LGBT+ Training needs for health and social care professionals: a cross-cultural comparison among seven European countries

Introduction Research suggests that specific training on LGBT+ issues may improve the competencies and skills of health and social care (HSC) professionals, which reduces the negative attitudes toward LGBT+ people. Despite this, there seems to be a lack of coverage of LGBT+ needs in HSC education. The present study aims to explore the specific LGBT+ training needs of HSC professionals and to examine the relationship between these training needs and the four dimensions of the Papadopoulos model, i.e. cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural sensitivity, and cultural competence. Methods The research used data from a cross-cultural project, “Intercultural Education for Nurses in Europe (IENE9),” which was administered to 412 HSC academics and workers (62% females; Mage=46.06, SDage=10.48) between February 2020 and July 2020, in seven European countries: UK (coordinator), Denmark, Spain, Germany, Cyprus, Italy, and Romania. Results Hierarchical multiple regression showed that higher training needs were associated with cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, and cultural competence. The need for training on LGBT+ issues was higher for Cyprus, Romania, Spain, Italy, and the UK, compared with Denmark (no differences between Germany and Denmark were found). Conclusions We believe that there has been a lack of focus on the LGBT+ training needs of HSC professionals: Greater efforts are required to develop a culturally competent and compassionate LGBT+ curriculum. Social Policy Implications Findings from the present study will inform the development of a free, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), for culturally competent and compassionate HSC professionals in Europe to improve the quality of their car

The importance of being a compassionate leader: the views of nursing and midwifery managers from around the world

Introduction: Despite the importance of compassionate leadership in health care, many of the existing publications do not account for the effect of culture. The aim of this study is to explore the views of nursing and midwifery managers from different countries in relation to the definition, advantages, and importance of compassion. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory online survey was conducted across 17 countries, containing both closed and open-ended questions. Data from N = 1,217 respondents were analyzed using a directed hybrid approach focusing only on qualitative questions related to compassion-giving. Results: Four overarching themes capture the study’s results: (1) definition of compassion, (2) advantages and importance of compassion for managers, (3) advantages and importance of compassion for staff and the workplace, and (4) culturally competent and compassionate leadership. Discussion: Innovative research agendas should pursue further local qualitative empirical research to inform models of culturally competent and compassionate leadership helping mangers navigate multiple pressures and be able to transculturally resonate with their staff and patients

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

Association of social support and socio-demographic characteristics with poor self-rated health and depressive symptomatology among single mothers in Cyprus: a descriptive cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The number of single-parent families headed by mothers is rapidly growing worldwide. A large part of the international literature reveals that single motherhood is associated with increased levels of chronic stress, mainly due to economic distress and reduced levels of social support, which may eventually lead to physical and psychological illness. Most published research comes from Northern Europe and the US, while it is accepted that both social welfare systems and societal factors vary substantially across countries. These issues haven’t been explored in Southern Europe and this study aims to fill this gap by a) assessing the health of single mothers in Cyprus in terms of self-assessed general health and the prevalence of clinical depressive symptoms and b) investigating the effect of perceived social support relation to their health status. METHODS: General health was assessed in terms of Self-Rated Health (SRH), while the prevalence of clinical depressive symptoms was assessed with the Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Perceived social Support was assessed with the Social Provision Scale. All scales were completed anonymously and voluntary by 316 single mothers. Univariable and multivariable associations between SRH and depressive symptoms with socio-demographic characteristics were investigated using chi-square tests and in multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression models respectively. Odd ratio of clinically significant depressive symptoms and SRH across decreasing levels of social support were estimated in logistic regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive symptoms (CES-D score ≥ 22) was 38.9 %, which is almost three times greater than the general population. Strong associations with all health assessment tools were observed with variables relating to the lowest monthly family income and the presence of economic difficulties, unemployment, the single motherhood status and pre-existing illness. Social support as perceived by the mothers displayed a strong negative independent association with all tools, even after adjusting confounders. CONCLUSION: These findings can be a challenge for health care professionals, especially those working in the field of community-family nursing and highlight the necessity of interventions and strategies at community level in order to support this vulnerable population group

Mental health among single mothers in Cyprus: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

