Providing mental health support in schools

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the British Psychological Society via the link in this recor

How to deliver the mental health services that young people desperately need

This is the final version of the article. Available from The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited via the link in this record.Life’s complexities can be magnified in school. Pressures to conform to the norm, pass exams well, be socially accepted and have a strong social media following are just a few of the difficulties that children and young people face every day.The Conversation UK receives funding from Hefce, Hefcw, SAGE, SFC, RCUK, The Nuffield Foundation, The Ogden Trust, The Royal Society, The Wellcome Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Alliance for Useful Evidence, as well as sixty five university members.University of Exeter provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK

Rocks and Hard Places: Exploring Educational Psychologists’ Perspectives on “Off-Rolling” or Illegal Exclusionary Practices in Mainstream Secondary Schools in England

Research being undertaken by the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth is exploring educational psychologists’ knowledge of, and perspectives on, exclusionary practices in schools in England, particularly illegal practices referred to as “off-rolling”. Preliminary findings from the survey element of a mixed methods research project are reported here. The role of business models in the provision of educational psychology services to schools is considered through the conceptual lens of Giroux, Agamben and Ball to highlight ambiguities around the client relationship and to recast individualised ethical dilemmas as systemic features that inhibit direct challenges to school practices relating to inclusion. It is suggested that traded and privatised services risk implicating educational psychologists in schools’ management of the (in)visibility of “off-rolling” and the manufactured legitimacy of varied exclusionary practices

The role of academic and professional tutors in supporting trainee educational psychologist wellbeing

This is the final version. Available on open access from Routledge via the DOI in this recordThe wellbeing of doctoral students is an area that is well researched; however, no research has yet explored which factors of doctoral training have most impact upon trainee educational psychologist (TEP) wellbeing. TEPs across England and Wales completed a questionnaire to explore their doctoral wellbeing. Six themes were generated from a reflexive thematic analysis in relation to how academic and professional tutors can support wellbeing: facilitating relationships; adapting models of support; ensuring clear communication; addressing placement concerns; providing practical support and mediating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on doctoral study. Areas reported to have most impact on wellbeing included workload, making reasonable demands on self, having confidence in research, receiving quality feedback, and experiencing trusting relationships with supervisors. Findings were consistent with previous research and implications for those involved in the training of educational psychologists are discussed, including the need to prioritise wellbeing support in all aspects of training

Structural and magnetic properties of Pr-alloyed MnBi nanostructures

The structural and magnetic properties of Pr-alloyed MnBi (short MnBi-Pr) nanostructures with a range of Pr concentrations have been investigated. The nanostructures include thin films having Pr concentrations 0, 2, 3, 5 and 9 atomic percent and melt-spun ribbons having Pr concentrations 0, 2, 4 and 6 percent respectively. Addition of Pr into the MnBi lattice has produced a significant change in the magnetic properties of these nanostructures including an increase in coercivity and structural phase transition temperature, and a decrease in saturation magnetization and anisotropy energy. The highest value of coercivity measured in the films is 23 kOe and in the ribbons is 5.6 kOe. The observed magnetic properties are explained as the consequences of competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions

Recognising and responding to domestic violence: exploring the role of student dentists

Introduction: The role of student dental practitioners in recognising and responding to domestic violence within a clinical setting has not been investigated previously in Australia. JCU students report feeling ill-prepared for responding appropriately to women who experience domestic violence. An innovative partnership between Dentistry, Social Work and the Regional Domestic Violence Service collaboratively addressed this problem through an educational intervention, which was evaluated by dental student researchers. Aim: To explore dental students’ perceptions of the effectiveness and value of the ‘Recognise and Respond to Domestic Violence’ educational intervention and to inform dental curriculum design. Methods: A participatory approach employed mixed with pre and post intervention surveys and focus groups to identify and document undergraduate dental students’ understanding, perceptions and preparedness for responding appropriately to domestic violence. The intervention involved ‘Recognise and Respond’ workshops delivered by expert facilitators for Dental students in Clinical Years 3 – 5. Knowledge of domestic violence before and after the workshops was compared and contrasted. Focus groups then enriched the evaluation data on the value, effectiveness and clinical application of the intervention. Results: Students’ knowledge regarding domestic violence increased significantly. Focus group data confirmed the value of workshops. Students reported feeling enabled to embed awareness of domestic violence into their clinical practice. Discussion: Although the findings cannot be generalised, they suggest that this socially accountable, educational initiative should not only be embedded into the undergraduate curriculum but would also be valuable for other dental programs. Conclusion: Further strengthening of dental students’ capacity to respond to domestic violence should be developed across the clinical years through authentic learning experiences that provide opportunities to practice techniques and employ strategies introduced in the workshops

