Search

Background Moral questions are vital questions because they concern what is esteemed to be the best action, the best choice and, ultimately, the best life to live. Health ethics which aims to address these moral questions has contributed to moving ethics toward more experience-based and user-oriented ethics theory and methodology. Despite this, current approaches remain an incomplete lever for human development and flourishing. This context led us to imagine and develop the stance of a “living ethics”, a radically participatory and situated form of ethics which we describe in this inaugural collective and programmatic paper. Methods We followed a participatory discussion and writing process known as instrumentalist concept analysis. Initial informal local consultations were undertaken about pragmatic ethics, and from these conversations emerged the current project. An exploratory literature review was undertaken, and a diverse working group of 21 co-authors was assembled. The working group held a total of 8 workshop-like meetings supported by prior reading and iterative revision of a shared draft document accessible through an online platform. Meetings were video-recorded and transcribed to support this process. Four subgroups were created to further the working group’s reflections in specific domains of health ethics. Results In its first sense, a living ethics designates a form of ethics attentive to human experience and the role played by morality in human existence. In its second sense, a living ethics represents an ongoing effort to interrogate and scrutinize our moral experiences to promote the engagement of both individuals and communities in envisioning and enacting scenarios which correspond to their flourishing as authentic ethical agents. Living ethics bears specific theoretical, methodological, and practical implications in various areas of health ethics activity such as clinical and organizational ethics, health policy and public health, health ethics research, and learning and teaching health ethics. Conclusions Living ethics encourages meaningful participation of stakeholders and reflects a commitment to the existential nature of moral affairs. Looking forward, there is a need for ongoing dialogue about the nature of living ethics and the methodological practices coherent with this orientation. We hope to build on this idea to initiate collaborative projects locally and internationally.

Public health measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted children and adolescents' (CA) lives, affecting their sense of structure, predictability, and security.To examine CA' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic to better understand how this context and its associated public health measures affected them and their mental health, and to identify helpful coping strategies.The study was guided by a participatory hermeneutic framework. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 CA aged 6-17 years during the first and second pandemic waves. Participants' interviews were analyzed following a narrative synthesis approach, through which CA' experiences were contrasted and contextualized to highlight relevant themes.Participants described a distinct pattern related to their mental health as the pandemic unfolded, which followed the severity of the pandemic in the province. Negative repercussions on their mental health were linked to the loss of social activities, imposed public health measures, transition to online learning, and challenges with family relationships. Certain youth shared positive societal and moral reflections triggered by the pandemic context. Coping strategies reported include: having a variety of hobbies; expressing their emotions; and accessing financial and material resources. This study highlights the importance of supporting CA' mental health during crisis situations such as a pandemic. Their perspectives are vital for clinical practice and policy improvement, particularly to find means for social engagement while maintaining safety.

Children and adolescents are a population at particular risk of experiencing adverse mental health repercussions related to pandemics. To understand vulnerability factors and repercussions of pandemics and related sanitary measures on children and adolescents’ mental health, we performed a scoping review to examine and synthesize literature. In total, 66 articles were included. Results present: (1) factors that increase vulnerability to adverse mental health repercussions (e.g., having a pre-existing mental health condition, social isolation, low socio-economic status, parental distress, and overexposure to media content) and (2) specific mental health repercussions (e.g., anxiety, fear, depression, and externalizing behaviors). Addressing concerns underlined in this review could contribute to preventing further negative mental health repercussions of pandemics for children and adolescents and better prepare governments and professionals to address these highly challenging situations. Recommendations for practice include enhancing healthcare professionals’ awareness about possible detrimental repercussions pandemics and sanitary measures have on children and adolescents’ mental health, assessing changes for those with pre-existing mental health conditions, allocating funding for telehealth research, and providing greater support to healthcare providers.

People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and women who drink alcohol while pregnant can experience stigma, possibly exacerbated by stereotyped media portrayals. To understand experiences ...

Bioethics has made a compelling case for the role of experience and empirical research in ethics. This may explain why the movement for empirical ethics has such a firm grounding in bioethics. However, the theoretical framework according to which empirical research contributes to ethics-and the specific role(s) it can or should play-remains manifold and unclear. In this paper, we build from pragmatic theory stressing the importance of experience and outcomes in establishing the meaning of ethics concepts. We then propose three methodological steps according to which the meaning of ethics concepts can be refined based on experience and empirical research: (1) function identification, (2) function enrichment, and (3) function testing. These steps are explained and situated within the broader commitment of pragmatic ethics to a perspective of moral growth and human flourishing (eudaimonia). We hope that this proposal will give specific direction to the bridging of theoretical and empirical research in ethics and thus support stronger actualization of ethics concepts.

