Building stones of resilience of vulnerable older persons

Introduction: Vulnerable older persons need sufficient resilience to deal with (age-related) adversities and safeguard their quality of life. In this study, we investigate which sources of strength vulnerable older persons use to deal adversities. Methods: This qualitative study is based on fifteen narratives of community-dwelling vulnerable older persons in Belgium, who were selected through a ‘purposive sampling’ strategy. Results: Vulnerable older persons use various interrelated sources of strength situated on the individual, interactional, and contextual domains. On the individual domain, important sources of strength are having an optimistic life view and accepting the own vulnerabilities. On the interactional domain positive social relations, ‘the power of giving’ and social participation are sources of strength that benefit the quality of life of older persons, and on the contextual domain various welfare benefits are essential. Conclusion: It is crucial to stimulate those sources of strength, for example by removing contextual barriers that impede social participation. The results can guide empowering interventions that aim to reinforce the sources of strength of vulnerable older persons, which will positively affect their resilience and general well-being

‘When it comes to relational trauma, you need people at the table’:Therapist experiences of online therapy for families with a prior disclosure of sibling sexual abuse during Covid‐19 pandemic lockdowns

This study aims to contribute to the evaluation of online therapy during Covid‐19 pandemic lockdowns, by exploring family therapists’ experiences of therapy for twelve Sibling Sexual Abuse (SSA) families in the Netherlands. Seven transcripts of interviews with highly specialised Dutch family therapists were analysed using thematic analysis (TA). Two main findings emerged from this study. First, the Dutch therapists reported no acute worries about their clients’ sexual safety during the pandemic lockdowns. Nonetheless, the switch to online therapy for the SSA families created concern regarding victim safety in speaking out freely at home. Second, while the sudden switch to online therapy enabled SSA therapists to stay connected with their SSA families, therapists experienced a decline in therapy quality and in their own well‐being. In the therapists’ experience, it was almost impossible to conduct their most fundamental interventions online, such as intervening in family relationships

Systematic review of common and specific factors in play therapy for young people with intellectual disability

Background: The target group of this study concerns young people with a mild intellectual disability. The central research question is: What evidence can be found in the literature for common and specific factors for a play therapy intervention for young people with a mild intellectual disability struggling with aggression regulation. Method: The criteria used for selecting articles are presented according to the PRISMA, and the PRISMA guidelines for writing a review have been applied. Results: Common factors have been found in the literature that relate to the relationship between therapist and client and the therapeutic skills of the play therapist. Clues have also been found for specific factors of play therapy, such as the use of play as a language and a connection with the child's inner world. In addition, certain factors have been found that are specific to the target group of this article. The non-verbal element of play therapy is an active part of this

De nood aan een krachtgerichte blik:Participatie en inclusie van ouderen

Onze maatschappij benut de krachten van ouderen veel te weinig, wat een participatief en inclusief ouderenbeleid sterk tegengaat. Wij schuiven empowerment naar voor als een cruciaal kader om het ouderenbeleid onder de loep te nemen, en zo de participatie, inclusie en het algemeen welzijn van ouderen te versterken

Current insights of community mental healthcare for people with severe mental illness:A scoping review

Background: For the last four decades, there has been a shift in mental healthcare toward more rehabilitation and following a more humanistic and comprehensive vision on recovery for persons with severe mental illness (SMI). Consequently, many community-based mental healthcare programs and services have been developed internationally. Currently, community mental healthcare is still under development, with a focus on further inclusion of persons with enduring mental health problems. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of existing and upcoming community mental healthcare approaches to discover the current vision on the ingredients of community mental healthcare.Methods: We conducted a scoping review by systematically searching four databases, supplemented with the results of Research Rabbit, a hand-search in reference lists and 10 volumes of two leading journals. We included studies on adults with SMI focusing on stimulating independent living, integrated care, recovery, and social inclusion published in English between January 2011 and December 2022 in peer-reviewed journals.Results: The search resulted in 56 papers that met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis revealed ingredients in 12 areas: multidisciplinary teams; collaboration within and outside the organization; attention to several aspects of health; supporting full citizenship; attention to the recovery of daily life; collaboration with the social network; tailored support; well-trained staff; using digital technologies; housing and living environment; sustainable policies and funding; and reciprocity in relationships.Conclusion: We found 12 areas of ingredients, including some innovative topics about reciprocity and sustainable policies and funding. There is much attention to individual ingredients for good community-based mental healthcare, but very little is known about their integration and implementation in contemporary, fragmented mental healthcare services. For future studies, we recommend more empirical research on community mental healthcare, as well as further investigation(s) from the social service perspective, and solid research on general terminology about SMI and outpatient support

What are important ingredients of Intensive Home Support for people with severe mental illness according to experts?:A concept mapping approach

Background Deinstitutionalization in mental health care has been an ongoing process for decades. More and more people with severe mental illness (SMI), who previously lived in residential supported housing settings and were formerly homeless, are now living independently in the community but need intensive support to enable independent living. The support provided by regular outpatient teams is inadequate for this target group. This study explored the ingredients for an alternative form of outpatient support: intensive home support (IHS).Methods Concept mapping was used, following five steps: (1) brainstorming, (2) sorting, (3) rating, (4) statistical analysis &amp; visual representation, and (5) interpretation. Purposive sampling was used to represent several perspectives, including researchers, professionals, peer workers, and policy makers.Results Experts (n=17) participated in the brainstorming step and the sorting and rating steps (n=14). The 84 generated statements were grouped into 10 clusters:. (1) housing rights; (2) informal collaboration; (3) reciprocity in the community; (4) normalization and citizenship; (5) recovery; (6) sustainable funding; (7) equivalence; (8) flexible, proactive 24/7 support; (9) public health and positive health; and (10) integrated cooperation in support at home.Conclusions Given the diversity of the ingredients contained in the clusters, it seems that IHS should be designed according to a holistic approach in collaboration with several sectors. Additionally, IHS is not only the responsibility of care organizations but also the responsibility of national and local governments. Further research about collaboration and integrated care is needed to determine how to implement all of the ingredients in practice.<br/

