Social representations of psychology and the psychologist

This study presents a qualitative approach to investigating public views on psychology and psychologists. Thirty two white British members of the general public who had never had direct contact with psychology services were recruited from community settings in north, south, east and west London (community centres, social clubs and working mens clubs). They participated in a semi-structured interview designed to tap their views on the nature of psychology, its practitioners and its clients. Two age groups were targeted (25-35 year olds and 65-75 year olds), with equal numbers of men and women in each A content analytic approach was used to explore what meanings people constructed and assigned to the concepts 'psychology' and 'psychologist', and how these meanings were related to the socio-cultural milieu within the UK at the end of the 20th century The theoretical basis for the study was social representations theory. This social constructionist approach emphasises the reciprocal interdependence between society and the individual, and the extent to which ideas from people's socio-cultural heritage continue to circulate within the public's collective discourse, constraining and shaping people's current beliefs. The vast majority of the participants seemed to hold social representations of psychology as a clinical discipline associated with mental health, and psychologists as high status medical professionals, akin to psychiatrists or doctors, who are experts in the study of the mind. There was also considerable consensus in associating seeing a psychologist with themes of threat and stigma. Only a minority of participants, mainly women, also viewed seeing a psychologist as a potentially positive move. Multiple models of the nature of psychological problems were suggested by the data. The principal emphases were on individual factors and on the role of personal experiences, with little or no attribution of psychological problems to innate 'wickedness', biological inheritance or systemic factors. Most participants viewed the psychologist's expertise as the primary therapeutic agent, with little direct emphasis on the therapeutic relationship. A number of salient sex differences emerged suggesting that men felt more threatened by psychology than women. The ideas concerning threat and the nature of psychological problems and treatments were common across the two age groups. However, amongst the younger participants there was greater evidence of additional ideas which could make psychology more acceptable to this age group. The findings are interpreted in terms of social representational and psychodynamic ideas, and discussed in terms of how they complement and extend existing quantitative work and related qualitative studies. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are considered

Total skin self-examination at home for people treated for cutaneous melanoma : development and pilot of a digital intervention

This work was funded by the RCUK Digital Economy award to the dot.rural Digital Economy Hub, University of Aberdeen; award reference: EP/G066051/1. The Experience Laboratory event was supported in part by a separate award from the University of Aberdeen Knowledge Exchange and Transfer Fund; award reference: GP057 UZZ0101.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

All rivers run north

This text is an essay to accompany Rachel Johnston's solo exhibition All Rivers Run North held at Quay Arts, Isle of Wight from October 2021-January 2022. The essay reflects on the artist's work in relation to the landscape of the island and broader ideas about geology and nonhuman time

Revolution(s)

In 2018, the theme for the annual conference of the SAES (Société des Anglicistes de l’Enseignement Supérieur), held at Nanterre University, itself a site of student revolution in the past, was “Revolution(s),” a notion which has particular resonance for the New Literatures panel which provided the genesis of many of the articles included in this issue. Previously colonised countries, as diverse and geographically disparate as India, South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, and Australia (to name but t..

Healthy snacks in hospitals : testing the potential effects of changes in availability

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the food retail staff and managers in each location and the food retailers who provided access to their sales data. Funding: Study 1 was funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office [CGA/16/17]. Study 2 was conducted while JA was a Royal Society of Edinburgh Sabbatical Grant Holder. Open access via Sage agreementPeer reviewedPostprin

COVID-19 and Hospital Palliative Care – a service evaluation exploring the symptoms and outcomes of 186 patients and the impact of the pandemic on specialist Hospital Palliative Care

Background: Patients hospitalised with COVID-19 have increased morbidity and mortality, which requires extensive involvement of specialist Hospital Palliative Care Teams. Evaluating the response to the surge in demand for effective symptom management can enhance provision of Palliative Care in this patient population. Aim: To characterise the symptom profile, symptom management requirements and outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 positive patients referred for Palliative Care, and to contextualise Palliative Care demands from COVID-19 against a ‘typical’ caseload from 2019. Design: Service evaluation based on a retrospective cohort review of patient records. Setting/participants: One large health board in Scotland. Demographic data, patient symptoms, drugs/doses for symptom control, and patient outcomes were captured for all COVID-19 positive patients referred to Hospital Palliative Care Teams between 30th March and 26th April 2020. Results: Our COVID-19 cohort included 186 patients (46% of all referrals). Dyspnoea and agitation were the most prevalent symptoms (median 2 symptoms per patient). 75% of patients were prescribed continuous subcutaneous infusion for symptom control, which was effective in 78.6% of patients. Compared to a ‘typical’ caseload, the COVID-19 cohort were on caseload for less time (median 2 vs 5 days; p < 0.001) and had a higher death rate (80.6% vs 30.3%; p < 0.001). The COVID-19 cohort replaced ‘typical’ caseload; overall numbers of referrals were not increased. Conclusions: Hospitalised COVID-19 positive patients referred for Palliative Care may have a short prognosis, differ from ‘typical’ caseload, and predominantly suffer from dyspnoea and agitation. Such symptoms can be effectively controlled with standard doses of opioids and benzodiazepines

Intention, beliefs and mood assessed using electronic diaries predicts attendance at cardiac rehabilitation:An observational study

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation is effective in promoting physical/psychological recovery following acute coronary syndrome. Yet, rates of attendance at outpatient cardiac rehabilitation by eligible patients are low. Objectives: This study examined the determinants of attendance at outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in acute coronary syndrome patients following discharge until cardiac rehabilitation commencement. Design: A weekly electronic diary measured cardiac-related cognitions and mood and examined their relation to attendance at outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Settings: Three United Kingdom National Health Service secondary care settings in two Health Board areas in Scotland. Participants: Acute coronary syndrome patients were recruited from March 2012 to June 2013 prior to hospital discharge. Of 488 eligible patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation, 214 consented. Results: 166 participants provided, on average, 5 weeks of diary entries before cardiac rehabilitation commenced. High intention (i.e. low “do not intend”) to attend CR and its rate of increase over time predicted attendance. Low negative emotional representation, high perceived necessity, high confidence in maintaining function, low negative affect, and high positive affect following discharge predicted attendance at cardiac rehabilitation. The rate of change in cardiac-related mood and these cognitions was not predictive. Baseline and rate of change in “do not intend” entirely mediated relationships between a) perceived necessity, b) negative affect and attendance at cardiac rehabilitation. Conclusions: Negative affect in the first weeks following discharge represents the key challenge to a patient maintaining their intention to attend cardiac rehabilitation. Intervention to improve attendance should focus on improving intention to attend following discharge and during recovery by improving patient understanding of cardiac rehabilitation and reducing negative affect