Participatory research can change the view of children from research subjects to active partners. As active partners, children can be recognized as agents who can contribute to different steps of the research process. However, “participatory research” is an umbrella term that covers both the collection of data with children and children’s participation in making decisions related to the research process. As such, it raises particular challenges for researchers. Based on a pragmatic ethics approach, we were inspired by the realist review methodology to synthesize the current literature, identify different strategies used to engage children aged 12 and below in participatory research, and analyze how they affect children’s active participation and the ethical aspects related to each. Fifty-seven articles were retained for inclusion in the review. A variety of strategies were used to involve children in the research process, including discussion groups, training/capacity-building sessions, photography and filming, children as data collectors and questionnaires. The most prevalent ethical considerations identified were related to power dynamics and strategies to facilitate children’s expression and foster the authenticity of children’s voices. Researchers should address these ethical considerations to actively involve children within the research process and prevent tokenistic participation. Active inclusion of children in research could include co-identifying with them how they want to be involved in knowledge production (if they want to) from the beginning of a project.

Youth with neurologic conditions experience multiple life transitions. The transfer from pediatric to adult health care systems exemplifies one such complex and multifaceted transition that occurs in parallel with developmental, legal, and social changes that may influence the roles and responsibilities of youth and their caregivers. As a result, ethical situations, questions, and challenges may surface in transition care to which pediatric neurologists may be confronted. In this article, we focus on the topic of autonomy and situations that may arise in transition care in the context of pediatric neurology. Building from a clinical case, we present the concept of contextualized autonomy to work through the questions that arise in the case and propose ways of thinking through those challenging situations in transition care.

Social Determinants of Health is a conceptual framework typically used to understand patterns of health and ill-health at the population level. Its applicability to children and youth who already have a health condition, in this case, a neurodisability, is not well understood, particularly when the “health” component of that framework is extended to include more pluralistic notions of well-being. The purpose of this study was to address this challenge and to develop an ecosocial framework that is conceptually integrative and meaningful to children and youth with neurodisabilities and their families. Drawing on a critical literature review, a conceptual analysis approach, and a secondary analysis of a compendium of 36 social determinants of health models, we critically analysed how these models map onto the context of childhood neurodisability and identified key conceptual and empirical challenges. The emerging framework was further validated through iterative stakeholder consultation with parents, self-advocates, researchers, practitioners, community leaders, and decision-makers. The review and consultation process generated The Canadian Framework for Social Determinants of Health and Well-being among Children with Neurodisabilities and their Families. This new framework consists of two hemispheres encompassing explanatory (or observational) and action-oriented (or transformational) components relating to social determinants of health and well-being and living a daily life of quality in childhood neurodisability. The proposed framework provides a roadmap for practitioners, policy-makers, and researchers as well as activists, families, and communities, to reflect on both social determinants and social change processes that shape the health, well-being, and everyday lives of children and youth with neurodisabilities and their families.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONSocial Determinants of Health provides a conceptual framework for understanding the social causes and consequences of health and ill-health at the population level.In childhood neurodisability, however, it is important to consider pluralistic notions of “well-being” and living a daily “life of quality” that may relate, but are not limited, to health.The Canadian Framework for Social Determinants of Health and Well-being among Children with Neurodisabilities and their Families comprises an explanatory hemisphere of social determinants, factors, and contingencies, and an action-oriented hemisphere that identifies different forms and levels of mobilization that can guide rehabilitation practice to achieve social change in the lives of children, youth, and their families.Using an ecosocial perspective, this framework provides a roadmap for future research and policy development that is relevant to children and families as well as to current perspectives in rehabilitation, social and health justice, and childhood, disability, and neurodiversity rights. Social Determinants of Health provides a conceptual framework for understanding the social causes and consequences of health and ill-health at the population level. In childhood neurodisability, however, it is important to consider pluralistic notions of “well-being” and living a daily “life of quality” that may relate, but are not limited, to health. The Canadian Framework for Social Determinants of Health and Well-being among Children with Neurodisabilities and their Families comprises an explanatory hemisphere of social determinants, factors, and contingencies, and an action-oriented hemisphere that identifies different forms and levels of mobilization that can guide rehabilitation practice to achieve social change in the lives of children, youth, and their families. Using an ecosocial perspective, this framework provides a roadmap for future research and policy development that is relevant to children and families as well as to current perspectives in rehabilitation, social and health justice, and childhood, disability, and neurodiversity rights.

