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This paper examines the links between place attachment and older persons' preferences to age in place, and factors that disrupt these preferences. We use data from the 2001–2021 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey and panel-data modelling to confirm strong associations between several place attachment dimensions and aging-in-place preferences. Strong ties to children, strong social capital, residence in social housing, homeownership status, housing wealth, and home and neighborhood satisfaction are all positively linked to a stronger preference to age in place. Our findings reveal important differences between older homeowners and older non-owners. For owners, closeness to children is a strong predictor of aging-in-place preferences, although mortgage debt can trigger involuntary moves. For non-owners, tenure security achieved through longer durations at one's address of residence is linked to stronger aging-in-place preferences. However, private renters are more often exposed to involuntary moves. We discuss the policy implications of these disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Hospital in the Home models are rapidly expanding in response to increasing bed pressures. This study examined patient and multidisciplinary health professional perceptions of a new geriatric evaluation and management and rehabilitation hospital in the home service in Australia. The service was unique, as adults of all ages with a variety of rehabilitation or geriatric evaluation and management needs were within scope. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used with a consumer co-researcher and a consumer advisor being integral to decision-making. Patient feedback was collected via a paper-based patient satisfaction survey between August 2020 and February 2022. Additionally, interviews with current and past staff were conducted from July to November 2021. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted for qualitative data and descriptive statistics used for quantitative data. Results: Patient surveys were analysed (n = 199, 42.2% response rate) with 60.8% of participants aged 75 years or over and 26.6% speaking a language other than English. High satisfaction was expressed. Feelings of comfort, familiarity, convenience, and reassurance were voiced. A person-centred approach enhanced involvement in care. Challenges included carer burden and clear communication. Sixteen staff (33% response rate) were interviewed. In general, staff said the service was inclusive and responsive, and the home environment beneficial, particularly for patients from culturally diverse backgrounds. A strong hospital partnership and comprehensive multidisciplinary approach were vital. Challenges included fragmentation due to part-time roles and combining with a pre-existing acute hospital in the home service. Conclusions: This qualitative exploration of staff and patients' perceptions of a geriatrician-led, multidisciplinary geriatric evaluation and management and rehabilitation hospital in the home service demonstrated that it was person-centred and optimised patients' control and ownership of care. The inclusive service parameters ensured responsiveness to diverse needs whilst allowing earlier return home from hospital, both of which are vital for quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research that 'grows apart' from its original design and proposal is not uncommon, especially when involving participatory and creative methods. However, the disconnect between research intentions and research realization is seldom probed for the insights offered; this paper addresses this gap. Taking up the conceptual lens of research imaginaries, this paper dives into the tensions and discoveries experienced in between the design and the practice of a multi-site participatory research project. The study involved two groups of young people, in two cities in two countries, with a focus on digital lives. In a commitment to collaboration with artists, senior researchers, research assistants, and young people in community spaces, a complex project emerged. This paper describes the tensions and possibilities of an emergent methodology and in doing so argues for increased attention to the movement of research designs; rather than the adherence to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes the methodological considerations of developing an urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), in the Sleman District of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods: 1) The Sleman District was selected because it is mostly an urban area. 2) The minimum sample size was calculated to measure infant mortality as the key variable and resulted in a sample of 4942 households. A two-stage cluster sampling procedure with probability proportionate to size was applied; first, 216 Censuses Blocks (CBs) were selected, and second, 25 households in each CB were selected. 3) A baseline survey was started in 2015, and collected data on demographic and economic characteristics and verbal autopsy (VA); the 2nd cycle collected updated demographic data, VA, type of morbidity (communicable and non-communicable diseases, disability and injury) and health access. 4) The data were collected at a home visit through a Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) on a tablet device, and the data were transferred to the server through the Internet. 5) The quality control consisted of spot-checks of 5% of interviews to control for adherence to the protocol, re-checks to ensure the validity of the interview, and computer-based data cleaning. 