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What role do texts play in LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) parents’ experiences of disability service systems? In interviews with 15 LGBTQ parents of disabled children in Toronto, Canada, participants selected documents to be used as a focus for discussion. Parents considered how LGBTQ identity and other intersectional identities influenced their experiences of institutional texts including adoption certificates, intake forms, and assessments. Findings suggest that documentation practices can operate as forms of systemic gatekeeping. LGBTQ identity was sometimes very significant in parents’ accounts, and sometimes less central than other aspects of their families' identities and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is recognised that there is a correlation between precarity and affective mental health conditions that is typically overlooked due to the individualisation of wellbeing discourses and interventions. This paper aims to explore alternative psychotherapeutic practices that foreground relational, embodied and ecological approaches to mental health and wellbeing. It considers precarity's effects through the context of the moving body and an openness to human and more-than-human inter-connections. Using a socio-new materialist and critical-posthuman framework, precarity is conceptualised as an assemblage of affects and emergent capacities. It is within this framing that empirical data – taken from nine qualitative interviews with practitioners from the fields of dance/movement psychotherapy, embodied-relational therapy and eco-psychotherapy – is discussed. The study identifies that precarity can also provide opportunities to affirm our inter-dependencies within an inter-connected human and more-than-human world. Alternative practices can help cultivate the relational capacities through which precarity's complexities may be navigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper authentically represents the voices of non-verbal children with cerebral palsy using a case study design. Policy suggests that children should have the right to play and leisure opportunities, however non-verbal children with cerebral palsy have fewer choices. Additionally, children with communication, learning and mobility limitations are usually excluded from research. The aim of this research was to capture the voices of non-verbal children by exploring their well-being impact in terms of their experiences and choices about their level of participation in recreational activities. A qualitative case series study included interviews, observations, photographs and diaries. Where possible, the diaries were completed by both caregivers and children. Data were analysed thematically, and the lens of positioning theory applied. Seven children aged nine to sixteen years participated. The findings showed how equipment, people and environments enabled or hindered the children's participation. The children also advocated as champions for their own well-being. Positioning theory was applied across the data and was adapted offering a way to better understand the children's well-being responses. The findings demonstrate how these children were able to self-advocate, demonstrating their well-being by their intentional behaviours from their level of participation in a recreational activity. The voices of non-ambulant and non-verbal children are underrepresented in the literature. This study offers an innovative approach to highlight their voices using visual data. The images project the narrative about their choices for participation in recreational activities. The proposed kaleidoscope of well-being offers a way to demonstrate the fluctuations in their emotional responses from their participation. Choices for participation in recreational activities remains limited for non-ambulant and non-verbal children with cerebral palsy. Designers and policy makers should consider how equipment and environments can be adapted or created to increase the choices for non-ambulant and non-verbal children with cerebral palsy. Practitioners in health and social care should consider how to listen to the voices of non-verbal and non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy and their parents/guardians and work towards jointly setting participation goals to affirm their strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Emotional difficulties have been observed in individuals with eating disorders across awide range of studies, including poor interoceptive awareness, confusion of emotional states and difficulties with emotional language. Literature has linked these difficulties with emotional functioning as being an important factor related to the core aetiology ofeating disorders, however limited knowledge exists to how this impacts on professionalability to engage patients within treatment as a result of such dysfunction. Using aqualitative design this paper explores how facets of Emotional intelligence (EI) are related to the experience of an eating disorder. The study sampled a total of 32 participants with either a professional background working with eating disorders (n=27)or participants with personal lived experience (n=5), with a number of the participants (n=13) identified as having dual roles. The findings of the study show that aspects of EIsuch as emotional regulation and lack of an emotional language are considered to beat the core of the onset and maintenance of these disorders. Additional aspects of emotional awareness and expression were found to be related to treatment disengagement and difficulties. Building on previous literature, this paper found suchemotional deficits as a transdiagnostic issue rather than specifically anorexia nervosa. Furthermore, such dysfunction was seen by professionals to have a considerable impact on therapeutic relationships and successful treatment. These findings provide insight into the potential applications that EI may have in addressing aspects of theeating disorder to create better outcomes for treatment and intervention models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notions of 'participation' in sexuality education has gained considerable traction in recent years - with participation being regarded as a fundamental right and a critical means to empower young people. However, the notion has increasingly been subject of debate, with critics problematising the manner in which participation is operationalised, and questioning the assumed impact of participation in relation to sexuality education goals. This paper contributes to these debates by examining the under-researched gendered dimensions of participation of young people in sexuality education. It utilises data from a qualitative study conducted in 2015 on young women and men's (10-15 years old) perceptions of their participation in the dance4life programme, an in-school sexuality education programme in Jinja district in eastern Uganda. The paper highlights subtle but important differences between young men and women's participation in the programme, which are arguably reflective of existing gendered hierarchies. We conclude by providing recommendations on how to address gender differences in participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A popular notion refers to laughter as “the best medicine,” and a stream of psychological research encourages treatment providers to use humour as a therapeutic tool. However, remarkably few studies have investigated client perspectives on professionals' use of humour in everyday practice. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork in two Danish drug treatment institutions for young people, this paper begins to fill this gap in the existing research. Analyzing the use of humour in naturally occurring, informal situations wherein professionals joke, use irony and tell funny stories, this paper suggests that the use of humour by professionals – despite their allegedly good intentions – may at times be problematic, even offensive for clients. Furthermore, as the young people who turn to drug treatment are socially vulnerable and dependent on the professionals, the paper illuminates how they find their opportunities for objecting to the professionals' use of humour limited. The paper concludes that professionals should handle humour with care, rather than viewing it as a benign, risk-free addition to treatment, and that future research must tackle the methodological challenges of exploring client perspectives with respect to how professionals use humour in institutional settings characterized by asymmetrical power relations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: A systematic review was conducted to critically evaluate and synthesize literature investigating mental health practitioners' attitudes towards transgender people. Objective: Three primary objectives were outlined; first, establish whether overall attitudes are positive or negative. Second, explore whether training, education or experience influences attitudes and finally, examine participant demographics in relation to attitude trends. Method: A systematic electronic search was carried out in March 2017 using Medline, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, CINAHL, ASSIA, and Web of Science electronic databases. Manual citation and ancestral searches were conducted on identified papers. