Socially assistive robots in health and social care: Acceptance and cultural factors. Results from an exploratory international online survey

Aim: This study explored the views of an international sample of registered nurses and midwives working in health and social care concerning socially assistive robots (SARs), and the relationship between dimensions of culture and rejection of the idea that SARs had benefits in these settings. Methods: An online survey was used to obtain rankings of (among other topics) the extent to which SARs have benefits for health and social care. It also asked for free text responses regarding any concerns about SARs. Results: Most respondents were overwhelmingly positive about SARs' benefits. A small minority strongly rejected this idea, and qualitative analysis of the objections raised by them revealed three major themes: things might go wrong, depersonalization, and patient‐related concerns. However, many participants who were highly accepting of the benefits of SARs expressed similar objections. Cultural dimensions of long‐term orientation and uncertainty avoidance feature prominently in technology acceptance research. Therefore, the relationship between the proportion of respondents from each country who felt that SARs had no benefits and each country's ratings on long‐term orientation and uncertainty avoidance were also examined. A significant positive correlation was found for long‐term orientation, but not for uncertainty avoidance. Conclusion: Most respondents were positive about the benefits of SARs, and similar concerns about their use were expressed both by those who strongly accepted the idea that they had benefits and those who did not. Some evidence was found to suggest that cultural factors were related to rejecting the idea that SARs had benefits

Surviving, striving, and thriving: a qualitative study with former refugees and their service providers in Australia.

Over the years, the major focus of refugee mental health has been on trauma and psychopathology. Research has reported varying rates of psychiatric disorders among refugees including elevated rates of PTSD compared with the general population in resettlement countries (Beiser, 2014; Fazel, Wheeler, & Danesh, 2005; Steel et al., 2009). More recently, there has also been growing research interest in the resilience, coping and successful adaptation of refugees mainly because the vast majority of refugees in resettlement countries successfully overcome past adversity, manage post-migration stressors, and adapt to their host environments (Simich, 2014). Accordingly Research Project I explored the coping resources and strategies of refugees to overcome past and ongoing distress; and how they find meaning in their life experiences. Research Project II explored the experiences of service providers working with refugees and asylum seekers. In Research Project I (empirical studies 1 and 2), I used qualitative narrative methods (Riessman, 2008; Squire, 2008) to collect and analyse life narratives of 25 former refugees of two African communities (i.e. Sierra Leonean and Burundian) living in the Australian state of South Australia. Research Project II (empirical studies 3 and 4) was conducted with a cross section of 28 physical healthcare, mental health and resettlement workers; I systematically analyzed service providers’ interviews using a thematic qualitative method (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2013). In the first empirical study (Chapter 3) I identified ‘altruism and helping’ as a prominent and recurring pattern in refugee life narratives. ‘Altruism and helping’ was encapsulated in four subthemes: (1) surviving war and exile; (2) adapting to Australian society; (3) reaching back home; and (4) meaning-making through religious beliefs. Past research has indicated that altruism and helping behaviours can be prompted by positive experiences preceding or following adverse life experiences together with psychological reactions such as empathy, identification with others’ suffering and a sense social responsibility (ABS; Hernández-Wolfe, 2011; Staub & Vollhardt, 2008; Vollhardt & Staub, 2011). However no study had explored the significance of altruism and helping among refugee populations. Study findings demonstrated how participants reached out to help others both individually and collectively, prompted by the help they themselves had received in times of need. Supportive family relationships, communal spirit within collective societies and ‘learning by doing’; together with empathy, identification, and a sense of responsibility for the welfare of family, community and friends also promoted altruism. Helping, cooperating and sharing were entwined with participants’ coping strategies and meaning-making of past and present experiences (e.g. via religious beliefs/ spirituality). In the second empirical study (Chapter 4) I observed how refugees talked about past trauma and strove to make meaning of their past, present and future lives. Previous research has shown that people made sense of their life experiences—especially after disruptions to life—through the stories they told, including the ‘silences’ and incomplete narrative segments within those stories (Ghorashi, 2008; Riessman, 2008; Sorsoli, 2010; Squire, 2008). Accordingly, I identified salient differences between the stories shared by the two refugee communities: whereas Sierra Leonean stories were evenly distributed along their life storyline and contained fully-formed narratives of all stages of their narrated lives from home to host country; Burundian narratives were largely silent about life in the home country. Five narrative types were also identified along a continuum from detailed disclosure to near-complete silence about past trauma: (1) avoiding narratives; (2) struggling narratives; (3) prompted narratives; (4) narratives exceeding demarcated boundaries of disclosure; and (5) returning narratives. I analyzed the personal, interpersonal, sociocultural and historical influences together with the differences in narrative structure and content to offer several hypotheses as to how participants engaged in identity reconstruction and meaning-making through the stories they told. In the third empirical study (Chapter 6) I identified vicarious resilience (VR) and vicarious traumatization (VT) together with work satisfaction and cultural flexibility as prominent and recurring themes of service provider interviews. VT is the negative psychological impact of trauma work (McCann & Pearlman, 1990a) whereas VR, a more recent concept, indicates the positive consequences to workers of identifying with the strength, growth and empowerment of traumatized clients (Engstrom, Hernández, & Gangsei, 2008; Hernández, Gangsei, & Engstrom, 2007). Few if any studies have inquired into VT and VR in a cross section of service providers working with refugees and asylum seekers. The fourth analytic study (Chapter 7) was an exploration into how service providers ameliorated their clients’ psychological trauma and eased their ongoing distress. The identified themes were: (1) establishing safety, trust and connection; (2) talking about trauma (3) working with silences and (4) promoting coping and growth. Service providers described the importance of establishing a trusting relationship with clients and the innovative strategies they used to work with clients who were reluctant or unable to talk about traumatic experiences (e.g. drumming, art, theatre). The study also described how participants explored, promoted and enhanced the resilience, strengths and capacity of clients based on a strengths-based model of therapeutic intervention. Research Project I findings with refugees were to a large extent triangulated by the findings of Research Project II with service providers. Together both Research Projects supported the meta-theme of this thesis: the importance of moving beyond the negative focus on refugee people, for service providers, policy makers, and others, to take advantage of their tremendous capacity: to heal from past trauma, to utilize their unique coping strategies, to reach out to others and make meaning, to experience growth and to inspire their service providers.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 201