6) A utilization system was designed for policy-makers (government) and researchers. Results: In total, 5147 households participated in the baseline assessment in 2015, and 4996 households participated in the second cycle in 2016 (97.0% response rate). Conclusions: Development of an urban HDSS is possible and is beneficial in providing data complementary to the existing demographic and health information system at local, national and global levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is a major problem on college campuses, and innovative solutions are needed. Our university created a semester-long, credit-bearing, academic course as a curricular intervention intended to reduce sexual violence on campus. In this article, we describe the multiple methods used to evaluate the course, including a pre–post online survey with a quasi-experimental design, a qualitative content analysis of student reflection papers, and semistructured interviews with previously enrolled students conducted by a peer interviewer 3 months after course completion. The synthesis of evaluation findings indicated that an academic course has the potential to positively affect campus climate around sexual violence. Furthermore, using multiple methods enabled us to create a theory of change that illustrates how key course components shaped students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about sexual violence, thereby ideally generating campus change. Results have been used by various stakeholders for both practice-based and scholarly purposes. We provide lessons learned and implications for practice that are transferable to other multimethod curricular intervention evaluations regardless of topical focus, including the many ways in which using multiple methods added value to the study; the considerable investment of time and resources needed when using multiple methods; the challenges that can arise when integrating findings across methods; the major benefits of having a multidisciplinary research team consisting of faculty and students; and the need to engage in critical reflexivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Behavioral theories are often used to better understand and change health-promoting behaviors and develop evidencebased interventions. However, researchers often lack of knowledge on how to use these theories in palliative care and people confronted with serious illness. Clear examples or guidelines are needed. Aim: To describe how behavioral theories can be used to gain insight into critical factors of health-promoting behavior in seriously ill people, using a case example of “starting a conversation about palliative care with the physician” for people with incurable cancer. Methods: We used a health promotion approach. Step 1: We chose a theory. Step 2: We applied and adapted the selected theory by performing interviews with the target population which resulted in a new behavioral model. Step 3: We operationalized the factors of this model. An expert group checked content validity. We tested the questionnaire cognitively. Step 4: We conducted a survey study and performed logistic regression analyses to identify the most important factors. Results: Step 1: We selected the Theory of Planned Behavior. Step 2: This theory was applicable to the target behavior, but needed extending. Step 3: The final survey included 131 items. Step 4: Attitudinal factors were the most important factors associated with the target behavior of starting a conversation about palliative care with the physician. Conclusions: This paper describes a method applied to a specific example, offering guidance for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding and changing a target behavior and its factors in seriously ill people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 is a standardised diagnostic interview commonly used in population-based mental health surveys, but has not been used in community-residing Indigenous Australians. This paper seeks to determine whether the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 can produce valid diagnostic information when compared with a diagnostic interview in an urban Indigenous Australian sample. Method: This research was conducted over 10 weeks with adult Indigenous clients of two participating Aboriginal Medical Services in South-East Queensland. Using a cross-sectional, repeated-measures design, participants were administered the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 by an Indigenous interviewer and within 2 weeks attended a second appointment with an Indigenous clinical psychologist, who produced a diagnostic summary. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 diagnoses were compared with the diagnostic summaries and clinical concordance between the two measures was calculated. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 differed by module. The Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression modules had good utility in diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive episodes, respectively; however, the Mania module that provides diagnoses of bipolar disorder was found to be unsuitable for this population. Although there were no identified contraindications for the use of the Generalised Anxiety and Alcohol Use Disorder modules, further research on the diagnostic accuracy of these modules is warranted. Conclusions: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 can accurately diagnose some common mental disorders in an Indigenous Australian population, but was found to be unsuitable for others. Given these findings, care should be taken when using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 in epidemiological prevalence studies with Indigenous Australian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native Americans (the preferred term of our partners/co-authors) experience high rates of sexual violence, which is rooted in colonization and multiple historical traumas. Sexual violence leads to numerous deleterious outcomes, underscoring the critical need for prevention early in life. Yet, most research to date on sexual violence has not focused on Native American populations, and we know little about the most effective strategies to recruit and retain Native American individuals in sexual violence prevention research. The purpose of the current study, grounded in principles of participatory action research, is to describe strategies that were used to recruit (e.g., traditional feeds, door knocking) and retain (e.g., monetary incentives, ongoing community engagement) Native American youth for