What does it mean to young people to be part of a care farm? An evaluation of a care farm intervention for young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

This PhD thesis presents the findings of an evaluation to understand the impact of a care farm aiming to improve the mental and social health of disadvantaged young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESDs) from low-socioeconomic backgrounds who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education and Training) at sixteen years of age. It examines the potential for underlying mechanisms of a care farm to enhance young people’s chances of remaining in education, employment and training and lead to improvements for this disadvantaged group’s health and well-being. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was used as a theoretical framework to explore the psychological mechanisms underlying experiences of attending the care farm. This mixed-method study, explores the experiences and perceptions of young people attending the care farm. Data were longitudinally captured using a validated questionnaire pack, semi- structured interviews at baseline, six months and nine months, triangulated with observational fieldwork. The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) evaluation framework was used to contextualise these findings. Inferential statistical analysis of behavioural, emotional and subjective well-being measure scores identified statistically significant differences in respect of the amount of time the young people had been attending the care farm and reductions in conduct problems, hyperactivity and the use of non-productive coping strategies and increased satisfaction with school, awareness of how actions affect the environment and overall connection to nature. Analysis of qualitative data suggested the young people perceived the farm as an inclusive environment, which improved their green environmental engagement (e.g. positive experiences from animals, sense of freedom from the physical space, increased participation in physical activity), personal functioning (e.g. coping, trust, self-confidence, self-efficacy, kindness, empathy), social functioning (e.g. pro-social behaviour: relationships with family, peers and in the school environment, social inclusion, sense of belonging to the care farm) and personal development (e.g. re-engagement with school, life & work skill learning). The young people also reported a reduction in their self-reported mental health risks (depression, anxiety and stress) and behavioural regulation difficulties. The thesis concludes by arguing that this care farm initiative provides an alternative to traditional classroom based learning for pre-NEET young people with BESDs when they are therapeutically supported in a green space. The farm environment is conducive for young people to build key social, life and relationship skills, thus enhancing their chances of remaining in education, employment or training

Supporting women who develop poor postnatal mental health: what support do fathers receive to support their partner and their own mental health?

Background: Research regarding support provided for poor maternal postnatal mental health (such as depression, anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis) is relatively common. Fathers appear to play an important role supporting partners but many feel alienated within maternity services. Research focusing on fathers is less common. Methods: The current qualitative study aimed to investigate fathers’ experience of support provided to fathers, to help support their partner should she experience poor postnatal mental health. Results: Twenty-five fathers participated in an online questionnaire regarding their experience of their partner’s poor postnatal mental health and the support provided to fathers to help her. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes and seven sub-themes. The themes were: ‘Support received to help support their partner’, ‘Support fathers wanted that was not received’ and ‘Father’s mental health’. The results highlight an overall lack of support for many fathers, despite many wanting support on how to help their partner, information on their own mental health and the services available. Fathers specifically wanted healthcare professionals to sign-post them to someone they can talk to for emotional support, and to be taught coping strategies which would help them to support both their partner and baby. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that health professionals and perinatal mental health services need a better understanding about what resources fathers need to support the mental health of themselves and their partner

Knowledge is power: An analysis of discussions on hacking forums

There remains a lack of understanding on the social factors that influence the behaviours and beliefs of people who have an interest in hacking. This research sought to address that gap by exploring the conversations that take place on hacking forums and subreddits. Text in hacking related threads was collected from these sites over a period of several months. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was used to determine the linguistic characteristics of each forum/ subreddit. Thematic analysis was then conducted on a sub-set of text from each source. The results of the LIWC analysis indicated that there are variations in several psychologically relevant factors between these forums and subreddits, including the degree to which users used language that indicated they were being honest, confident, analytical and emotional. There were several results that were inconsistent with stereotypes of hackers, such as a relative absence of language indicating anger. The thematic analysis identified several themes relating to knowledge, skills acquisition, honesty legality and risk. Overall, this research demonstrates that there exists an established online community of hackers, which are likely to be encountered by any young person who becomes interested in cybersecurity and hacking. These communities may potentially act as an important source of social support and social identity for their members. Understanding the dynamics of these communities may better help us steer people towards legitimate cybersecurity careers, where their passion and skills can be used for societal good

"What kind of man gets depressed after having a baby?" Fathers' experiences of mental health during the perinatal period.

BACKGROUND: To date, information and support has been focused on mothers, with evidence that healthcare professionals overlook fathers' mental health, and that fathers receive little or no support for themselves during the perinatal period. However, recently, fathers' mental health has become an area of interest. METHODS: This study explored the support fathers receive for their own mental health during the perinatal period. A qualitative questionnaire was distributed on social media networks and completed by twenty-nine fathers. RESULTS: Thematic analysis produced three main themes: Factors Influencing Fathers' Mental Health, Consequences of Poor Mental Health in Fathers and Solutions to Improve Fathers' Mental Health. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study highlighted important implications about fathers' mental health and the need to support them more effectively. Fathers' reluctance to seek support and the limited support available need to be addressed. Fathers in this study perceived that perinatal health professionals view 'mothers as the priority'. It is clear that health professionals need more training on how to recognise that fathers are also important and need support for their mental health

Factors associated with anemia among women of the reproductive age group in Thatta district: Study protocol

Background: Maternal anemia is a leading public health issue placing pregnant women at higher risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, perinatal mortality, and neonatal mortality. Women in developing countries are at higher risk of anemia which could be either due to micronutrient deficiencies, hemoglobinopathies, infections or other socio-demographic factors. Thus, it is highly essential to explore the factors of anemia among women of the reproductive age group in order to design suitable interventions. The primary objective of this study is to assess the biological and socio-demographic factors that are associated with anemia among the women of the reproductive age group in Thatta district.Methods: An exploratory mixed method study using quantitative and qualitative approaches will be conducted in district Thatta Pakistan from September 2018 to January 2019. In the qualitative phase, data will be collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews to understand the perceptions of women, their husbands and healthcare providers about anemia. In addition, a quantitative approach using cross-sectional study will be conducted to determine biological and socio-demographic factors associated with anemia. Approximately 150 non-pregnant women and their spouses will be included in the quantitative component of the study. In addition to thematic analysis for the qualitative component, Logistic regression will be done to calculate adjusted Odds ratios with their respective 95% CIs to assess the factors associated with anemia.Discussion: The better understanding of biological, socio-demographic factors and community perceptions of anemia will help us to design strategies and interventions to better address anemia during the reproductive cycle in rural areas of Pakistan. This will help the researchers and policymakers to take the appropriate action accordingly by designing suitable approaches to address the specific type of anemia in the rural population of Pakistan. This will, in turn, reduce the chances of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes associated with anemia