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method studies were eligible for inclusion. A total of 13 papers of mixed quality were identified. Results: Existing literature is limited to cross-sectional, quantitative data and fails to investigate differences between implicit and explicit attitudes. Small to moderate convenience samples reduce the generalizability of data. Overall attitudes were positive although negative attitudes were more frequent in male, Caucasian, heterosexual, religious, conservative mental health professionals. Conclusions: Refined scales are needed to address the unique heterogeneity within transgender populations. Future research should focus on how attitudes impact care provided and employ longitudinal designs to explore the sustainability of targeted attitudinal training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative research methods aim to produce some form of narrative for analysis and many alternative forms of narrative analysis exist, mostly informed by social constructionist perspectives. This creates a dilemma for personal constructivist researchers, who now have access to a plethora of methods for understanding and intervening in people's sensemaking processes but are faced with a distinct absence of a uniquely personal constructivist method for analyzing the emerging narratives. This paper aims to outline a Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) (Kelly, 1955) view of the person as an agentic being and provide a contextualized, step by step guide for analyzing personal narratives from a Kellian perspective that encompasses identification and analysis of constructs, metaphors, roles, implicit beliefs and emotions. Kelly advocated working with the 'whole' person by credulously exploring their lived reality through the entirety of their emotions, cognitions and behaviors, which goes beyond an extraction of narrative themes or phenomenological interpretations contained in the realm of the person's known world. In PCP, language is regarded as symbolic, contextual, performative, and incomplete but, unlike social constructionist approaches, the focus favors the identification and explanation of internal identity processes, social cognitions, and personal meanings, rather than how language is utilized externally as a cultural tool. By articulating an explicit process, we aim to improve the accessibility of PCP as a full research process and overcome the current limitations posed by utilizing qualitative analytical methods drawn from alternative epistemologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will examine students’ attitudes and responses to male sexual victimisation in England. In particular, it focuses on their thoughts, beliefs, views, and understandings of male rape. It does this by empirically researching male rape with the use of qualitative questionnaires, from 100 students of a university in West Yorkshire, England. There are some serious concerns that were highlighted by the findings. For example, the myths that “male rape is not a serious issue” and “male rape is solely a homosexual issue” (and more) emerge from the findings. This warrants close attention and analysis, given that students are a part of the community in which male rape often occurs. This paper outlines the implications of the findings. It argues that, in certain contexts, students’ attitudes and discourses about male rape are being shaped and re-shaped; this suggests that their thought patterns are fluid with regard to male rape, shaped by the contexts in which they are situated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Critical theoretical approaches to the concept of recognition emphasise the Hegelian concept of a morally motivated struggle to obtain an identity that can be characterised as authentic. This paper takes the concept of a struggle for recognition, Erwing Goffman's concept of "passing", and the cross-disciplinary concept of languaging as its theoretical points of departure. Data from two empirical studies – one of children with cochlear implants in a school for the deaf and one of these children languaging with typically hearing peers – are presented. The data show that the deaf children in the mainstream kindergarten and school frequently display the behaviour that Goffman coined passing: they pretend to understand, strive to appear as if they were typically hearing, and deploy a range of strategies designed to conceal that they have trouble understanding their peers. Goffman's work on passing is combined with the data at hand in order to understand passing both as a challenging and exhausting activity and as a symptom indicating that the deaf children experience stigma in Goffman's sense. Passing can be understood as a struggle for recognition, but since passing is a strategy at odds with the idea of an authentic identity presupposed in Critical Theory, behaviours of passing might be understood as a moral problem that can be displayed and analysed in various ways. The paper concentrates on questions of what Axel Honneth calls "solidary recognition" and suggests that the methodological implications of the way that children's languaging practices are approached should be subjected to further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionals working with families in difficulty require a structured space to consider their work. As organisations and the systems within and across them become more sophisticated it seems that less attention is being paid to the emotional and psychological aspects of working with families than to the paperwork and processes that surround the work. Systems psychodynamic theory and the methodical reflective practices it underpins offers a suitable framework in which to consider practicing and researching in this emotionally complex field. This paper describes one aspect of a small doctoral study designed to provide a sustained reflective space (Work Discussion Group) to Irish child protection social workers in order to closely explore the reality of their practice experience. This paper explores one worker's experience of bringing a written account of her work with a family to the WDG. Findings suggest that her work was undertaken in a climate concerned with efficiency, certainty and the reduction of risk. This climate evoked anxiety and reduced opportunities for reflective and considered practice. The work discussion group provided containment for this worker's anxiety and allowed her to make sense of this anxiety and its accompanying defences and to move closer to working with this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on qualitative research investigating the advice giving behaviours of social work students. Second-year students, who were enrolled in an interpersonal communication skills course, were required to undertake an 'advice-giving audit' exercise across 6 days, with the aim of strengthening their awareness of the interactive nature of advice giving. Students then wrote a diary entry about the frequency of their everyday advice giving behaviour, its intent and reception. Nineteen students provided these reflections for analysis. Findings included three themes pertaining to advice-giving: (i) Giving advice as a natural, comfortable and unconscious way of communicating; (ii) Power and position influences advice dissemination, and (iii) Withholding advice opens, deepens and confuses norms of communication. A fourth theme pertained to the insights that students reported from engaging with the exercise. These findings illustrate the complex interactional process associated with professional advice giving. The research also suggests that experiential activities, which are conducted outside of the classroom, have significant potential to promote the