a study that sought to assess, via surveys and qualitative interviews, the impacts of a youth-led sexual violence prevention initiative in a small city in the Great Plains. We also collected qualitative data from Native American caregivers regarding their perceptions of research. Overall, 67.9% (n = 545) of eligible Native American youth completed the survey, and school and door knocking were most effective methods of recruitment/enrollment followed by community and school events and texting. Over the course of 3 years of data collection, there were higher rates of attrition among Native American youth compared to white youth, and several factors (e.g., older age, sexual assault victimization) predicted attrition among Native American youth. Native American caregivers' responses reflected on reasons it is hard to engage youth and caregivers in research (e.g., lack of time, distrust) as well as strategies to enhance engagement (e.g., personal connection, providing community resources). Throughout the paper, Native American co-authors and project partners reflect on these findings. Implications for future sexual violence prevention research with Native American youth and their caregivers that uses decolonized, participatory action research methodologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Social workers are expected to challenge the exclusion and oppression of marginalised populations which requires the critical interrogation of prejudicial views, discriminatory attitudes, and oppressive practices. In this regard, social work practitioners need to be vigilant of their own attitudes toward the people they serve. This is relevant to social work practice with sexual minorities. This paper presents the results of a mixed-methods study informed by a critical theoretical frame that explored Vietnamese social work practitioners' attitudes toward sexual minorities. The findings presented in this article were drawn from a survey of 292 social work practitioners based in Hanoi, Vietnam and 12 semi-structured interviews with volunteers recruited from the pool of survey participants. Findings: The findings suggest that practitioners who participated in this study held relatively positive attitudes toward people who identify as lesbian or gay. However, those who had what could be considered moderate to positive attitudes were not necessarily free from prejudicial and discriminatory views, particularly when it came to certain matters such as those relating to their own families and work with young children. Applications: The discussion of the findings illustrate the relevance of the broader social context to Vietnamese social work practitioners' attitudes toward sexual minorities. It highlights the potent influence of dominant ideologies in shaping prejudicial views and attitudes and points to the need for practice at a broader level targeting Vietnamese society and culture as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The objective of this paper is to examine the level of psychiatric symptoms and associated factors among Thai migrants from the southernmost Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narithiwat who are working in Malaysia. Comparisons will be made with the sending population in the southernmost provinces of Thailand. Methods: Data are drawn from survey and in-depth interviews with Thai migrants who are working in Malaysia. Comparisons are made with a probability sample of working age adults in Thailand. The twenty item Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was the measure of mental health. Results: The study found that the migrants, on average, have normal levels of psychiatric symptoms. However, although about 24% of migrants reported more eight or more symptoms that may indicate a need for evaluation. There are many stressors in their lives including distance from families, reduced social support, legal matters surrounding immigration, and discrimination/exploitation of migrant groups. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for policy makers and non-governmental organizations to give attention to migrants' mental health, well-being and sustainable livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a study of family literacy provision in England and focuses on the effects of family literacy programmes on the home literacy environment. The fieldwork took place between September 2013 and December 2014 and involved 27 school-based programmes for pupils aged between 5 and 7, and their parents. The study used mixed methods, which involved observations of family literary sessions, a quantitative pre- and post-survey of 118 parents, and pre- and post-telephone qualitative interviews with a sub-sample of 24 parents. Building on previous theoretical work, the study conceptualises the home literacy environment into four areas (family resources; parental literacy behaviours and attitudes; parental beliefs and understandings; and family literacy activities and practices). The paper develops understandings of how parents translate and implement messages from family literacy into the home setting, and it shows how participation in these programmes leads to changes in family literacies across all four areas identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a study that examined Vietnamese social work practitioners' conceptions of practice with people who identified as lesbian or gay. The findings presented in this article, drawn from semi-structured interviews with 12 social work practitioners in Hanoi, Vietnam, form part of the findings of a bigger study that looked into the attitudes of Vietnamese social work practitioners toward sexual minorities and how they conceptualise practice in relation to this segment of the population. A notable proportion of the interview participants, all of whom presented as having moderate to positive attitudes toward sexual minorities, were found to hold a heterosexist assumption with regards to the sexual identity of their clients. And while there was consensus in the need for a social work response, there were differences in the practitioners' conceptions of what form this