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Migrant students tend to underperform in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are less likely to pursue higher education in STEM when compared with their nonmigrant peers. Given the substantial increase in migration, this disparity has been a central concern in science education in many European countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative science outreach program that brings together migrant students and STEM professionals with the same linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The program consists of one-off workshops that follow an inquiry-based approach and include hands-on activities and science communication in the students' heritage language. Using surveys with adapted scales and open-ended questions, we applied a randomized block design with waitlist control groups and repeated measures. Eighty-three Portuguese-speaking migrant students aged 6-17 years participated in the workshops in Germany and the United Kingdom. Results indicate that both the students and STEM professionals evaluated the program positively and that students who participated in the workshops tended to demonstrate an increase in their attainment value for science and an increase in their self-concept of ability for the heritage language 4 weeks after the intervention when compared with students in the control condition. These effects were particularly pronounced for students with low prior motivation to study science or speak the heritage language. Our results thus show that it is possible to foster migrant students' attainment value for science and increase their self-concept of ability regarding the heritage language through a brief science outreach intervention.

There are conflicting theories about the best ways to support behaviour in schools. This paper captures the perspectives of UK primary school staff regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different behaviour support approaches, in addition to exploring the facilitators and barriers to adopting relational-based approaches. Virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 school staff across three mainstream primary schools. A reflexive thematic analysis identified nine themes. Participants commented on the approaches' flexibility, familiarity, positive long-term behaviour change and emotional wellbeing and relationships. Key facilitators to adopting relational-based approaches included: whole-school training and understanding; quality and type of training; and working together and feeling supported. Key barriers included: changing perspectives; ease of implementation and familiarity; scarcity of resources; and persevering in the face of difficulties. Themes are discussed in light of psychological research and implications for educational practitioners and future research are considered.

Drawing on the concept of the "literate environment," the authors conceptualise the numerate environment to explore the development of adults' numeracy. Numerate environments provide opportunities, supports, and demands for numeracy practices. Case studies of domestic energy bills in the UK and of the currency conversion process to the euro in the Slovak Republic from 2009 illustrate opportunities, supports, and demands on adults. We use the idea of affordances to understand inter-relations among these three key aspects. We show the importance of considering affordances at different levels of the environment, which we call here individual, mid-level, and societal or national levels. Implications for numeracy policy and learning are explored.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote school psychological services have increased notably in many countries. With the aim of supporting evidence-based practices, we conducted a rapid systematic evidence review on the efficacy of remote as compared to in-person school psychological services. From a total of 3,873 references identified through our search, only three (< 1%) met eligibility criteria for this review. One of these studies showed serious risk of bias according to the ROBINS-I rating scale and was therefore excluded. Overall, the limited evidence that we identified indicates that the impact of remote school psychological services on consumer satisfaction and evaluated mental health outcomes of service users is equivalent or slightly higher to in-person school psychological services. However, this information needs to be interpreted with caution due to the scarcity of available data, as well as methodological limitations.

Mentoring is seen as one possible solution to support the individual development of competences in higher education. To allow this support for a large number of students, scalable technologies should be used and made available in a so called "Mentoring Workbench." In order to analyze the requirements for this "Mentoring Workbench," this paper, firstly, depicts seven mentoring roles, which can complement typical learning and teaching processes at universities. Based on an analysis of existing mentoring applications, the authors, secondly, work out to which extent these roles can be supported by existing technical solutions. As the market for mentoring software only covers part of the mentoring roles, the paper, thirdly, outlines further considerations on the technical support of the mentoring roles presented. Finally, we give an outlook on the first steps of technical implementation.

In this paper we discuss social creativity in a particular professional context, that of education. We studied how collaborative design of educational digital resources inspired social creativity and the influencing factors during this collaboration amongst a group of designers made up of mathematics teachers, teacher educators and researchers with diverse expertise. The research was carried out in the framework of the MC2 European project (http://www.mc2-project.eu/, 2013-2016) aiming to develop a socio-technical environment for the design of digital resources fostering creative mathematical thinking. Through the functional combination of theories, we conceptualize and study the social creativity that occurs during the collaborative design process of a digital resource embedding mathematics into a story. The methodology comprises two main stages, one for setting the context and the other for studying social creativity. We bring to the fore the importance of the moderation of the group of designers, the ignition of ideas, the use of designers' complementary knowledge and expertise, and the limitation of our communication tool.

Sri Lankan Tamil refugees (SLTRs) have lived in the United Kingdom in substantial numbers for about three decades. However, they remain under‐represented in academic and public discourse, and little is known about their migration experiences. This study examined first‐hand accounts of such experiences, with special attention paid to identity and acculturation. Data were collected through four semi‐structured interviews and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results suggest that SLTRs' experience of conflict as an imposed life disruption continues to shape their adaptation, identity, and meaning‐making ("Afflicted life"). Changing social identities mediate protection from, as well as risk of, trauma. SLTRs try to remedy the socio‐economic and emotional losses suffered in the conflict, but achieve only a partial compensation. Consequently their repair efforts are a source not only of positive emotions but also of dissatisfaction ("Living past"). Finally, participants' sense of belonging and quest for home represent a challenging socio‐emotional process in which they continue to engage even decades after migration ("Continuing quest for home"). This nuanced analysis of how the past continues to shape lived experience, contributes to the under‐developed literature on qualitative psychological investigations of acculturation, research on forced migration, and the establishment of IPA in social psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the landscape of education. The challenge lies in harmoniously blending the directive PUSH strategies, which focus on structured guidance, with the exploratory PULL methods, centered around the learner's initiative. To illustrate this, the realms of science and art as examples are used, showcasing how these strategies can be interpreted and applied in different educational contexts. The educational systems of selected countries are considered from the viewpoint of the novel framework involving PUSH and PULL methodologies in the delivery of education. China's emphasis on a structured and orderly educational process, Finland's dedication to student autonomy and flexibility, and the UK's integrative, hybrid model. Nevertheless, there is still a need for a cohesive approach that effectively combines the structured science education methods with the more fluid and interpretative methods used in art education. This paper deals with a comparative analysis of how educational systems in China, Finland, and the UK navigate the PUSH-PULL dynamics. In this article, we propose and develop a new model for understanding the role of students in the educational system. This model, which we are introducing, views the student in a dual capacity: as both an integral part of the larger educational framework and as the primary consumer of state-provided knowledge. Our model aims to reframe the traditional perspective on students' roles in education. By introducing the "Dual Lex" concept, this study aims to merge (melt) two principal different educational models into a cohesive whole. The term "Dual" emphasizes the simultaneous use of these two methodologies, while "Lex" suggests a set of principles or rules governing this integration. Overall, this approach seeks to establish an educational framework that is as methodical and precise as it is creative and expressive, thereby equipping students with the skills and knowledge for a versatile and dynamic educational journey and more flexible and student-centered preparation for their future professional careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary changes in the domain of knowledge production are usually seen as posing significant challenges to 'the University'. This paper argues against the framing of the university as an ideal-type, and considers epistemic gains from treating universities as assemblages (e.g. DeLanda, M. 2016. "Assemblage Theory." Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press) of different functions, actors and relations. It contrasts this with the concept of 'unbundling', using two recent cases of controversies around academics' engagement on social media to show how, rather than having clearly delineated limits, social entities become 'territorialised' through boundary disputes. The conclusion extends this discussion to the production of knowledge about social objects in general.

