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Crisis intervention services for people experiencing psychological distress and suicidal ideation are frequently described by the people accessing them as failing to meet their needs. This paper reports a prominent finding from a realist evaluation of Taranaki Retreat—a charitable, non‐clinical organisation in New Zealand, which offers free respite for people experiencing acute distress. Using qualitative methods, the study aimed to move beyond vague notions regarding the helpfulness of respite, to a deeper understanding of the contextual factors and mechanisms which generate outcomes for such an intervention. Participant observation, focus groups with staff, semi‐structured interviews with service users, and analysis of service users' case notes were conducted over a six‐month period in 2018. The most prominent finding from the study related to 'genuine care'—care which is interpreted by the recipient as being motivated by a genuine desire to help. We present this finding as to the central mechanism in a wider programme theory developed through the realist evaluation study. We also present five key features of the care participants were offered at Taranaki Retreat which contributed to their common interpretation regarding the motivations behind this care. Upon considering the centrality of this mechanism we conclude that, in designing crisis interventions, greater consideration should be given to how the intervention can demonstrate genuine care. Having highlighted the ways in which the structure of charitable organisations appears conducive for interpretations of genuine care, we further conclude that the provision of comprehensive crisis intervention by charitable organisations should be further explored and supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the psychological strengths we identified from interviews with community dwelling older adults. Data for this paper is drawn from participants in a community dwelling older adult study. The latter involved qualitative in‐depth interviews with the participants exploring their well‐being. All participants were community dwelling and living in a region in the North Island of New Zealand. Interviews took place between March 2017 to September 2017. Thirty‐seven older adults between the ages of 66–99 took part in semi‐structured interviews and all interviews were audio‐recorded. Interviews ranged from 1 to 3 hr. Analysis was informed by the Values in Action Character strengths framework. We were able to identify strengths within the VIA conceptual framework comprising; cognitive strengths, emotional strengths, social and community strengths, protective strengths and transcendental strengths. Throughout this study we found that participants experienced difficulties in identifying and talking about their strengths. In many ways this may reflect participants' strength of humility, demonstrating modesty in talking about themselves. This study has highlighted the challenges older adults experienced in identifying their own strengths. However, the study has demonstrated how narratives can be one way of uncovering psychological strengths with older adults. In particular, these findings highlight the range of strengths, for example, bravery, gratitude, hope, humour, kindness, perseverance, spirituality, that older adults have and give a voice in highlighting these. However, more practical ways of making strength‐based practices workable in daily practice, for example, in clinical assessment and health promotion programs are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in English-speaking jurisdictions, including Australia, North America, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, about the prevention of sexual abuse perpetrated by children against other children. The aim of this review was to identify opportunities for research, policy and practice which could enhance the prevention agenda relating to the perpetration of sexual abuse by children through conducting a Critical Interpretive Synthesis. Eleven electronic databases were searched in the period from 22 April to 23 May 2013 and included: SocINDEX, Social Services Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, Project Muse, PsychINFO, Family and Society Plus, Jstor, Expanded Academic ASAP, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Key individual journals were also searched, including Child Abuse and Neglect and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, as well as the grey literature. The search was guided by the research question: How could the prevention agenda relating to sexual abuse perpetrated by children be enhanced? The systematic literature search yielded 3323 titles, and 34 of these papers were included in the final synthesis. The authors identified five domains operating in the evidence base: characteristics, causes, communications, interventions and treatments. A synthesising construct emerged from the review: prevention-enhancing interactions. This construct referred to the potential for enhancing the prevention agenda which exists as the evidence domains interact with one another, and with the public health model of prevention. The authors consider this review to be a timely contribution to the current agenda pertaining to sexual abuse perpetrated by children. It provides researchers, policy makers and practitioners in the field with an evidence-informed conceptualisation of opportunities for enhancing prevention work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes to services as governments funneled health-related funding and resources into stopping the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, older people were singled out as an "at-risk" group, which prompted caution from both older people and governments to limit their exposure to COVID-19. It remains unclear what the impact this has had on older people's routine health and social care access, and how older people themselves viewed these changes. This analysis investigates older people's understanding and experiences of using health and social care services under the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in 2020. This