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Increasing numbers of UK students now seek mental health support while at university. Clear evidence for the best configuration of student support services is lacking. Most service evaluations have focused on counselling -- with little evaluation of low-intensity support services such as non-clinical mental health and well-being teams or student accommodation welfare support. This qualitative study addresses that gap, examining student and staff experiences of new well-being advisers in academic departments and halls of residence at one UK university in 2018, marking a step-change in welfare support delivery. Using reflexive thematic analysis with data collected in 40 focus groups and interviews approximately 18 months after service launch, five themes were identified: Trusted Friend; Joined Up Approach; Proactive versus Reactive; Belonging; and My University Cares. The well-being advisers offered timely, low-intensity support as an accessible, approachable addition to academic, clinical and online provision. However, evidence showed operational challenges such as data-sharing between academic, professional and support service staff. The volume of students seeking support also appeared to compromise resource intended for preventative and community-building work, particularly in student accommodation. Concerns remained for students who do not seek help, with findings underlining the importance of issues of belonging, connection and representation in relation to well-being support. Notably, this highly visible well-being investment appeared to shift a negative cultural narrative which was undermining student and staff confidence to one of greater reassurance of support. Our conclusions have implications for student support service configuration and emphasise the importance of a whole university well-being approach.

Given that universities have significant choices to make about what is retained from our emergency measures, the authors set out to use the record of our biweekly meetings to examine the choices that we have made during the pandemic and how we have made them. In this collaborative reflective article from authors from five different institutions in the UK and Australia, we demonstrate that student-centred decision making emerged unanimously as the core value driving our decision making during the pandemic. In our reflections, supported by our diary notes, we explore and document our decision-making processes relating to educational technology through the lens of agile values and principles in the context of crisis leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss four prominent drivers for student-centred decision making: (a) collecting and rapidly sharing student voice data, (b) offering more choice in anticipation of diverse needs, (c) giving a high priority to equalising access to technology and (d) taking responsibility for students in difficult circumstances. In addition, we discuss five emerging data-driven themes -- leadership, operational continuity, student welfare, pedagogy and technology infrastructure -- and offer insights into student-driven decision making with examples from our respective institutions. The ultimate aim for our reflection is to establish approaches that we value in higher education leadership that we should sustain and to formulate principles for student-centred agile leadership for university education which can serve us during the pandemic and beyond.

In which domains and for which language types does language legislation occur and how easy is it to identify it? The United Kingdom (UK) affords a good test bed to answer these questions since it is often considered to be lacking in strong public language policy due to, amongst other things, a lack of a coherent language policy across the UK and its devolved administrations and a perceived societal disinterest in languages. Through analysis of a corpus of primary and secondary legislation from the UK and its constituent jurisdictions that contain stipulations about language(s), this article shows that UK language legislation spans multiple domains, including public health and safety, law and crime, transport and the media. Whilst some of the legislation, such as the Welsh Language Acts, explicitly deals with language(s), the vast majority of the UK's legislation which contains provisions concerning language(s) is hidden in legislation which primarily concerns another domain. Although hidden, at times these language stipulations mark important landmarks in the status of languages. All this has consequences for the UK language policy landscape, potentially diminishing the perceived importance of languages in and to government and affecting policymakers' ability to collaborate across government in a coherent way.

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have become ubiquitous as a form of assessment in medical education but involve substantial resource demands and considerable local variation. A detailed understanding of the processes by which OSCEs are designed and administered could improve feasibility and sustainability. This exploration of OSCE design is informed by Practice Theory, which suggests assessment design processes are dynamic, social and situated activities. The overall purpose is to provide insights that inform on-the-ground OSCE administration. Fifteen interviews were conducted with OSCE academics and administrators from three medical schools in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Drawing from post-qualitative inquiry, Schatzki's Practice Theory was used both as a sensibility and as an analytic framework. OSCE design was characterised by planning activities, administration activities, negotiation activities and bureaucratic activities; it involves significant and resource-intensive effort in negotiation and coordination. There was considerable local variation but at the same time activities were remarkably consonant across national boundaries. There was a tension between general understandings such as reliability and validity that underpin the OSCE and the improvisational practices associated with design and administration. Our findings highlighted the role of blueprints as a key coordinating artefact but with too many rules and procedures prompting cycles of bureaucracy and complexity. Emphasising coordination rather than standardisation might ease workloads, support adaptation to local environments and prevent an overly reductive approach to this assessment format.

Supporting school communities following a critical incident (CI) is a stressful, yet established, part of an educational psychologist's (EP's) role. The authors aim to explore whether emotional intelligence (EI), the number of CIs worked, and coping strategies predict EPs' CI self-efficacy, and to gather EPs' views on CI training. Ninety-five EPs working for UK local authorities completed an online survey that measured their self-efficacy towards CIs, their EI, and coping strategies. Information about how CIs are allocated, supervision, training received, and suggestions for future training were obtained. EI, approach coping strategies, and avoidant coping strategies were all predictors of CI self-efficacy. Results showed that 76.5% of EPs considered they needed more CI training and expressed they would benefit from knowledge- and experiential-based training. Implications are discussed, using a training framework informed by sources of self-efficacy, emphasising the need to be consciously aware of the EI and coping strategies that EPs already possess.

This article is a collective writing experiment undertaken by philosophers of education affiliated with the PESGB (Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain). When asked to reflect on questions concerning the Philosophy of Education in a New Key in May 2020, it was unsurprising that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on society and on education were foremost in our minds. We wanted to consider important philosophical and educational questions raised by the pandemic, while acknowledging that, first and foremost, it is a human tragedy. With nearly a million deaths reported worldwide to date, and with everyone effected in one way or another by COVID-19, there is a degree of discomfort, and a responsibility to be sensitive, in reflecting and writing about it academically. Members of this 'COVID Collective' come from various countries, with perspectives from Great Britain and Ireland well represented, and we see academic practice as a globally connected enterprise, especially since the digital revolution in academic publishing. The concerns raised in this article relate to but move beyond COVID-19, reflecting the impact of neoliberalism [and other political developments] on geopolitics with educational concerns as central to our focus.