There is little research that explores how fathers protect their children in the context of political violence. Drawing upon exploratory qualitative research with 18 Palestinian families, this article proposes a model of paternal protection composed of three dimensions: (1) method of protection (how fathers protect their children), (2) focus of protection (what fathers protect their children from), and (3) locus of protection (where fathers locate the mechanisms of protection). The model contributes to a greater awareness and understanding of the daily challenges facing fathers and suggests ways that social work practice and policy can support fathers in settings of adversity.

The importance of the family environment for the development of children with neurodisabilities is undisputed. The objective of this study is to describe how family environment has been measured in research on families of children with neurodisabilities, in order to support researchers and clinicians to select appropriate methods for use. A three-step approach was used and 13 measures of family environment were identified within 77 studies. Five measures were used most commonly across a majority of studies (n=50). The measures varied considerably in terms of theoretical background, content, subscales, and populations for which they were developed and validated. These measures were used with considerable variability between studies and with a limited range of research respondents, most typically the child's mother. Challenges, opportunities, and suggestions on how to improve the application of family environment measures in research are discussed.

The necessity and utility of standardized or formalized teacher training in doctoral programs has been debated, documented, and problematized across a range of academic disciplines. If doctoral education is the site of preparation for future university faculty, what are the teaching expectations of newly minted faculty in the applied disciplines, and what are the supports available to them to help them prepare for this role? The lack of formal courses on teaching in social work PhD programs encouraged the authors to create a doctoral pedagogy group aimed to support student educators’ development for current and future roles as social work educators. This paper chronicles the group’s development and structure, discusses the challenges and opportunities faced, and suggests a future agenda to support doctoral students in their role as educators.

Dickert and colleagues (Dickert et al. 2017) propose a promising “function-based approach” to shed light on the concept of informed consent in clinical research. They convincingly explore how a foc...

Under occupation, Palestinians face a range of challenges such as poverty, lack of mobility, decreased access to social and health services, and violence. Fathers in Palestine have had to raise children in such a context, yet little is understood about their experiences. We conducted research with 18 families in the occupied West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem in order to understand the experiences of fathers in the face of occupation and violence. Applying theories of masculinity and fatherhood, our analysis suggests that occupation has challenged or obstructed the performance of three quintessentially masculine acts inherent to fatherhood: provision, protection, and modeling. The first refers to the role of the father as ‘breadwinner;’ the second to the role of father as ‘protector;’ and the third to the role of the father as masculine ‘model’ from whom children can learn masculine traits. We conclude by providing suggestions for future practice and research.

Children with complex health care needs are an emerging population that commonly requires long-term supportive services. A growing body of evidence has highlighted that these children and their families experience significant challenges. Many of these challenges involve ethical concerns that have been under-recognized. In this article, we (a) outline ethical concerns that arise in clinical practice with children with complex health care needs and their families (e.g.: exclusion of children's voices in discussions and decisions that affect them; difficulties in defining their best interests; clashes across the array of social roles that parents manage; limited recognition of the ethical significance of parents' and other family members' interests) and (b) propose a relational ethics framework for addressing these concerns. Our framework draws on hermeneutical interpretation and moral experience as foundational orientations, recognizing children with complex health care needs as relationally embedded agents, who while dependent and entitled to protection, are simultaneously agential. Children's and parents' interests are relationally intertwined and interdependent. Families are recognized as significant social microcosms for the cultivation and transmission of intergenerational cultural heritage, narratives, and outlooks. We describe strategies for (a) conducting a relational ethics inquiry and (b) reconciliation of identified ethical concerns through a process of rapprochement. A relational ethics framework can promote clinical practices that are ethically attuned to the complexity of this population's needs.