Migrant students tend to underperform in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are less likely to pursue higher education in STEM when compared with their nonmigrant peers. Given the substantial increase in migration, this disparity has been a central concern in science education in many European countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative science outreach program that brings together migrant students and STEM professionals with the same linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The program consists of one‐off workshops that follow an inquiry‐based approach and include hands‐on activities and science communication in the students' heritage language. Using surveys with adapted scales and open‐ended questions, we applied a randomized block design with waitlist control groups and repeated measures. Eighty‐three Portuguese‐speaking migrant students aged 6–17 years participated in the workshops in Germany and the United Kingdom. Results indicate that both the students and STEM professionals evaluated the program positively and that students who participated in the workshops tended to demonstrate an increase in their attainment value for science and an increase in their self‐concept of ability for the heritage language 4 weeks after the intervention when compared with students in the control condition. These effects were particularly pronounced for students with low prior motivation to study science or speak the heritage language. Our results thus show that it is possible to foster migrant students' attainment value for science and increase their self‐concept of ability regarding the heritage language through a brief science outreach intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report 2023/2024 season interim influenza vaccine effectiveness for three studies, namely, primary care in Great Britain, hospital settings in Scotland and hospital settings in England. Methods: A test negative design was used to estimate vaccine effectiveness. Results: Estimated vaccine effectiveness against all influenzas ranged from 63% (95% confidence interval 46 to 75%) to 65% (41 to 79%) among children aged 2–17, from 36% (20 to 49%) to 55% (43 to 65%) among adults 18–64 and from 40% (29 to 50%) to 55% (32 to 70%) among adults aged 65 and over. Conclusions: During a period of co‐circulation of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) in the United Kingdom, evidence for effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in both children and adults was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 2022/23 influenza season in the United Kingdom saw the return of influenza to prepandemic levels following two seasons with low influenza activity. The early season was dominated by A(H3N2), with cocirculation of A(H1N1), reaching a peak late December 2022, while influenza B circulated at low levels during the latter part of the season. From September to March 2022/23, influenza vaccines were offered, free of charge, to all aged 2–13 (and 14–15 in Scotland and Wales), adults up to 49 years of age with clinical risk conditions and adults aged 50 and above across the mainland United Kingdom. Methods: End‐of‐season adjusted vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates against sentinel primary‐care attendance for influenza‐like illness, where influenza infection was laboratory confirmed, were calculated using the test negative design, adjusting for potential confounders. Methods: Results In the mainland United Kingdom, end‐of‐season VE against all laboratory‐confirmed influenza for all those > 65 years of age, most of whom received adjuvanted quadrivalent vaccines, was 30% (95% CI: −6% to 54%). VE for those aged 18–64, who largely received cell‐based vaccines, was 47% (95% CI: 37%–56%). Overall VE for 2–17 year olds, predominantly receiving live attenuated vaccines, was 66% (95% CI: 53%–76%). Conclusion: The paper provides evidence of moderate influenza VE in 2022/23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Racism in the healthcare system has become a burgeoning focus in health policy-making and research. Existing research has shown both interpersonal and structural forms of racism limiting access to quality healthcare for racialised healthcare users. Nevertheless, little is known about the specifics of racism in the inpatient sector, specifically hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. The aim of this scoping review is therefore to map the evidence on racial discrimination experienced by people receiving treatment in inpatient settings (hospitals and rehabilitation facilities) or their caregivers in high-income countries, focusing specifically on whether intersectional axes of discrimination have been taken into account when describing these experiences. Methods: Based on the conceptual framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, this scoping review surveyed existing research on racism and racial discrimination in inpatient care in high-income countries published between 2013 and 2023. The software Rayyan was used to support the screening process while MAXQDA was used for thematic coding. Results: Forty-seven articles were included in this review. Specifics of the inpatient sector included different hospitalisation, admission and referral rates within and across hospitals; the threat of racial discrimination from other healthcare users; and the spatial segregation of healthcare users according to ethnic, religious or racialised criteria. While most articles described some interactions between race and other social categories in the sample composition, the framework of intersectionality was rarely considered explicitly during analysis. Discussion: While the USA continue to predominate in discussions, other high-income countries including Canada, Australia and the UK also examine racism in their own healthcare systems. Absent from the literature are studies from a wider range of European countries as well as of racialised and disadvantaged groups other than refugees or recent immigrants. Research in this area would also benefit from an engagement with approaches to intersectionality in public health to produce a more nuanced understanding of the interactions of racism with other axes of discrimination. As inpatient care exhibits a range of specific structures, future research and policy-making ought to consider these specifics to develop targeted interventions, including training for non-clinical staff and robust, transparent and accessible complaint procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined the well-being, burnout and work conditions of UK children's social workers at five time points of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study analysing data from 1,621 social workers who worked in children's services in the UK in 2020–2022. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys which included both quantitative and qualitative questions. The mental well-being of participants decreased as the pandemic progressed and work-related burnout increased. In the later stages of the pandemic, children's social workers in Northern Ireland fared better than their Great Britain counterparts in relation to their well-being and levels of burnout. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed four major themes: Changes in service demand and referrals, Adapted ways of working, Staff shortages and Emotional impact. The findings highlight the challenges that the children's social workers encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and have implications for policy, practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are conflicting theories about the best ways to support behaviour in schools. This paper captures the perspectives of UK primary school staff regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different behaviour support approaches, in addition to exploring the facilitators and barriers to adopting relational-based approaches. Virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 school staff across three mainstream primary schools. A reflexive thematic analysis identified nine themes. Participants commented on the approaches' flexibility, familiarity, positive long-term behaviour change and emotional wellbeing and relationships. Key facilitators to adopting relational-based approaches included: whole-school training and understanding; quality and type of training; and working together and feeling supported. Key barriers included: changing perspectives; ease of implementation and familiarity; scarcity of resources; and persevering in the face of difficulties. Themes are discussed in light of psychological research and implications for educational practitioners and future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How liberal governments manage knowledge, ignorance, prediction and uncertainty has attracted increased attention across the social sciences. In this paper, we analyse the strategy and rhetoric of the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular attention to the first half of 2020. We see the initial UK policy response – as well as its later legitimation – as a form of 'politics of impossibility', effecting political change through claims of incapacity or impotence. We argue this approach departs from the uses of knowledge and ignorance in both classical liberalism and neoliberalism, and suggests the emergence of a new, hybrid form of governance which can be dubbed liberal fatalism. We discuss the relevance of this new form of governance for political futures of an increasingly volatile world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies suggest that children who have experienced neglect are at risk for bullying which in turn increases the risk for poor mental health. Here we extend this research by examining whether this risk extends to the neglect associated with severe institutional deprivation and then testing the extent to which these effects are mediated by prior deprivation-related neuro-developmental problems such as symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and autism. Data were collected at ages 6, 11, 15, and young adulthood (22–25 years) from 165 adoptees who experienced up to 43 months of deprivation in Romanian Orphanages in 1980s and 52 non-deprived UK adoptees (N = 217; 50.23% females). Deprivation was associated with elevated levels of bullying and neuro-developmental symptoms at ages 6 through 15 and young adult depression and anxiety. Paths from deprivation to poor adult mental health were mediated via cross-lagged effects from earlier neuro-developmental problems to later bullying. Findings evidence how deep-seated neuro-developmental impacts of institutional deprivation can cascade across development to impact social functioning and mental health. These results elucidate cascade timing and the association between early deprivation and later bullying victimization across childhood and adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In early 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK called for research on the safety and immunogenicity of concomitant administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. Co-administration of these vaccines would facilitate uptake and reduce the number of healthcare visits required. The ComFluCOV trial was designed to deliver the necessary evidence in time to inform the autumn (September–November) 2021 vaccination