critical examination of embedded communicative practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper scrutinises the concepts of moral reasoning and personal reasoning, problematising the binary model by looking at young women’s pregnancy decision-making. Data from two UK empirical studies are subjected to theoretically driven qualitative secondary analysis, and illustrative cases show how complex decision-making is characterised by an intertwining of the personal and the moral, and is thus best understood by drawing on moral relativism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an oft-repeated trope that the recent medical advances in the field of assisted reproduction have radically transformed the ways in which we can achieve, practice and imagine parenthood. This development has enabled new forms of non-heterosexual family constellations, including same-sex nuclear families and solo-parents by choice, and as a result an increasing number of groups are mobilising politically for access to fertility treatments. Swedish transgender patients are one of these groups; after many years of political mobilisation, they are no longer required by law to go through sterilisation as a compulsory part of gender corrective surgery, and instead today, all transgender patients are offered fertility preservation through gamete freezing. This, in turn, has meant not only that Swedish fertility clinics have faced an entirely new patient group - the transgender fertility patient - but also that the cultural imagination of who can become a parent and what a family might look like is becoming further destabilised. Building on interviews with medical staff, LGBTQ-advocates and complementing qualitative data, this paper seeks to shed light on the very process by which these new rights are translated in the practical context of the fertility clinic, and also what it means, more generally, for cultural imaginations of parenting when a group whose reproductive futures were previously considered either impossible or undesirable are now 'anticipating infertility' and engaging in 'family planning' as central parts of their lifecourse and medical engagements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores professional judgement of social workers working to protect children. Based on 22 in-depth interviews with social workers, a grounded theory methodology is adopted. The policy context for child protection practice is outlined and analysed. This study then explores how information, responsibility and in particular anxiety, are transacted between social workers and other professionals. Additionally, this study explores the delicate balances social workers are required to negotiate, focussing on two elements of the findings, 'closeness- distance' and 'power over- power together'. The delicacy of the balances negotiated by social workers leads to a powerful analogy of social workers as tightrope walkers and strategies to seek balance are identified. The implications for practice are explored. The internal mental processes of social workers require closer attention, a cautious approach should be taken to rational-technical solutions and social workers should be better prepared to respectfully challenge other professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illustrates key findings from a qualitative doctoral research project exploring women's experience of infertility. Six women maintained treatment diaries, reflecting on their experiences prior to, during and beyond infertility treatment. The following key themes are identified: hopefulness, adaptation, transitioning and shifting focus. The data suggest that treatment, clinic experience and living a life 'on hold' act as turning points within the individual life course. It is at the intersection between treatment and outcome that difficulties negotiating the expected and anticipated life course become illuminated, revealing limited connectivity and transitioning through and beyond the treatment process. This is a critical focus area and one that sets the scene for effective future adaptation. The data suggest that the accessibility of supportive care moving through and beyond treatment is limited. This paper argues that the infertility clinic is a critical space and place and one where effective supportive care may enable effective transitioning beyond the experience of infertility as an unanticipated life course disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient safety has been presented as a unifying concern across the health professions. This conceptual connection has been accompanied with efforts towards standardized, interprofessional safety competencies, as well as increased attention towards interprofessional education for systems improvement. Despite numerous program initiatives and research endeavors, progress towards improving patient safety in hospitals is viewed as disappointingly slow. This paper adds to a body of literature that suggests patient safety remains a difficult problem to solve because safety is not simply a technical issue, but is a practice embedded in organizational and professional contexts. In this paper, we explore the differences between the professions, as different professional groups intersect with the ways patient safety is thought about, talked about, and known about in an acute care hospital in Canada. We draw on findings from a critical discourse analysis of documents related to patient safety, as well as transcripts from interviews from (a) formal health care leaders and (b) practicing clinicians from medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work. This analysis suggests implications for the way different professions may or may not work with one another in the service of patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:In 2013, the Australian Government Senate formed a committee for inquiry and report into the prevalence of speech, language, and communication disorders and speech pathology services in Australia. Submissions were sought from individuals and organisations. In this paper, submissions made by individuals with a history of childhood communication disorder were examined to explore their life experiences and the impact on their lives when the right to communicate could not be enacted. Method:There were 305 submissions to the Australian Government Senate Committee Inquiry, of which 288 were publically accessible. In this study, the submissions (n = 17) from children or adults with a history of communication disorder (including speech, language and stuttering), who provided personal accounts of their experiences, were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Result:Four themes emerged relating to: personal identity, life with communication disorder, the importance of help, and how life would be different without a communication disorder. Conclusions:This paper gives voice to children and adults with communication disorder. In listening to these voices, the impact of communication disorder on the right to communicate and on other human rights can be heard, and the need for a response is clear. However, the challenge is to determine how the voices of these individuals, and others like them, can be enabled to exert real influence on practice and policy so communication disorder will no longer be a barrier to attainment of their human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing ( SEWB) is a multifaceted concept that acknowledges that a person's wellbeing is determined by a range of inter-related domains: body, mind and emotions, family and kinship, community, culture, Country, and spirituality. This paper explores the meaning of these seven domains of SEWB. Method A thematic analysis of qualitative data obtained from the National Empowerment Project (NEP) was conducted, along with a literature review of each domain. Results Findings from the NEP, together with relevant literature, indicate that implementing strategies that focus on strengthening SEWB is important for individual, family, and community wellbeing. Addressing the social determinants of Indigenous disadvantage is also shown to have an important role in strengthening the SEWB of individuals, families, and communities. Conclusion It is important for all practitioners and policymakers involved with improving Indigenous health to recognise the seven inter-related domains of SEWB and to acknowledge and support people in addressing the social determinants of wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how an intersection of critical cultural disability studies and rhetorical