analysis draws from a wider, letter-writing study that received 748 letters from 854 participants aged 70 years and older who were living in New Zealand during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Just over half of letter writers described access to health and social care services. Informed by Penchansky and Thomas' 5 A's of the access framework, we conducted a thematic analysis of this subsample of letters (n = 404). This analysis identified four broad categories relating to access to health and social care services under COVID-19 lockdown restrictions: (a) the system-wide strangeness of physically accessing services, (b) accommodation of services, (c) availability of resources and personnel, and (d) enhanced quality of those included by services. Rather than passively accepting changes, older people adapted to restrictions by drawing on their available materials and social resources. We conclude this analysis with suggestions for improving future interventions and policies to better older people's access to health and social care during times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Māori (Indigenous people of New Zealand [NZ]) experience inequitable health outcomes compared to non‐Māori, across the spectrum of clinical care, including those relating to medicines. Internationally, pharmacist‐facilitated medicines review services have been shown to benefit older adults. Despite national policies calling for the increased implementation of these services, NZ data relating to them remain limited, and these services may increase disparities between Māori and non‐Māori. There are currently no medicines review services developed specifically for Māori older adults. The current study aims to elicit stakeholder views of current and potential pharmacist services to help inform the development of a pharmacist‐facilitated medicines review service for community‐dwelling Māori older adults. Kaupapa Māori theory was applied within this qualitative research. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants who were involved in providing, planning, funding developing or culturally supporting health services in Waitematā District Health Board, Auckland, NZ. Data were collected in semi‐structured interviews and in a focus group and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study was reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative research. Eleven participants took part in the research in one focus group (n = 4) and seven semi‐structured interviews, conducted between November 2018 and March 2019. Three main themes were generated: (a) moving out of the shadows – claiming pharmacists' unique role within a healthcare whānau (family); (b) 'give them the power to be able to ask' – upholding the mana (self‐esteem, pride, standing) and autonomy of kaumātua (Māori older adults) and (c) rights versus realities – reimagining pro‐equity Māori health services within the constraints of the colonial health system. The right of Māori to experience equitable health outcomes needs to be included in policy and also operationalised in relation to medicines review services through improved utilisation of pharmacist skills and improving Māori older adults' autonomy and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the views and opinions of nonconsumer researchers to the concept of an Expert Consumer Researcher Group. Design and Methods: Qualitative exploratory involving individual interviews with nonconsumer mental health researchers experienced in working collaboratively with consumer researchers. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings: Participants viewed the concept positively, albeit with caution. Perceived advantages included: greater visibility and enhanced access; collegiality; sharing and creating expertise; broader acceptance; making it mandatory; and structure and location. Participants were concerned about potential tokenism and implementation barriers. Practice Implications: Consumer involvement enhances the quality and relevance of research, potentially impacting clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networks are informal relationships often with social ties and voluntary or mandatory obligations that can positively support a patient with multimorbidity. This exploratory study sought insights into the social networks of New Zealand people with multimorbidity and also the work of those nominated as providing significant support. Ten participants were recruited from general practice as part of an education programme in which health professional students discussed living with multimorbidity and completed a social network template together with patients. Each patient nominated an individual from their social network whom they considered provided significant support. A researcher interviewed each supporter about their experience of providing support, and their view of the patient's social network. Significant supporters included three classified as 'lay' supporters (sister, wife and daughter) and seven classified as 'professional' supporters (exercise physiologist, general practitioners, nurse, medical specialists). The activities described by supporters was classified according to Vassilev et al.'s expansion of Corbin and Strauss's 1985 classification of work in chronic illness, including the categories of "illness," "everyday" and "emotional" work. Irrespective of whether supporters were lay or professional, they gave examples of each category. While this is expected of lay supporters, it is not expected of professional supporters who are typically viewed as undertaking illness work. Lay supporters described a complex array of activities sometimes impacting on their own personal well‐being, making them more akin to meeting the formal definition of being a carer, while professional supports gave objective yet professionally invested descriptions. The work of lay and professional supporters is complementary in the provision of support for those with multimorbidity. Consideration should be given to the role of lay supporters and to their own needs if they are to be able to sustain their support work with patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]