policy. This paper presents the statistical methodology applied to help successfully deliver the trial results in 6 months. Methods: ComFluCOV was a parallel-group multicentre randomised controlled trial managed by the Bristol Trials Centre. Two study statisticians, supported by a senior statistician, worked together on all statistical tasks. Tools were developed to aid the pre-screening process. Automated data monitoring reports of clinic data and electronic diaries were produced daily and reviewed by the trial team and feedback provided to sites. Analyses were performed independently in parallel, and derivations and results of all outcomes were compared. Results: Set-up was achieved in less than a month, and 679 participants were recruited over 8 weeks. A total of 537 [at least] daily reports outlining recruitment, protocol adherence, and data quality, and 695 daily reports of participant electronic diaries identifying any missed diary entries and adverse events were produced over a period of 16 weeks. A preliminary primary outcome analysis of validated data was reported to the Department of Health and Social Care in May 2021. The database was locked 6 weeks after the final participant follow-up and final analyses completed 3 weeks later. A pre-print publication was submitted within 14 days of the results being made available. The results were reported 6 months after first discussions about the trial. Conclusion: The statistical methodologies implemented in ComFluCOV helped to deliver the study in the timescale set. Working in a new clinical area to tight timescales was challenging. Having two statisticians working together on the study provided a quality assurance process that enabled analyses to be completed efficiently and ensured data were interpreted correctly. Processes developed could be applied to other studies to maximise quality, reduce the risk of errors, and overall provide enhanced validation methods. Trial registration: ISRCTN14391248, registered on 30 March 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In February 2021, the UK Department of Health and Social Care sought evidence on the safety and immunogenicity of COVID-19 and influenza vaccine co-administration to inform the 2021/2022 influenza vaccine policy. Co-administration could support vaccine uptake and reduce healthcare appointments. ComFluCOV was a randomised controlled trial designed to provide this evidence. This report outlines the methods used to deliver the trial in 6 months to answer an urgent public health question as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Methods: ComFluCOV was commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care and was managed by the Bristol Trials Centre, a UK-registered clinical trials unit. It was classed as an Urgent Public Health trial which facilitated fast-track regulatory approvals. Trial materials and databases were developed using in-house templates and those used in other COVID-19 vaccine trials. Participants were recruited by advertising, and via a trial website. Electronic trial systems enabled daily review of participant data. Weekly virtual meetings were held with stakeholders and trial sites. Results: ComFluCOV was delivered within 6 months from inception to reporting, and trial milestones to inform the Department of Health and Social Care policy were met. Set-up was achieved within 1 month. Regulators provided expedited reviews, with feedback ahead of submission. Recruitment took place at 12 sites. Over 380 site staff were trained. Overall, 679 participants were recruited in two months. The final report to the Department of Health and Social Care was submitted in September 2021, following a preliminary safety report in May 2021. Trial results have been published. Conclusion: The rapid delivery of ComFluCOV was resource intensive. It was made possible in part due to a unique set of circumstances created by the pandemic situation including measures put in place to support urgent public health research and public support for COVID-19 vaccine research. Elements of the trial could be adopted to increase efficiency in 'non-pandemic' situations including working with a clinical trials unit to enable immediate mobilisation of a team of experienced researchers, greater sharing of resources between clinical trials units, use of electronic trial systems and virtual meetings. Trial registration: ISRCTN14391248, submitted on 17/03/2021. Registered on 30/03/2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military-to-civilian community reintegration in Northern Irish (NI) veterans has not been previously examined. The existing reintegration studies indicate that post-military service life can be challenging for many veterans. The current exploratory study aimed to identify service-related predictors of community reintegration difficulties in a sample of 749 NI veterans. Data were collected through a cross-sectional self-report survey of UK Armed Forces veterans residing in NI. Service-related variables were examined as predictors of overall and subdomain-specific reintegration difficulties. Combat exposure, time spent deployed in NI, length of service, being medically discharged, and being physically injured during service were significant predictors of reintegration difficulties. Receiving a mental health diagnosis since discharge and having been medically discharged were the two strongest predictors. Further results and implications are also discussed. Post-service adjustment to civilian life is affected by service variables, with implications for military/post-military interventions aimed at mitigating difficult transition experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Happiness is a fundamental human affective trait, but its biological basis is not well understood. Using a novel approach, we construct LDpred-inf polygenic scores of a general happiness measure in 2 cohorts: the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort (N = 15,924, age range 9.23–11.8 years), the Add Health cohort (N = 9129, age range 24.5–34.7) to determine associations with several well-being and happiness measures. Additionally, we investigated associations between genetic scores for happiness and brain structure in ABCD (N = 9626, age range (8.9–11) and UK Biobank (N = 16,957, age range 45–83). We detected significant (p.FDR < 0.05) associations between higher genetic scores vs. several well-being measures (best r2 = 0.019) in children of multiple ancestries in ABCD and small yet significant correlations with a happiness measure in European participants in Add Health (r2 = 0.004). Additionally, we show significant associations between lower genetic scores for happiness with smaller structural brain phenotypes in a white British subsample of UK Biobank and a white sub-sample group of ABCD. We demonstrate that the genetic basis for general happiness level appears to have a consistent effect on happiness and wellbeing measures throughout the lifespan, across multiple ancestral backgrounds, and multiple brain structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe restrictions placed upon face‐to‐face meetings during the Covid pandemic in 2020/2021 created new challenges for the on‐going research into food systems in the Portsmouth community. The researchers had planned to use soft action research which involves participants meeting face‐to‐face. The restrictions that were imposed during the pandemic forbade such meetings and created a new set of issues for the researchers to overcome. In this paper, we describe how these shortcomings were addressed and introduce a novel way of adapting soft action research through the use of Information and Communication Technologies. The lessons learnt from our experiences will help inform researchers and professionals using Soft methods of inquiry and open opportunities for others to explore further the benefits and disadvantages of online investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To characterise the phenotype and genotype of concurrent keratoconus and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (KC + FECD). Methods: We recruited 20 patients with concurrent KC + FECD for a retrospective observational case series from the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. We compared eight parameters of corneal shape (Pentacam, Oculus) with two groups of age‐matched controls who had either isolated keratoconus (KC) or isolated FECD. We genotyped probands for an intronic triplet TCF4 repeat expansion (CTG18.1) and the ZEB1 variant c.1920G >T p.(Gln640His). Results: The median age at diagnosis of patients with KC + FECD was 54 (interquartile range 46 to 66) years, with no evidence of KC progression (median follow‐up 84 months, range 12 to 120 months). The mean (standard deviation (SD)) of the minimum corneal thickness, 493 (62.7) μm, was greater than eyes with KC, 458 (51.1) μm, but less than eyes with FECD, 590 (55.6) μm. Seven other parameters of corneal shape were more like KC than FECD. Seven (35%) probands with KC + FECD had a TCF4 repeat expansion of ≥50 compared to five controls with isolated FECD. The average of the largest TCF4 expansion in cases with KC + FECD (46 repeats, SD 36 repeats) was similar to the age‐matched controls with isolated FECD (36 repeats, SD 28 repeats; p = 0.299). No patient with KC + FECD harboured the ZEB1 variant. Conclusions: The KC + FECD phenotype is consistent with KC but with superimposed stromal swelling from endothelial disease. The proportion of cases with a TCF4 expansion is similar in concurrent KC + FECD and age‐matched controls with isolated FECD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We set out to explore the meaning of the attachment categories in the Cassidy/Marvin strange situation procedure, as employed in the home, using data from a longitudinal study of children adopted into UK families up to the age of 42 months from Romanian institutions, and of adopted children without the experience of institutional care--both groups being assessed at 4 and 6 years of age. Inter-rater reliability was found to be good. Security (meaning the use of the parent as a secure base and no negative behavior on reunion) was the modal categorical rating in both the institution-reared and comparison groups, but the category of anomalous non-normative behavior (meaning a lack of any ordered attachment behavior as covered by the standard ratings), previously labeled "insecure-other", was more common in the institution-reared children. Because this was unassociated with the usual manifestations of insecurity (such as avoidance or resistance) and because it was largely evident in interactions with the stranger, it is concluded that the adjective "insecure" was not appropriate. Although this "insecure-other" category was associated with disinhibited attachment as reported by parents (meaning a lack of differentiation among adults, a willingness to go off with strangers and a lack of checking back with parents in anxiety-provoking situations), it did not prove to be a good index of disinhibited attachment because changes over time in the "insecure-other" category were not associated with changes in the rate of disinhibited attachment. Also, whereas the rate of "insecure-other" fell markedly in the institution-reared group between 4 and 6 years of age, it rose in the comparison group, raising queries over its meaning. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

