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Livestock cause many fatal and non-fatal agricultural accidents. It is crucial to understand how farmers perceive and manage different risks associated with livestock handling to devise better solutions for accident reduction. The current study investigated farmers' perception and management of four types of livestock handling risks related to self, animal, environment, and equipment. Additionally, farmers' and agricultural stakeholders' perspectives were compared. Two samples comprising 56 farmers and 55 stakeholders from the UK and Ireland completed the online study. Participants were presented with eight short livestock handling vignettes, two per risk type, and were asked to decide whether they would proceed with the task, to report their reasoning, and to detail their risk management strategies. Likert-scale responses across scenarios were compared. Thematic analysis was used to identify qualitative data patterns. Stress and fatigue were perceived as low risk by both samples based on quantitative and qualitative results. The thematic analysis revealed that risk was evaluated in terms of broader aspects, including animal welfare and duty. Participants reported the use of cognitive non-technical skills when mitigating risks associated with handling livestock alone. By changing safety messages to capture farmer priorities, agricultural organisations could encourage risk avoidance, especially in situations involving stress or fatigue. Furthermore, the cognitive non-technical skills identified could be trained within existing courses for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontline workers have shown extraordinary resilience and sustained efforts since the outbreak of COVID-19. The present study used semi-structured interviews with 38 frontline workers in the UK and Ireland to explore the psychological impact of working through COVID-19. The qualitative data were analysed systematically using thematic analysis. Four themes were interpreted: 1)) "I've stopped turning the telly on. I've had to because the news was making me ill": An ecosystem of influence; 2) "Dead, dead, dead": The emotional and psychological toll: 3) "It's shone a light on what we're failing on as well": Injustices, hierarchies and heroes: and 4) "I definitely think COVID happened for a reason to stop us in our tracks and to slow us down": Unexpected positives. This research offers insights into how frontline workers make sense of their experiences during periods of enormous societal and occupational stress. The learnings generated have relevance for government and organisational policy-makers who have opportunities to shape future conditions for frontline workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objective: To explore older people's initial experience of household isolation, social distancing and shielding, and the plans they constructed to support them through the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: Public health guidance for those aged 70 or older was predominantly to undertake stringent social distancing within their household. Little is known about older people's experience of these measures. This paper explores changes experienced by those over the age of 70 during the first two weeks of household isolation, social distancing and shielding in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and their early perceptions and plans to support them through the pandemic. Methods: An inductive phenomenological study. University staff posted the study invitation flyer on social media, such as WhatsApp neighbourhood groups, the Nextdoor App and Twitter. Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with 19 participants and repeated at 2‐week intervals for 10 weeks; further data collection is still in progress. This paper presents the findings from the baseline interviews, which showed older peoples' early responses. The COREQ (COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research) checklist was adhered to in the reporting of this study. Results: Three themes emerged from older people's early experiences of social distancing: protective measures; current and future plans; and acceptance of a good life, but still a life to live. Conclusion: People over 70 adapted to household isolation, social distancing and shielding, by using social media and neighbourhood resources. Nurses and other professionals can develop holistic care for older people by listening to their experiences of what works for them, helping them link to local and distant supports. Understanding the holistic life view of older people, including death anxiety, is an important element of care planning; to help older people access the protective resources, they need to reduce the serious risks associated with coronavirus. Relevance to clinical practice: Older people engage with social media, and during the current pandemic and beyond nurses can engage with this medium to communicate with older people. The importance of nurses to understand some older people consider quality of life to be more important than longevity, which may impact on their adherence to health advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of quality-adjusted life years rests on the assertion that the objective of the health care system is to improve health. Aim: To elicit the views of expert stakeholders on the purpose and evaluation of supportive end of life care, and explore how different purposes of end of life care imply the need for different evaluative frameworks. Design: Semi-structured qualitative interviews, analysed through an economic lens using a constant comparative approach. Participants: Twenty professionals working in or visiting the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland, with clinical experience and/or working as academics in health-related disciplines. Results: Four purposes of end of life care were identified from and are critiqued with the aid of the qualitative data: to improve health, to enable patients to die in their preferred place, to enable the patient to experience a good death, and to enable the patient to experience a good death, and those who are close to the patient to have an experience which is as free as possible from fear, stress and distress. Conclusion: Managing symptoms and reducing anxiety were considered to be core objectives of end of life care and fit with the wider health service objective of improving/maximising health. A single objective across the entire health system ensures consistency in the way that resource allocation is informed across that entire system. However, the purpose of care at the end of life is more complex, encompassing diverse