Search

The aim of the research was to portray the life experiences of adolescents using psychoactive substances with regard to their substance use. This study was carried out in a descriptive phenomenological design, which is a qualitative research method. A purposeful sampling method, was used. The sample consisted of 15 adolescents who were treated for a history of substance use. The data were collected by the face-to-face individual interview method. A personal information form and a semi-structured interview form were used to collect data. The content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman was used in the analysis of the data. Data were analyzed using the N-VIVO-10 Pro-package program. Four main themes and thirteen sub-themes were determined: experiences before substance use (sub-themes: life before substance use, predisposing factors for substance use), experiences during substance use (sub-themes: symptoms of addiction, problems caused by substance use, family attitude to substance use, the meaning attached to substances) and experiences of the treatment process (sub-themes: motivation, difficulties experienced during treatment, the need for support, treatment results), prevention recommendations (sub-themes: for peers, for families, for society). Many individual, family and social risk factors had an effect on the adolescents starting to use the substances. They were exposed to negative physical, mental, economic, social and life experiences. Nurses working with adolescents who use substances can implement nursing interventions such as prevention activities, counselling, health education, coping and strengthening self-esteem in individual and school based interventions. • Psychoactive substance use negatively affects adolescents' lives in many ways. • Adolescents using psychoactive substances have suggested to their peers, families and society on the prevention • Nurses working with adolescents may plan nursing interventions by taking into account adolescents suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta affects the whole lives of family members. This study aims to investigate the lived experience of families with children diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta. This study used a qualitative, phenomenological design. The study sample consisted of parents of the children who were followed up with the diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta in the pediatric endocrinology clinic in Turkey. In order to collect data, a semi-structured interview form was prepared, and data were collected by way of face-to-face interviews. The lived experience of families were analyzed using qualitative methods. The life experiences of the families were analyzed in depth using qualitative methods. In the study, six themes were identified, including having a child diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, family process, life patterns, emotional dimension, social life, and economic dimension. The results revealed that parents did not know about the disease upon learning of the child's diagnosis. Parents stated that they experienced anxiety, disappointment, sadness, denial, and despair when they first learned about their children's diagnosis. They also indicated that having a child with osteogenesis imperfecta affected the whole family in physiological, psychological, and social aspects. Parents and children should be given information about the disease since the first diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta, and psychosocial support should be provided. Families that can not get sufficient psychosocial support experience difficulties in the medical and care management of the disease. Knowing and understanding the lived experiences of families living with osteogenesis imperfecta can guide the planning and implementation of quality nursing care processes. • The diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta affects the lives of whole family and causes them to experience severe stress and fear, get angry and feel guilty. • Parents can experience feelings of anxiety, disappointment, sadness, denial, and despair because of the diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta. • Pediatric nurses should have knowledge and counseling skills for osteogenesis imperfecta, variable condition with unpredictable progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal components of education can shape a person's capacity to contribute. Such informal components might include cultural backgrounds, work experiences, and extracurricular pursuits. To appreciate the synergy between formal and informal education it can be helpful to explore a particular case of someone who actually combined the two to make the whole more than the sum of its parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of people with dementia is on the rise worldwide, and dementia care has become the focus of global health services. People with dementia are primarily cared for by informal caregivers, with spouses seen as a particularly vulnerable group. Focusing on the spousal caregiving experience and having a good caregiver identity contributes to group bonding and enhanced social support. To explore the dynamic changes that occur in the caregiving experience of spouse caregivers and explicate the identity of spouses during this process alongside its causes. A qualitative systematic review. The following eight electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science (Core Collection), The Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL and CNKI, WanFang and Vip. The Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) and Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer's Manual criteria were used to report the results. Study screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers, and quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Qualitative Research Standard Assessment tool. Data synthesis was performed using thematic analysis. A total of 15 studies were included and synthesized into three analytical themes: (1) attitudes and emotions toward dementia, (2) emotional ups and downs in dementia care, and (3) who am "I". In binary care, patience and marital responsibilities are identified as facilitators, while care burden and social isolation are identified as hindrances. In addition, gender differences were identified as influencers of identity. In this review, spouse identity of people with dementia is complex and affects caregiving