Background/aims: Suicidal Ideation (SI) is a risk factor for suicide, a leading cause of death amongst young men globally. In this study we assess whether sustaining a serious physical combat injury is associated with SI and whether leaving service mediates this association. Methods: We analysed data from male UK Armed Forces personnel who sustained a combat injury in Afghanistan and a frequency-matched comparison group who did not sustain such an injury (the ADVANCE cohort). SI was measured from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item 'thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way'. Results: Approximately, 11.9% (n = 61) of the uninjured group, 15.3% (n = 83) of the overall injured group, 8.5% (n = 13) of an Amputation injury (AI) subgroup and 17.6% (n = 70) of a Non-Amputation Injury (NAI) subgroup reported SI in the past 2 weeks. The NAI subgroup reported greater likelihood of SI (Relative Risk Ratio (RR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.04, 2.00]) compared to the comparison group, whereas the overall injured group (RR = 1.23, 95% CI [0.90, 1.68]) and AI subgroup (RR = 0.65, 95% CI [0.36, 1.18]) did not. Leaving service fully mediated the association between sustaining a NAI and SI (natural direct effect RR = 1.08, 95% CI [0.69, 1.69]). Conclusions: UK military personnel with NAI reported significantly higher rates of SI compared to demographically similar uninjured personnel, while those who sustained AIs reported no significant difference. Leaving service was associated with greater rates of SI for both injured and uninjured personnel and fully mediated the association between sustaining a NAI and SI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Timely diagnosis remains a challenge in axial SpA (axSpA). In addition, data are scarce on the impact of diagnostic delay and disease progression in affected individuals. The British Axial Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort (BAxSIC) study aims to investigate the impact of newly diagnosed axSpA, the natural history of the disease and the effect of diagnostic delay on disease outcomes. Methods BAxSIC is a prospective, multicentre, observational study. Eligible participants are adults (≥16 years of age), with a physician-confirmed diagnosis of axSpA in the 6 months prior to study entry, recruited from secondary and tertiary rheumatology centres in the UK. Participants will be followed up for 3 years, with in-person visits at baseline and 24 months. In addition, patient self-reported assessments will be recorded remotely via the online electronic case report form (eCRF) at 6, 12, 18, 30 and 36 months. Results The first patient was enrolled in BAxSIC in June 2023. Recruitment is currently ongoing and is planned to end in June 2026. Initial results will be available in 2027. Since opening, the trial has undergone two protocol amendments. Conclusion The BAxSIC study is the first inception cohort designed to investigate the impact of diagnostic delay on clinical presentation and long-term functional outcomes in patients with axSpA in the UK. With an innovative, patient-led virtual longitudinal data collection model, data generated from this study will help inform and improve the care of people newly diagnosed with axSpA. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (http://clinicaltrials.gov), NCT05676775. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent public health restrictions caused an unprecedented impact on long-term care services in the United Kingdom (UK). A qualitative study was conducted in the East Midlands, UK, to explore how home care provision was perceived and experienced, by those organizing, commissioning, or providing care, and those receiving care, during the pandemic. Fifteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted between September to December 2020 with people who organize, commission, or provide home care (n = 9), recipients of home care (n = 3), and their informal carers (n = 6). Findings: Three broad themes were constructed through a thematic analysis: (1) positive about home care; (2) fear of infection; and (3) social isolation. In addition to these overarching themes, specific group themes were identified amongst group one: those organizing, commissioning, or providing care, and group two: those in receipt of the care and informal carers. Those in group one spoke about the pandemic creating stressful working conditions, regardless of whether organizing, commissioning, or providing care. Despite working throughout the pandemic, they felt a forgotten part of the essential workforce, when compared to those employed in the National Health Service and institutional care. Those in group two experienced a loss of control with visits cancelled or frequently occurring outside of scheduled times. Dissatisfaction with the visits was directed at the management level, rather than at the staff visiting the homes. Applications: Awareness and understanding of the experiences of home care will provide useful knowledge when commissioning future services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Apollo missions, human spaceflight has been advocated as a means of promoting positive attitudes towards science. In 2015, Principia launched Britain's first government-funded astronaut to the International Space Station, a core objective being education and inspiring young people. In this study, we examined how spaceflight education policy was enacted during the Principia mission, found out the ways in which young people encountered space, and how these encounters shaped their attitudes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 102 children and analysed through the construction of an actor-network. Young people encountered space through formal education in school as well as through non-formal encounters with family, friends, media and social media. Social media influences were associated with forming positive attitudes, whereas friends and teachers were associated with both positive and negative attitudes. The human dimension of spaceflight was important in young people encountering space but was not sufficient to stimulate sustained interest in space: children and young people wanted to know more about the science of human spaceflight. Young people confused science with science fiction. In some schools, young people became 'spaced out' by saturation of the curriculum with space. The findings have implications for policymakers and practitioners. The scientific stories associated with human spaceflight need greater attention. Social media could be used to greater effect in communicating science directly to young people. Non-formal education initiatives must be designed to align with teachers' objectives, and there needs to be recognition and reward of teachers' time and contributions.

Background: The work forms part of a study conducted in the UK at the time of the "Principia" Mission, in which the British astronaut, Tim Peake, went to the International Space Station. Purpose: This paper describes the development and use of an on-line instrument to measure young people's attitudes to STEM subjects and to human spaceflight. Sample: 555 primary students and 796 secondary students completed all three surveys. Students were aged 9 and 12 at the first data collection point. Design and methods: The study as a whole was a three-year, mixed-methods study combining a large-scale survey of attitudes to STEM subjects and to human spaceflight with interviews with participating students and staff. This paper reports the survey data. Data were gathered at three points: prior to the "Principia" Mission, shortly after, and approximately one year later. Results: Students were positive about the value of STEM subjects, and about space science. Paired t-tests showed few significant differences in the pre- and post-surveys. There was a downward trend from primary to secondary age groups in relation to considering careers in STEM subjects and in space science. Primary students retained more interest in STEM subjects and showed increased interest in aspects of space science than secondary students. Boys were more positive about space than girls, and more likely to see themselves working in STEM areas or space science. Conclusion: The study suggests that spaceflight as a context stimulates immediate situational interest in students, but not longer-term interest. Thus, there does not appear to be a case for substantially increasing coverage of space science in the school curriculum. However, the findings point to the desirability of including more information about careers, including careers in space science, in STEM lessons.