and patient-centred objectives which we have interpreted as enabling the patient to experience a good death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survivors of clerical institutional childhood abuse (ICA) experience poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. Resilience research with this group has focused on psychological adjustment and we know less about the factors across the social ecology that support positive adaptation, including the impact of migration. This study explores the influence of resilience‐enhancing factors across the social ecology on the mental wellbeing (MWB) of Irish emigrant survivors of ICA and how this compares with non‐migrant survivors. Fifty‐six survivors based in the UK and 46 based in Ireland completed a quantitative survey that assessed resilience‐potentiating resources and associations with MWB. A further nine participants, resident in the UK, engaged in a structured interview which aimed to further explain these quantitative data. Results indicate more resilience‐enhancing resources across the ecology of emigrant survivors of ICA. Personal skills and competencies, such as problem‐focused coping, altruism and defiance, and social inclusion were associated with MWB regardless of country of residence. For the migrant group, social identity not defined by institutional care facilitated social inclusion. Migration to the UK and informal instrumental support in the aftermath of institutional care were identified as key turning points towards resilience. Key Practitioner Messages: Multiple factors across the ecology influence the resilience of survivors of institutional childhood abuse (ICA).Resilience strategies for survivors of ICA are contextual and may appear maladaptive to practitioners unfamiliar with the cultural context of this abuse.For Irish emigrant survivors of ICA, problem‐focused coping, defiance, altruism, social inclusion, instrumental support and a social identity not defined by childhood abuse enhanced resilience.Resilience is dynamic and emerges over time for adult survivors of chronic childhood abuse. 'Explores the influence of resilience‐enhancing factors across the social ecology on the mental wellbeing... of Irish emigrant survivors of institutional childhood abuse' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is increasing recognition that dysphagia has significant implications for a person's psychological well‐being, social participation and quality of life (QOL). However, a paucity of research exists regarding the clinical management of this area. To inform future research and the development of appropriate and beneficial resources and guidelines, a better understanding of the current practice of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in this area would be useful. This information will highlight current challenges to clinical practice and the ongoing development needs of the profession, which are, as of yet, undocumented. Aims: To determine the practices of SLTs when addressing QOL issues in individuals with dysphagia, the beliefs of SLTs regarding the impact of dysphagia on QOL, the current trends in assessing and managing QOL in dysphagia, and if variations in beliefs and practices in this area exist. Methods & Procedures: An anonymous cross‐sectional, non‐experimental survey study was used. The survey consisted of 18 questions exploring participants' beliefs and opinions regarding dysphagia and QOL, current clinical practice in the area, perceived facilitators and barriers, and education, training and development needs. The survey was created on Survey Monkey and disseminated by e‐mail link to SLT professional bodies. Purposive and snowball sampling were used and participants self‐selected based on the information provided alongside the e‐mail link. Inclusion criteria for the study were a qualification in speech and language therapy, proficiency in the English language, and access to a computer with the internet. Outcomes & Results: A total of 148 SLTs working across the UK, Ireland and South Africa completed the survey. Over 90% of respondents believe that dysphagia has a negative impact on QOL, but only 25% are currently satisfied with the amount of clinical time they can dedicate to this area. Staffing, resources, a lack of best‐practice guidelines and disease‐specific QOL assessment tools were cited as contributing factors. A number of facilitators and barriers to best practice were also highlighted. Based on these findings, professional development actions for the future are suggested. Conclusions & Implications: SLTs believe they have an important role to play in supporting QOL issues in dysphagia. However, it is reported that the area is currently under‐developed, under‐resourced and under‐supported. Increased awareness raising of the role of SLT, alongside the development of best‐practice guidelines and disease‐specific QOL assessment tools, will enhance the quality of care that can be offered in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tractors are a source of injury and fatality in agriculture. Despite this farmers continue to engage in risk-taking behaviors, including operating tractors without appropriate equipment. In order to change behaviors and attitudes toward safety, it is important to understand how farmers approach different types of risk relevant to tractor use. The current study used a qualitative approach to investigate farmer perception of four types of tractor-based risk related to self, equipment, lack of safety features, and environment. Method: A sample of 148 farmers from the United Kingdom and Ireland was recruited from farming forums to take part in an online scenario-based qualitative study. Participants were presented with 12 tractor-based scenarios, three from each category of risk, and asked to indicate if they would proceed to use the tractor (go) or not (no-go), then report their reasoning. Thematic analysis was used to identify data patterns. Results: Farmers appeared to assess the consequences of risk in broader terms than the risk of injury to themselves; they also evaluated risk in terms of potential costs (e.g., repair bill) and losses (e.g., delay). Analysis indicated that financial risk was considered with more caution than personal risk in many cases. Farmers also considered usability, such as the functionality of tractor seat belts, indicating the importance of ensuring all safety equipment is fit for purpose. Conclusion: The management of agricultural risk should consider farmer priorities (such as financial costs) in order to develop effective messaging that focuses on those priorities, with the aim of reducing risk-taking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]