The development of conduct and emotional problems involves a complex interplay between environmental and genetic factors. The child-rearing environment contributes to this process. Gross deviations, such as those seen in abusive or neglectful homes, or where the parent has serious mental health problems, have been shown to contribute to the initial onset and persistence of emotional and conduct problems during childhood and adolescence. In this chapter, the authors consider whether, in their sample, conduct, emotional, and peer-relationship problems are in fact truly independent of institutional deprivation. They find that they are not. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.)

It has come to be generally accepted that the psychopathological effects of psychosocial stress and adversity are diagnostically nonspecific. There is a good deal of supporting evidence in support of this assumption, even though it may be that the nonspecificity has been exaggerated through a failure to take account of comorbidity. This chapter presents findings on the designation of deprivation-specific psychological patterns (DSPs). These included an early onset (at least by age 6 years, the earliest age at which data were available for the whole sample) and persistence to 11 years of age. The persistence to 11-year requirement was introduced particularly because minor manifestations of DA were so frequent at age 6 years in the pooled comparison group. Without the persistence criterion, the association of DSPs with institutional deprivation would be much weakened. (Contains 5 tables and 8 figures.)

In chapter IV, the authors focused on their findings on the developmental course of deprivation-specific psychological patterns (DSPs). The authors rediscussed the syndrome concept in the light of two main considerations. First, the findings indicated substantial overlap among the four postulated DSPs at 15 years including CI and I/O before requiring cooccurrence with Q-A or DA. Second, they realized that, ordinarily, syndromes are defined on the basis of a unifying pathophysiology rather than a mere clustering together of symptoms. Although they have not identified the nature of such pathophysiology, the strong continuing association with institutional deprivation extending up to at least 6 months of age, plus the findings from the pilot brain imaging study points to the likelihood that there is a unifying pathophysiology. Accordingly, they conclude that, on balance, a coherent syndrome remains a strong possibility. (Contains 6 tables.)