studies can inform a critical education on 'mental health (problems)' for psychology students. Building on cultural theories of disability/impairment, a conception of 'mental health (problems)' as culturally constituted is introduced. We propose the rhetorical perspective as a particularly relevant analytical and pedagogical approach to enable students to critically reflect on the cultural assumptions underpinning various (professional) understandings of 'mental health (problems)'. Our contribution is based on a research project in which clinical psychology students rhetorically analysed cultural constructions of 'mental health (problems)' in a graphic novel on 'bipolar disorder'. Based on a qualitative analysis of students' reflective reports, we argue that rhetorical perspectives enable students to develop reflexive stances towards the different cultural logics, and the ethical and political ramifications of these logics, in which psychological practice and knowledge on 'mental health (problems)' are inevitably embedded. This article argues that clinical psychology students need to think critically about the language they use to think and talk about mental health problems because this language has an impact on their beliefs, attitudes and actions towards people experiencing mental health problems. Educators can support students in this endeavour by introducing them to stories that challenge some of the dominant ways society thinks and talks about mental health problems, for example by working with stories or art work of survivors. In this study, clinical psychology students read an autobiographical graphic novel on 'bipolar disorder'. The graphic novel made students reflect on how the main character in the novel experiences mental health problems, on their personal and professional assumptions about mental health problems, and on dominant societal assumptions about mental health problems and their impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve students in a developmental psychology service-learning course engaged in a service-learning project with two groups of elders in an urban setting. Nine members of the class provided quantitative and qualitative feedback on this experiential learning experience. Survey results indicated that students believed the project increased their interest in the content area and that the project was a valuable aspect of the course. Based on student reflection papers in the course, students could identify specific ways the project helped them to learn course content. Finally, two interviewed students commented on how the project helped dismantle ageist preconceptions they held prior to completing the course. The project illustrates the advantages of experiential teaching in promoting interactions and understanding between diverse age groups. Three recommendations for implementing experiential teaching in community psychology and service-learning courses are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Indigenous health matters have largely been neglected in the speech-language pathology literature and have particular import for the aphasia clinician. The influence of culture on people’s experiences and expectations after an event such as stroke can vary widely and there is a need to understand the impact of context on assessment and therapy. Standard approaches may not be adequate or relevant, nor always ethical to apply. Examination of aphasia in contexts with Indigenous populations provides an opportunity to explore methods and approaches with socially complex and marginalised communities and to expand our understanding of the lived experience of aphasia. Aims:The goal of this paper is to explore the role of culture in aphasia in Indigenous populations and drawing from a body of emerging research, highlight relevant dimensions of understanding and practice for the aphasia clinician. Main Contribution:A series of qualitative studies undertaken with Indigenous people with aphasia in two separate contexts – Australia and South Africa – will be described and their findings considered along several dimensions. A consideration of methods of approach and understanding will be provided, followed by discussion of some central constructs. A series of conceptual and clinical propositions for culturally safe research and practice in aphasia will be derived from this evidence. Models of collaboration are derived which are decolonising and potentially transformative and supplement models of knowledge and intervention in a local community. Particular attention is paid to temporal and spatial issues, the role of family, identity and community, the notion of resilience in such communities and addressing some of the specific challenges that may be involved such as working with cultural brokers. A series of recommendations is provided which allows for a critical engagement with interdisciplinary frameworks of understanding aphasia in context. Conclusion:As a reflective piece, this paper has enabled a collation of knowledge about aphasia in two Indigenous cultures and has helped consolidate some novel principles and insights and the need for expanded skills, attitudes, insights, explanations and methodologies – ones that acknowledge and accommodate diversity and difference, and that are relevant to Indigenous communities. Language difficulties are only one cause of social exclusion and issues such as poverty and identity make a huge impact on the lives of our clients and their families, and on the approach we adopt. A shift from the primary framework of our profession is required to accommodate the central role of culture in communication. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The role of psychologists is relatively invisible at end‐of‐life (EOL) and lack of training has been cited as one important reason for this. Contrasting the medicalisation of death, a new term Death Literacy references communities regaining knowledge and familiarity with the dying process. The aim of this study is to assess the impact on postgraduate students participating in a voluntary Online Death Literacy Education Module (ODELM). Methods: Using a mixed methods, quasi‐experimental, repeated measure design, the current research paper measures the self‐reported Death Literacy of 86 post‐graduate psychology students. Results: The results found that psychology students' overall Death Literacy increased significantly, in addition, to the specific dimensions of knowledge and comfort in having EOL conversations. Further, exposure to Death Literacy training significantly increased participants' interest in EOL concerns and enhanced their perceptions of its relevance to the role of psychologists. Qualitative findings support a high level of engagement and interest in this sensitive and emotionally challenging topic for students, particularly in having EOL conversations with children. Discussion: This study shows that online delivery is an effective way to deliver Death Literacy content, particularly for fifth‐year psychology students, who benefited most from gaining professional development hours towards provisional psychologist registration. Case studies and videos stimulated reflections on both the personal and professional dimensions of EOL supporting increased Death Literacy of participants. Conclusion: The strong interest and positive engagement in EOL expressed by emerging psychologists augurs well for their increased involvement in EOL care across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is timely to have this kind of study in South Africa as the country has an increasing number of people living with HIV and AIDS. While an extensive literature has documented factors associated with HIV and AIDS, psychosocial variables associated with the health of persons living with HIV (PLH) have only begun to receive attention recently. The objective of this paper was to explore the views of a group of people living with HIV and AIDS regarding HIV and AIDS and Self-Forgiveness. Theoretical base: To examine the role of self-forgiveness in people living with HIV and AIDS, George Engel's Biopsychosocial Model was adopted. Methods: Individual In-depth Interviews were conducted with 10 purposefully-selected participants in Ekurhuleni. Outcomes: Results showed that self-forgiveness has a huge role in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. For instance, it has been found that self-forgiveness leads to acceptance of HIV status, promote infected people to seek medical care, and eventually gain the confidence to disclose to friends and families. Work implications: In conclusion, self-forgiveness has micro, messo and macro implications as it promotes good health of people living with HIV and AIDS; enhance HIV status self-disclosure and adherence to HIV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) has long been identified as a way of providing optimal mental health services (MHS). It is important, therefore, to identify and facilitate factors driving IPC. This paper presents health professionals' experiences and perceptions regarding the clients' role as a driving factor for IPC in MHS in an Iranian context. Health professionals included nurses, physicians (general physicians and medical specialists), psychologists and consultants. Qualitative methods were employed in the form of in-depth individual interviews and focus groups to collect data from 24 professionals and 4 clients. Data analysis generated four key themes: 'Clients as axis of IPC', 'Seamless services as a common incentive for IPC', 'Clients as a common interprofessional linkage' and 'Clients as a driving force to achieve IPC'. From the professionals' perspective, it was found that clients had a mediating role in their collaborative relationships and practices. These findings are discussed in relation to the interprofessional literature. This paper goes on to argue that professionals need to be aware of and be trained about how to manage, as well as benefit from, the clients' fundamental role in IPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rationale for this paper is to enquire into the process of embodiment and moving of metaphor. A hypothesis of ‘surrender’ is suggested at the beginning and applied to two different research examples. The reasons for the original research were (for Research Example 1; Hayes, 2004, 2006) to see how dance students perceived their involvement in DMP and if they found any links with performance and choreography, and (for Research Example 2; Hayes, 2010) to record and question a somatic phenomenological process during preparation for and performance of a healing ritual. In this paper the author reflects upon these two research examples in order to attend to two questions pertaining to embodiment and expression of metaphor: (1) To what do we feel we surrender? and (2) How does surrender happen? Research Example 1 used a qualitative interpretive and grounded approach towards a multiple group case study (Hayes, 2004), while Research Example 2 is more recent heuristic research project (Hayes, 2010) in which the researcher's own immersion in metaphor is evaluated from an archetypal perspective. A key finding of Research Example 1 was that externalisation of personal feelings through metaphor facilitated group discussion of hidden interpersonal dynamics. A key finding of Research Example 2 was that movement metaphor was the key mode of travel into the archetypal realm. The author concludes that surrender involves three components: physical response-ability, sustainment of organic movement and sustainment of image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the teaching of the qualitative method, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), to healthcare professionals (HCPs). It introduces briefly the philosophical background of IPA and how it has been used within healthcare research, and then discusses the teaching of IPA to HCPs within received educational theory. Lastly, the paper describes how IPA has been taught to students/trainees in some specific healthcare professions (clinical psychology, medicine, nursing and related disciplines). In doing this, the paper demonstrates the essential simplicity, paradoxical complexity, and methodological rigour that IPA can offer as a research tool in understanding healthcare and illness from the patient or service user perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wealth of literature exists that calls for an end to the dichotomous relationship between quantitative and qualitative research and closer integration of research methodologies. Many social and behavioural sciences have reaped the benefits of mixing methods. However, few methodological papers examine the specific benefits a mixed-method approach can have for humour researchers. This paper illustrates that humour studies are an appropriate vehicle through which to advance the debate on mixed methods. The paper discusses practical, theoretical and methodological benefits of using mixed methods, demonstrates how a mixed-method approach was innovatively used during a research project into the ethics of humour, and highlights how combining methods provided a more comprehensive understanding of the ethics of humour than would be gleaned from a reliance on one or two methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as one particular qualitative approach to psychology. After a brief introduction to IPA, the paper outlines what can be described as its characteristic features: idiographic, inductive, interrogative, illustrating each feature with examples from studies which have been conducted with IPA. The paper then considers the different levels of interpretation, which are possible with IPA and discusses the notion of when an interpretation is 'good enough'. It goes on to consider issues around the types of topics for which IPA is suitable and the emerging pattern of work using the approach. The next section considers how IPA studies can widen the type of participants included and also examines the suitability of different data collection methods. The paper finishes by bringing together some thoughts on the future development of IPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and queer (LGBQ) individuals face well-known difficulties, ranging from slurs to legal exclusion and homophobic hate crimes. However, LGBQ individuals and communities often thrive. Thriving under adverse conditions is understood by psychology through the lens of resilience, i.e., one's ability to 'bounce back' after being faced with hardship. In this paper, we perform a thematic meta-synthesis of narrative studies on LGBQ resilience. Specifically, we have retrieved and performed thematic meta-analysis on 21 studies published over the last 20 years. The examination of this literature highlights the relational nature of resilience in extant research on this population. More precisely, we show that the same entities, such as family and peers, are often sources of resilience and hardship at the same time; that many LGBQ people experience hardship early in their lives, and thus cannot 'bounce back' to a previous positive state; and that extant psychological understandings of resilience are too individualistic for a field that needs to focus more on communities and relationships. We argue for the need to consider relational and community creativity, innovation and growth in understanding LGBQ resilience and not just the capacity of an individual to sustain themselves in the face of adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown burnout to be a significant problem in the mental health field, causing workers serious health problems and reducing quality of care provided to clients. Yet despite mental health practitioners' training in supporting others' emotional health, they may be reluctant to seek help for burnout symptoms. This paper addresses this paradox by showing how human cognitive processes could act as powerful blocks to the recognition of and response to burnout. Fifty-five mental health practitioners' beliefs and perceptions about burnout were examined using qualitative interview and survey data interpreted through a phenomenological perspective on attribution theory. The study identified four perceptual biases and identified professional identity and stress-induced cognitive deficit having influence on the recognition and response to burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Scholars agree that effective rehabilitation relies on a bedrock of reciprocity, relational trust, and authenticity. It is therefore essential for practitioners to develop insight into the complex dynamics within helping relationships. This study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of visually impaired students' experience of informal helping relationships. Methods: Ten visually impaired students at a South African university participated in one of two semi-structured focus group interviews (six and four in each group, respectively) wherein we explored their experience of informal helping relationships. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to make sense of the data. Results: Help, according to the participants, can militate against visibility and complete acceptance, and has the potential to cause helpers to feel entrapped. By contrast, some students found that help offered benefits to relationships by boosting the helper's self-esteem and affording disabled students the opportunity to make friends. Conclusion: Decisions whether to accept help were mediated more by relationship factors than by the need for help. These findings are important for rehabilitation professionals, as deep relationship can come into being during the course of a rehabilitation process. Although this study was conducted in an informal setting, the relational dynamics that we explore are also applicable to clinical relationships between disabled persons and rehabilitation professionals. In this paper, we provide an overview of the intricacies involved in care and helping relationships; In order for rehabilitation to be successful, these relationships should ideally be real, trusting, and authentic; Yet, authenticity and spontaneity often get lost in helping relationships, as help-recipients may deny help when they need it, and accept help when perfectly able to cope without it. These decisions are mediated more by relationship factors than by the need for help; In their daily practice, it is essential for health professionals to be mindful of these relational intricacies within care relationships; We recommend that professionals remain motivated to continuously reflect on their own actions and on the emotional investment they might have in their role as a helper; Our last recommendation is for rehabilitation professionals to spend energy on exploring, through open and transparent discussions with their disabled patients, the relational dynamics in their relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical science and other sources, such as the media, increasingly inform the general public's understanding of disease. There is often discordance between this understanding and the diagnostic interpretations of health care practitioners (HCPs). In this paper – based on a supra-analysis of qualitative interview data from two studies of joint pain, including osteoarthritis – we investigate how people imagine and make sense of the pathophysiology of their illness, and how these understandings may affect self-management behavior. We then explore how HCPs' use of medical images and models can inform patients' understanding. In conceptualizing their illness to make sense of their experience of the disease, individuals often used visualizations of their inner body; these images may arise from their own lay understanding, or may be based on images provided by HCPs. When HCPs used anatomical models or medical images judiciously, patients' orientation to their illness changed. Including patients in a more collaborative diagnostic event that uses medical images and visual models to support explanations about their condition may help them to achieve a more meaningful understanding of their illness and to manage their condition more effectively. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a leading cause of pain and years lived with disability, and despite its being common, patients and healthcare professionals often have a different understanding of the underlying disease. An individual's understanding of his or her pathophysiology plays an important role in making sense of painful joint conditions and in decision-making about self-management and care. Including patients in a more collaborative diagnostic event using medical images and anatomical models to support explanations about their symptoms may help them to better understand their condition and manage it more effectively. Using visually informed explanations and anatomical models may also help to reassure patients about the safety and effectiveness of core treatments such as physical exercise and thereby help restore or improve patients' activity levels and return to social participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep problems are common amongst people who use alcohol and other drugs, but treatment options are limited. This paper explores how people in residential treatment for alcohol and other drug problems perceived and described 'non-problematic' sleep to provide insights that might inform sleep interventions for this population. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 28 residents (19 women, 9 men; ages 24–83 years) in two residential drug and alcohol treatment centres in England during 2014/15. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Accounts of non-problematic sleep were then analysed inductively. Results: Non-problematic sleep comprised three linked components: i. personal sleep patterns and routines; ii. sleep perceptions; and iii. sleep metacognitions. Some participants reported they slept well; others described their sleep as problematic but improving. Participants believed that sleep improved naturally with residential treatment and abstinence, but perceptions of 'good' sleep varied greatly. Participants used a range of metacognitive strategies (e.g. downgrading the importance of sleep; adapting their sleeping patterns; and focusing on sleep quality alongside sleep quantity) to manage sleep problems and render them non-problematic. Conclusions: Metacognitive strategies that focus on changing perceptions of sleep can potentially inform sleep interventions for people with a history of alcohol and other drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the discursive construction and social actions achieved by accounts given by men following a birth in which the mother developed life-threatening complications. Background: Existing qualitative research employing interpretative thematic analysis of men's accounts of births in which the mother developed life-threatening complications highlights men's expressions of distress and marginalisation. This paper extends this, adopting different epistemological and analytic approaches to those accounts. Methods: Audio recordings and transcripts of semi-structured interviews collected by Hinton et al. were re-analysed using an approach informed by narrative analysis, discursive psychology and the discursive action model. Participants were four white British men whose partners experienced a maternal 'near-miss' event. Results: This analysis illustrates how men in this study draw on cultural narratives of 'normal' birth to construct experiences. Narrative constructions highlight separation of health professionals from laymen. These men use a discourse of self-reliance within families to construct their path to recovery. Conclusion: The strength of available narratives of birth and limited accessibility of alternative ones may impact how men tell their experience. Men in this study discursively attend to issues of power, agency and male identity, re-establishing entitlement to speak about their experience, but construct emotional support as unavailable to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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For many people living with HIV/AIDS taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is difficult due to various individual and social factors, including the side effects of these medications, HIV/AIDS stigma and poor patient–provider relationships. Most studies that examine barriers to and facilitators of adherence to HAART have been conducted with people on these medications, which is critical to improving adherence among various HIV-affected groups. Less attention has been paid to the experiences of HIV care providers, which is an important gap in the literature considering the key role they play in the delivery of HAART and the management of patient treatment plans. This paper presents findings from a qualitative pilot study that explored how HIV care providers assess adherence and non-adherence to HAART among their HIV-positive patients in Vancouver, British Columbia. Drawing upon individual interviews conducted with HIV physicians (n= 3), social service providers (n= 3) and pharmacists (n= 2), this discussion focuses on the social typologies our participants use to assess patient success and failure related to adherence. Eleven unique categories are featured and the diversity within and across these categories illustrate a broad spectrum of adherence-related behaviours among patients and the social meanings providers attribute to these behaviours. As one of the first explorations of the social typologies used by HIV care providers to assess patient performance on HAART, these data contribute valuable insights into the experiences of providers within the context of adherence-related care delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broad and inter-disciplinary inquiry into disability is at a nascent stage in Sri Lanka. This paper looks at the intersectionality of disability and gender in the specific contexts of ‘the rural’ and the armed conflict-affected areas of the country, particularly the interaction with the law. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among rural women with disabilities in the North Central and Eastern provinces, including women who acquired disabilities resulting from the internal conflict. Legal literacy, administrative discretion in disability-related welfare programmes, and transitional justice and reconciliation emerged as the most prominent themes in the interviews. We analyse these issues using a rights framework in an attempt to highlight some of the vulnerabilities of women with disability in the rural and war-affected contexts. The paper also reflects on a few instances where those vulnerabilities have been overcome through collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature shows how gender mandates contribute to differences in exposure and vulnerability to certain health risk factors. This paper presents the results of a study developed in the south of Spain, where research aimed at understanding men from a gender perspective is still limited. Objective: The aim of this paper is to explore the lay perceptions and meanings ascribed to the idea of masculinity, identifying ways in which gender displays are related to health. Design: The study is based on a mixed-methods data collection strategy typical of qualitative research. We performed a qualitative content analysis focused on manifest and latent content. Results: Our analysis showed that the relationship between masculinity and health was mainly defined with regard to behavioural explanations with an evident performative meaning. With regard to issues such as driving, the use of recreational drugs, aggressive behaviour, sexuality, and body image, important connections were established between manhood acts and health outcomes. Different ways of understanding and performing the male identity also emerged from the results. The findings revealed the implications of these aspects in the processes of change in the identity codes of men and women. Conclusions: The study provides insights into how the category 'man' is highly dependent on collective practices and performative acts. Consideration of how males perform manhood acts might be required in guidance on the development of programmes and policies aimed at addressing gender inequalities in health in a particular local context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the educational choice-making of students with special educational needs in the context of Finnish pre-vocational training and one of its programmes, ‘Preparatory and Rehabilitative Instruction and Guidance for Disabled Students’. The authors enquire into the kinds of educational choices available for students in the preparatory programme, and how student counselling meets their educational hopes and future plans. The analysis draws on an ethnographic study of special needs education in post-compulsory education in Finland. It shows that students need to reflect on their educational plans within institutional and diagnostic restrictions and guidance. The authors state that educational choices can be negotiable, but more attention must be given to deconstructing the self-evidences and institutional barriers linked to the transitions of young adults with special educational needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of migrant social workers are employed in the UK social work sector. This article explores the acculturative integration experiences of a small group of migrant social workers. We critically observe that research on migrant professionals' trajectories should adopt theories that emphasise people's empowerment and potential for agency. We use a framework drawing on liberation psychology for analysing the autobiographical narratives of a sample of migrant social workers employed in England. Findings indicate that the participants perceived prejudice on a number of occasions and circumstances. Even though in their narrative of survival they talked about activating several psychosocial resources, they were skeptical about their professional development and dissatisfied at work. The paper discusses the emerging findings while highlighting the framework's relevance for understanding these experiences from an empowering acculturation perspective and suggesting ways of improving migrant social workers' acculturative integration by addressing systemic barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this qualitative study was to describe nursing students' experiences of hearing distressing voices through content analysis of essays regarding changes they encountered during simulation. Data, obtained from undergraduate (n = 237) and graduate (n = 128) students' short self-reflection papers, were analysed using a six-step thematic analysis. The following six themes emerged: (a) experiencing cognitive and perceptual challenges, (b) feeling unpleasant emotions, (c) dealing with functional changes and hardships, (d) experiencing somatic changes, (e) making attempts to cope, and (f) facing lingering impact. The findings suggest that students' experiences of voice-hearing simulation closely resembled the voice-hearers' actual experience. Simulation is an effective teaching modality to introduce nursing students to the world voice-hearers live in and to prepare them for clinical practice enlightened through understanding of what it is like to hear distressing voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as in the field of general education, scholars within the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) have also struggled to come to a consensus as to how reflective practice should be operationalized with many different approaches suggesting a retrospective approach to questioning about practice. As a result, many of these approaches have led to a type of routinization of reflection. Worried about such routinization of reflection, Farrell developed a more holistic approach to reflective practice that recognizes the spiritual, moral, and emotional aspects of reflection, as well as the usual retrospective questions about practice. This paper outlines a case study of the reflections of one experienced TESOL teacher teaching in South Korea using Farrell's framework for reflecting on practice that included reflections on his philosophy, principles, theory, practice, and beyond practice. The results revealed three common themes of approachability, art-oriented conceptions, and curiosity that emerged in all aspects of his reflection as uniquely influential parts of a larger whole. Thus, Farrell's holistic framework for teacher reflection employed in this study provided multiple filters through which these various parts could be viewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practice learning within social work education plays a significant part in students' educational journey. Little is understood about the emotional climate of placements. This paper presents a small scale qualitative study of 13 social work students' perceptions of their relationship with a practice educator (PE) and 6 PEs perceptions of these emotional experiences. Visual methodology was employed over a two-phased research project: first social work students were asked to draw an image of what they thought practice education looked like; phase two used photo eliciation, and PEs were then asked to explore the meaning of these images. Results demonstrated social work students focused on their own professional discourse, the identity of PEs, power relationship and dynamics between themselves and PEs, the disjointed journey and practice education in its entirity. Whilst the PEs shared their personal views of practice education and reflected on this, both groups had a shared understanding of practice education including its values and frustrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aphasia can have major consequences for participation. In line with other initiatives around the world, in the Netherlands aphasia centres provide support to people with aphasia and their relatives in the chronic phase to bridge the gap between therapy, rehabilitation, and participation in daily life. Although there is greater focus on participation in health care, the