A mixed methods study of factors that support Educational Psychologist’s confidence when working with children and young people with acquired brain injury.

Some estimates suggest that over 40,000 children acquire a brain injury each year (The Children’s Trust, 2024e). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (2022) acquired brain injury (ABI) caused by external force (known as traumatic brain injury [TBI]) is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young people (CYP) worldwide. Whilst the majority of injuries will be classified as mild, the effects can be longstanding and often do not present until months or years post injury. This study utilised a mixed methods design to examine the work that Educational Psychologists (EPs) are doing with children and young people with ABI and identify the factors that support their confidence when undertaking this work. Forty-three EPs from a range of employment contexts completed an online questionnaire. Higher confidence was reported for consultation and assessment which was also the most frequent type of work delivered. Participants were least confident about delivering training in relation to ABI. Seven participants took part in a follow up interview which revealed a range of factors which supported confidence. These include: access to additional learning through continued professional development (CPD) or additional qualifications, working collaboratively with other professionals, school staff and families, having an interest or additional experience, the employment context and a belief in the effectiveness of generalisable skills such as consultation. This research adds to the very limited existing research base for EPs in the area of ABI. In synthesising knowledge on prevalence, causes and possible associated difficulties, and by drawing attention to current national developments it is hoped that this paper will go some way in supporting the professions understanding of ABI. EPs should take confidence from the fact that participants in this research described similarities between their work with CYP with ABI and their work more broadly

Health care providers' perceptions of barriers to perinatal mental healthcare in South Africa

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental disorders are a leading contributor to morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and postpartum, and are highly treatable when identified early. However, many women, especially in low and middle-income countries, lack access to routine identification and treatment of mental illness in public health settings. The prevalence of perinatal depression and anxiety disorders, common mental disorders, is three times higher for South African women relative to women in high-income countries. The public health system has begun to integrate mental health into maternal care, making South Africa a relevant case study of perinatal mental healthcare. Yet studies are few. We sought to investigate healthcare providers' perceptions of the barriers to early identification and screening of common perinatal mental disorders in public health facilities in South Africa. METHODS: Employing qualitative methods, we used purposive sampling to identify study participants, supplemented by snowball sampling. From September 2019-June 2020, we conducted in-depth interviews with 24 key informants in South Africa. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used a thematic approach to generate initial analytical themes and then conducted iterative coding to refine them. We adapted a delivery systems' framework to organise the findings, depicted in a conceptual map. RESULTS: Reported barriers to early identification and treatment of mental illness in the perinatal period encompassed four levels: (1) structural factors related to policies, systems and resources; (2) socio-cultural factors, including language and cultural barriers; (3) organisational factors, such as lack of provider preparation and training and overburdened clinics; and (4) individual patient and healthcare provider factors. CONCLUSION: Barriers act across multiple levels to reduce quality mental health promotion and care, thereby creating an environment where inequitable access to identification of mental disorders and quality mental health services was embedded into systems and everyday practice. Integrated interventions across multiple levels are essential to improve the early identification and treatment of mental illness in perinatal women in South Africa. We provide recommendations derived from our findings to overcome barriers at each of the four identified levels.Published versio

Access to Life-Saving Medicines and Intellectual Property Rights: An Ethical Assessment

© 2011 Cambridge University Press. Online edition of the journal is available at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=CQHDying before one’s time has been a prominent theme in classic literature and poetry. Catherine Linton’s youthful death in Wuthering Heights leaves behind a bereft Heathcliff and generations of mourning readers. The author herself, Emily Brontë, died young from tuberculosis. John Keats’ Ode on Melancholy captures the transitory beauty of 19th century human lives too often ravished by early death. Keats also died of tuberculosis, aged 25. “The bloom, whose petals nipped before they blew, died on the promise of the fruit” is how Percy Bysshe Shelley expressed his grief over Keats’ death. Emily Dickinson wrote So Has a Daisy Vanished, being driven into depression by the early loss of loved ones from typhoid and tuberculosis

Putting a Human Face on Child Welfare: Voices from the Prairies

The chapters in this book represent a selection of the many very fine presentations made at the Prairie Child Welfare Consortium\u27s (PCWC) 3rd bi-annual Symposium, held in Edmonton, Alberta, November 23–25, 2005. The theme of that Symposium was Putting a Human Face on Child Welfare. Sharon McKay\u27s article Development of the Prairie Child Welfare Consortium at the beginning of this book provides a brief history of the beginnings of the PCWC, illustrating not only its practical, but more importantly the philosophical development. Readers will find that this philosophy informs a great deal of the writing in the 11 chapters of this book. The chapters of Putting a Human Face on Child Welfare: Voices from the Prairies are presented in no particular order, and one is not more important than another. Each presents its unique perspective and represents somewhat different constituents. Collectively, the chapters of this book form a product that is one way of raising the voices of the Prairies, especially as it relates to the important challenges we face at the present time in child welfare.https://source.sheridancollege.ca/fahcs_heal_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Acceptability and Feasibility of a Meaning-Based Intervention for Patients With Advanced Cancer and Their Spouses A Pilot Study

Background: Constructing meaning in cancer leads to improved psychosocial outcomes for patients and survivors. Aim: We tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a meaning-based intervention for couples. Design: The single-arm pilot study tested a 4-session, tailored, activities-based couple’s intervention. Setting/Participants: Twelve adults with incurable cancer and their partners participated either in a university office or at the couple’s home. Results: The study showed good feasibility. One of the two patients depressed at baseline was no longer depressed at postintervention. Patients’ threat appraisals decreased and transcendence increased. In partners, depression, anxiety, and challenge appraisal decreased; threat and secondary appraisals and peace with illness increased. Conclusions: Our findings suggest feasibility and efficacy, and further research and continued evaluation of this intervention are warranted

Virtual Project Management Of Globally Outsourced IT Projects

The existing literature on how globally outsourced information technology (IT) projects are reliant on technology for virtual project management was extended by presenting a new framework for virtual project management and analyzing the current internet-based collaborative tools that facilitate their effectiveness. This assertion derives from an effort to answer the following research question: How are globally outsourced IT projects reliant on technology for virtual project management

A right-to-health lens on perinatal mental health care in South Africa

South African women experience some of the highest rates of depression and anxiety globally. Despite South Africa's laudable human rights commitments to mental health in law, perinatal women are at high risk of common mental disorders due to socioeconomic factors, and they may lack access to mental health services. We used a right to mental health framework, paired with qualitative methods, to investigate barriers to accessing perinatal mental health care. Based on in-depth interviews with 14 key informants in South Africa, we found that (1) physical health was prioritized over mental health at the clinic level; (2) there were insufficient numbers of antenatal and mental health providers to ensure minimum essential levels of perinatal mental health services; (3) the implementation of human rights-based mental health policy has been inadequate; (4) the social determinants were absent from the clinic-level approach to mental health; and (5) a lack of context-specific provider training and support has undermined the quality of mental health promotion and care. We offer recommendations to address these barriers and improve approaches to perinatal mental health screening and care, guided by the following elements of the right to mental health: progressive realization; availability and accessibility; and acceptability and quality.Published versio