This monograph is concerned with the mid adolescent follow-up of a group of adoptees from Romania and from within the United Kingdom who were first assessed at the age of 4 years (or 6 years in the case of the oldest children). Chapter I provides the background as it applied at the time that the study began, and then goes on to outline the overall research strategy and the measures relevant for the first assessment at age 4 years. It then goes on to summarize, briefly, some of the key findings from the follow-ups undertaken up to the age of 11 years. In the authors' published papers on the age 4-, 6-, and 11-year assessments, they mainly dealt with findings in relation to key outcome variables. In this monograph, they have adopted a different strategy that capitalizes on the unique features of their study. Their study is the only investigation with detailed interview and observation measures, together with psychometric assessments, spanning a 10-year follow-up period. Most especially, their study is unique in having systematic, standardized measurements of key behavioral patterns that seem to be specific to institutional deprivation. Accordingly, the authors have been able to focus on the crucial issue of the extent to which these patterns account for the deficits and problems that have persisted to age 15 years. In order to do that, it was first necessary both to determine which patterns met criteria for specificity to institutional deprivation and to determine their boundaries. This topic is tackled in Chapter III, after outlining the methods and measures in Chapter II. Chapter IV builds on the authors' prospective data over the course of a decade in order to describe the developmental course of the deprivation-specific psychological patterns (DSPs) defined in Chapter III. To facilitate this, the several apparently DSPs are pooled, having noted the major overlap among them. Chapter V considers disturbances of emotion, conduct and peer relations--that is, the three major domains of psychopathology that, up to age 11 years, appeared "not" to follow a DSPs. Chapter VI takes as its starting point the major catch-up found in cognitive functioning following adoption and goes on to ask how far cognitive findings vary according to specific cognitive function and how far cognitive gains up to age 11 have been translated into meaningful educational attainments at age 15-16 years. Chapter VII reevaluates these findings in the light of the age 15 results and examines the physical growth and maturational effects of institutional deprivation. It considers how far the findings differ according to the presence/absence of institutional deprivation-specific features. Chapter VIII reexamines the issue of possible postadoption environmental mediators, paying attention to key methodological challenges. Throughout their study, there has been abundant evidence of heterogeneity in outcome. Chapter IX seeks to pull together the relevant findings with respect to possible biological moderators and mediators. There is reexamination of the apparently protective role of minimal language skills, of genetic influences on environmental susceptibility, of possible effects of social cognitive features, of the role of subnutrition, and of impaired head growth. Finally, Chapter X provides an overview of the findings at age 15, together with the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. (Contains 48 tables and 21 figures.)

Theory of Mind (ToM) and Executive Function (EF) have been associated with autism and with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and hence might play a role in similar syndromes found following profound early institutional deprivation. In order to examine this possibility the current study included a group of 165 Romanian adoptees, of whom 144 were adopted into the UK from deprived institutional settings before 43 months of age, and a group of 52 within-UK adoptees, all adopted before 6 months of age. Both groups were assessed at 6 and 11 years. The Strange Stories task was used to assess ToM and the Stroop task was used to assess EF, both at age 11. The Romanian adoptees displayed deficits in both ToM and EF compared with the within-UK adoptee group. The degree of deficit was greater for children who had experienced more than 6 months of institutional deprivation. Deficits in both domains (ToM and EF) were associated with each of the three apparently deprivation-specific problems, namely quasi-autism, disinhibited attachment and inattention/overactivity. Statistical analyses indicated a mediating role for both ToM and EF with respect to quasi-autism; possibly a partial mediating role for EF with respect to inattention/overactivity; and probably no mediating role for either ToM or EF in the case of disinhibited attachment. In conclusion, there is evidence for a possible mediating role for ToM and EF in the development of some apparently deprivation-specific difficulties in institution-reared Romanian adoptees, but neither accounts for the overall pattern of deprivation-related difficulties.

The current study examined the persistence and phenotypic presentation of inattention/overactivity (I/O) into early adolescence, in a sample of institution reared (IR) children adopted from Romania before the age of 43 months. Total sample comprised 144 IR and 21 non-IR Romanian adoptees, and a comparison group of 52 within-UK adoptees, assessed at ages 6 and 11 years. I/O was rated using Rutter Scales completed by parents and teachers. I/O continued to be strongly associated with institutional deprivation, with continuities between ages 6 and 11 outcomes. There were higher rates of deprivation-related I/O in boys than girls, and I/O was strongly associated with conduct problems, disinhibited attachment and executive function but not IQ more generally, independently of gender. Deprivation-related I/O shares many common features with ADHD, despite its different etiology and putative developmental mechanisms. I/O is a persistent domain of impairment following early institutional deprivation of 6 months or more, suggesting there may be a possible pathway to impairment through some form of neuro-developmental programming during critical periods of early development.

The relationship between severe early institutional deprivation and scholastic attainment at age 11 in 127 children (68 girls and 59 boys) adopted from institutions in Romania was compared to the attainment of 49 children (17 girls and 32 boys) adopted within the UK from a non-institutional background. Overall, children adopted from Romania had significantly lower attainment scores than those adopted within the UK; the children within the Romanian sample who had spent 6 months or more in an institution had significantly lower attainment scores than those who had spent less than 6 months in an institution, but there was no additional risk of low attainment associated with longer institutional care after 6 months. The lower scholastic attainment in the children adopted from Romanian institutions, as compared with domestic adoptees, was mediated by IQ, and to a lesser degree, inattention/overactivity. When these factors were taken into account, only small between-group differences in attainment remained.

Background: Some young children reared in profoundly depriving institutions have been found to show autistic-like patterns, but the developmental significance of these features is unknown. Methods: A randomly selected, age-stratified, sample of 144 children who had experienced an institutional upbringing in Romania and who were adopted by UK families was studied at 4, 6, and 11 years, and compared with a non-institutionalised sample of 52 domestic adoptees. Twenty-eight children, all from Romanian institutions, for whom the possibility of quasi-autism had been raised, were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) at the age of 12 years. Results: Sixteen children were found to have a quasi-autistic pattern; a rate of 9.2% in the Romanian institution-reared adoptees with an IQ of at least 50 as compared with 0% in the domestic adoptees. There were a further 12 children with some autistic-like features, but for whom the quasi-autism designation was not confirmed. The follow-up of the children showed that a quarter of the children lost their autistic-like features by 11. Disinhibited attachment and poor peer relationships were also present in over half of the children with quasi-autism. Conclusions: The findings at age 11/12 years confirmed the reality and clinical significance of the quasi-autistic patterns seen in over 1 in 10 of the children who experienced profound institutional deprivation. Although there were important similarities with "ordinary" autism, the dissimilarities suggest a different meaning.

Longitudinal analyses on normal versus impaired functioning across 7 domains were conducted in children who had experienced profound institutional deprivation up to the age of 42 months and were adopted from Romania into U.K. families. Comparisons were made with noninstitutionalized children adopted from Romania and with nondeprived within-U.K. adoptees placed before the age of 6 months. Specifically, the validity of the assessment, the degree of continuity and change in levels of functioning from 6 to 11 years, and the factors in the pre- and postadoption environment accounting for heterogeneity in outcome were examined. Pervasive impairment was significantly raised in children experiencing institutional deprivation for =6 months of life, with a minority within this group showing no impairment. There was no additional significant effect of duration of deprivation beyond the 6-month cutoff, and few other predictors explained outcome. The pattern of normality/impairment was mainly established by 6 years of age, with considerable continuity at the individual level between 6 and 11 years. The findings are discussed in terms of the possibility of a sensitive period for development.