concept of participation is complex and not well-defined. Aims: The purpose of this paper is to understand the value and meaning of the aphasia centres in the Dutch context. We focus on the emic perspectives of people with aphasia and their relatives: how do aphasia centres contribute to building up a meaningful life with aphasia in the chronic phase and how do the centres support them to participate? Hence, this study also contributes to the understanding of the concept of participation and its meaning. Methods and procedures: This qualitative study used a naturalistic case study design in order to get an rich and multi-layered understanding of the context of aphasia centres. Within this context we focused on the experiences and perspectives of people with aphasia and their relatives. To secure involvement of people with aphasia themselves, research methods were attuned to their abilities to participate, and included participant observations, interviews, focus group meetings, and creative methods. Outcomes and results: Aphasia centres help people with aphasia to overcome isolation. They bring new goals and perspectives and help people find new meaning in life. They are experienced as a safe place to learn, overcome shame, and build self-confidence. Working in groups is a valuable element, providing a mutual sense of belonging. Also, people experience they can have a meaningful contribution by helping others. Relatives underscore these values and also feel supported in building up their life with their partner. Conclusions: Aphasia centres are a first step to overcome isolation and bear a first step towards participation in itself. They contribute to overcome barriers to relate to others by building self-confidence and overcome shame. This is a big step stone towards participation in the context outside the centre. From the perspectives of clients and relatives, participation is linked to the concept of being and belonging. At the same time, clients feel it is hard to meet societal norms of participation, framed as paid work, independency and self-reliance. This makes it harder to overcome shame. In this societal context, aphasia centres become even more relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper investigated patients’ experiences of disease and self-care as well as perceptions of the general practitioner’s role in supporting patients with impaired self-care ability. Design: Qualitative interviews with 13 patients with type 2 diabetes, concurrent chronic diseases, and impaired self-care ability assessed by a general practitioner. We analyzed our data using systematic text condensation. The shifting perspectives model of chronic illness formed the theoretical background for the study. Results: Although most patients experienced challenges in adhering to recommended self-care activities, many had developed additional, personal self-care routines that increased wellbeing. Some patients were conscious of self-care trade-offs, including patients with concurrent mental disorders who were much more attentive to their mental disorder than their somatic diseases. Patients’ perspectives on diseases could shift over time and were dominated by emotional considerations such as insisting on leading a normal life or struggling with limitations caused by disease. Most patients found support in the ongoing relationship with the same general practitioner, who was valued as a companion or appreciated as a trustworthy health informant. Conclusion: Patient experiences of self-care may collide with what general practitioners find appropriate in a medical regimen. Health professionals should be aware of patients’ prominent and shifting considerations about the emotional aspects of disease. Patients valued the general practitioner’s role in self-care support, primarily through the long-term doctor-patient relationship. Therefore, relational continuity should be prioritized in chronic care, especially for patients with impaired self-care ability who often have a highly complex disease burden and situational context. Key points:   Little is known about the perspectives of disease and self-care in patients with a doctor-assessed impaired ability of self-care.   • Although patients knew the prescribed regimen they often prioritized self-care routines that increased well-being at the cost of medical recommendations.   • Shifting emotional aspects were prominent in patients’ considerations of disease and sustained GPs’ use of a patient-centred clinical method when discussing self-care.   • Relational continuity with general practitioners was a highly valued support and should be prioritized for patients with impaired self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined data on 1795 male, 139 female, and 78 gender non-binary members of the Adult Baby/Diaper Lover (ABDL) online community. Using grounded theory, qualitative analyses explored reasons for breaks in ABDL practices and reasons for distress lasting longer than 6 months due to ABDL interests. Quantitative analyses examined differences between participants reporting the aforementioned period of distress and those who did not. Negative reactions from parents and romantic partners appeared to cause breaks in ABDL behavior as well as distress due to ABDL interests. Other reasons for breaks were a living arrangement that interfered with ABDL behavior, a struggle in self-acceptance of ABDL interests, and lack of access to ABDL paraphernalia. Distress due to ABDL interests reflected mental health concerns, such as depression, due to conflicting feelings about their ABDL interests or due to interpersonal conflicts over the ABDL practices. Participants who reported distress were older, had practiced ABDL longer, reported more problems due to ABDL interests, had more negative mood states, had a more negative relationship with both parents, greater attachment avoidance, and greater attachment anxiety. Normalizing sexual diversity may help minimize distress in individuals who have atypical interests or practices, whether they are sex-related or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the Impact of Killing (IOK) treatment—a psychological intervention designed to address moral injury and trauma associated with killing in war. Using qualitative data from interviews with 28 combat veterans, we examine IOK’s impact, how it differs from other trauma-focused treatments, and how it can be improved to better meet veterans’ needs. We found that many veterans processed their killing experiences for the first time in IOK, even though all had previously completed evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. Several described killing in war as the most distressing and transformative trauma of their lives, and all affirmed the value of an intervention focused directly and explicitly on moral injury and killing. IOK helped veterans to acknowledge their grief, shame, and distress; gently but critically examine their thoughts and beliefs about killing in war; and make strides toward acceptance, reconciliation, and forgiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moroccans make up a large immigrant population but no prior research has been carried out with them. This paper focused on understanding depression and its management among Moroccan women through exploration of their view of the cause, presentation and treatment of depression, as well as that of their carers and mental health professionals. This study was conducted in a Moroccan psychiatric hospital. Data was collected using audiotaped, semi-structured interviews carried out by psychiatrists, lasting 30 minutes. Participants included: (1) outpatients with a diagnosis of depression, (2) relatives of patients and (3) psychiatrists and psychologists. A total of 30 interviews were conducted in French/Arabic and translated into English. The analysis involved NVivo. The results highlight delayed presentations in the majority of patients and physical symptoms of depression with an emphasis on anger. Most patients and relatives ascribed depression to a social problem, with an emphasis on depleted patience. Patients’ expectations of management depicted a bio-psycho-spiritual-social model of illness. Although half of all patients mentioned the evil eye as a potential cause, few saw traditional healers. Patient socioeconomic conditions and insufficient psychological training render psychotherapy an unexploited tool. This study reflects the importance of educating professionals with regards to diagnosis and therapy in non-Western cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]