Healing through giving testimony: An empirical study with Sri Lankan torture survivors

Sri Lanka has recently emerged from a three decade long civil war between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Behind the actual arena of conflict, forms of organised violence were often perpetrated on ordinary Sri Lankans who came into contact with law enforcement officials and other state authorities. The effects of these encounters on mental health, well-being, and community participation can be severe and long-lasting. Considering the generally poor availability of mental health services in many low-income countries, brief efficient interventions are required to enhance the lives of individuals and their families affected by torture, trauma, or displacement. In this context, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of testimonial therapy in ameliorating the distress of Sri Lankan survivors of torture and ill-treatment. The results indicated that over a 2- to 3-month period, psychosocial functioning was significantly enhanced in the therapy group compared to the waitlist control group. The general benefits of testimonial therapy, the ease with which it can be incorporated into ongoing human rights activities, and its application by trained nonprofessionals encourage greater use of the approach

Refugees at Work: The Preventative Role of Psychosocial Safety Climate against Workplace Harassment, Discrimination and Psychological Distress

It is widely recognised that employment is vital in assisting young refugees’ integration into a new society. Drawing on psychosocial safety climate (PSC) theory, this research investigated the effect of organisational climate on young refugee workers’ mental health (psychological distress) through stressful social relational aspects of work (e.g., harassment, discrimination). Drawing on data from 635 young refugees aged between 15 and 26 in South Australia, 116 refugees with paid work were compared with 519 refugee students without work, and a sample of young workers from Australian Workplace Barometer (AWB) data (n = 290). The results indicated that refugees with paid work had significantly lower psychological distress compared with refugees with no paid work, but more distress than other young Australian workers. With respect to workplace harassment and abuse, young refugee workers reported significantly more harassment due to their ongoing interaction and engagement with mainstream Australian workers compared with unemployed refugees. Harassment played a vital role in affecting psychological health in refugees (particularly) and other young workers. While refugee youth experienced harassment at work, overall, their experiences suggest that their younger age upon arrival enabled them to seek and find positive employment outcomes. Although PSC did not differ significantly between the employed groups, we found that it likely negatively influenced psychological distress through the mediating effects of harassment and abuse. Hence, fostering pathways to successful employment and creating safe work based on high PSC and less harassment are strongly recommended to improve refugees’ mental health and adaptation