Background: Disinhibited attachment is an important sequel of an institutional rearing, but questions remain regarding its measurement, its persistence, the specificity of the association with institutional rearing and on whether or not it constitutes a meaningful disorder. Method: Children initially reared in profoundly depriving institutions in Romania and subsequently adopted into UK families were compared with respect to findings at 11 years with children who had not experienced institutional deprivation and who had been adopted within the UK before the age of 6 months. Measures included parental reports, a Strange Situation procedure modified for use in the home and systematic standardised investigator ratings of the children's behaviour. Results: Disinhibited attachment, as reported by parents, showed a high degree of persistence from 6 to 11, but also a reduction over time in its frequency. Investigator ratings validated the parental reports but suggested that much of the fall in rate of disinhibited attachment was a function of the parental measure being less developmentally appropriate at 11 than it had been at 6. Disinhibited attachment was strongly associated with institutional rearing but there was not a significant increase in relation to duration of institutional deprivation beyond the age of 6 months. Mild, but not marked, disinhibited attachment was quite frequent in non-institutionalised adopted children but both the course and correlates indicated that its meaning was probably quite different. In the institution-reared children, disinhibited attachment was associated with a marked increase in service usage and associations with other forms of psychopathology. Conclusions: Disinhibited attachment constitutes a valid, and handicapping, clinical pattern that is strongly associated with an institutional rearing.

Background: There is uncertainty about the extent to which language skills are part of general intelligence and even more uncertainty on whether deprivation has differential effects on language and non-language skills. Methods: Language and cognitive outcomes at 6 and 11 years of age were compared between a sample of 132 institution-reared Romanian children adopted into UK families under the age of 42 months, and a sample of 49 children adopted within the UK under the age of 6 months who had not experienced either institutional rearing or profound deprivation. Results: The effects of institutional deprivation were basically similar for language and cognitive outcomes at age 6; in both there were few negative effects of deprivation if it ended before the age of 6 months and there was no linear association with duration of deprivation within the 6 to 42 month range. For the children over 18 months on arrival (range 18-42 months), the presence of even very minimal language skills (imitation of speech sounds) at the time of arrival was a strong beneficial prognostic factor for language and cognitive outcomes, but not for social/emotional/behavioural outcomes. Individual variations in adoptive parent characteristics were unrelated to differences in language or cognitive outcomes, possibly as a consequence of the limited variability in the adoptive family group. Conclusions: Minimal language probably indexes some form of cognitive reserve that, in turn, indexes the degree of institutional deprivation.

Cognitive outcomes at age 11 of 131 Romanian adoptees from institutions were compared with 50 U.K. adopted children. Key findings were of both continuity and change: (1) marked adverse effects persisted at age 11 for many of the children who were over 6 months on arrival; (2) there was some catch-up between ages 6 and 11 for the bottom 15%; (3) there was a decrease of 15 points for those over 6 months on arrival, but no differentiation within the 6-42-month range; (4) there was marked heterogeneity of outcome but this was not associated with the educational background of the adoptive families. The findings draw attention to the psychological as well as physical risks of institutional deprivation.