As a philosophy and religious studies high school teacher in the United Kingdom, Tom Bennett discovered that a good deal of what was considered orthodoxy in the profession was unsubstantiated. It was the inspiration for his book, "Teacher Proof: Why Research in Education Doesn't Always Mean What It Claims, and What You Can Do about It," on which this article is based. The book bluntly exposes some of the bigger education myths that still rattle their chains in the classroom. Each chapter is devoted to a questionable educational theory; Bennett examines each claim made for its efficacy by simply following the research crumbs backward. He argues here that one of the most enduring myths he has encountered in education is the subject of this article: group work. Here he presents a discussion of the myth, and everyday realities of group work, and highlights 4 of the usually ignored drawbacks of group work. The article closes with Bennett's recommendation to his colleagues that they use group work when they feel it is appropriate to the task they want their students to achieve and at no other time.

This article describes the results of a study into students' experiences of independent research project work in science. Independent research projects are projects in which students are supervised (usually by a teacher, scientist or both) to work independently on a scientific problem or question over an extended period. We collected data from 39 young people aged 16-19 engaged in independent research project work using group interviews and found that the projects gave them experience of thinking and acting like a researcher, and had an impact on their aspirations for future study or employment in science.

This paper reports the results of a primary data collection exercise conducted with postgraduate students enrolled at a large Russell Group university in the UK. The aim of this study was to gain insights of students' experience of a jointly-taught, distance learning, part-time postgraduate programme. A mixed-methods approach involving an online survey and semi-structured interviews was adopted. The results show that students concentrated their perceptions on three main areas: the academic content of the programme, seen as current, interesting and relevant to their professional lives; delivery processes, including the advantages of the flexibility and tailored approach and the disadvantages of being exposed to different teaching styles and lack of face to face interaction; the administrative and practical aspects, accounting for the majority of complaints due to the discrepancies across the two schools responsible for the delivery of the programme. Differences in experience emerged depending on gender and year of enrolment.

Do the narratives of employability constructed by higher education institutions for marketing purposes differ from the conceptualisation and/or the realisation of employability within those institutions? The study reported here drew on interviews with 16 senior academic and student support staff who were tasked with developing student employability at one of nine institutions in Australia, Canada and the UK. We employed Holmes' conceptions of employability as possessional, positional or processual to analyse how the interviewees conceptualised employability and the presentation of employability on the institutional websites. We found that most institutions' employability marketing narratives were inconsistent with the institutional practice reported by staff. We explain this tension in the context of two competing characterisations of higher education: a university-student transaction view; and a learning view. We emphasise the need for internal and external narratives to align and advocate the need for engagement in a constructive and critical dialogue involving all stakeholders.

Alcohol is a causal factor in about 10% of breast cancer (BCa) cases, but awareness of this link is low. This study explored how to raise awareness and inform the development of an intervention using the COM-B model (capability, opportunity, motivation, behavior) framework. Eight online focus groups were conducted with 36 participants (6 expert stakeholders,and 30 women aged 40–65). Participants reflected on a package of information about alcohol and BCa and discussed how to impart this information and encourage women to reduce drinking. Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts was undertaken. Three themes were identified: understanding ineffective messaging; transitions and challenges; and message acceptability. Current health information about alcohol was perceived as judgmental and BCa was put down to chance. Mid-life consisted of many challenges that could lead to increased consumption, but menopause transition may be a key moment for alcohol reduction. Barriers and enablers to communicating risk information and encouraging alcohol reduction were mapped onto the COM-B model. Psychological capability (relating to knowledge), social opportunity (in the form of social pressure) and automatic motivation (relating to drinking to cope) were barriers to behavior change. These will be targeted in an alcohol reduction intervention. It is important to tailor information to women's experiences, taking into account the social benefits of drinking, and encourage the development of healthy coping strategies. Acceptable intervention messages may include personal stories, clear statistics, and suggest healthy alternatives to drinking. It is vital that messaging does not appear judgmental or patronizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It remains unclear whether cognitive reserve can attenuate dementia risk among people with different genetic predispositions. Aims: We aimed to examine the association between cognitive reserve and dementia, and further to explore whether and to what extent cognitive reserve may modify the risk effect of genetic factors on dementia. Method: Within the UK Biobank, 210 631 dementia-free participants aged ≥60 years were followed to detect incident dementia. Dementia was ascertained through medical and death records. A composite cognitive reserve indicator encompassing education, occupation and multiple cognitively loaded activities was created using latent class analysis, categorised as low, moderate and high level. Polygenic risk scores for Alzheimer's disease were constructed to evaluate genetic risk for dementia, categorised by tertiles (high, moderate and low). Data were analysed using Cox models and Laplace regression. Results: In multi-adjusted Cox models, the hazard ratio (HR) of dementia was 0.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61–0.70) for high cognitive reserve compared with low cognitive reserve. In Laplace regression, participants with high cognitive reserve developed dementia 1.62 (95% CI 1.35–1.88) years later than those with low cognitive reserve. In stratified analysis by genetic risk, high cognitive reserve was related to more than 30% lower dementia risk compared with low cognitive reserve in each stratum. There was an additive interaction between low cognitive reserve and high genetic risk on dementia (attributable proportion 0.24, 95% CI 0.17–0.31). Conclusions: High cognitive reserve is associated with reduced risk of dementia and may delay dementia onset. Genetic risk for dementia may be mitigated by high cognitive reserve. Our findings underscore the importance of enhancing cognitive reserve in dementia prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Efforts to increase the evidence base in speech and language therapy are often limited by methodological factors that have restricted the strength of the evidence to the lower levels of the evidence hierarchy. Where higher graded studies, such as randomized controlled trials, have been carried out, it has sometimes been difficult to obtain sufficient power to detect a potential effect of intervention owing to small sample sizes or heterogeneity in the participants. With certain clinical groups such as cleft lip and palate, systematic reviews of intervention studies have shown that there is no robust evidence to support the efficacy of any one intervention protocol over another. Aims: To describe the setting up of an observational clinical cohort study and to present this as an alternative design for answering research questions relating to prevalence, risk factors and outcomes from intervention. Methods: The Cleft Collective Speech and Language (CC-SL) study is a national cohort study of children born with cleft palate. Working in partnership with regional clinical cleft centres, a sample size of over 600 children and 600 parents is being recruited and followed up from birth to age 5 years. Variables being collected include demographic, psychological, surgical, hearing, and speech and language data. Main Contribution: The process of setting up the study has led to the creation of a unique, large-scale data set which is available for researchers to access now and in future. As well as exploring predictive factors, the data can be used to explore the impact of interventions in relation to individual differences. Findings from these investigations can be used to provide information on sample criteria and definitions of intervention and dosage which can be used in future trials. Conclusions: The observational cohort study is a useful alternative design to explore questions around prevalence, risk factors and intervention for clinical groups where robust research data are not yet available. Findings from such a study can be used to guide service-delivery decisions and to determine power for future clinical trials.