So That the People May Live (Hecel Lena Oyate Ki Nipi Kte): Lakota and Dakota Elder Women as Reservoirs of Life and Keepers of Knowledge about Health Protection and Diabetes Prevention

Around the world, Type 2 diabetes is on the rise, affecting adults and youth from societies in the throes of industrialization. Over time, uncontrolled diabetes can leave in its wake people facing renal failure, blindness, and heart disease, and communities daunted by new, chaotic phenomena. Westernized lifestyles are a recognized explanation for the escalating prevalence. The web of causation, however, may be broader and thicker, woven by complex interactions with environmental, sociological, and historical roots. The purpose of this participatory ethnographic study was to document, understand, and support Lakota and Dakota elder women’s beliefs and knowledge about health protection and diabetes prevention. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine elder women to learn: (1) about the factors attributable to diabetes, (2) about related narratives addressing health protection and diabetes prevention, and (3) how knowledge about health protection is shared. The elders saw diabetes as an outside, unnatural disorder, the contributing influences of which are external as well as internal. They offered narratives about chaos, restitution, testimony, and quests for cures and meaning. The elders connected health to traditional values and ways, the land, and memory. Reservoirs of wisdom reside in the knowledge systems of tribal elders who remember when diabetes was unknown. Health leaders at local and national levels would be wise to respect and draw upon this knowledge for guidance in program planning and policy development

External and internal noise surveys of London primary schools

Internal and external noise surveys have been carried out around schools in London, UK, to provide information on typical levels and sources to which children are exposed while at school. Noise levels were measured outside 142 schools, in areas away from flightpaths into major airports. 86% of the schools surveyed were exposed to noise from road traffic, the average external noise level outside a school being 57 dB LAeq. Detailed internal noise surveys have been carried out in 140 classrooms in 16 schools, together with classroom observations. It was found that noise levels inside classrooms depend upon the activities in which the children are engaged, with a difference of 20 dB LAeq between the 'quietest' and 'noisiest' activities. The average background noise level in classrooms exceeds the level recommended in current standards. The number of children in the classroom was found to affect noise levels. External noise influenced internal noise levels only when children were engaged in the quietest classroom activities. The effects of the age of the school buildings and types of window upon internal noise were examined but results were inconclusive

Association of overweight and obesity with health status, weight management, and exercise behaviors among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus or with cardiometabolic risk factors

James R Gavin, III1, Helena W Rodbard2, Kathleen M Fox3, Susan Grandy4 for the SHIELD Study Group1Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; 2Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants, Rockville, MD, USA; 3Strategic Healthcare Solutions, LLC, Monkton, MD, USA; 4AstraZeneca LP, Wilmington, DE, USAObjectives: This investigation evaluated the role of obesity in health status and behaviors for weight management and exercise among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or cardiometabolic risk factors.Methods: Self-reported health status, exercise behaviors, and weight management were assessed in the SHIELD study for respondents with T2DM or high risk (HR) for diabetes (ie, ≥3 of the following: abdominal obesity, body mass index [BMI] ≥28 kg/m2, self-reported diagnosis of dyslipidemia, hypertension, or history of cardiovascular disease). Respondents were stratified into three BMI categories: <25 kg/m2 (underweight or normal weight), 25.0−29.9 kg/m2 (overweight), and ≥30 kg/m2 (obese), with comparisons made using analysis of variance. Comparisons between T2DM and HR were made using chi-square tests.Results: T2DM (n = 3,918) and HR (n = 5,464) groups were similar for age (mean = 59 years), race (≥85% white), and obesity. Overweight (31%) or obese T2DM (18%) respondents were significantly less likely to report excellent health compared with overweight or obese HR respondents (42% and 30%, respectively), p < 0.001. There were no differences between T2DM and HR groups for exercise behaviors. More obese respondents (20% T2DM, 21% HR) were “contemplating exercising”, and fewer (21%−23%) were currently “exercising regularly” compared with overweight and normal weight respondents, p < 0.001. More obese respondents (78% T2DM, 83% HR) attempted weight management than normal (28%−35%) or overweight (57%−61%) respondents, p < 0.001.Conclusions: Obesity was negatively associated with self-perception of current health, exercising regularly, and weight maintenance for those with or at risk for diabetes.Keywords: overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, exercise, weight managemen