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Background & Objective: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is the term used for a group of genetic skin fragility disorders. For those living with EB, pain represents a constant challenge, with blistering and tasks such as changing dressings, adding to the distress. This paper focuses on describing and exploring the health‐care needs of children, adults and families who are affected by EB. The specific aim of the paper is to identify the needs of the EB population with a view towards informing the development of a community liaison service to support adults living with EB and the parents/carers of children living with EB. Setting and Participants: Interviews with six adults and the parents of eight children with EB were conducted. The data were analysed thematically. All participants were resident on the island of Ireland and are therefore reflecting on services in this geographic region. Results: Participants' needs were grouped into five themes: support managing physical health‐care issues; access to community/home‐based services; EB‐specific information and psychosocial support; effective interaction with health‐care professionals; and advice regarding benefits and entitlements. Discussion and Conclusions: This article represents the health‐care needs and preferences of a broad spectrum of those with EB, highlighting the need for a comprehensive service regardless of the severity of the condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Value chain interventions have become widespread throughout the international development sector over the last 20 years, and there is a need to evaluate their effectiveness in improving women's welfare across multiple dimensions. Agricultural value chains are influenced by socio‐cultural norms and gender dynamics that have an impact on the distribution of resources, benefits, and access to opportunities. While women play a critical role in agriculture, they are generally confined to the least‐valued parts of the value chain with the lowest economic returns, depending on the local, social and institutional contexts. Objectives: The review assesses the effectiveness of approaches, strategies and interventions focused on women's engagement in agricultural value chains that lead to women's economic empowerment in low‐ and middle‐income countries. It explores the contextual barriers and facilitators that determine women's participation in value chains and ultimately impact their effectiveness. Search Methods: We searched completed and on‐going studies from Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection (Social Sciences Citation Index [SSCI], Science Citation Index Expanded [SCI‐EXPANDED], Conference Proceedings Citation Index – Science [CPCI‐S], Conference Proceedings Citation Index – Social Science & Humanities [CPCI‐SSH], and Emerging Sources Citation Index [ESCI]), International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, EconLit, Business Source Premier, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane, Database of Systematic Reviews, CAB Abstracts and Sociological Abstracts. We also searched relevant websites such as Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR); the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); AgriProFocus; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF); Donor Committee for Enterprise Development; the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); the International Labour Organisation (ILO); the Netherlands Development Organisation; USAID; the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; the International Food Policy Research Institute; World Agroforestry; the International Livestock Research Institute; the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; the British Library for Development Studies (BLDS); AGRIS; the IMMANA grant database; the 3ie impact evaluation database; Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA); The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J‐PAL); the World Bank IEG evaluations; the USAID Development Data Library; Experience Clearinghouse; the proceedings of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy conference; the proceedings of the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE) Conference; the proceedings of the North East Universities Development Consortium (NEUDC) Conference; and the World Bank Economic Review. The database search was conducted in March 2022, and the website search was completed in August 2022. Selection Criteria: The review includes value chain interventions evaluating the economic empowerment outcomes. The review includes effectiveness studies (experimental and non‐experimental studies with a comparison group) and process evaluations. Data Collection and Analysis: Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data, critically appraised the studies, and synthesised findings. Results: We found that value chain interventions are successful in improving the economic conditions of their intended beneficiaries. The interventions were found to improve women's economic outcomes such as income, assets holdings, productivity, and savings, but these effects were small in size and limited by low confidence in methodological quality. The meta‐analysis suggests that this occurs more via the acquisition of skills and improved inputs, rather than through improvement in access to profitable markets. The qualitative evidence on interventions points to the persistence of cultural barriers and other constraints. Those interventions implemented in Sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia are consistently more successful for all outcomes considered, although there are few studies conducted in other areas of the world. Conclusions: The review concludes that value chain interventions empower women, but perhaps to a lesser extent than expected. Economic empowerment does not immediately