Men can play a significant role in teaching their children about sexuality but fathers' practices and perceptions in this domain remain under explored. This study presents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of eight fathers' perceptions and practices in educating their ten-year-old children about physical maturation, reproduction and relationships. A Foucauldian analysis with a focus on governmentality and biopower revealed tensions and contradictions between the fathers' aspirations and their realities, which appeared to be underpinned by the dynamic, contradictory, shifting, plural nature of fatherhood identities. Whilst fathers wished to adhere to the cultural imperative for father-child emotional closeness, a disparity between their ambitions and their conduct emerged. Care appeared to be a deeply gendered concept for the fathers and despite their aspirations for an intimate relationship with their children, gendered norms for motherhood and fatherhood prevailed resulting in passivity in their role as sexuality educators. The study concludes by arguing that challenges to structures and subcultural contexts, which may deter fathers from fully engaging with their sons and daughters in this aspect of communication are required.

Higher education students experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety, and report experiencing negative thoughts and emotions, which influence information retention and recall. In a randomized experiment, we assigned participants to either a mindfulness meditation or an audiobook listening condition, and recorded the information recalled from a previously attended lecture, which was controlled for in subsequent analyses for trait resiliency and trait mindfulness. Participants placed in the mindfulness meditation condition recalled significantly more information than participants who were placed in the audiobook listening condition, even when controlling for resiliency and mindfulness. Future directions are suggested in an attempt to expand the literature and research around higher education, mindfulness and individual differences.

There has been concern about adolescent mental health during the pandemic. The current study examined adolescent mental health during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Using indicator of psychological distress, wellbeing and resilience, latent profile analysis was used to identify homogeneous mental health groups among young people aged 13–24 (N = 1971). Multinomial logistic regression was then used to examine which sociodemographic and psychosocial variables predicted latent class membership. Four classes were found. The largest class (Class 1, 37.2%) was characterised by moderate symptomology and moderate wellbeing. Class 2 (34.2%) was characterised by low symptomology and high wellbeing, while Class 3 (25.4%) was characterised by moderate symptomology and high wellbeing. Finally, Class 4 was the smallest (3.2%) and was characterised by high symptomology and low wellbeing. Compared to the low symptomology, high wellbeing class, all other classes were associated with less social engagement with friends, poorer family functioning, greater somatic symptoms, and a less positive model of self. A number of unique associations between the classes and predictor variables were identified. Although around two-thirds of adolescents reported moderate-to-high symptomology, most of these individuals also reported concurrent moderate-to-high levels of wellbeing, reflecting resilience. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate how a more comprehensive picture of mental health can be gained through adopting a dual-continua conceptualisation of mental health that incorporates both pathology and well-being. In this way, at-risk youth can be identified and interventions and resources targeted appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have revealed significant gaps in the UK public's knowledge about the welfare state and the economy. However, we know little about which groups of the population know more, and which less. Drawing on survey evidence, we confirm that many people overstimate both the size of unemployment provision and levels of benefit fraud, and also make mistakes when answering factual questions about finance, employment rights, and benefit entitlements. While men, older people and university degree holders demonstrate slightly better knowledge on average, substantial differences appear when we distinguish specific domains of knowledge. For example, women know more about benefits, but men more about finance. We argue that understanding patterns of economic knowledge requires more complex engagement than has been undertaken to date. This is important because we find that knowledge is linked to political attitudes, with those who are more supportive of the welfare state – and those who tend to emphasise the government's role in the delivery of public services – more likely to demonstrate greater levels of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male suicide rates represent a public health crisis. In almost every country, more men die by suicide than women and suicide is a leading cause of death for men in the United States and the United Kingdom. Evidence suggests that men are less likely than women to access professional support for suicidal distress. Ensuring more men access support is a critical component of suicide prevention. This study explores responses from 725 men, worldwide, who have attempted suicide or have had thoughts of suicide in the last year, to an open-text question about the barriers they experience to accessing professional support. Using a thematic analysis, results reveal the multifaceted barriers some men experience regarding a lack of motivation, a lack of psychological capability, and/or a lack of physical/social opportunity to access support. Findings suggest that many men have sought support but had negative experiences and that many others want help but cannot access it. Barriers include prohibitive costs and waiting times; potential costs to identity, autonomy, relationships and future life opportunities; a lack of perceived psychological capability; a lack of belief in the utility of services and a mistrust of mental health professionals. Findings suggest the importance of examining the role of male gender in male help-seeking behaviours. We suggest 23 recommendations for services and public health messaging to increase men's help-seeking behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The normally low-risk and routinised nature of supermarket frontline work evolved drastically amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a refined conceptual framework of extreme work, this article examines how the public health crisis coupled with maxinisation of organisational flexibility gives rise to extremity in mundane work settings. The findings based on 50 interviews with workers and managers who worked throughout the pandemic on the UK supermarket frontline offer empirical insights into the macro-micro dynamics of extreme-mundane work. These insights reveal a nuanced narrative of supermarket work as both alienating, owing to the frequent encounters of abuse and undervalued responsibilities, and fulfilling as a respite from social isolation induced by the pandemic. This narrative illustrates the complexities of individual motivations to engage with extreme work, while highlighting a need for structural support in coping with elevated exposure to risks and uncertainties. The article argues that the nature of work and workplaces in the face of extreme externalities remains contingent upon human resource management practices on the frontline of a crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: The presence of multiple cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) has been linked to increased dementia risk, but the combined influence of CMDs on cognition and brain structure across the life course is unclear. METHODS: In the UK Biobank, 46,562 dementia‐free participants completed a cognitive test battery at baseline and a follow‐up visit 9 years later, at which point 39,306 also underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. CMDs (diabetes, heart disease, and stroke) were ascertained from medical records. Data were analyzed using age‐stratified (middle age [< 60] versus older [≥ 60]) mixed‐effects models and linear regression. RESULTS: A higher number of CMDs was associated with significantly steeper global cognitive decline in older (β = –0.008; 95% confidence interval: −0.012, −0.005) but not middle age. Additionally, the presence of multiple CMDs was related to smaller total brain volume, gray matter volume, white matter volume, and hippocampal volume and larger white matter hyperintensity volume, even in middle age. DISCUSSION: CMDs are associated with cognitive decline in older age and poorer brain structural health beginning already in middle age. Highlights: We explored the association of CMDs with cognitive decline and brain MRI measures.CMDs accelerated cognitive decline in older (≥60y) but not middle (<60) age.CMDs were associated with poorer brain MRI parameters in both middle and older age.Results highlight the connection between CMDs and cognitive/brain aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