Samenspel tussen jongerenwerk en specialistische jeugdzorg:Groeikansen voor persoonlijke ontwikkeling en maatschappelijke participatie

Een deel van de jongeren die in het jongerenwerk participeert ontvangt specialistische jeugdzorg, vanuit bijvoorbeeld verslavingszorg, jeugdreclassering, jeugd-ggz of intensieve gezinsbehandeling. Hoewel professioneel jongerenwerk voor een brede groep jongeren in kwetsbare situaties positief bijdraagt aan hun persoonlijke ontwikkeling en maatschappelijke participatie, is er weinig bekend over de betekenis van het jongerenwerk voor jongeren die specialistische jeugdzorg ontvangen. Voor dit verkennende onderzoek zijn interviews afgenomen met: 1) zeven jongeren (16+) die specialistische jeugdzorg ontvangen en in jongerenwerk participeren; 2) zeven jongerenwerkers en 3) zes jeugdhulpverleners werkzaam in specialistische jeugdzorg. Een thematische analyse maakt inzichtelijk dat het jongerenwerk op vijf manieren van betekenis is voor jongeren in specialistische jeugdzorg. Jongerenwerkers zijn ten eerste toegankelijke gesprekspartners die deze jongeren motiveren om problemen serieus te nemen en daarbij professionele hulp te accepteren. Het jongerenwerk biedt deze jongeren daarnaast een omgeving om 2) betekenisvolle relaties op te bouwen, 3) hun zelfbeeld en eigenwaarde te versterken, 4) hun maatschappelijke participatie te vergroten en 5) ondersteuning te vinden om hun zelfstandigheid te vergroten. De resultaten maken inzichtelijk dat het jongerenwerk ook voor deze specifieke groep jongeren groeikansen biedt voor hun persoonlijke ontwikkeling en maatschappelijke participatie. Daarnaast leert dit onderzoek dat participatie van deze doelgroep in het jongerenwerk een positieve invloed kan hebben op de jeugdhulpverleningsprocessen en -resultaten. Hiermee bieden de resultaten gemeenten en de jeugdzorg een beter begrip van hoe het jongerenwerk als preventieve voorziening van betekenis is voor jongeren in specialistische jeugdzorg en een bijdrage kan leveren om de druk op de jeugdzorg te verlichten

Participation and healthcare: a survey investigating current and desired levels of collaboration between patient organizations and hospitals

Participation and healthcare: a survey investigating current and desired levels of collaboration between patient organizations and hospitalsBackground: Patient participation is widely seen as a way of improving the quality of healthcare. It is encouraged by public health policies, but the systematic development and implementation of these policies in practice is still lacking.Objective: To facilitate a structural approach to the involvement of patient organizations at the meso level, we conducted an explorative survey to gain an understanding of the current state of collaboration between patient associations and hospitals, and to gain an insight into the needs and wishes of these patient organizations.Design: 111 patient organizations participated in our cross-sectional web-based survey. The results were analysed using a quantitative and qualitative approach.Results: The majority of the patient organizations in the survey aspired to “advise” healthcare professionals regarding service development and evaluations. They wish to participate in hospital processes, produce brochures to inform their peers and provide support for peers. The aim of their collaboration with hospitals is fourfold: to offer complementary services to patients of the hospital, increase patient satisfaction, facilitate patient empowerment and increase the quality of care. In general, the organizations reported a need for increased support.Discussion and conclusion: The ultimate ambition of patient organizations is to collaborate more closely with professionals and become an acknowledged partner in patient care networks. After all, successful collaboration can produce synergies and establish a complementary type of care and information for both patients and caregivers. Participatie en gezondheidszorg: een surveyonderzoek naar de huidige en gewenste samenwerking tussen patiëntenorganisaties en ziekenhuizen Patiëntenparticipatie is één van de manieren om de kwaliteit van de gezondheidszorg te verbeteren. Het wordt dan ook gepromoot door verschillende beleidsinstanties, maar een systematische ontwikkeling en implementatie in de praktijk ontbreken voorlopig nog. Om een structurele aanpak van patiëntenparticipatie op mesoniveau uit te werken werd een exploratieve studie uitgevoerd om de huidige stand van zaken en de wenselijkheden op het vlak van samenwerking tussen patiëntenverenigingen en ziekenhuizen in kaart te brengen. In totaal namen 111 patiëntenorganisaties deel aan onze “cross-sectionele online enquête”. De resultaten werden geanalyseerd door middel van een kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve analyse. Uit de resultaten bleek dat de meerderheid van de patiëntenorganisaties ernaar streeft om ziekenhuizen en hun medewerkers te “adviseren”. Daarnaast willen patiëntenorganisaties samenwerken om brochures te ontwikkelen en hun lotgenoten te informeren en ondersteunen. Het doel van hun samenwerking is viervoudig: het aanbieden van aanvullende diensten aan patiënten in het ziekenhuis, het vergroten van de tevredenheid, het bevorderen van empowerment bij patiënten en het verbeteren van de zorgkwaliteit. In het algemeen signaleren de patiëntenorganisaties een behoefte aan meer ondersteuning tijdens participatieactiviteiten. De conclusie is dat de patiëntenorganisaties nauwer willen samenwerken met professionals om zo een erkende partner te worden in het zorgnetwerk van de patiënt. Succesvolle samenwerking tussen beide partijen kan immers leiden tot synergiën en een complementair type van zorg en informatie voor zowel patiënten als professionals