Understanding adaptation to first episode psychosis through the creation of images

This article aims to understand and explore the meaning of adaptation to First Episode Psychosis (FEP). An innovative method of data collection was used with ten participants who experienced FEP which integrated drawings of their lived experience within semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and hermeneutic-phenomenological image analysis. Participants’ experience was captured in four superordinate themes which identified that adaptation to FEP entailed: ‘Finding out how psychosis fits into my story’, ‘Breaking free from psychosis’, ‘Fighting my way through psychosis’, and ‘Finding a new way of being ‘me’’. The participants’ path of adaptation to FEP was an interplay of pains, challenges, and gains, and there was resonance with posttraumatic growth in their accounts. This article illustrates that creating images may offer a powerful way of conveying the multifaceted aspects of adaptation to FEP and could help individuals in communicating and processing their experience

Analysis of the use parking spaces in Cracow's parking paid zone

Wzrost zapotrzebowania na miejsca parkingowe jest jedną z głównych konsekwencji gwałtownego rozwoju motoryzacji. Niesie to za sobą liczne konsekwencje widoczne na co dzień w przestrzeni polskich miast. Niejednokrotnie problemy związane z parkowaniem są trudniejsze do rozwikłania niż problemy związane z poruszaniem się. Wynika to z ogromnej terenochłonności klasycznych parkingów. Kształtowanie polityki parkingowej miasta niesie ze sobą wiele problemów, związanych m.in. z odmiennymi oczekiwaniami wielu grup społecznych (mieszkańców, pracowników danego rejonu), niskiej elastyczności w zakresie możliwości kształtowania stref płatnego parkowania. Dodatkową trudnością jest specyfika prowadzenia samych badań parkingowych. Miasta natomiast niejednokrotnie traktują funkcjonowanie stref jako potencjalny wpływ do budżetu bez wnikliwej analizy funkcjonowania obszaru po wprowadzeniu opłat. Niniejszy artykuł jest próbą zbadania problemów występujących w różnych częściach stref płatnego parkowania oraz pokazania, iż rozmaite rejony, w których uiszczenie opłat za parkowanie ma charakter obligatoryjny, charakteryzują się odmiennymi wskaźnikami dotyczącymi parkowania. W artykule podjęta została także próba wyciągnięcia wniosków z funkcjonowania stref płatnego parkowania oraz określenia rekomendacji w zakresie zmian prawnych i organizacyjnych.An increasing demand for parking spaces, mostly in urban areas is generally caused by rapid growth of motorization. It brings a lot of consequences which are observed in everyday life in Polish cites. Usually parking problems are more complicated to solve than those related with travelling, because a lot of space is needed for typical parking lots. Shaping the parking policy brings a lot of problems related to different expectations of many social groups and low flexibility in the implementation of paid parking zones. Another difficulties are caused by the specificity of conducting parking lots researches. Municipal authorities consider parking paid zones as a potential source of budget income without deep analysis how the area is operated after introduction of the paid parking zone. The article identifies diverse problems with parking policy in different city zones. The conclusions on the functioning of paid parking zones are presented in the summary. There are also some recommendations as far as management measures and changes in the legal regulation is concerned

The undoing effect of positive emotions: A meta-analytic review

The undoing hypothesis proposes that positive emotions serve to undo sympathetic arousal related to negative emotions and stress. However, a recent qualitative review challenged the undoing effect by presenting conflicting results. To address this issue quantitatively, we conducted a meta-analytic review of 16 studies (N = 1,220; 72 effect sizes) measuring sympathetic recovery during elicited positive emotions and neutral conditions. Findings indicated that in most cases, positive emotions did not speed sympathetic recovery compared to neutral conditions. However, when a composite index of cardiovascular reactivity was used, undoing effects were evident. Our findings suggest the need for further work on the functions of positive emotions

Posttraumatic growth following a first episode of psychosis: a mixed methods research protocol using a convergent design

BACKGROUND: The suffering people experience following a first episode of psychosis is great, and has been well-investigated. Conversely, potential positive outcomes following a first episode of psychosis have been under-investigated. One such outcome that may result from a first episode of psychosis is posttraumatic growth, or a positive aftermath following the trauma of a first psychotic episode. While posttraumatic growth has been described following other physical and mental illnesses, posttraumatic growth has received very little attention following a first episode of psychosis. To address this research gap, we will conduct a mixed methods study aimed at answering two research questions: 1) How do people experience posttraumatic growth following a first episode of psychosis? 2) What predicts, or facilitates, posttraumatic growth following a first episode of psychosis? METHODS/DESIGN: The research questions will be investigated using a mixed methods convergent design. All participants will be service-users being offered treatment for a first episode of psychosis at a specialized early intervention service for young people with psychosis, as well as their case managers.. A qualitative descriptive methodology will guide data-collection through semi-structured interviews with service-users. Service-users and case managers will complete questionnaires related to posttraumatic growth and its potential predictors using quantitative methods. These predictors include the impact a first episode of psychosis on service-users’ lives, the coping strategies they use; the level of social support they enjoy; and their experiences of resilience and recovery. Qualitative data will be subject to thematic analysis, quantitative data will be subject to multiple regression analyses, and results from both methods will be combined to answer the research questions in a holistic way. DISCUSSION: Findings from this study are expected to show that in addition to suffering, people with a first episode of psychosis may experience positive changes. This study will be one of few to have investigated posttraumatic growth following a first episode of psychosis, and will be the first to do so with a mixed methods approach