End-user participation is often encouraged to promote the uptake of Digital Livestock Technologies (DLTs). However, managing participation during DLT development can be challenging. We explore how participation decisions can impact end-users' engagement and attitudes towards the process, before suggesting strategies for improved management of the participation process. We explored the experiences of end-users (e.g. farmers and farm assessors) and other stakeholders (e.g. developers, researchers, industry) involved in the development and testing of DLTs on UK farms, using semi-structured, in-depth interviews (N = 31). Participation can help develop technologies that better align with users' needs, promote learning, and encourage feelings of ownership. However, participation can be a double-edged sword. Inadequate levels of involvement, management of stakeholder relationships and expectations, and available support can negatively impact end-users' engagement and attitudes. Our study highlights the importance of understanding how management decisions during the participatory development of DLTs can influence the engagement and attitudes of end-users towards the process. The study contributes to the participation literature in agriculture and demonstrates the importance of using a critical lens to avoid making normative assumptions that participation necessarily promotes uptake in a linear, uncomplicated fashion. Participation is seen as key for technology adoption. However, the potential downsides of participation have received less attention in relation to the engagement of end-users in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health difficulties are common in children and young people with chronic health conditions, but many of those in need do not access evidence-based psychological treatments. The study aim was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of integrated mental health treatment for children and young people with epilepsy, a common chronic health condition known to be associated with a particularly high rate of co-occurring mental health difficulties. We conducted a parallel group, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial of participants aged 3–18 years, attending epilepsy clinics across England and Northern Ireland who met diagnostic criteria for a common mental health disorder. Participants were randomised (1:1; using an independent web-based system) to receive the Mental Health Intervention for Children with Epilepsy (MICE) in addition to usual care, or assessment-enhanced usual care alone (control). Children and young people in both groups received a full diagnostic mental health assessment. MICE was a modular psychological intervention designed to treat common mental health conditions in children and young people using evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behaviour therapy and behavioural parenting strategies. Usual care for mental health disorders varied by site but typically included referral to appropriate services. Participants, along with their caregivers, and clinicians were not masked to treatment allocation but statisticians were masked until the point of analysis. The primary outcome, analysed by modified intention-to-treat, was the parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 6 months post-randomisation. The study is complete and registered with ISRCTN (57823197). 1401 young people were potentially deemed eligible for study inclusion. Following the exclusion of 531 young people, 870 participants were assessed for eligibility and completed the SDQ, and 480 caregivers provided consent for study inclusion between May 20, 2019, and Jan 31, 2022. Between Aug 28, 2019, and Feb 21, 2022, 334 participants (mean ages 10·5 years [SD 3·6] in the MICE group vs 10·3 [4·0] in control group at baseline) were randomly assigned to an intervention using minimisation balanced by age, primary mental health disorder, diagnosis of intellectual disability, and autistic spectrum disorder at baseline. 168 (50%) of the participants were female and 166 (50%) were male. 166 participants were randomly assigned to the MICE group and 168 were randomly assigned to the control group. At 6 months, the mean SDQ difficulties for the 148 participants in the MICE group was 17·6 (SD 6·3) and 19·6 (6·1) for the 148 participants in the control group. The adjusted effect of MICE was –1·7 (95% CI –2·8 to –0·5; p=0·0040; Cohen's d, 0·3). 14 (8%) patients in the MICE group experienced at least one serious adverse event compared with 24 (14%) in the control group. 68% percent of serious adverse events (50 events) were admission due to seizures. MICE was superior to assessment-enhanced usual care in improving symptoms of emotional and behavioural difficulties in young people with epilepsy and common mental health disorders. The trial therefore shows that mental health comorbidities can be effectively and safely treated by a variety of clinicians, utilising an integrated intervention across ages and in the context of intellectual disability and autism. The evidence from this trial suggests that such a model should be fully embedded in epilepsy services and serves as a model for other chronic health conditions in young people. UK National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and Epilepsy Research UK Endeavour Project Grant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant demand on the NHS, including ambulance services, but it is unclear how this affected ambulance service staff and paramedics in other clinical settings (e.g. urgent and