should take. The participants were open to direct practice with individuals and a limited degree of community engagement but were apprehensive with the prospect of undertaking policy advocacy. It is argued that these conceptions of practice are informed by limitations imposed by their political environment as well as dominant ideological and philosophical influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence protection orders are civil court orders intended to protect victim/survivors from further violence by prohibiting alleged perpetrators from engaging in threatened or actual violence or harassment of victim/survivors and their children. However, their availability and ultimately their effectiveness is limited by complex procedural requirements and court accessibility barriers that victim/survivors can find intimidating, confusing, and unsafe, and that contribute to delays between lodgment of an application and the making of an intervention order by the court. This study examined the experiences of applicants who used either a conventional court process or an online application process that was trialed in three courts in Victoria, Australia. We examined court data on 791 applicants who sought an intervention order at the three courts during the study period, and interviewed 28 applicants including 12 who had applied online. We also examined the impact of the online process on court workloads and risk assessments, and conducted interviews and focus groups with magistrates and registry staff at each of the three trial locations. Compared with the court registry process, the online application was rated as simpler and easier to understand and less stressful. Online applicants also reported that the application process was more accessible and enhanced their sense of agency. The online application process also reduced the workload of court staff and resulted in faster case processing, with online applicants reaching the court hearing stage nearly 2 weeks earlier than paper-based applicants. However, we did not find that the online application process provided earlier or better risk identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Successful adoption of POCTs (Point-of-Care tests) for COVID-19 in care homes requires the identification of ideal use cases and a full understanding of the contextual and usability factors that affect test results and minimise biosafety risks. This paper presents a scoping-usability and test performance study of a microfluidic immunofluorescence assay for COVID-19 in care homes. Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted in four UK care homes to scope usability and to assess the agreement with qRT-PCR. A dry run with luminescent dye was conducted to explore biosafety issues. Results: The agreement analysis was conducted on 227 asymptomatic participants (159 staff and 68 residents) and 14 symptomatic participants (5 staff and 9 residents). Asymptomatic specimens showed 50% (95% CI:1.3%−98.7%) positive agreement and 96% (95% CI: 92.5%−98.1%) negative agreement with overall prevalence and bias-adjusted Kappa (PABAK) of 0.911 (95% CI: 0.857−0.965). Symptomatic specimens showed 83.3% (95% CI: 35.9%−99.6%) positive agreement and 100% (95% CI: 63.1%−100%) negative agreement with overall prevalence and bias-adjusted Kappa (PABAK) of 0.857 (95% CI: 0.549−1). The dry run highlighted four main sources of contamination that led to the modification of the standard operating procedures. Simulation post-modification showed no further evidence of contamination. Conclusion: Careful consideration of biosafety issues and contextual factors associated with care home are mandatory for safe use the POCT. Whilst POCT may have some utility for ruling out COVID-19, further diagnostic accuracy evaluations are needed to promote effective adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assistive equipment provision process is routinely carried out with patients to mitigate fall risk factors via the fitment of assistive equipment within the home. However, currently, over 50% of assistive equipment is abandoned by the patients due to poor fit between the patient and the assistive equipment. This paper explores clinician perceptions of an early stage three-dimensional measurement aid prototype, which provides enhanced assistive equipment provision process guidance to clinicians. Ten occupational therapists trialled the three-dimensional measurement aid prototype application; think-aloud and semi-structured interview data was collected. Usability was measured with the System Usability Scale. Participants scored three-dimensional measurement aid prototype as 'excellent' and agreed strongly with items relating to the usability and learnability of the application. The qualitative analysis identified opportunities for improving existing practice, including, improved interpretation/recording measurements; enhanced collaborative practice within the assistive equipment provision process. Future research is needed to determine the clinical utility of this application compared with two-dimensional counterpart paper-based guidance leaflets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body is central to women's construction of premenstrual change as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and to experiences of premenstrual distress. Embodied change, such as bloating or breast tenderness, can act as a marker of PMS. Within biomedical models, PMS is located within the body. Women's dissatisfaction with their bodies is also reported to be higher in the premenstrual phase of the cycle. What is absent from this analysis is the meaning and experience of embodied change, in the context of broader constructions of femininity and embodiment. In this paper, we adopt a feminist material-discursive theoretical framework to examine the role of premenstrual embodiment in women's premenstrual distress, drawing on open-ended survey responses and interviews with 83 women who self-diagnose as "PMS sufferers". We theorize premenstrual body hatred as subjectification, wherein women take up cultural discourse associated with idealized femininity