Search

Debates over the value and contribution of community hospitals are hampered by a lack of empirical assessment of the experience of patients using these services. This paper presents findings from a study which included a focus on patient and family‐carer experiences of community hospitals in England. We adopted a qualitative design involving nine case study hospitals. Data collection included interviews with patients (n = 60), carers (n = 28) and staff (n = 89). Through patients and carers highlighting the value of community hospitals feeling 'close to home', providing holistic and personalised care and supporting them through difficult transitions, the study confirms the importance of functional and interpersonal aspects of care, while also highlighting the importance of social and psychological aspects. These included having family, friends and the community close, maintaining social connections during periods of hospital treatment, and feeling less anonymous and anxious when attending the hospital due to the high levels of familiarity and connectedness. Although the experiences uncovered in this study were not uniformly positive, patients and carers placed a high overall value on the care provided by community hospitals, often arguing that these were distinctive when compared to their experiences of using other health and care services. The study suggests the need to weigh the full range of these dimensions of patient experience—functional, interpersonal, social and psychological—when assessing the role and contribution of community hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical kind of special robot with high flexibility and maneuverability, the hyperredundant manipulators (HRM) which can work in the narrow and complex space arose much related research work. Due to the particularity of the environment and the structural complexity of the manipulators, there are many problems for the HRM in specific applications. This paper summarizes some representative research works for HRM, including the mechanical design, environment perception, robotic navigation, and trajectory control. In order to make the design of the HRM systems more suitable for applications, the technical problems of current research are analyzed to address the key issues for the improvement. Finally, the prospect of spatial reachability, structural compactness, operation accuracy, and interaction friendliness of hyperredundant manipulators are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the atmosphere of domestic animation is getting stronger and stronger in recent years, its proportion in the process of public aesthetics, entertainment, and consumption is increasing; thus, the relationship between the audience and works has become an important academic focus. The theatrical animation in the animation industry has become the category that needs to be focused on and changed in the development process of domestic animation because of its characteristics of receiving attention from all-age audiences. Because of the diversified audience levels faced by theatrical animation, it is particularly difficult to coordinate the needs of each audience level, coupled with the long-term influence of Japanese and American animation; the trend of pop culture led by network culture; the inheritance, excavation, and reconstruction of national culture; and other cultural environment and creative thinking intertwined, making the construction of the independence of domestic animation appear more and more difficult. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the theoretical study of the healing elements of Natsume Yojimbo and to analyze the creation of Chinese traditional ink and wash in the creation of our own works. It is concluded that the thematic choices are based on two categories: emotions and dreams, which focus on personal life experience and universal concern for human life. The character construction is divided into three aspects: self-resistance and self-reflection, self-vision and self-actualization, and traumatic experience and self-rescue to explain the complexity and diversity of the characters' growth connotation. The narrative perspective constitutes the perspective from which the issues are viewed. The omniscient perspective allows for the coexistence of complex character relationships and a clear storyline, while the limited perspective reveals certain emotional tendencies. The narrative mode presents the moral of the text with cause-and-effect narrative, embellished group narrative, and dreamlike polyphony narrative. Finally, the article discusses the realistic dilemma of the growth narrative of domestic online animation and tries to put forward feasible development suggestions in response to the problems at this stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to use the Walker and Avant method of concept analysis to evaluate the concept of instrumental support in the context of hospital to home care transitions. Findings from this concept analysis suggest three defining attributes of instrumental support: informal support providers, tangible support, and unmet personal needs. Antecedents identified: a strong and supportive social network, an independently functioning adult, an illness resulting in hospitalization, a change in functional status, and the patient being discharged home from the hospital. Consequences of not having adequate instrumental support: unsuccessful recovery at home, increased risk for hospital readmission, decline in physical functioning, health complications, and increased risk of mortality. Empirical referents: patient's report of successful recovery, returning to an independent level of functioning, and the lack of hospital readmission or health complication. A model and a contrary case study were developed to provide examples of clinical cases related to instrumental support. Recommendations related to clinical practice include evaluating the availability/adequacy of instrumental support before hospital discharge and including the identified instrumental support person in the discharge planning process. There are proven benefits of having people within one's social network providing instrumental support during the home recovery period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper recounts the process of undertaking a randomised controlled trial which was designed to examine the effectiveness of an intervention for socially isolated older people aged 75 years and over. It describes the reasons for early cessation of the study and raises the implications of this outcome for policy, practice and research. The intervention under investigation was designed to alleviate loneliness and foster companionship. It involves participants being linked with a small group of others through a teleconferencing system with each group being facilitated by trained volunteers. There was a requirement to recruit and train a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 60 volunteers over 1 year to facilitate 20 friendship groups to meet the number of older people required to be recruited to the study. Problems with recruiting and retaining the volunteer workforce by the voluntary sector organisation, who were commissioned to do so, led to the study closing even though older people were recruited in sufficient numbers. The paper draws upon analysis of various data sources from the study to identify the potential reasons. The discussion raises considerations regarding the extent of infrastructure required to deliver community services to vulnerable user groups at scale, identifies some of the issues that need to be addressed if such volunteer-initiated services are to be successful and informs future research programmes in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to suicide and the associated impacts for those left behind can be long lasting and traumatic. Literature has predominantly examined the experience of suicide and impact from the perspective of those closest to the deceased—with studies primarily focused on kin relationships. Appropriate and timely support delivered by skilled professionals, through the provision of postvention support, has been suggested as a way to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with exposure to suicide. The evidence regarding what support, for whom, and the timing of support is scarce. As an extension of this scarcity, there is minimal research examining the ways in which provision of this postvention (that is, support following exposure to suicide) support impacts workers. This paper explores service use data gathered to evaluate a nation‐wide Australian suicide postvention service, in conjunction with qualitative data from those providing postvention support to those exposed to suicide to understand who accesses support and the impact of providing such support on service providers. Postvention workers provide insight into the demands of responding to suicide, the pressure of being on call, and the ways in which they are able to maintain their well‐being through external supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Social isolation and loneliness are common experiences of ageing in rural communities. Policy responses and interventions for social isolation and loneliness in later life are shaped by sociocultural understandings of