Background: International literature reveals that single mothers experience increased levels of chronic stress, which is mainly due to economic hardship and reduced levels of social support. Eventually this leads to psychological distress. While most of the studies commonly identify that mental health disorders are common among single mothers compared to their married counterparts, the magnitude of the problem might be even larger since diagnosis-specific tools may mask important levels of distress of milder intensity. This study aims to assess the level of mental distress experienced by single mothers as measured by the GHQ-28, and how it is influenced by socioeconomic factors, as well as the level of perceived social support. Methods: Between January and March 2012, Greek speaking single mothers who reside in Cyprus were recruited by either personal conduct through Single Mothers' Association (SMA), or by using snowball sampling technic. Mental distress was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and perceived social support with the Social Provision Scale (SPS). All scales were completed anonymously and voluntarily by 316 single mothers. Univariable and multivariable associations with socio-demographic characteristics were investigated using chi-square tests and in multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression models respectively. Odds ratio of psychological distress across decreasing levels of social support were estimated in logistic regression models. Results: As many as 44.6% of the sample appeared to experience psychological distress (GHQ-28 total score ≥ 5). Strong associations with all health assessment tools were observed with variables relating to the lowest monthly family income, the presence of economic difficulties, the higher educational level, the age group 35-44 years and pre-existing illness. Social support as perceived by the mothers displayed a strong negative independent association with psychological distress, even after adjusting confounders. Conclusion: This study highlights that single mothers are very likely to experience poor psychological well-being. With a steady rise in the proportion of single-parent families headed by a mother, these findings highlight a significant issue that would adversely affect many women and consequently their children and the community. It also emphasizes the necessity for interventions and strategies at community level in order to support this vulnerable population group

Autoevaluación de la salud de madres solteras: una exploración sistemática de la bibliografía

Objetivo: Este estudio orientado a analizar el nivel del estado de salud autoevaluado de madres solteras en comparación con madres con parejas y los factores pertinentes asociados.Antecedentes: El número de familias de madres solteras está aumentando en todo el mundo. Un gran número de investigación internacional revela que las madres solteras experimentan peor salud física y mental que sus homólogas casadas. Un factor importante que contribuye a esta disparidad de salud parece ser la desventaja socioeconómica.Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la bibliografía utilizando las palabras clave "sola" o "soltera" y "madre" o "padre" o "estructura familiar", en combinación con "salud". Se buscaron en las bases de datos EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane y PubMed los estudios de investigación cuantitativa publicados en la última década.Resultados: Se identificaron once artículos de investigación cuantitativa sobre la autoevaluación del estado de salud de madres solteras. Las madres solteras informan de niveles inferiores del estado de salud en comparación con las madres con parejas. Estas desigualdades parecen asociarse con dificultades económicas y la falta de apoyo social. Ambos factores aumentan la susceptibilidad de las madres solteras al estrés y a la enfermedad.Conclusión: A pesar de las limitaciones de los estudios (p.ej., resultados basados principalmente en datos secundarios de encuestas domésticas), aportan evidencia de que la maternidad soltera coloca a las mujeres en una posición social adversa, que está asociada con el estrés prolongado principalmente debido al desempleo, a las dificultades económicas y a la exclusión social, que afectan negativamente en su estado de salud. Estos resultados puden contemplarse como un reto para los profesionales sanitarios, especialmente para los que trabajan en el sector de la comunidad y también en instancias normativas, en el establecimiento de medidas de apoyo para este grupo vulnerable centradas en los factores socioeconómicos

Effectiveness of an educational program in cardiopulmonary resuscitation concerning knowledge of nurses in Cyprus

INTRODUCTION: Nurses’ education in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is essential, but there are considerable deficiencies. AIM: To estimate the knowledge of nurses before a specialized in hospital educational program in CPR, and to investigate the effectiveness of this program immediately after its completeness and six months later. METHODS: Study was conducted in all wards of the Limassol General Hospital and included 294 nurses. Data collection was done using a specially designed questionnaire based on the international literature and guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council 2010. Total knowledge score was between 0-9 with higher values indicate higher knowledge. RESULTS: Mean knowledge score before the educational program was 4.3, while after the program increased considerably to 8.6, reaching the maximum value of 9. Mean knowledge score six months after the educational program decreased to 6.4, but still remained higher than the knowledge score before the program. We found a statistically significant increase in knowledge score immediately after the end of the program and also six months later (p<0.001 in both cases). Decreased years of work experience was associated with increased knowledge score (p=0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous education of nurses in CPR is essential in order to increase and maintain the knowledge. In that case, nurses could apply CPR in an appropriate and effective way every time there is a need for that