and the stigmatization of the fat body, resulting in self-objectification, distress and dehumanization. However, women can resist negative cultural constructions of premenstrual embodiment. We describe the impact of psychological therapy which increases awareness of emotional and embodied change, resulting in greater acceptance of the premenstrual body and self-care, serving to reduce premenstrual distress and self-objectification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper aims to explore the nature of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England as membership organizations. Utilizing the concept of meta-organization as a lens, we discuss the impact that this organizational form might have on CCGs' ability to become 'strategic commissioners'. Methods: We used a longitudinal qualitative approach to explore the adoption and implementation of primary care co-commissioning. The study was undertaken between May 2015 and June 2017 and included interviews with senior policy makers, analysis of policy documents, two telephone surveys, and case studies in four CCGs nationally. Results: CCGs operate as membership organizations with closed boundary and low stratification, whereby a consensus or majority needs to be reached by members when activities impact on membership or the CCG's constitution. While CCGs should move towards a more strategic commissioning role that is focused on local priorities agreed by their members, they are faced with a complex system of accountabilities and responsibilities, which makes this difficult to achieve. Conclusions: The nature of CCGs as membership-based meta-organizations has the potential to both help and hinder CCGs in becoming strategic commissioners. The complexities in accountability and governance that the membership approach introduces, and the potential difficulties that CCGs face with competing meta-organizations, raises questions about the future of CCGs as membership organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Only recently has social work begun to grapple with its place in relation to environmental issues. While considerable progress has been made in bringing environmental considerations into the centre of our profession's scholarship and practice, this project is far from complete. Drawing on environmental literature and based on findings of a qualitative case study of water activism in one Canadian city, this paper argues that the concept of “community resilience” provides both a practical and a conceptual framework for advancing social work's engagement with issues of the natural environment and environmental justice through community praxis. Findings In Guelph, Ontario, Canada, water issues are the focal point of considerable community activism. The case study research reveals, however, that while water is the focus, much of this activism is driven by three broad social priorities that reflect ideas of community resilience and which suggest entry points for social work participation in community-based environmental initiatives: self-reliance and sustainability, localization and direct citizen participation, and community. Applications “Community resilience” is increasingly popular in environmental and community development fields as a conceptual framework for assessing and building the capacity of communities to support wellbeing in the face of environmental change, adversity and risk. While the concept of “resilience” is well established in social work, “community resilience” remains under-examined in social work literature. In this paper, the author draws attention to this arena of resilience thinking, highlighting its potential for the integration of considerations of the natural environment into social work scholarship, education, and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Families' experiences of assisted dying are under-investigated and families are rarely considered in clinical guidelines concerning assisted dying. Aim: To systematically review family experiences of assisted dying. Design: A systematic literature review using thematic synthesis. Data sources: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine) and PsycINFO databases (January 1992 to February 2019). Studies investigating families' experiences on the practice of legalised assisted dying were included. We excluded studies prior to legalisation within the jurisdiction, secondary data analysis and opinion papers. Results: Nineteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Publications were derived from four countries: The Netherlands, United States (Oregon, Washington and Vermont), Canada and Switzerland. Dutch studies predominately investigated family involvement in euthanasia, while Swiss and American studies only reported on assisted suicide. Eleven studies had a qualitative design, using predominately in-depth interviews; seven were retrospective surveys. Five analytical themes represented families' experiences in assisted dying: (1) context of the decision, (2) grounding the decision, (3) cognitive and emotional work, (4) experiencing the final farewell and (5) grief and bereavement. The results showed that families can be very involved in supporting patients seeking assisted dying, where open communication is maintained. Family involvement appeared to be influenced by the type of legislation in their country and the families' perception of the social acceptability of assisted dying. Conclusion: Our data confirm that families across all jurisdictions are involved in assisted suicide decision and enactment. Family needs are under-researched, and clinical guidelines should incorporate recommendations about how to consider family needs and how to provide them with evidence-based tailored interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Despite increasing research attention on public trust in health care systems, empirical evidence on this topic in the developing world is limited and inconclusive. This paper examines the level and determinants of public trust in the health care system in China. Methods We used data from a survey conducted with a sample of 5347 adults in