place, relationships and social interaction. This study examined how representations of rural community in Ireland influenced the focus, relationships and activities within a befriending intervention designed to tackle social isolation and loneliness. Through a qualitative case study conducted in 2014, the symbolic meaning of the intervention was explored using interviews and focus groups with participants (8 befriended, 11 befrienders and 3 community workers) from one befriending programme in rural Ireland. Reflected in the programme was a representation of a rural community in decline with concern for the impact on older people. There was a valuing of the traditional community defined by geographical place, perceptions of similarity among its members, and values of solidarity and mutual support. The befriending intervention represented a commitment to intra‐community solidarity and a desire by many for authentic befriending relationships that mirrored understandings of relationships within the traditional community. Identifying and alleviating social isolation and loneliness imply a set of normative values about community and the optimal social relationships within community. This paper proposes that there is a need to consider the role played by understandings of community in shaping context‐sensitive interventions to counter social isolation and loneliness in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the experiences and views of children and young people of single-parent families, as findings from a European Union-funded research project undertaken in England, Greece and Cyprus. The objectives of the research project were to investigate how children and young people of single-parent families understand and experience their worlds as members of these families: whether and to what extent they experience poverty and social exclusion and how they cope with the challenges that this confronts them with. Methodology was replicated in each of the countries; however, this paper draws on the English experiences. Semistructured interviews (40) and focus groups (four) were undertaken with children of single parents. In addition, focus groups were undertaken with children of two-parent families (four), focus groups with single parents, focus groups with two-parent families (four) and individual interviews with key professionals. Detailed discussion guides were followed, with open-ended questions to allow participants to express their feelings and ideas in their own words. The research sample included children from single-parent and two-parent families, aged 6 years to 16 years, balanced in terms of age, gender and geographical location. Findings demonstrate the children's and young people's understanding of the impact of poverty and social exclusion on their family life and their everyday experiences. The positive benefits of being in a single-parent family are highlighted, with ‘time poverty’ raised as a significant issue. Children and young people are aware of their poverty and how it influences exclusion from friendships, play, leisure and community activities. Policy needs to take account of the systematic reality of children's experiences; alliances with adults that support meaningful involvement and participation by children and young people will make a significant contribution to this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeless drug and alcohol users are one of the most marginalised groups in society. They frequently have complex needs and limited social support. In this paper, we explore the role of friendship in the lives of homeless drug and alcohol users living in hostels, using the concepts of 'social capital' and 'recovery capital' to frame the analyses. The study was undertaken in three hostels, each in a different English city, during 2013-2014. Audio recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 residents (9 females; 21 males) who self-reported drink and/or drug problems; follow-up interviews were completed 4-6 weeks later with 22 participants (6 females; 16 males). Data were transcribed verbatim, coded using the software package MAXQDA, and analysed using Framework. Only 21 participants reported current friends at interview 1, and friendship networks were small and changeable. Despite this, participants desired friendships that were culturally normative. Eight categories of friend emerged from the data: family-like friends; using friends; homeless friends; childhood friends; online-only friends; drug treatment friends; work friends; and mutual interest friends. Routine and regular contact was highly valued, with family-like friends appearing to offer the most constant practical and emotional support. The use of information and communication technologies ( ICTs) was central to many participants' friendships, keeping them connected to social support and recovery capital outside homelessness and substance-using worlds. We conclude that those working with homeless drug and alcohol users - and potentially other marginalised populations - could beneficially encourage their clients to identify and build upon their most positive and reliable relationships. Additionally, they might explore ways of promoting the use of ICTs to combat loneliness and isolation. Texting, emailing, online mutual aid meetings, chatrooms, Internet penpals, skyping and other social media all offer potentially valuable opportunities for building friendships that can bolster otherwise limited social and recovery capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing policy recognition that the alleviation of social isolation and loneliness in older people should be prioritised. Recently, technology, such as telephone networks and the Internet, has received attention in supporting isolated and lonely older people. Despite lack of evidence, telephone befriending has been considered an effective low-level method to decrease loneliness among older people. This study evaluated the impact of a national befriending scheme for isolated and/or lonely older people, involving eight project sites across the UK 2007-2008. The purpose was to assess the impact of different models of telephone-based befriending services on older people's health and well-being. A mixed methods approach was used. This paper reports on the findings from 40 in-depth interviews with older service recipients. The most important finding was that the service helped older people to gain confidence, re-engage with the community and become socially active again. Three topics were identified: why older people valued the service, what impact it had made on their health and well-being and what they wanted from the service. In addition, nine subthemes emerged: life is worth living, gaining a sense of belonging, knowing they had a friend, a healthy mind is a healthy body, the alleviation of loneliness and anxiety, increased self-confidence, ordinary conversation, a trusted and reliable service, the future - giving something back. In conclusion, the findings present in-depth qualitative evidence of the impact of telephone befriending on older people's well-being. Befriending schemes provide low-cost means for socially isolated older people to become more confident and independent and develop a sense of self-respect potentially leading to increased participation and meaningful relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous women encounter increased stressful life experiences such as socioeconomic insecurities as well as inequities in health services and outcomes. These stress inequities, which stem from the historical and ongoing effects of settler colonialism, also worsen health outcomes for those women living with HIV. As a part of a broader research project on the impacts of stress-reducing interventions for indigenous women, this study examines the experiences of the women who facilitated the intervention. This research was conducted to evaluate the impacts of a biweekly stress-reducing intervention conducted in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The facilitators of the intervention participated in a focus group in 2019 where they detailed the reach, effectiveness, adoption, and implementation of the intervention. The results suggest that effective stress-reducing interventions should strive to be accessible and inclusive and that doing so can increase program engagement with the service organization hosting the intervention. Further, the results highlight the strengths and challenges of the intervention, including how it helped foster leadership skills and increased indigenous cultural learning among facilitators. These findings demonstrate the strength of community-led interventions and subsequent opportunities for facilitators to grow as leaders. Further, the study highlights how this style of intervention can also encourage participants to engage in other health and wellbeing programs offered by the community partner hosting the intervention. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing stress among indigenous women facing socioeconomic insecurities, including those living with HIV, are both feasible and beneficial for participants, facilitators, and the nonprofit service organizations delivering them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative evaluation study examined the impact of unstructured intervention on people with depression in a community mental health centre in Hong Kong. In the intervention, service users initiated groups and designed group activities by themselves, with social workers as facilitators. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with service users enrolled in unstructured intervention, their family members, and service providers in 2019. Overall, 32 participants were recruited through purposive sampling. The results revealed that peer interactions helped participants to feel accepted and understood. Participants also acquired experience with emotional coping strategies and practised their interpersonal skills, and by learning new skills from peers, they were able to rebuild their self‐esteem and improve their relationships with friends and family. To cater to clients' different needs and concerns, unstructured activities should be diversified. Family and social functioning should also be emphasised in the development of unstructured intervention because the generic skills and knowledge acquired from unstructured activities with peers could help to enhance family relationships, self‐confidence, and the ability to manage issues related to working and socialising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carers of people living with a disability, mental health problems, alcohol or drug dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who are frail due to age may experience negative caregiving impacts. Although carers' social isolation has been reported in many qualitative studies, it has largely been neglected in quantitative studies. Using data collected in the Carers NSW 2020 National Carer Survey, this large‐scale quantitative study aimed to identify the extent of Australian carers' social connectedness and what factors may be related to their social well‐being. The validated Friendship Scale was used to measure social connectedness of 5585 carers. More than half (56.2%) of these carers were socially isolated. Analysis found that a longer duration of caring, more time spent weekly caring, living with the care recipient, caring for a greater number of people, receiving no help from others, higher reported psychological distress and reporting perceived needs were all associated with greater social isolation. Identifying as female or nonbinary/gender diverse, identifying with a culturally and linguistically diverse background, and caring as a parent, former partner or young carer were also related to poorer social connectedness. Health and social services need to consider the needs of carers, identify carers who are socially isolated and provide resources to promote social connectedness. Greater attention in practice and research to focus on carers' social connectedness to address this crucial caregiving experience is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation has been associated with poor mental health outcomes, particularly for older immigrants who do not have a protective social environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of social isolation (living alone, marginal family ties and marginal friend ties) with mental distress and to examine the moderating role of social cohesion (family cohesion and community cohesion). We hypothesised that social isolation and social cohesion would be directly associated with mental distress and that social cohesion would buffer the influence of social isolation on mental distress. Data were drawn from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA), which included 2150 older Korean Americans aged 60 or over in multiple areas, collected during 2017–2018. A series of hierarchical regression models of mental distress examined the direct and interactive role of social isolation and social cohesion. Approximately one‐third of the sample lived alone, 20% had marginal family ties and 27% had marginal friend ties. All three indicators of social isolation had a significant direct effect on mental health; however, living alone lost its statistical significance with the inclusion of social cohesion variables. Both indicators of family and community cohesion were significantly associated with lower levels of mental distress. In addition, family cohesion buffered the negative effects of marginal ties to family and friends on mental distress. The significant role of a positive social environment must be considered when addressing the needs of older immigrants who are socially isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B testing is the gateway for prevention and care. However, previous studies document low hepatitis B testing uptake in sub‐Saharan Africa. This study investigated knowledge, stigma endorsement and knowing someone with hepatitis B as correlates of hepatitis B testing behaviours among people in the Greater Accra and Northern regions of Ghana. A cross‐sectional survey was completed by 971 participants (Greater Accra = 503, and Northern region = 468) between October 2018 and January 2019. Approximately 54% of the participants reported having been tested for hepatitis B. The logistic regression analyses showed that having greater hepatitis B knowledge was positively associated with hepatitis B testing (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.14–1.30). Higher hepatitis B stigma endorsement was negatively related to hepatitis B testing (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96–0.99). Also, participants who knew someone (i.e. parent, sibling and/or friend) with hepatitis B were more likely to have tested compared to those who did not know someone with hepatitis B (OR = 7.15, 95% CI: 5.04–10.14). This study demonstrates that knowing someone with hepatitis B increases the likelihood of testing, highlighting the need to create safe and non‐judgmental contexts for people with hepatitis B (PWHB) to disclose if they want to. Also, given that greater hepatitis B knowledge increases testing and hepatitis B stigma endorsement impedes testing, interventions that increase knowledge and reduce stigma should be incorporated in efforts to promote testing in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older men are less likely than women to meet in social groups and have greater difficulty developing social relationships beyond paid work. Yet they are joining Men's Sheds in ever greater numbers, often with the support of women, as wives, partners and daughters. Little is known about women's perspectives of Men's Sheds and what women get from men's participation in Sheds. Informed by social role theory, the present study explored narratives from 26 significant women of male Shedders in Ireland and Australia. The narratives reveal how gender roles and unspoken rules shape people's lives, with three overarching themes emerging. These include (1) older men being vulnerable, with subthemes men's masculine persona, and women's vigilance, (2) gendered spaces for older men, with subthemes companionship: men mending men and healing in the Shed and (3) the spill over effects of Men's Sheds. Retirement, whether planned or prompted by ill‐health, ushers in a new stage of life, requiring new routines and social contacts. For men who lived their life according to gender social roles, which perceive men as masculine, independent and assertive and not inclined to open display of emotion and affection, adjusting to certain aspects of retirement may be difficult, particularly the lack of purposeful activity. Conversely, for women social role identity may be a source of strength for recognising and accepting vulnerability, and for seeking help. Our findings suggest women are central in encouraging older men to join Men's Sheds. In turn, women may experience an alleviation of stress when men participate in Sheds because they are not under the same pressure of their traditional social roles as carers and nurturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this work was to explore head and neck cancer (HNC) patients' and their family members' views on acceptability and feasibility of patient‐initiated follow‐up (PIFU), including concerns and anticipated benefits. Methods: Patients were recruited from UK HNC clinics, support groups and advocacy groups. They completed a survey (n = 144) and/or qualitative interview (n = 30), three with a family member. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, quantitative data using descriptive statistics. Results: Preference for follow‐up care in HNC was complex and individual. Many patients thought PIFU could beneficially reallocate health care resources and encourage self‐management. Patients' main concerns with PIFU were losing the reassurance of regular clinic appointments and addressing mental well‐being needs within PIFU, possibly using peer support. Patients were concerned about their ability to detect recurrence due to lack of expertise and information. They emphasised the importance of a reliable, direct and easy urgent appointment service and of feeling supported and heard by clinicians. Patients believed family and friends need support. Conclusion: PIFU may be feasible and acceptable for certain HNC patients, providing it addresses support for mental well‐being, provides quick, reliable and direct clinician access and information on "red flag" symptoms, and ensures patients and their caregivers feel supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal the effects of discrimination perceived by Turkish immigrants on their mental health. Design and Methods: The participants of this pilot study were 111 Turkish immigrant patients treated at the Neuro‐Psychiatrisches Zentrum Riem. Findings: The preliminary findings illustrated that perceived individual discrimination was significantly correlated with three coping strategies, namely, substance use, friend support, and personal support. Practice Implications: This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the coping strategies and social support mechanisms of Turkish immigrants who perceived discrimination and employed strategies to combat it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the pattern, influencing factors of peer relationships, or their interplays amongst community‐dwelling older people. This qualitative study was undertaken to understand and present these issues under the guidance of existing Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship in the context of China. Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with 20 older adults in Chongqing, China. Interview transcripts were then analysed by performing content analysis under the guidance of existing categories of Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship and developing separate categories inductively to ensure all data was captured. The results revealed four themes—context, individual characteristics, interactive motifs and peer relationship patterns—and 16 categories. Based on the original Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship, the revised framework for peer relationships modified two dimensions (from structural context to social context, friendship patterns to peer relationship patterns) and added two categories (natural context and health status) that emerge from the data. Besides, different dimensions in the modified framework for peer relationships are explicitly interrelated and not completely independent from each other. In conclusion, this study modified the pre‐existing Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship, especially identifying two additional categories, natural context and health status, to understand peer relationships amongst the Chinese community‐dwelling older people through careful examination of the data. All domains concerning the modified conceptual framework of peer relationship may serve as possible targets for developing peer‐involved programs and thus improving social health, well‐being and successful ageing of Chinese older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the factors associated with the degree of distress experienced by patients with cancer before disclosing their cancer diagnosis to a friend and their perceptions of social support upon disclosure. Methods: Adult patients with cancer participated in a cross‐sectional Internet‐based survey on their behaviour when disclosing their diagnosis to a selected friend, degree of distress before this disclosure and perceived social support upon disclosure. Results: Of 473 eligible respondents, around half were middle‐aged (40–59 years) and around half were men. Having a younger age (20–39 years), being a woman and delaying disclosure were factors associated with greater pre‐disclosure distress. Most participants perceived receiving emotional support upon disclosure. Telling a close friend or a female friend and early disclosure timing were associated with perceived social support, although this varied by social support type. Conclusion: Younger patients and women may need more support in deciding to disclose their cancer diagnosis to friends. Selection of to whom to disclose this information and disclosure timing should be considered to achieve more desirable outcomes. In addition to selective disclosure—including planning and scheduling—communication skills may be required for effectively disclosing a cancer diagnosis and achieving favourable results following this disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Those diagnosed with dementia and those who provide care and support often feel socially isolated with limited opportunities for social engagement, increasing the potential for loneliness and further isolation that is detrimental to social health. This study examined how a co‐designed dementia café impacted on the self‐reported social health of community dwelling people with dementia and their care partners in the North‐West of England. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted at two time periods (summer of 2019 and spring of 2020), with five people living with dementia and eight care partners. The key finding was that participating in the cafés led to a sense of belonging and purpose that was beneficial to well‐being and social health for all participants. Community‐based initiatives that provide opportunities for peer support for the person with the diagnosis and the care partner are essential so that people living with dementia may rebuild their confidence as well as retaining opportunities to socialise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasingly, informal caregivers in Belgium care in group for an older patient. This study aimed to decrease the caregiver burden and to increase the well‐being of caregivers and patients by supporting the needs of informal care groups of older patients (≥70 years). Method: Through an online self‐management tool, the groups were supported to make informed choices concerning the care for the older patient, taking into account the standards, values, concerns and needs of every caregiver and patient. A pre‐post study was performed. Results: Although patients and caregivers considered the self‐management tool as useful and supportive, no clear evidence for decreased caregiver burden was found. There was a positive trend in group characteristics such as the distribution of tasks, communication and prevalence of conflicts. Caregivers also stated that they took more time for themselves, had less feelings of guilt and experienced less barriers to ask help. Conclusion: Tailor‐made support of informal care groups starts with facilitating and guiding a process to achieve consent within the group to optimise the care for the patient and also for the caregivers. With a shared vision and supported decisions, caregivers can enter into conversations with the professional caregiver to coordinate adjusted support regarding the care needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the application of various recommendation algorithms on over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Amazon Prime and Netflix has been explored, but the existing recommendation systems are less effective because either they fail to take an advantage of exploiting the inherent user relationship or they are not capable of precisely defining the user relationship. On such platforms, users generally express their preferences for movies and TV shows and also give ratings to them. For a recommendation system to be effective, it is important to establish an accurate and precise relationship between the users. Hence, there is a scope of research for effective recommendation systems that can define a relationship between users and then use the relationship to enhance the user experiences. In this research article, we have presented a hybrid recommendation system that determines the degree of friendship among the viewers based on mutual liking and recommendations on OTT platforms. The proposed enhanced model is an effective recommendation model for determining the degree of friendship among viewers with improved user experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the effects of smartphone overdependence and the quality of friendship on depression among high school students in Korea. The study subjects were 121 high school students. Smartphone overdependence was assessed using the smartphone overdependence scale for adolescents, depression was assessed using the Korean version of the patient health questionnaire-9, and the quality of friendship was assessed using the friendship quality questionnaire. The results of the correlation analysis showed statistically significant differences among all the variables. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis showed that smartphone overdependence increases the depression level, whereas the quality of friendship lowers it. To decrease depression among high school students, smartphone overdependence and the quality of friendship should be managed appropriately. Moreover, the causal relationships and mediating effects between smartphone overdependence and the quality of friendship should be analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pregnant activities, namely, the existence of classes for pregnant, can add insight and knowledge about pregnancy, pregnancy care, childbirth, and postpartum through educational counseling conducted by competent health workers. During the pregnancy, the women should remain in harmony with others to avoid stress, and the most important point is to always consume nutritious food for health. Good behavioral education for pregnant women includes social accommodation, forming friendships with family and neighbors, helping others, and tending to control emotions during pregnancy. Nutritional education during pregnancy includes knowledge about nutritional issues for pregnant women, how to consume nutritious foods and drinks, and the benefits of nutrition for mothers and fetuses. All pregnant women studied used a Sanro (shaman) to accompany them during pregnancy until delivery, even though there were medical personnel. Local wisdom becomes part of the approach in childbirth, to accompany them during pregnancy until delivery, even though there are health workers. Prenatal education models are still used by the pregnant women, especially in rural areas of Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of wireless communication and artificial intelligence has provided great convenience to the people's production and life and has also created many favorable conditions for the development of scientific research. Constructing a multidimensional monitoring system through technical means will help make community public spaces more friendly to preschool children, create a community public space that is friendly to preschool children, and better implement the concept of preschool children's friendliness. The thesis aims to explore the friendliness of preschool children in the public space of the community and focus on the needs of preschool children and their caregivers as the starting point. Based on wireless communication and artificial intelligence technology, it is evaluated from the three dimensions of space, service, and culture. Starting from this, we obtained relevant data on the impact of impact factors on the friendliness of preschool children in community public spaces and quantified the community public spaces based on these scores to provide theoretical support for realizing preschool children's friendliness in community public spaces. Research has proven that safety, inclusion, and diversity are the top concerns for community residents. Therefore, we should prioritize these factors when building community-friendly spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social relationships such as friendship and partner choice are ruled by the proximity principle, which states that the more similar two individuals are, the more likely they will become friends. However, proximity, similarity, and friendship are concepts with blurred edges and imprecise grades of membership. This study shows how to simulate these friendship dynamics in an agent-based model that applies fuzzy sets theory to implement agent attributes, rules, and social relationships, explaining the process in detail. Although in principle it may be thought that the use of fuzzy sets theory makes agent-based modelling more elaborated, in practice it saves the modeller from taking some arbitrary decisions on how to use crisp values for representing properties that are inherently fuzzy. The consequences of applying fuzzy sets and operations to define a fuzzy friendship relationship are compared with a simpler implementation, with crisp values. By integrating agent computational models and fuzzy set theory, this paper provides useful insights into scholars and practitioners to tackle the uncertainty inherent to social relationships in a systematic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population ageing resulting from declining fertility and extended life expectancy has been occurring rapidly throughout the world. Older adults are faced with multiple physical, psychological and social changes that challenge their sense of self and capacity for healthy ageing. Intergenerational programmes (IGP) in communities have been developed to address a variety of social issues brought about by the population ageing. These programmes focus on promoting intergenerational social contact, supporting educational programmes and facilitating intellectual and/or physical activities in the older adults. This study intended to explore the perception of community‐dwelling older adults towards an IGP in a senior day care centre in Singapore. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit 15 participants for the study. Individual face‐to‐face interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Interviews were audio‐taped and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was carried out. Four themes and 13 sub‐themes emerged: (1) IGP enhances memory and strength; (2) social interaction between older adults and younger generation; (3) emotional responses to IGP; and (4) attitudes and perception towards the younger generation. The current study illustrated the dynamic social interaction between older adults and the younger generation, as well as the perceived benefits of the IGP. The relationship formed between the two generations entailed companionship, mutual care, trust and affection. Participation in the IGP provided the older adults an opportunity for active engagement in society and development. Continuous effort must be put in to ensure continuity of integration and empowerment of older adults, including the removal of obstacles and barriers that exclude or discriminate against them. The study findings will help facilitate the customisation of IGP to meet the needs of the older adults. With a well‐planned and structured IGP, significant physical, emotional and psychosocial outcomes could benefit the older adults and the younger generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of unprotected sex activity in women living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who have insufficient glycemic control should be considered as a specific risky behavior. To evaluate risky behaviors, including unprotected sexual activity, sources of information and knowledge related to reproductive health in adolescents and young adult women with T1D (PwT1D) compared to a group of adolescents and young adult women without diabetes (Comparison group). PwT1D and the Comparison group completed a questionnaire with validated measures that assessed reproductive health. PwT1D (n = 115, age = 17.7 ± 3.2 years) and Comparison group (n = 386, age = 18.3 ± 2.9) were recruited. The proportion of women reporting having sex without any contraceptive was similar in both groups (57.1% and 50%, in PwT1D and Comparison group, respectively). The use of non‐effective contraceptive was reported in 63.2% and 63.6% of the PwT1D and Comparison group, respectively. Among PwT1D, parents, formal sex education, and friends were the primary source of information on reproductive health. Low levels of knowledge about diabetes and pregnancy were observed in PwT1D. HbA1c level was associated with having at least one sexual activity without any contraception (OR = 1.63, p = 0.039). PwT1D have similar rates of risky behaviors compared to a Comparison group. Sexual risky behaviors should be especially considered in PwT1D with glycemic control above the optimal level. Parents are an important source of reproductive health information for PwT1D. Use of effective contraception should be reinforced in sexually active PwT1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates determinants for offering help to family members, neighbours and friends, based on the Informal Care Model. We do so in pooled representative data for the Netherlands collected in 2014 and 2016 (persons >17 years, n = 13,165). One‐third provides informal care to a person with health problems or impairments: partners (4%, n = 671), parents or children (16%, n = 2,381), distant relatives (6%, n = 858), friends or neighbours (6%, n = 839). Marginal effects show differences in the associations of care‐giving relationships with sociodemographic factors, barriers and beliefs. Helping a partner is related to age, gender (older people and men are more likely to help) and household composition (singles help less often). Care for close family is given often by 45–64 year olds, women, multiperson households and those with strong family beliefs. Helping second‐degree relatives correlates with age (young people help more often), barriers (those living with children help less often) and beliefs (people with professional background in care and people who attend church or mosque helping more often). Providing non‐kin care is associated with age and education level (young people less likely to help, people with a high education more likely), barriers (having a fulltime job) and beliefs (work experience in care, church or mosque attendance and norms). The supply of care to partners and close family is mainly associated with sociodemographic factors and barriers while the provision of care to distant family and non‐kin is also correlated with beliefs. If desirable policy is to create more informal care, investment in the combination of work and informal care, childcare and supportive arrangements for older community living couples is recommended. It also might be worthwhile to enhance beliefs about the usefulness of helping each other in times of need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging adulthood presents unique challenges for type 1 diabetes (T1D) management. Barriers to achieving optimal diabetes outcomes have been studied but less is known about how emerging adults overcome these challenges. Characterizing emerging adults' protective factors may help guide T1D care during this developmental period. We anticipated identifying social, cognitive, and behavioral protective factors and were open to additional themes. Methods: We analyzed transcripts from