Rebuilding life after migration: Research protocol of a mixed methods study on settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth.

Internationally, there is an urgent need to understand factors promoting successful settlement and integration of people with forced or voluntary migration experiences (i.e., refugee and non-refugee migrants). This paper provides a protocol of a mixed-methods investigation of contextual factors of successful settlement and service utilization of youth and their families, as young people could be at higher risk due to stressors associated with pre-migration trauma, post-migration settlement stressors, and adolescent development. This large-scale mixed-methods study will be conducted across three countries. A questionnaire survey will seek responses from 1200 youth aged 15-24 years residing in South Australia, Ontario, Canada, and California, United States of America. The qualitative component of the study will comprise 54 focus groups (324 participants) with youth and their parents/caregivers. The study design allows a range of important phenomena (e.g., different migration pathways and settlement countries) and key questions (e.g., regarding the intersection of migration, settlement, and wellbeing) to be addressed. It also allows for generalizability of findings to be tested across different communities and countries. Findings will support recommendations for policy and practice and may be generalized to advance research with youth and their families. This study is one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of youth settlement

Study protocol.

Internationally, there is an urgent need to understand factors promoting successful settlement and integration of people with forced or voluntary migration experiences (i.e., refugee and non-refugee migrants). This paper provides a protocol of a mixed-methods investigation of contextual factors of successful settlement and service utilization of youth and their families, as young people could be at higher risk due to stressors associated with pre-migration trauma, post-migration settlement stressors, and adolescent development. This large-scale mixed-methods study will be conducted across three countries. A questionnaire survey will seek responses from 1200 youth aged 15–24 years residing in South Australia, Ontario, Canada, and California, United States of America. The qualitative component of the study will comprise 54 focus groups (324 participants) with youth and their parents/caregivers. The study design allows a range of important phenomena (e.g., different migration pathways and settlement countries) and key questions (e.g., regarding the intersection of migration, settlement, and wellbeing) to be addressed. It also allows for generalizability of findings to be tested across different communities and countries. Findings will support recommendations for policy and practice and may be generalized to advance research with youth and their families. This study is one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of youth settlement.</div

Research questions, methods, and statistical models.

Research questions, methods, and statistical models.</p

COVID-19 Contingency plan when face-to-face interaction is not possible.

COVID-19 Contingency plan when face-to-face interaction is not possible.</p

Design of the focus group (FG) study.

Internationally, there is an urgent need to understand factors promoting successful settlement and integration of people with forced or voluntary migration experiences (i.e., refugee and non-refugee migrants). This paper provides a protocol of a mixed-methods investigation of contextual factors of successful settlement and service utilization of youth and their families, as young people could be at higher risk due to stressors associated with pre-migration trauma, post-migration settlement stressors, and adolescent development. This large-scale mixed-methods study will be conducted across three countries. A questionnaire survey will seek responses from 1200 youth aged 15–24 years residing in South Australia, Ontario, Canada, and California, United States of America. The qualitative component of the study will comprise 54 focus groups (324 participants) with youth and their parents/caregivers. The study design allows a range of important phenomena (e.g., different migration pathways and settlement countries) and key questions (e.g., regarding the intersection of migration, settlement, and wellbeing) to be addressed. It also allows for generalizability of findings to be tested across different communities and countries. Findings will support recommendations for policy and practice and may be generalized to advance research with youth and their families. This study is one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of youth settlement.</div