all Chinese provincial areas between January and February 2016. Trust in the health care system was assessed with a question used by the 2011–2013 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) to assess public trust in the health care systems of 29 industrialized countries and regions ('In general, how much confidence do you have in the health care system in your country?'). Results Only 28% of respondents reported that they had a great deal or complete trust in China's health care system. Respondents who reported to have more trust in other people in society, more trust in the local government and who were more satisfied with their most recent health care system experience and their health insurance were significantly more likely to trust the country's health care system. Furthermore, respondents who reported a higher level of happiness, better health status and positive attitudes towards social equity were more likely to trust the health care system in China. Conclusions Our findings suggest that low public trust in China's health care system is a potential problem. Improving health care experiences may be the most practical and effective way of improving trust in the health care system in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this paper is to advocate for the importance of meaningful leisure time for young people from a health-promotion perspective using experiences from two youth centres in multicultural neighbourhoods in Sweden. Methods: In this practice-based study, data were collected between 2012 and 2014 at two youth centres in multicultural, socially deprived suburbs in Sweden using surveys with 12- to 16-year-old adolescents (n = 207), seven individual interviews with staff and three cooperation partners in the neighbourhoods, and six group interviews with adolescents (50% girls). Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods were used for analysis. Results: As part of the youth centres’ strategies, they are open and inclusive, foster supportive relationships, emphasise youth empowerment, and integrate family, school and community in their work. The youth centres are health-promoting settings with regard to four of the action areas in the Ottawa Charter: build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community actions and develop personal skills. Conclusions:There is a need for a variety and a combination of various structured and unstructured leisure-time activities because young people’s background and life situation plays a role for their participation in leisure-time activities. We conclude that youth centres are well placed to be or to become health-promoting settings if the activities takes place in a structured environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaining accurate information on illicit drug use and policing in real-world settings is a challenge. This study examines the utility of a smartphone app ('Going Out In Sydney') to prospectively follow up illicit drug use and policing encounters at music festivals and licensed entertainment precincts in Sydney, Australia. In all, 38 regular festival and licensed entertainment venue attendees used the app to log nights out over a 3-month period, including (1) where they went (eg, festival, nightclub), (2) the prevalence of illicit drug use, and (3) the incidence and nature of police encounters. A survey and interview were then conducted about the utility of the app. The app enabled rich data collection (n = 353 entries) about illicit drug use and policing at both target settings. Follow-up surveys indicated that most participants were extremely satisfied with the ease of use of the app and privacy afforded, and compared with other data collection modes, such as paper-based logs and online surveys, rated the app the most desirable method of data collection. This suggests smartphone apps may be a viable option for future studies on illicit drug use and policing of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on the findings of the qualitative phase of a New Zealand longitudinal study on vulnerable young people’s transitions to adulthood. The young people were aged between 12 and 17 years at the time of the first interview. The paper focuses on one key finding, how youth enact agency through their relationships with significant others: families, social workers, teachers and care workers. These youth had experienced sustained exposure to harm including abuse, violence, addictions, disengagement from school and mental health issues. The qualitative interviews focused on young people’s experiences with services (child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and education support services) their key transitions, and the strategies they used to locate support and resources. The thematic analysis of the interviews indicated that a search for agency was a central motif in young people’s experiences. This was reflected in three thematic clusters: making sense of the world, having a voice and acting on the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) offers many attractive benefits over paper-and-pencil interviewing. There is, however, mixed evidence on the impact of CAPI on interview length, an important survey outcome in the context of length limits imposed by survey budgets and concerns over respondent burden. In this article, recent experimental and quasi-experimental evidence derived from a large, nationally representative household panel study is used to investigate CAPI’s impact on interview length. We find that effects very much depend on how CAPI is implemented, including the hardware and software adopted, the extent and nature of dependent data, and even interviewer workloads—a finding that helps explain the conflicting results from previous studies. Overall, our study leads us to the conclusion that, absent dependent data, CAPI is likely to increase interview lengths, but the potential reductions from dependent data are very large, such that even modest levels can lead to net reductions in interview lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe a rural school-university 22 year partnership. The partnership