translate into empowerment within families and communities. Interventions should either moderate their expectations of empowerment goals, or they should be implemented in a way that ensures higher rates of participation among women and the acquisition of greater decision‐making power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Indigenous women experience high rates of family violence‐related head injuries. At present, lived experience accounts from Indigenous women are absent, which results in incomplete understandings and inadequate responses that have detrimental impacts on them and their families. The aim of this study was to gain insight into Indigenous women's personal and family perspectives regarding violence‐related traumatic brain injury (TBI), including impacts on life, as well as decision‐making processes about healthcare access and engagement. Methods: Purposeful sampling was used to complete semi‐structured interviews with 18 Indigenous women living in regional and remote Australia who had experienced TBI from family violence. The data from these interviews were augmented by data from interviews and focus groups with 28 community members, including family members or carers of Indigenous women living with TBI from family violence. Results: Three themes were conceptualised based on the data and research aims: interweaving of the past and the present—ways women experience brain injury; factors that inform decision‐making to access healthcare; and managing everyday changes that result from TBI from family violence. Indigenous women described living with a range of symptoms following repeated head injuries including problems with memory, cognition and concentration. A range of strategies to manage long‐term symptoms of TBI were used by Indigenous women and when they did seek healthcare, Indigenous women were required to navigate a range of barriers. Conclusions: The findings identify a range of gaps in healthcare and housing supports for Indigenous women with TBI from violence, highlighting the significant investment needed to develop responsive and appropriate pathways of care in regional and remote areas. A range of suggestions are discussed including development of a specialised workforce who can provide apppropriate follow‐up support, co‐designed concussion clinics and educational resources. TBI must also be a key aspect of policy and practice for services working with Indigenous women who have experienced violence to ensure appropriate responses are provided. Public or Patient Contribution: Indigenous women shared their views and experiences of TBI from family violence as well as decision‐making about accessing healthcare and managing TBI symptoms. As such, study participants provided public contributions to the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The views and opinions of people who use mental health services are being increasingly acknowledged in relation to rights-based, socially-inclusive, and recovery-oriented care. However, little is known of the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people in this respect. The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences and needs of LGBT people in relation to mental health services. The study was an exploratory design utilizing mixed methods. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a survey instrument ( n = 125) and in-depth semistructured interviews ( n = 20) with a sample of people who had completed the survey. This paper will report on the findings from the interview data. The data were thematically analysed, and the main themes that emerged included accessing services, treatment choices, mental health service experiences, and other supports. The findings inform the discussion, and recommendations are made in terms of future mental health practice, education, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Active engagement in seeking maternal health information among women of reproductive age is vital in promoting positive health‐seeking behaviour and improving maternal health outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to explore maternal health information‐seeking behaviour of women of reproductive age in a rural Tanzania. Methods: Using a qualitative research approach, the study held eight focus group discussions to collect data from a group of purposively selected women respondents. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. Results: Women need a range of maternal health information for their informed health decision making. However, while they indicated the need to seek that information from professional health providers, they received most of it from non‐professional and informal sources, including community health workers, traditional birth attendants and their family members. The use of these sources is attributed to, among other factors, unavailability of health facilities and limited access to professional health care. Conclusion: Access to relevant and reliable maternal health information is essential in creating awareness and empowering women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Women's use of informal sources to meet their various information needs increases the chances of receiving unreliable information that may result in coming up with poor decisions making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are common in student populations and present formidable challenges as to how best to treat and support these young people, especially at points of transition. Yet research exploring these challenges is lacking, particularly from the perspective of those providing treatment and support. Methods: A qualitative design was used to explore clinicians' perspectives of supporting students with EDs. Twelve clinicians from a large ED service in the United Kingdom participated in one‐to‐one semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Facilitators and barriers to supporting students