Trauma-informed (T-I) approaches to working with vulnerable people have gained popularity in practice but are rarely used in academic research and little is known about the challenges of conducting a T-I approach to participatory research. This paper reflects on our experiences of a participatory peer research project involving unaccompanied young people seeking asylum (16–25 years) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst the project adhered to a robust ethical framework, it became apparent at an early stage in the empirical phase that our methods needed to acknowledge and accommodate the trauma of those involved in the project much more thoughtfully and effectively than our ethical framework suggested. With this in mind, we set about identifying the key elements of a T-I approach to research and how these might add value to research with vulnerable and marginalised populations. Our model of a T-I approach to peer research is framed around five core principles: working reflectively with those with lived experience; contextualising trauma; nurturing trust; showing care; and empowering those involved in and affected by the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This systematic map principally sought to understand the different forms of effectiveness that existing studies evaluate in relation to Natural Flood Management (NFM) in the UK with a supplementary question of whether studies engaged with climate change and future flood risk. NFM measures seek to protect, enhance, emulate, or restore the natural function of rivers as part of approaches to flood risk management (FRM). While there is agreement in both academic and practice/policy literature that NFM should be part of a holistic FRM strategy to address current and future flood risk, the specifics of how to expand the application of and consistently implement NFM successfully in practice are less well known. A core focus of this study is on how the effectiveness of NFM measures is evaluated in different studies based on approaches drawn from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) literature: procedural, substantive, transactive and normative. The systematic map also examines how studies account for climate change, which is a crucial issue given the connections between NFM and climate change adaptation and resilience. Methods: We searched 13 bibliographic databases, Google scholar as a web-based search engine, and 21 organisational sites. Articles were screened by title, abstract, and full text based on defined eligibility criteria. Checks were performed for consistency amongst reviewers. Forms of effectiveness were coded on the basis of the included studies in the systematic map. The quantity and characteristics of the available evidence are summarised with the frequencies of effectiveness forms for each NFM measure are presented in heat maps. Review findings: A total of 216 articles reported eligible studies that were coded as part of the systematic map. Overall, the systematic map shows that the majority of studies considered at least one approach to effectiveness; however, very few studies considered multiple forms of effectiveness. The systematic map also demonstrates that climate change is considered systematically by around one-quarter of studies although many studies make claims about NFM's effectiveness in the face of future climatic change. Conclusions: NFM can be effective in several different ways owing to their multiple benefits; however, there are evidence gaps around understanding these different forms of effectiveness. This is particularly marked for studies considering transactive and normative effectiveness. Interdisciplinary studies are more likely to consider multiple forms of effectiveness. This systematic map also found that whilst 75% of studies mention future climate change in their studies, only 24.1% contain a systematic consideration of the issue through, for example, using climate change projections. NFM is also at risk of climate change (e.g. through drought) and therefore it is imperative that study designs seek to incorporate consideration of effectiveness under future climate change. Policymakers should be made aware of the lack of understanding of how NFM measures perform under future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the theoretical framework of the small population paradigm, we investigated the population genomics and parasite load of two bumblebee species across the UK and Ireland. Bombus pratorum is widespread and common throughout its range while Bombus monticola is restricted to higher altitudes and shows a more fragmented distribution.Bombus monticola showed stronger population structuring, isolation‐by‐distance, and a deficit of heterozygotes in the most isolated population in the south of its range (Dartmoor). Heterozygosity and inbreeding coefficients (FIS) were comparable between both species, but the proportion of polymorphic sites was much greater in B. pratorum. Notably, both species have suffered significant declines in Ne over the last 100 generations and estimates and declines for both species were of similar orders of magnitude. No pattern of increased parasite prevalence in populations of lower heterozygosity was observed. Instead, ecological and demographic factors (age, latitude, date, habitat suitability) were the main drivers of parasite prevalence.Distinct patterns of selection were observed in both species in regions involved in regulation of transcription and neurotransmission and in particular pathways targeted by neonicotinoid insecticides.Our results highlight the pressing need for monitoring to include common as well as rare species. This should not focus solely on census population counts, but include estimates of Ne. We also highlight the need for further work to establish adaptive shifts in globally important pollinator communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing monkeypox outbreak that began in the UK has currently spread to every continent. Here, we use ordinary differential equations to build a nine-compartmental mathematical model to examine the dynamics of monkeypox transmission. The basic reproduction number for both humans ( R 0 h) and animals ( R 0 a) is obtained using the next-generation matrix technique. Depending on the values of R 0 h and R 0 a , we discovered that there are three equilibria. The current study also looks at the stability of all equilibria. We discovered that the model experiences transcritical bifurcation at R 0 a = 1 for any value of R 0 h and at R 0 h = 1 for R 0 a < 1. This is the first study that, to the best of our knowledge, has constructed and solved an optimal monkeypox control strategy while taking vaccination and treatment controls into consideration. The infected averted ratio and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were calculated to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of all viable control methods. Using the sensitivity index technique, the parameters used in the formulation of R 0 h and R 0 a are scaled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: The Brexit referendum had a profound effect on the economic relations between the United Kingdom (UK) and continental Europe. Major economic and financial determinants were affected, including the impact of the GBP/EUR exchange rate volatility on the dynamics of UK exports to the Eurozone. Purpose of the article: This paper seeks to assess the extent to which these dynamics have changed since Brexit and to estimate the magnitude of their impact. Methods: To this end, the volatility behavior of the GBP/EUR exchange rate before and after Brexit is captured using EWMA, GARCH(p,q), and EGARCH(p,q) models for the period of January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2020. The post-Brexit change in the volatility structure of GBP/EUR exchange rates is then tested by including a dummy in the optimal volatility model. Finally, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds Testing approach is employed to analyze the relationships between exchange rate volatility and exports. Findings & value added: GARCH(1,1) was selected as the winning model and used to examine the volatility structure of the post-Brexit exchange rate, which revealed no significant change. By incorporating a well-grounded proxy for exchange rate volatility into the demand function of exports, and controlling for the industrial production index, terms of trade, and real exchange rate, the analysis showed that exchange rate volatility had a negative impact on export volume to the Eurozone in both the long and short run. Additionally, the industrial production index had a positive effect on export volume in both the long and short run, while an appreciation in the value of the pound relative to the euro adversely affected the competitiveness of UK exports in the Eurozone market in the long run, with no impact in the short run. This paper serves as a benchmark for future studies, as it follows a three-step modeling approach and provides valuable insights into the potential economic and financial consequences a European Union (EU) member state may face should it choose to exit the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of paracetamol overdose in children and teenagers in the emergency department (ED) requires blood, taken 4 hours post ingestion. A commercial partner developed transdermal paracetamol measuring technology. This work aims to understand the acceptability of such a device, and potential market size. Methods: A questionnaire study was undertaken with children and parents attending Alder Hey Children's Hospital, and healthcare professionals (HCP) involved in their care. A retrospective audit of paracetamol ingestion presenting to a paediatric ED was undertaken. Results: One hundred forty-three questionnaires were distributed, and 139 returned (response rate 97.2%), comprising 55 children, 52 parents and 32 HCP (recruited between August-October 2019). Overall device acceptability, assessed by favourability of appearance and willingness to wear was high, at 60.0% and 81.5% respectively. Concerns raised included bulky size and weight, and concern regarding the duration younger children would tolerate wearing the device. All groups, including children, ranked accuracy of results as the most important device feature and device comfort the least important. Parents prioritised avoidance of blood tests more than children. One hundred twenty-seven children presented to ED with paracetamol ingestion (September 2017-August 2018), with 57 (44.9%) categorised as accidental overdose. Overall, 106 (83.4%) required paracetamol concentration measuring, and 25 (19.7%) of these required treatment with N-acetylcysteine. Extrapolating nationally, over 7000 children will present with accidental overdose per annum in the UK. Conclusion: Acceptability of a non-invasive paracetamol sensor was high in all groups, provided accuracy could be assured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examine the measurement invariance (MI) of intensive parenting norms across three European countries as well as across gender, education, and parental status. Background: The social norms of intensive parenting have become increasingly dominant in recent decades. However, there is no measurement model of intensive parenting norms in large-scale social surveys and it is unknown whether these norms convey the same meanings across different social and cultural contexts. Method: This study draws on data from the European