serves students with disabilities and students at-risk for being classified with a disability. Despite personnel changes, the undergraduate teacher candidates have consistently provided intense instruction to their assigned students. Electronic surveys were sent to school and university professionals affiliated with the undergraduate course "Introduction to the Exceptional Learner" to determine why the partnership has lasted so long. Follow-up focus group sessions were held, and data from the sessions were collected and analyzed for a deeper review of identified themes. The data analysis and theme development supported the following reasons for the longstanding partnership: (a) academic gains, (b) interpersonal benefits, and (c) specific program components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the future sustainability of the Fijian Ministry of Health's (MoH) information and communication technology (ITC) system for patient management (PATIS). PATIS was developed with AusAID funding and, as the owner of the system, AusAID has no commercial competence or interest in further development of the system. Thus, the question that arises is: should Fiji adopt a commercially available patient administration system or retain the existing PATIS? In-depth consultations with senior executives and line managers of units that were major users of PATIS were undertaken. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion approaches were utilised. The consensus or majority views of the users were that the existing PATIS performed more than adequately. The future sustainability of the system is threatened by the lack of investment in resources (e.g. hardware maintenance and human resources) required to keep the system operating at its optimum. It was found that PATIS provides Fiji with a satisfactory patient administration system. The identified problems with the system are not related to the application per se but rather to an under-investment in resources for its utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to examine whether Australian young people’s awareness of beyondblue is associated with better recognition of depression and anxiety disorders, and better quality of beliefs about possible interventions and first-aid actions for these problems.Method: In 2011, a telephone interview was conducted with a national sample of 3021 Australians aged between 15 and 25 years. Participants were presented with a vignette portraying depression, depression with suicidal thoughts, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder or psychosis in a young person. They were then asked about recognition of the disorder portrayed, their beliefs about the helpfulness or harmfulness of various interventions and first-aid actions, and their awareness of beyondblue. The quality of youths’ beliefs was scored against health professionals’ ratings of the same list of interventions and first-aid actions.Results:Beyondblue awareness was associated with more accurate recognition of the disorder portrayed in all vignettes except social phobia. It was also associated with beliefs about the helpfulness of first-aid actions that were more closely aligned with professional ratings for the depression, psychosis and social phobia vignettes. However, it was associated with beliefs about interventions for the psychosis vignette only.Conclusions: Overall, the associations of beyondblue awareness with better mental health literacy were not specific to depression and anxiety disorders, which are their main focus. Beyondblue awareness is mostly unrelated to treatment beliefs, but seems to have non-specific associations with recognition of disorders and first-aid beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to assess Australian young people’s awareness of mental health services available for their age group. Of particular interest was awareness of headspace, which was created in 2006 to provide youth-oriented mental health services, and has expanded to 30 centres nationally in 5 years.Method: In 2011, a telephone interview was conducted with a national sample of 3021 Australians aged between 15 and 25 years. Participants were asked questions about awareness of mental health organizations, where they would seek help for themselves and how they would assist a peer with a mental health problem.Results: There were very low frequencies of spontaneous mentions of headspace as a mental health organization, or as a service where respondents would seek help for themselves or refer a peer to. However, when prompted, about half of respondents recognized headspace as a mental health organization. Living within a headspace service area predicted better recognition of headspace. However, past-year psychological distress was unrelated to recognition of headspace as a mental health organization.Conclusions: In order to reach them more effectively, young people need to be aware of youth-oriented services that are available to them and their peers. Awareness campaigns need to be targeted to the subgroups of young people who have the greatest need for headspace services, namely those with recent mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The aim of this paper was to estimate the degree to which smoke-free facilities may facilitate smoking cessation in smokers with mental illness by estimating the proportion of smokers with mental illness who receive inpatient treatment, their smoking rates and average durations of stay. Method: Smoking and hospitalization rates were estimated from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Information on duration of inpatient treatment was calculated from the Western Australian Mental Health Information System. Results: Of Australia's estimated 3 567 000 current adult smokers, 32.4% had a mental illness in the past 12 months, and 66.6% had a lifetime mental illness. However, only 1.4% of smokers were hospitalized for a mental health problem in the past 12 months, and 6.3% had ever been hospitalized for a mental health problem. Of those hospitalized for mental health treatment in the past 12 months, 61.2% were current smokers. In 2007 