with EDs fell into four overarching themes: Health System, University, Patient and Carer Factors. Reported facilitators were; ED service awareness, flexibility and resources, university as a motivator, and carer support. Reported barriers were; poor links and communication between institutions, the primary care system, poor university provision for and awareness of EDs, young people's denial and ambivalence, inconsistent implementation of guidelines, and carer anxiety. Conclusions: The findings revealed challenges unique to the university transition, including the need for more collaborative working between healthcare and education institutions, improved training of non‐specialised ED professionals, and the benefits of a flexible, adapted ED treatment approach specifically tailored to the unique needs of students with EDs. Highlights: Emerging adults are increasingly being recognised as having unique developmental needs relative to adolescence—this study confirms these suggestions, and highlights the need for distinct treatment approaches for students with eating disordersFindings reveal a need to improve joint‐working and open communication between institutions, and institutions and families, to facilitate more consistent monitoring and support for students with EDs in two localitiesFindings also emphasise the need to enhance ED training for all non‐specialist health professionals and university staff, to ensure prompt detection, sign‐posting and management of students with EDsThe value of carers in the university transition is sometimes overlooked—involving carers in the preparation phase of the university transition for emerging adults with EDs is essentialUniversity can be a motivator in recovery for some students with EDsED service flexibility and psychoeducation resources may support students with EDs during their transition to universityAddressing how ED treatment may best be adapted to meet the unique development needs of emerging adults at university remains an avenue for future research. Simultaneous exploration of other ED treatment team, healthcare professional, university professional, carer and student's with EDs perspectives would be beneficial [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, stroke is the leading cause of death and disease burden. While post‐stroke studies have been conducted, they excluded survivors and caregivers from underserved communities. It can be argued that the impact of stroke on survivors and caregivers from underserved communities may be greater. Using qualitative exploratory research design, the purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of post‐stroke recovery and readjustment among stroke survivors and stroke caregivers from an underserved community. Two separate focus groups were conducted, one each for stroke survivors and caregivers. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Finding meaning in life is the general theme of stroke survivors' and stroke caregivers' journey of post‐stroke recovery and readjustment. For stroke survivors, the transition to stroke recovery required time, life goal reconfiguration, willpower, humor, and network support. Post‐stroke caregiving is a daily navigation and negotiation influenced by internal and external processes. Personal, economic, and socio‐cultural nuances play a role in how post‐stroke recovery is lived and experienced. Study findings highlight the importance of policies to support family‐centered and system‐level advocacy in post‐stroke care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Obsessive compulsive disorder ( OCD) can be hugely disabling. Although very effective psychological treatments exist, many people delay years before seeking help or never seek treatment. There have been clinical observation and short questionnaire studies on why people delay, but little qualitative research exists on this complex subject. The present qualitative study aimed to identify the barriers to seeking treatment and the factors that encourage or push people to seek help for their OCD (positive and negative enablers). Design A qualitative, exploratory study using in-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews was conducted by a researcher with personal experience of OCD. Methods Seventeen people with OCD, contacted through the charity OCD- UK, were interviewed about the factors that impacted on their decision to seek help or not. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Barriers identified were stigma, 'internal / cognitive' factors, not knowing what their problem was, factors relating to their GP or treatment, and fear of criminalisation. Positive enablers identified were being supported to seek help, information and personal accounts of OCD in the media, and confidence in their GP. Negative enablers were reaching a crisis point and for some participants (whose intrusive thoughts were about harming children) feeling driven to seek treatment because of the nature of the thoughts, that is, seeking help to prevent the 'harm' they feared they were capable of doing. Conclusions Participants identified a range of barriers and enablers that impacted on their decision to seek help or not. These give important indicators about the likely causes for delayed help seeking in OCD and ways in which people might be encouraged to seek help earlier. Practitioner points People with OCD may face a wide range of barriers to seeking help, including concern about the reaction of health professionals., The level of awareness, kindness, and understanding shown by first-line practitioners can be very important to those seeking help., Acknowledging a person's journey prior to seeking help is likely to foster trust between therapist and patient., Some barriers to seeking help, for example, fear of criminalisation, may continue to have an important effect afterwards unless sensitively explored and understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]