semi‐structured qualitative interviews with 62 emerging adults (age 18‐24 years) with T1D using hybrid thematic analysis. Interviews queried about participants' perspectives on diabetes management challenges, how they overcome challenges, and diabetes resilience. Results: We categorized responses into three types of protective factors: (a) Social: Interpersonal strategies such as obtaining tangible support (especially from parents) and emotional support from friends, medical professionals, and community leaders. (b) Cognitive: Believing one can live a "normal" life with T1D, benefit‐finding, and viewing diabetes management as an important part of life. (c) Behavioral: Proactively planning for diabetes challenges, maintaining a consistent routine while allowing for flexibility, balancing diabetes and non‐diabetes activities, and using diabetes‐specific and general technologies to support self‐management. Conclusions: The adaptive approaches emerging adults with T1D use to handle the challenges of diabetes include seeking interpersonal support, managing their thoughts about T1D, and taking specific actions to prevent or resolve challenges. Helping emerging adults identify and strengthen their protective factors has potential to affect clinical outcomes. Strengths‐based assessment and clinical attention to protective factors may prepare adolescents to successfully manage the challenges of transition to adult care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tracked the motor skill development of young children aged 3–6 years and investigated the influence of middle-income home environment on the development of motor skill. 268 children were selected from kindergartens in Beijing. The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD) tool was used to test the development of locomotor and object-control skills (LS and OS), and a survey of children's behaviour and home environment was conducted. During the follow-up, the LS and OS of children aged 3–6 years continued to grow, with an annual growth rate of 20% and 30%. Five LS indicators and two OS indicators were significantly higher in the 3–4-year group than in the 4–5 and 5–6-year groups (p < 0.01). The age-sex trend model showed that girls' locomotor skill developed at a significantly higher rate than that of boys (β = 6.3004 and 4.6782, p < 0.001). Three-year-old boys performed significantly better than girls on object-control motor skill (p < 0.05). Factors affecting the rate of children's motor skill development in middle-income families included the frequency of playing with friends (β = 0.133 , p = 0.032) and the frequency of bicycling, skateboarding, dancing, running, and jumping (β = 0.041 , p = 0.042). Family income, parents' education level, and family activity area did not significantly affect the growth rate of motor skills. For middle-income families, the improvement of material environment at home like more playing spaces and toys did not speed up the motor development, while more opportunities to play with friends and engage in a variety of sports activities could promote children's motor skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To determine the role of history of prostatitis (HP) as an independent risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED) in Chinese adult males. Methods. We conducted an online survey using a crowd-sourced questionnaire in Chinese adult males. The participants were separated into two groups as adult participants with HP and with no history of prostatitis (NHP) according to the medical history record. As diagnosis criteria of ED, we used the 5 questions of the International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF-5). The general data including height, weight, monthly income, academic background, smoking history, alcohol drinking, marital status, conjugal affection, and other disease history was asked and recorded. The relationship between HP and ED using the chi-square test and logistic regression analyses was investigated and analyzed. Results. In total, 1873 participants answered the questionnaire. 95 participants in the HP group and 1778 participants in the NHP group were included in this study. The rate of participants with HP was 5.343%. ED was found in 68.4% of the HP group and 43% of the NHP group (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that participants in HP were more likely to have ED (OR 2.135, 95% CI 1.266–3.60) after adjusting for the participant's age, body mass index (BMI), monthly income, academic background, smoking history, alcohol drinking, marital status, conjugal affection, BPH, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, when compared with NHP. Conclusions. The present study indicated a high prevalence of ED in Chinese adult males with history of prostatitis, and HP is an independent risk factor for erectile dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe and the US, childhood obesity is found to be higher in migrant children from black African communities and other visible minority ethnic groups. However, very little is known about the factors that contribute to the significant rates of obesity in these groups. The material for this study is drawn from a community‐based qualitative study that examined the sociocultural, familial and environmental factors that either facilitate or hinder healthy weight in black African children during early childhood. The participants for the study were black African parents (n = 30) and health visitors (n = 32), residing and working in the East Midlands, UK. The participants were purposively selected according to an inclusion/exclusion criterion and invited to participate in seven focus groups (FG‐7) conducted for parents (FG‐4) and health visitors (FG‐3) at a time and place convenient to the participants, between March and June 2018. The focus groups examined a number of issues, including the participants' views on the barriers and facilitators to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes within the data. Although participants were knowledgeable about the need for a healthy weight in early childhood, the parents discussed how immigration status and experiences of discrimination had an impact on their children's diet and well‐being, also discussing how structural factors influenced the decisions they made regarding healthy weight in early childhood. While the health visitors in general felt they did not have the skills to advise black African parents about the cultural influences on diet during early childhood, findings highlighted a need for a system‐based approach in meeting the nutritional needs of black African children. This study concludes by suggesting the need for broad social‐environment and economic changes that address factors such as migration status, deprivation and discrimination, coupled with culturally specific healthy diet messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an array of reasons why acculturation can be stressful, and acculturative stress can be triggered by a plethora of factors. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with acculturative stress among international students enrolled in a public medical university from Romania. 265 students were included in the research. Sociodemographic, academic, and family data, comfortability with living in study city, satisfaction with administrative staff, colleagues, and professors and Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students were gathered. Data have been processed using SPSS Statistics v23.0.0 for MAC.OSX. Female students are more prone to experience homesickness and stress due to change compared to male students. International students with Romanian origins had lower scores on perceived hate and stress due to change/culture shock compared to those with no Romanian origins. Students with relatives or friends enrolled in the same university had significantly lower levels of acculturative stress, perceived discrimination, perceived hate/rejection, and general/nonspecific concerns. Age and year of study are associated with homesickness and stress due to change/culture shock. The existence of factors associated with acculturative stress demand institutional, social, and psychological support for international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries in north‐western Europe, the welfare state is changing, and governments expect a great deal of informal care. In the Netherlands, citizens are also increasingly expected to rely on informal instead of professional care. In this study, we aim to determine to what extent Dutch care‐dependent people want to rely on social network members and what reasons they raise for accepting or refusing informal care. To answer this question, we observed 65 so‐called 'kitchen table talks', in which social workers assess citizens' care needs and examine to what extent relatives, friends and/or neighbours can provide help and care. We also interviewed 50 professionals and 30 people in need of care. Our findings show that a great deal of informal care is already given (in 46 out of 65 cases), especially between people who have a close emotional bond. For this reason, people in need of care often find it difficult to ask their family members, friends or neighbours for extra assistance. People are afraid to overburden their family members, friends or