primary care, armed services, prisons). This study aimed to measure the self-perceived preparedness and impact of the first wave of the pandemic on paramedics’ psychological stress and perceived ability to deliver care. Methods: Ambulance clinicians and paramedics working in other healthcare settings were invited to participate in a three-phase sequential online survey during the acceleration (April 2020), peak (May 2020) and deceleration (September/October 2020) phases of the first wave of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. Recruitment used social media, Trust internal bulletins and the College of Paramedics’ communication channels, employing a convenience sampling strategy. Data were collected using purposively developed open- and closed-ended questions and the validated general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Data were analysed using multi-level linear and logistic regression models. Results: Phase 1 recruited 3717 participants, reducing to 2709 (73%) by phase 2 and 2159 (58%) by phase 3. Participants were mostly male (58%, n = 2148) and registered paramedics (n = 1992, 54%). Mean (standard deviation) GHQ-12 scores were 16.5 (5.2) during phase 1, reducing to 15.2 (6.7) by phase 3. A total of 84% of participants (n = 3112) had a GHQ-12 score ≥ 12 during the first phase, indicating psychological distress. Participants that had higher GHQ-12 scores were feeling unprepared for the pandemic, and reported a lack of confidence in using personal protective equipment and managing cardiac arrests in confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. Conclusions: Most participants reported psychological distress, the reasons for which are multi-factorial. Ambulance managers need to be aware of the risks to staff mental health and take action to mitigate these, to support staff in the delivery of unscheduled, emergency and urgent care under these additional pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter- and intragenerational relationships are known to be important in maintaining the wellbeing of older people. A key aspect of these relationships is the exchange of both emotional and instrumental social support. However, relatively little is known about how this exchange of support changes in the context of widespread disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to examine how older people's family relationships are impacted by such social change. The present qualitative study explores how older people in the United Kingdom experienced changes in inter- and intragenerational support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 33) were recruited through a large-scale nationally representative survey (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/psychology-consortium-covid19). We asked how life had been pre-pandemic, how they experienced the first national lockdown and what the future might hold in store. The data were analysed using constructivist grounded theory. This paper focuses on the importance of family relationships and how they changed as a consequence of the pandemic. We found that the family support system had been interrupted, that there were changes in the methods of support and that feelings of belonging were challenged. We argue that families were brought into disequilibrium through changes in the exchange of inter- and intragenerational support. The important role of grandchildren for older adults was striking and challenged by the pandemic. The significance of social connectedness and support within the family had not changed during the pandemic, but it could no longer be lived in the same way. The desire to be close to family members and to support them conflicted with the risk of pandemic infection. Our study found support for the COVID-19 Social Connectivity Paradox: the need for social connectedness whilst maintaining social distance. This challenged family equilibrium, wellbeing and quality of life in older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research predicated on self-determination theory (SDT) has established a positive relationship between autonomy-supportive teaching and a range of desired student outcomes. Therefore, the enhancement of autonomy-supportive teaching is a legitimate focus of efforts to improve student outcomes. In this study, we compared self-reported levels of autonomy-supportive teaching amongst different educational professionals and explored the relationships between four hypothesised antecedents of autonomy support: constraints at work, perceived competence for teaching, perceptions of students' autonomous motivation towards school and autonomous motivation for teaching. Questionnaire data from 429 teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) working in schools in the United Kingdom (UK) revealed that teachers report significantly more autonomy-supportive teaching than do TAs. Structural equation modelling indicated that the more teachers feel competent, the more their teaching is autonomy-supportive. Amongst a range of other significant findings, teachers, but not TAs, who experience fewer constraints at work are more autonomously motivated towards teaching. The findings suggest that differences in autonomy-supportive teaching may account, at least in part, for the differential impact of teachers and TAs on academic progress as revealed by recent large-scale research in the UK. Furthermore, they identify social-contextual variables that should be considered when attempting to promote autonomy-supportive teaching and educators' motivation towards teaching.

