the neutron production and detection facilities located there are used by UD students to investigate how neutrons scatter from materials that are important in nuclear energy production and for our basic understanding of how neutrons interact with matter. Recent student projects include modeling of the laboratory using the neutron transport code MCNP to investigate the effectiveness of laboratory shielding, testing the long-term gain stability of C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors, and deducing neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for 12C. Results of these student projects are presented that indicate the pit below the scattering area reduces background by as much as 30%; the detectors show no significant gain instabilities; and new insights into existing 12C neutron inelastic scattering cross-section discrepancies near a neutron energy of 6.0 MeV are obtained