neighbours. Another reason people in need of care raise against informal care is that they feel ashamed of becoming dependent. Although the government wants to change the meaning of autonomy by emphasising that people are autonomous when they rely on social network members, people who grew up in the heyday of the welfare state feel embarrassed and ashamed when they are not able to reciprocate. Our findings imply that policymakers and social professionals need to reconsider the idea that resources of informal care are inexhaustible and that citizens can look after each other much more than they already do. It is important that social policymakers approach the codes and norms underlying social relations more cautiously because pressure on these relations can have negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal care‐givers play an important role in society, and many of the people who provide this care are lesbian women and gay men. Being a care‐giver is known to be associated with poorer health and well‐being, and lesbian and gay care‐givers report experiences of stigma and discrimination in the care‐giving context. This study involved a survey of 230 lesbian women and 503 gay men aged 60 years and over living in Australia, of which 218 were care‐givers. We compared care‐givers to non‐caregivers on a range of health and well‐being measures, including psychological distress, positive mental health, physical health and social support. While we found no significant differences between these two groups, we further compared care‐givers who were caring for an LGBTI person to those who were caring for a non‐LGBTI person. Among the lesbian women, care‐givers of an LGBTI person reported feeling less supported in their carer role and reported lower levels of social support more generally. They were also lower on positive mental health and physical health indicators. Among the gay men, care‐givers of an LGBTI person also reported feeling less supported in their carer role, but there were no differences in reported levels of social support more generally or health and well‐being compared to those caring for a non‐LGBTI person. Overall, results from this study suggest that older lesbian and gay care‐givers may be facing some challenges related to their well‐being and feeling supported, especially if they are caring for another LGBTI person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a major impact on the relationship of couples living with the illness. Although some positives of dealing with MS as a couple have been identified, MS has been associated with higher rates of relationship breakdown and worse Quality of Life (QOL) for both people in the relationship, especially if the person with MS experiences a decline in mental or physical health or develops disability. Modification of lifestyle‐related risk factors has been associated with improved outcomes for people with MS, including physical and mental health‐related QOL, and these improved outcomes may lead to improved experiences for their partners. We aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of the partners of people with MS, when the people with MS had undertaken an intensive residential workshop regarding healthy lifestyle, to understand the impact of MS and lifestyle modification on these partners' experiences of their relationship. Within the framework of Heidegger's interpretive phenomenology, semi‐structured interviews were thematically analysed. Participants were in a spousal relationship with people with MS who had attended an intensive residential workshop regarding modification of lifestyle‐related risk factors between 2002 and 2016. Participants lived in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe. Three major themes were identified relating to the couple's relationships: providing support, remaining connected and togetherness. Aspects of these themes, not commonly previously reported, included the personal and relationship benefits experienced from providing support with lifestyle modification, improved communication, and the resultant greater sense of closeness. These experiences of partners of people with MS improve our understanding of both the complexities of living with MS and adopting lifestyle modification, and suggest some potential benefits to relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clubhouse model is a community psychiatric rehabilitation program aiming to provide a restorative environment for people with severe mental health problems. These clubhouses provide their members with opportunities for friendship, employment, and education, which help them on their paths towards mental health recovery. Towards that end, the model features clubhouse members and staff working side by side to execute clubhouse activities. That is, unlike most of the community mental health programs where staff provide services to their clients, clubhouse staff are required to partner with members in their work. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand how the clubhouse staff elicited member participation and facilitate recovery. The research was conducted between Year 2013 and Year 2014 at the world's first clubhouse: Fountain House in New York City. The first author conducted 262 hr of active participant observation in 41 visits to Fountain House, and in‐depth interviews with 38 staff members who had worked at Fountain House for at least 1 month during the study period. The dimensional analysis procedure was used to analyse the observation notes and interview transcripts. Results showed that participation was a key to rebuilding members' self‐confidence, which further encouraged members to seek more opportunities for self‐enhancement and personal growth. Specific organisational policies, programming, practical considerations, and other strategies shaped a positive environment for members to exercise autonomy, experience self‐efficacy, and model behaviours after others who have succeeded. Findings of this research support the egalitarian staff–member relationships and the maintenance of an open and transparent atmosphere of the clubhouse, as observational learning enables members to move forward with their journeys to recovery. Findings also may inform efforts to shift traditional psychiatric services towards recovery‐oriented care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine whether loneliness mediates the relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms and to determine how age moderates the mediation effect. Data for this study came from the survey with community‐dwelling adults aged 18 and older in South Korea, from March to April 2017. The total of 1,017 respondents were drawn from three age groups (18–44, 45–64, or 65 and older). The mediating effect of loneliness was tested between each of three social engagement‐related variables (family network, friend network, and perceived community support) and depressive symptoms. The results showed age differences in mediation: the effect was most pronounced in the relationship of family network with loneliness for the older group, whereas the size of friend network significantly predicted loneliness for younger adults. Both younger and older groups felt less lonely when they had a higher level of perceived community support; the middle age group remained uninfluenced by the mediation effects. Our findings confirm that loneliness is one of the mechanisms by which social engagement exerts its effect on depressive symptoms. As the Korean society embraces its growing proportions of older adults, the results of the study provide implications for adaptive strategies for changing social engagement need and mental health associated with ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 20 years, considerable healthcare resources have shifted from an inpatient to an outpatient setting. To be in an outpatient setting or at home after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) has been shown to be medically safe and beneficial to the patient. In this study we describe patients’ experiences of different care settings (hospital or home) and a new life situation during the acute post‐transplant phase after HSCT. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients (six women and nine men) 29–120 days after HSCT. An inductive qualitative content analysis was performed to analyse the data. The analysis resulted in four categories: To be in a safe place, To have a supportive network, My way of taking control, and My uncertain return to normality. The findings showed that patients undergoing HSCT felt medically safe regardless of the care setting. The importance of a supportive network (i.e. the healthcare team, family and friends) was evident for all patients. Both emotional and problem‐focused strategies were used to cope with an uncertain future. Being at home had some positive advantages, including freedom, having the potential for more physical activity, and being with family members. The study highlights some key areas thought to provide more personalised care after HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness in later life is a common problem with poor health outcomes. However, interventions to prevent or ameliorate loneliness have a weak evidence base. The views of older people experiencing or at risk of loneliness in the community are important in identifying features of potential support, but have been little studied. Twenty-eight community dwelling people, aged 65 and over who reported being 'lonely much of the time' or identified as lonely from the de Jong Gierveld six-item loneliness scale in a larger study, participated in in-depth interviews, between June 2013 and May 2014. Views and experiences on seeking support from primary care and community based one-to-one and group based activities, including social and shared interest groups, were explored. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was conducted by a multidisciplinary team, including older people. Using two different measures of loneliness enabled a spectrum of loneliness experience to be explored. Two-thirds of the participants were the 'younger old' and all were able to leave their homes independently. Older people with characteristics of loneliness were generally knowledgeable about local social and community resources but, for the majority, community and primary care based services for their loneliness were not considered desirable or helpful at this point in their lives. However, group based activities with a shared interest were thought preferable to one-to-one support (befriending) or groups with a social focus. Descriptions of support as being for loneliness and specific to older people discouraged engagement. Older people experiencing or at risk of loneliness did not consider that primary care has a role in alleviating loneliness because it is not an illness. They thought primary care practitioners lack understanding of non-physical problems and that a good relationship was necessary to discuss sensitive issues like loneliness. For many, loneliness was a complex and private matter that they wished to manage without external support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What a legacy Jan has left in our field of indoor air science and in all of us. Jan had a passion for health and indoor air, and the large role indoor air plays in health. I Gabriel Bekö, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby: i Let me add a few words as one who represents the students at DTU in the early 2000s, those who professionally and often otherwise "matured" next to Jan and thanks to Jan. Among his other achievements, Jan made major scholarly contributions in unearthing the deep history of the indoor air sciences broadly and in recounting the more recent history of the intellectual development of our community. [Extracted from the article]

The potential for young men in crisis to be supported by their lay networks is an important issue for suicide prevention, due to the under-utilisation of healthcare services by this population. Central to the provision of lay support is the capability of social networks to recognise and respond effectively to young men's psychological distress and suicide risk. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore young men's narratives of peer suicide, in order to identify how they interpreted and responded to behavioural changes and indications of distress from their friend before suicide. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted during 2009/10 with 15 Irish males (aged 19-30 years) who had experienced the death by suicide of a male friend in the preceding 5 years. The data were analysed using a thematic approach. Through the analysis of the participants' stories and experiences, we identified several features of young male friendships and social interactions that could be addressed to strengthen the support available to young men in crisis. These included the reluctance of young men to discuss emotional or personal issues within male friendships; the tendency to reveal worries and emotion only within the context of alcohol consumption; the tendency of friends to respond in a dismissive or disapproving way to communication of suicidal thoughts; the difficulty of knowing how to interpret a friend's inconsistent or ambiguous behaviour prior to suicide; and beliefs about the sort of person who takes their own life. Community-based suicide prevention initiatives must enhance the potential of young male social networks to support young men in crisis, through specific provisions for developing openness in communication and responsiveness, and improved education about suicide risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Close friendships become important at middle-school age and are unexplored in adolescents born prematurely. The study aimed to characterize friendship behaviors of formerly preterm infants at age 12 and explore similarities and differences between preterm and full-term peers on dyadic friendship types. From the full sample of N=186, one hundred sixty-six 12-year-old adolescents (40 born full term, 126 born preterm) invited a close friend to a 1.5 hour videotaped laboratory play session. Twenty adolescents were unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts or developmental disability. Characteristic friendship behaviors were identified by Q-sort followed by Q-factoring analysis. Friendship duration, age, and contact differed between the full-term and preterm groups but friendship activities, behaviors, and quality were similar despite school service use. Three Q-factors, leadership, distancing, and mutual playfulness, were most characteristic of all dyads, regardless of prematurity. These prospective, longitudinal findings demonstrate diminished prematurity effects at adolescence in peer friendship behavior and reveal interpersonal dyadic processes that are important to peer group affiliation and other areas of competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study in which a female Bosnian youth and an academic researcher investigated the issues of trust, friendship and research to determine ways of creating valid research findings over years of relationship building. It also informs that scholars and qualitative researchers are warned about their relationship to their research participants.

Personal assistance is a type of home care common to many countries even though entitlement and legislative framework may vary from country to country. At present, there exists no knowledge about the family members' experiences of such assistance; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate family members' experiences of personal assistance given to a relative of working age with a functional disability. Twenty-five family members who had a relative with a severe neurological disease in Sweden were interviewed about the significance of personal assistance, and the qualitative interviews were subjected to qualitative latent content analysis. The overall findings verify the close connection between the family members' experiences and their perception of the quality of the caring relationship between the personal assistant and the person with disability. The main finding was an appreciation of the personal assistance on the part of the family members. However, in situations where the encounter between the assistant and the relative with disability was perceived negatively, the family members experienced great anxiety. The shortcomings were the inability to maintain a private life with assistance and the limitation of choice because of the shortage of personal assistants. Beyond these general findings, this study found that personal assistance was experienced by the family members in terms of dignity and empowering care. This theme was generated from seven subthemes: Insight into private life, Security through the close relation, Social life through freedom of movement, Influence over the organisation of assistance, Self-determination and understanding, Friendship and mutual respect and Adaption to the dependency on assistance. The findings indicate that responsible officials, work leaders and assistants need constantly to improve the implementation of the law. In such efforts, the experiences of family members described in this study are a source of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BOUDIONI M., MOSSMAN J., BOULTON M. & HARDY P. (2004) European Journal of Cancer Care 13, 6–10 Differences in enquiries to CancerBACUP information service by living arrangements The study's aim was to ascertain whether living alone is associated with the use of an independent cancer information service. An Enquirer Record Form is completed for every fifth enquirer to the service; two questions asking whether enquirers, patients, relatives/friends were living alone or with others where asked in association with the routine questions. A total of 552 callers were asked in a 5-week period, 77% of all callers in these categories. The main findings were: (1) the proportion of enquirers living alone was similar to the general population; (2) among enquirers, patients were more likely to live alone than relatives/friends; (3) requests differed by whether living alone and by type of enquirer, for example, significantly more people living with others requested emotional support than those living alone, and this contrast was most marked for patients than relatives/friends. This study, notwithstanding its limitations, highlights some of the differences in the use of a service and demonstrates the complexity of information and support seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]