Employability development is a strategic priority for universities across advanced western economies. Despite this, there is no systematic study of employability development approaches internationally. In this study, we considered how universities portray employability on the public pages of their websites. We undertook website content analysis of 107 research-intensive universities in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Following Farenga and Quinlan, we classified these strategies as "Portfolio," "Hands-off," "Award" and "Non-embedded." Portfolio or Award strategies were the most common across all four locations; Hands-off and Non-embedded strategies were more common to US universities; and Award was more common in the United Kingdom. Universities focused on either "possessional" or "positional" approaches to employability. We advocate for a pedagogical shift towards processual approaches in which responsibility for employability development is shared.

Compares findings of two reviews of higher education--the 1997 Dearing Report on the United Kingdom's system and the not-yet-released West Review of Australia's system. Argues that both reports illustrate the parallel changes in the systems in recent years and guarantee further radical shifts in the direction of higher education systems in the 21st century. (MSE)

Objectives This study investigates the psychological well-being of informal caregivers over time. It identifies the thresholds (or "tipping points") of caring intensity at which caregiving is associated with lower psychological well-being, and how this varies by care location and caregiver–care recipient relationships. It also examines how caring location and relationship are linked to informal caregivers' psychological well-being while controlling for caring intensity. Methods Waves 1–18 (1991–2009) of the harmonized British Household Panel Survey and Waves 1–8 (2009–2017) of the U.K. Household Longitudinal Study were analyzed. Psychological well-being was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 score. Care intensity was measured by the weekly hours of care provided. Fixed-effects estimators were applied to the GHQ-12 score of caregivers across different care intensities, caring locations, and caring relationships. Results All levels of informal care intensity are associated with lower psychological well-being among spousal caregivers. The thresholds to well-being are 5 hours per week when caring for a parent, and 50 hours per week when caring for a child (with a disability or long-term illness). Caring for "other relatives" or nonrelatives is not negatively associated with psychological well-being. The thresholds are 5 hours per week for both coresident and extraresident caregivers. Extraresident caregivers experience better psychological well-being compared to coresident caregivers, given relatively lower weekly care hours. Caring for primary kin (especially spouses) is linked to lower psychological well-being compared to other caregiving relationships, regardless of care intensity. Discussion Policy and practice responses should pay particular attention to spousal caregivers' well-being. Caregiving relationship has a stronger association with the caregiver's well-being than care location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children and young people (CYP) with long-term physical health conditions (pLTCs) have increased risk of psychopathology compared to physically healthier peers. We explored risk factors for new onset and persistent psychiatric disorders in CYP with pLTCs compared to CYP without pLTCs. This 3-year follow-up study involved a UK representative sample of CYP from the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys (N = 7804). We examined potential baseline predictors of new onset and persistent psychiatric disorders at follow-up in four groups of children based on the presence of any physical and/or any psychiatric conditions at baseline. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using standardised multi-informant diagnostic assessment. Separate multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted for each group. In CYP with pLTCs, rented housing (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.99), non-traditional family structure (aOR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.42 to 3.05), increased parental distress (aOR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.14), and greater peer relationship difficulties (aOR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.39) predicted future psychiatric disorder. Only peer relationship difficulties predicted persistent disorder (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.38) in this group. A greater number of factors predicted the onset of psychiatric disorder in CYP with pLTCs compared to physically healthier peers and similarly, a higher number of factors predicted persistent disorder in CYP without pLTCs. CYP with pLTCs might comprise a group with different vulnerabilities, some of which are potentially tractable and may be useful indicators of patients who require preventable or management interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the 2016 EU referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union, many people described themselves as "Leavers" or "Remainers." Here, we examine the emotional responses associated with Brexit identities using survey data collected from two nationally representative samples of the British public in 2019 (N = 638) and 2021 (N = 2,058). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that many in both samples had coherent Leave or Remain identities. Remain and, to a lesser extent, Leave identities (regardless of how people actually voted in the referendum) predicted distress about Brexit‐related events and clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety at both time points. Structural equation models suggested that the effect of identities on symptoms was largely mediated by distress about Brexit‐related events. We demonstrate a lasting impact of Brexit on the mental health of UK citizens and show that the formation of novel political identities has been more important in this process than voting behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burns are a common injury to young children, sometimes related to neglect or physical abuse. Emergency department (ED) clinicians, health visitors and social workers must work collaboratively when safeguarding children with burns; however, little is known about the factors influencing their professional judgements, decision‐making and multidisciplinary collaboration. Objective was to explore factors affecting ED clinicians', health visitors' and social workers' professional judgements and decision‐making when children present to the ED with burns, and experiences of multidisciplinary collaboration, to identify areas for improvement. This was a qualitative semi‐structured interview study using purposive and snowball sampling to recruit participants. Data were analysed using 'codebook' thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: 'perceived roles and responsibilities when safeguarding children with burn injuries', 'factors influencing judgment of risk and decision‐making', 'information sharing' and 'barriers and facilitators to successful multidisciplinary collaboration'. There is limited understanding between the groups about each other's roles. Each agency is dependent on one another to understand the full picture; however, information sharing is lacking in detail and context and hindered by organisational and resource constraints. Formal opportunities for multiagency team working such as strategy meetings can be facilitators of more successful collaborations. Professionals may benefit from multiagency training to improve understanding of one another's roles. Greater detail and context are needed when notifying health visitors of burn injuries in children or making a referral to children's services. Key Practitioner Messages: Emergency department clinicians, social workers and health visitors need a better understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children with burn injuries.To make decisions in individual cases, professionals need to be aware of the risk factors that are known to each agency.Social workers and health visitors may benefit from further training in the clinical features of abusive and neglectful burns.Emergency department clinicians could improve the level of detail and context that they provide when notifying a health visitor about burn injuries in young children or making a child protection referral to a social worker.All professionals could improve information sharing by providing regular feedback on individual cases and attending multidisciplinary meetings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Significant numbers of individuals struggle to return to work following acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The UK Military developed an integrated medical and occupational pathway (Defence COVID-19 Recovery Service, DCRS) to ensure safe return to work for those with initially severe disease or persistent COVID-19 sequalae. Medical deployment status (MDS) is used to determine ability to perform job role without restriction ('fully deployable', FD) or with limitations ('medically downgraded', MDG). Aims To identify which variables differ between those who are FD and MDG 6 months after acute COVID-19. Within the downgraded cohort, a secondary aim is to understand which early factors are associated with persistent downgrading at 12 and 18 months. Methods Individuals undergoing DCRS had comprehensive clinical assessment. Following this, their electronic medical records were reviewed and MDS extracted at 6, 12 and 18 months. Fifty-seven predictors taken from DCRS were