median duration of inpatient mental health admissions was 1 day, and 57% of admissions had duration of 2 days or less. Conclusions: The majority of smokers with mental illness are not treated in inpatient facilities, and where inpatient admissions occur they are generally of short duration. While smoking cessation is an important goal in treatment of smokers with mental illness, support after discharge from inpatient care is important for longer term cessation. Other strategies will be required to support smoking cessation efforts for the majority of smokers with mental illness not in contact with mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper reports findings from a national survey on stigmatizing attitudes towards people with depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia/psychosis. Method: In 2011 telephone interviews were carried out with 6019 Australians aged 15 or over. Participants were presented with a case vignette describing either depression, depression with suicidal thoughts, early schizophrenia, chronic schizophrenia, social phobia or post-traumatic stress disorder. Questions were asked about stigmatizing attitudes, including perceptions of discrimination, personal and perceived stigma and desire for social distance. Results: Chronic schizophrenia was most likely to be associated with dangerousness, unpredictability and a preference for not employing someone with the problem, while social phobia was most likely to be seen as due to personal weakness. Attitudes concerning dangerousness and social distance were greater in relation to men with mental disorders compared to women. Other people were perceived as more likely to hold stigmatizing attitudes than the respondents reported for themselves. Conclusions: Anti-stigma interventions are more likely to be successful if they focus on individual disorders rather than on 'mental illness' in general. Such interventions may need to address perceptions of social phobia as being due to weakness and those of dangerousness in people with more severe disorders. Such interventions should also focus on bringing beliefs about public perceptions in line with personal beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the correlates of nonresponse for self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) sections by comparing two General Social Survey (GSS) years, 2000 and 2002, during which the GSS switched the paper-and-pencil personal interview (PAPI) and SAQ to the computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) and computer-assisted self-administered interview (CASI) format. The authors find that CASI not only lowers the supplemental response rate but also changes the dynamics of who responds. Unlike PAPI and SAQ data collection in 2000, even those aged 45-64 were less likely to respond to the CASI supplemental survey compared to CAPI in 2002. Compared to Whites, Blacks and other ethnic groups were more likely to be nonrespondents with CASI. Researchers should be more attentive to the potential bias of supplemental nonresponse in CASI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnicity is a labile construct in the United States, and the combination of complex backgrounds and low saliency contributes to variability in reporting. This is demonstrated in an experiment of the 2004 General Social Survey in which a computer-assisted personal interview-based version of a traditional paper-and-pencil interview-based item on ethnicity produced many more mentions of ethnicities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores interviewer/respondent interactions using a handheld computer (HHC) and identifies issues arising from using a self-administered paper form to create a mobile computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) instrument. To evaluate the success of this instrument, the authors used the behavior-coding method to evaluate a sample of about 220 audiotaped interviews to identify survey questions that cause problems at the administration and/or response stage. This article explores problems with the interview, as it was conducted on an HHC, both at a question level and overall. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the automation of this survey instrument encouraged standardized interviewing procedures by examining how interviewers read the questions and how respondents answer them. The authors discuss mode-specific problems that arose in the interview and propose suggestions for future surveys that use a similar method of data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) was recently described to facilitate the placement of percutaneous bone anchored hearing devices. As early adopters of this new procedure, we sought to perform a quality assurance project using our own small prospective cohort to justify this change in practice. We chose to examine device stability and to gauge our patients' perspective of the surgery and their overall satisfaction with the process. Methods: A total of 12 adult patients who underwent MIPS between 2016 and 2017 with a minimum post-operative follow-up of 12 months were included in this study. A prospective MIPS research clinic was used to follow patients, assess the implant site soft tissue status and gather qualitative information through patient interviews and surveys. Results: The mean (SD) soft tissue status score averages using the IPS Scale were low for inflammation 0.1 (0.1), pain 0.1 (0.1), skin height 0.2 (0.1) and total IPS score 0.4 (0.3) indicating minimal soft tissue changes. Patient experiences with MIPS were overwhelmingly positive in reports through the MIPS modified SSQ-8. All patients reported speedy recoveries and no long-term complications. There were zero device losses. Conclusion: The series presented in this paper represents the first MIPS cohort with long term follow-up to be published to date in North America. Our findings conclude both device stability and patient satisfaction with no loss of fixtures. Consequently, we have adopted MIPS as our procedure of choice for the placement of all percutaneous BAHDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]