experience together with dementia cognition. Disease cognition, caregiving burden and social isolation are identified. Interventions for barriers are suggested to enhance social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model of hierarchical associative memory, which can be used as a basis for building artificial cognitive agents of general purpose. With the help of this model, one of the most important problems of modern machine learning and artificial intelligence in general can be solved — the ability for a cognitive agent to use "life experience" to process the context of the situation in which he was, is and, possibly, will be. This model is applicable for artificial cognitive agents functioning both in specially designed virtual worlds and in objective reality. The use of hierarchical associative memory as a long-term memory of artificial cognitive agents will allow the latter to effectively navigate both in the general knowledge accumulated by mankind and in their life experience. The novelty of the presented work is based on the author's approach to the construction of context-dependent artificial cognitive agents using an interdisciplinary approach, in particular, based on the achievements of artificial intelligence, cognitology, neurophysiology, psychology and sociology. The relevance of this work is based on the keen interest of the scientific community and the high social demand for the creation of general-level artificial intelligence systems. Associative hierarchical memory, based on the use of an approach similar to the hypercolumns of the human cerebral cortex, is becoming one of the important components of an artificial intelligent agent of the general level. The article will be of interest to all researchers working in the field of building artificial cognitive agents and related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma face many challenges when undergoing chemotherapy. However, there is a dearth of literature targeting the experiences of this patient group. Hence, the aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during the initial stages of chemotherapy (i.e. from commencement to mid-treatment). Method This study adopted a qualitative research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six adult patients having non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and undergoing chemotherapy. Data collection was undertaken between July 2016 and December 2016. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results Three themes emerged: ‘Living an emotional rollercoaster’, ‘Becoming dependent on others’ and ‘Facing an uncertain future’. This study highlights that, whilst undergoing chemotherapy, the participants experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, such as fear, relief, acceptance and depression, in addition to physical dysfunction. Moreover, two participants described feeling so overwhelmed emotionally that they even considered committing suicide. Nevertheless, all the participants stated that they hoped that their life would revert back to normal on completion of their treatment. Conclusions The findings of this study may help guide the formulation of interventions that target the needs of patients undergoing chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Such interventions may include the introduction of community services where health care providers can provide domestic support to these patients. Additionally, the information generated can also inform hospital policies, such as the introduction of screening programs to monitor for psychological distress in this patient group during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because there have been very few recent studies focusing on the nursing studies of Chinese male learners in Hong Kong, this paper reports some findings on the educational experiences of such students from a local university, giving them a chance to voice out their concerns and express their feelings. In this qualitative ethnographical study, 18 second- to fourth-year male nursing students were recruited by purposive snowball sampling and invited to participate in individual semi-structured interviews for the collecting of data. The taped recordings were transcribed and translated. Following this, five themes were identified for content analysis. The findings of this study suggest that people would be more likely to accept male nurses; and male nursing students would be more able see their role as nurses with the acceptance of some feminine subjects in the nursing curriculum. This study provided male nursing students the chance to express their thoughts and experiences on nursing education, which will suggest further modifications to the curriculum design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to have powerful beneficial effects on a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Accumulating evidence indicates that EE can mimic positive life experiences and prevent the development of drug addiction. More recently, EE has also been shown to eliminate already developed addiction-related behaviors and to reduce the risks of relapse. These preventive and “curative” effects of EE are associated with dramatic plastic changes in several brain areas such as the hippocampus, the frontal cortex and the striatum. EE alters neurotransmitter systems, produces changes in gene expression and transcription factors, induces chromatin rearrangement, and stimulates hippocampal neurogenesis. Here we review the existent literature on behavioral, neurochemical, cellular and molecular effects of EE and we discuss different possible ways in which EE-induced neuroadaptations result in decreased vulnerability to addiction and relapse. We propose a unified theoretical framework in which EE is seen as a functional opposite of stress. On the one hand, the antistress effects of EE would reduce the reinforcing effects of drugs and their ability to induce long-lasting neuroplastic changes and, thus, they would prevent the development of drug addiction. On the other hand, permanent or transient restoration of the normal, pre-drug functioning of the stress system would facilitate resisting prepotent desire to take drug and it would decrease the risks of relapse. This theoretical framework highlights the importance of stress in each phase of drug addiction and strongly suggests that life conditions of abstinent addicts should be considered as part of their treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]