analysed. Associations were sought between initial and prolonged MDG. Results Three hundred and twenty-five participants were screened, with 222 included in the initial analysis. Those who were initially downgraded were more likely to have post-acute shortness of breath (SoB), fatigue and exercise intolerance (objective and subjective), cognitive impairment and report mental health symptoms. The presence of fatigue and SoB, cognitive impairment and mental health symptoms was associated with MDG at 12 months, and the latter two, at 18 months. There were also modest associations between cardiopulmonary function and sustained downgrading. Conclusions Understanding the factors that are associated with initial and sustained inability to return to work allows individualized, targeted interventions to be utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, social distancing practices are key in stemming the spread of the virus. We aimed to assess the complex interplay among psychological factors, socio-demographic characteristics and social distancing behaviours within the framework of the widely used Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. The present research employed network psychometrics on data collected during the first UK lockdown in April 2020 as part of the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) Study. Using a network approach, we examined the predictions of psychological and demographic variables onto social distancing practices at two levels of analysis: macro and micro. Our findings revealed several factors that influenced social distancing behaviour during the first UK lockdown. The COM-B model was successful in predicting particular aspects of social-distancing via the influence of psychological capability and motivation at the macro-and micro-levels, respectively. Notably, demographic variables, such as education, income, and age, were directly and uniquely predictive of certain social distancing behaviours. Our findings reveal psychological factors that are key predictors of social distancing behaviour and also illustrate how demographic variables directly influence such behaviour. Our research has implications for the design of empirically-driven interventions to promote adherence to social distancing practices in this and future pandemics. Supplemental data for this article is available online at [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with long-term physical health conditions (pLTCs) are at increased risk of developing mental health comorbidities, although most do not access services for their mental health. No previous studies have examined the determinants of contact with services for mental health concerns among this group of children. This 3-year longitudinal study involved a population-based sample of children aged 5–16 years from the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys conducted in 1999 and 2004. In children with comorbid pLTCs and mental health disorders at baseline (N = 397), we examined associations between several child-, family- and service-related factors and (a) contact with primary health care, (b) contact with paediatrics and (c) contact with child and adolescent mental health services over 3-year follow-up (2002 and 2007). Separate multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted for each service. The impact of mental health difficulties on the child and contact with the teacher predicted contact with all three services. Adolescent age, female gender, larger family size, some or marked academic difficulties, and having parents with educational qualification(s) were specific predictors of contact with primary health care. Male gender, stressful life events, and contact with primary health care were specific predictors of contact with child and adolescent mental health services. No other factors predicted contact with paediatrics. Our findings highlight the role of child-, family-, and service-related factors in accessing mental health care in children with comorbid pLTCs and mental health disorders which could inform planning and provision of services to reduce unmet mental health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing concern for the mental health and wellbeing of higher education students has been linked to increasing financial pressures associated with studying at university, a factor potentially magnified by the recent global pandemic and economic downturn. With limited longitudinal research to date, this study used cross-sectional survey data collected annually at a large UK university (n = 10,876) to examine overall trends in students' experience of financial stress between 2018 and 2022. Logistic regression investigated changes in students' self-reported financial stress across the four-year period, adjusting for variation in survey response rates and respondent characteristics. Our findings showed a 55% increase in students reporting financial stress (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.29–1.86) compared to none between 2018 and 2022. With the exception of 2020 and the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of students experiencing financial stress increased each year. At a time of economic uncertainty, policymakers need to ensure appropriate advice, support, and funding frameworks are in place to ensure all students can continue to study successfully. Ongoing research should robustly examine the links between financial circumstances, mental health, and academic outcomes, to clearly identify intervention opportunities for relieving financial stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Evidence on body fat distribution shows opposing effects of waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC) for coronary heart disease (CHD). We aimed to investigate the causality and the shape of such associations. Methods UK Biobank is a prospective cohort study of 0.5 million adults aged 40–69 years recruited between 2006 and 2010. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the associations of measured and genetically predicted body mass index (BMI), WC, HC and waist-to-hip ratio with incident CHD were obtained from Cox models. Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to assess causality. The analysis included 456 495 participants (26 225 first-ever CHD events) without prior CHD. Results All measures of adiposity demonstrated strong, positive and approximately log-linear associations with CHD risk over a median follow-up of 12.7 years. For HC, however, the association became inverse given the BMI and WC (HR per usual SD 0.95, 95% CI 0.93–0.97). Associations for BMI and WC remained independently positive after adjustment for other adiposity measures and were similar (1.14, 1.13–1.16 and 1.18, 1.15–1.20, respectively), with WC displaying stronger associations among women. Blood pressure, plasma lipids and dysglycaemia accounted for much of the observed excess risk. MR results were generally consistent with the observational, implying causality. Conclusions Body fat distribution measures displayed similar associations with CHD risk as BMI except for HC, which was inversely associated with CHD risk (given WC and BMI). These findings suggest that different measures of body fat distribution likely influence CHD risk through both overlapping and independent mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case study demonstrating how an online narrative featuring the adventures of a cuddly toy penguin, Pablo Penguin (@uoppenguin on Twitter) has been introduced at the University of Portsmouth Library to build trust and engagement between university students and library services and facilities. Evidence for the benefits of anthropomorphic brand mascots and best practice for their design and use to enhance the library brand, emotionally engage, build trust, lower barriers to service engagement, and mentor students from the perspective of a perpetual student are drawn from the marketing and psychological literature then illustrated in the case study.

This paper explores a model for developing student and staff partnerships to enhance the quality of teaching and learning and situates the model in literature on student engagement. The model enables staff and students to step outside their normal roles and the traditional student-teacher relationship into a less pre-defined mode of interaction and liminal space where conversations about teaching and learning can take place. At the most transformative, this model enables academic staff to get a sense of learner perspectives and to view students as partners and collaborators while students develop insights into the perspectives of staff. The authors argue that the model represents an innovative approach to engaging students in a meaningful way in enhancing teaching and learning and has the potential to reframe the student-teacher relationship into a more collaborative one that goes beyond listening to students.

This study examines the willingness of a sample of 526 current UK non-drivers to travel in driverless vehicles (DVs). Road traffic is predicted to increase between 10%-40% consequent to current non-drivers taking to the road; the new market including individuals who are unable or unwilling to drive: the aged, people with physical and/or mental impairments, and those who possess phobias about driving. Behavioural Reasoning Theory is employed to explore explicit and implicit attitudes of non-drivers towards DVs. Implicit attitudes towards this 'really new' product are measured via an Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP). Sample members completed an online questionnaire containing the AMP plus items on reasons for and against DVs, beliefs and values concerning new technologies, and covariates suggested by literature in the transport marketing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]