Social Survey Cross-national Online Survey panel (2017) administered in Estonia, Slovenia, and Great Britain. We conducted a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis and alignment optimization to assess the exact and approximate MI of intensive parenting norms across three countries and social contexts. Results: Due to a poor fit of the previously suggested four-factor model of intensive parenting norms, a revised two-factor model with stimulation and child-centred dimensions--excluding items that measure expert guidance and parental responsibility--was proposed. The two-factor model attained scalar invariance between educational groups and between parents of children aged under 12 years and others; however, only metric invariance was achieved among countries, gender, and parental status. The alignment optimization results suggest that the reduced scale is approximately invariant across all examined groups. Conclusion: This study highlights that the MI of parenting norms should not just be assumed but tested. This study provides insights into the conceptualisation of intensive parenting norms and recommendations for future research and development on measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous rheumatoid arthritis (RA) studies have focussed on cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors, less research has focussed on psychological variables including mood and cognitive health, and sleep. Cross-sectional analyses tested for associations between RA and RF+ (positive rheumatoid factor) vs. mental health (depression, anxiety, neuroticism), sleep variables and cognition scores in UK Biobank (total n = 484,064). Those RF+ were more likely to report longer sleep duration (β = 0.01, SE = 0.004, p < 0.01) and less likely to get up in the morning easily (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.99, p = 0.01). Those reporting RA were more likely to score higher for neuroticism (β = 0.05, SE = 0.01, p < 0.001), to nap during the day (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06–1.14, p < 0.001), have insomnia (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.22–1.35, p < 0.001), have slower reaction times (β = 0.02, SE = 0.008, p < 0.005) and score less for fluid intelligence (β = − 0.03, SE = 0.01, p < 0.05) and less likely to get up easily (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.58–0.64, p < 0.001). The current study suggests that prevalent RA, and RF+ status are associated with differences in mental health, sleep, and cognition, highlighting the importance of addressing these aspects in clinical settings and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a new empirical study evaluating crime concentration at places in a post-socialist city. We use principles of the law of crime concentration at places and the Cambridge Crime Harm Index to measure crime count and crime harm concentration at the level of street segments. The research found differences between crime concentration in a post-socialist city and crime concentration reported by recent studies from US or UK cities. Both crime and harm concentration are consistently less spatially clustered than expected by the theory in a post-socialist city. This finding has significance for both international criminology and national policing authorities, because the success of place-based policing is highly dependent on strong spatial clustering of crime. The study underlines the importance of experimental criminology and theory testing for the transfer of crime prevention approaches from their original contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used mixed methods to learn about the nature and drivers of mental health changes among autistic adults in the United Kingdom during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In quantitative analyses, we examined the nature and predictors of change in depression, anxiety and stress, prospectively measured in 70 autistic adults at Wave 1 (just before the United Kingdom's first lockdown) and Wave 2 (10–15 weeks into the United Kingdom's first lockdown). Retrospective Wave 2 reports of mental health change were also analysed for these 70 participants. For the qualitative analysis, 133 participants (including the 70 from the quantitative analyses) provided reports on their experiences of the pandemic at Wave 2. In quantitative analyses, retrospective reports indicated that participants' mental health worsened, but prospective data showed a different picture, with overall anxiety and stress scores reducing between Waves 1 and 2. Nevertheless, the mental health impact of the pandemic on autistic adults was variable, with a sizable minority reporting a significant decline in mental health. Qualitative analysis yielded four themes that contributed to mental health changes: (a) adjusting to changes to the social world, (b) living with uncertainty, (c) disruptions to self-regulation, and (d) barriers to fulfilling basic needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, high levels of depression, anxiety and stress have been reported in the general population. However, much less has been reported about the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of autistic people. What we did: In the present study, we investigated how the mental health of autistic adults in the United Kingdom changed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 133 participants completed an online survey at two different time points. Of the 133 participants, 70 completed the survey at the first time point just before the onset of the national lockdown. This allowed us to look at changes in their mental health, from before the lockdown to 10 to 15 weeks during lockdown. All participants (133) told us about their experiences of the pandemic. What we found: While many autistic adults told us that their mental health worsened, people's experience varied. For some autistic adults, aspects of mental health (e.g. anxiety, stress) actually improved. Participants also described social changes that had occurred, at home and in the outside world. They described feelings of uncertainty during the pandemic, and discussed how the pandemic had affected some of their previous coping strategies. Participants also told us about their difficulties in accessing healthcare services and food during the early stages of the pandemic. In our article, we discuss these findings and focus on what needs to change to ensure that autistic people are better supported as the pandemic continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is well-known that after the most significant enlargement of the EU in 2004, a great number of migrants from the Visegrad countries (V4), including Slovakia, decided to seek new opportunities in the UK. This has been reflected in numerous studies illustrating the consequences for British society and particularly the negative shift of Britons' attitudes towards migrants. The fatal mixture of political populism, media influence and social issues subsequently led to a referendum with the unexpected outcome of Britain leaving the EU, otherwise known as Brexit. Objectives: The main objective of the research presented in this paper was to examine the social, economic, legal and political consequences of Brexit and its impact on the migrant strategies of the Slovaks living in the UK. Methods: We used qualitative-research methods in the form of 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews online after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the original plan of interviewing the participants face-to-face to be abandoned. The approach used in the interviews was biographical, addressing the migrants' personal history (in respect to migration), present (in respect to Brexit) and future (in respect to both Brexit and migration). However, the final themes and questions included in the interviews was also affected by the pandemic which had largely replaced Brexit as the main cause of the migrants' concerns and had to be reflected. Results: A qualitative analysis of the collected data showing that Brexit did not alter the migration strategies of those 30 Slovak research participants, especially those from the post-EU-admission migration wave. They did not intend to go back to Slovakia and did not perceive any immediate negative impact of Brexit on their lives. Moreover, they believe that Britain would easily sustain and deal with any potential trouble resulting from Brexit. However, the focus of this paper is on those who emigrated before 2004 and can see the UK, their own lives and consequences of major political decisions in a broader perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employee wellbeing activities constitute a space for organizations to realize a shared agenda with employees, and therefore a means to pursue mutuality. The pursuit of mutuality draws on assumptions of reciprocity in social exchange theory (SET) but is dynamic and put under pressure by external shocks. The first UK COVID‐19 lockdown provided the setting to explore how organizations addressed employee wellbeing concerns under conditions of crisis. Using qualitative data from five organizations, we identify authenticity‐building, which is the constellation of past and present activities through which organizations channel efforts to be authentic in their concern for employees. Attributions of authenticity emerge as fundamental to authenticity‐building, while authenticity work (the organization noticing, understanding and acting on shifts in interests) is enabled by dialogic processes. Authenticity‐building shifts the quality of the exchange relationship to allow for mutual benefits and is therefore a vital and dynamic component of mutuality. Our findings contribute to the mutuality literature by providing a theoretically embedded extension of SET and show how organizations may become more (or less) authentic within the context of the employment relationship. We highlight the complexity of organizational endeavour for mutuality and show how mutuality need not be compromised during external shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic interest into its potential impact on mental well-being has intensified. Within the social care sector, the pandemic has increased job demands and prolonged stress taking a disproportionate toll on the workforce, particularly social workers. This article compares the mental well-being and quality of working life of social workers in the United Kingdom (UK) before and during the pandemic. Data were collected in 2018 (N  = 1,195) and 2020 (N  = 1,024) using two cross-sectional surveys. To account for the differences between the datasets, propensity score matching was employed prior to effect estimation, utilising demographic and work-related variables common to both datasets. The differences between the two time-points were estimated using multiple regressions. Both mental well-being and quality of working life were significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 compared to 2018. This suggests that during the highpoint of the pandemic in the UK, increased support, and changes to working practices, such as reprioritisation of work and other initiatives, may be responsible for increased mental well-being and quality of working life. While acknowledging the known pressures on UK social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic this evidence suggests a mixed picture of the pandemic with lessons for managers and employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]