Background: In the past thirty years, theoretical and empirical scholarship on father involvement has emerged and firmly established itself. Efforts to define, measure, and explore outcomes related to father involvement in the context of childhood neurodisability are evident but less well established. The purpose of this study was to systematically map empirical studies on father involvement in the context of childhood neurodisability in order to delineate the current state of research and to highlight profitable directions for future research. Methods: A rigorous scoping review method was used to select and analyze empirical studies published between the years 1988 and 2016 in order to systematically map research findings about fathers’ affective, behavioral, and cognitive involvement. Results: Fifty-four (n = 54) studies (quantitative n = 47 and qualitative n = 7) met inclusion criteria associated with three levels of review. Four main trends emerged: (a) paternal “stress” is a main concept of interest; (b) comparison of mothers and fathers on affective and cognitive involvement; (c) lack of a focus on fathers’ behavioral involvement, and (d) the absence of research designs that allow for examination of fathers’ unique perspectives. Conclusions: Fathers are generally underrepresented in research in the context of childhood neurodisability. While there is a lack of depth in this area of research, granular analyses revealed important and unique differences about fathers’ parenting experiences. Recommendations for research and practice are provided.Implications for rehabilitationFathers are underrepresented in the parenting in childhood neurodisability literature.Fathers who report feeling competent in parenting and connected to their child also report less parenting distress and more satisfaction in their couple relationship and family environment.Rehabilitation and allied health professionals should include fathers in parenting/family assessments.Manifestation of distress may differ among family members. Rehabilitation and allied health professionals should offer individualized care that is attuned to the needs of all family members. Fathers are underrepresented in the parenting in childhood neurodisability literature. Fathers who report feeling competent in parenting and connected to their child also report less parenting distress and more satisfaction in their couple relationship and family environment. Rehabilitation and allied health professionals should include fathers in parenting/family assessments. Manifestation of distress may differ among family members. Rehabilitation and allied health professionals should offer individualized care that is attuned to the needs of all family members.

IntroductionAs adolescents with neurodisabilities near adulthood, they and their caregivers will face the challenge of transferring from paediatric to adult healthcare systems. Despite the growing number of programmes designed to support healthcare transitions, little is known about practices that result in positive outcomes or how ethical issues are addressed. The objective of this review is to identify and document the ethical principles that may be embedded in the vision of transitional care programmes and to map ethical issues encountered in transitional care as well as the strategies employed to recognise and address these ethical issues.Method and analysisWe will document hidden and explicit ethical principles and issues from empirical studies on transition programmes for youth with neurodisabilities. An initial framework developed through a content extraction strategy will serve as a point of departure for data analysis and will be iteratively refined through our analytic process and with feedback from our stakeholders, including youth with neurodisabilities and their families. Findings will then be shared in different formats with health and social services professionals, healthcare decision and policymakers.DisseminationScoping review results will be shared at key conferences and disseminated in peer-reviewed publications as well as plain language summaries with stakeholders and the general public. Opportunities will be sought to discuss this project and its preliminary findings with partners in the paediatric, adult healthcare and rehabilitation communities comprising young people with neurodisabilities, their families, clinicians, programme managers and researchers.

Quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome of health interventions for children and youth with cerebral palsy (CP). When planning interventions it is fundamental to understand what constitutes a good QoL, a subjective construct, and what factors are important to consider from both parents' and children's perspectives.We used a grounded theory methodology to explore parents' perspectives on the factors that are important for the QoL of their adolescents with CP. Fourteen parents were interviewed using a purposeful sampling strategy, followed by theoretical sampling until saturation was reached.Parents reflected on several important aspects of their children's QoL. In particular, they described how their trajectories as parents of a child with a disability have contributed to their adolescents' current well-being. Over time, parents' hopes for a cure were transformed into hopes for their child's happiness. This trajectory was influenced by the adolescents' intrinsic characteristics and the parents' strategies to overcome challenges and was informed by the parents' and their children's ability to make choices in pursuit of their preferences.Adolescents' and parents' accounts should be considered when planning interventions for adolescents with disabilities. It is important to consider parents' personal characteristics, experiences and the strategies that have been proven to be efficacious in improving their children's QoL and to understand their need to make choices relating to participation and accessibility in order to promote QoL for this at-risk population. Implications for Rehabilitation Parents' trajectory on raising a child with a disability is important for understanding adolescents' QoL. Parents' characteristics and environmental factors influence adolescents' well-being. Hope and choice experiences by parents of children with CP are important for their children's QoL. Transition from pediatric to adult services are required to address disability-related aspects as well as adolescent needs for intimacy, sexuality and planning for their future during adolescence.

Although parenting a child with a neurodisability (i.e., autism, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy) can be a life-altering experience, fathers have been generally underrepresented in research on parenting and their unique experiences underexplored. The aim of this study was to explore feelings, emotions and their management through a secondary analysis of data from an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis study involving eleven Canadian fathers. The two main themes were as follows: a dance of emotions in the father-child connection and spaces for emotional expression and support. Drawing on Hochschild’s theory of emotion work and theories of masculinity, the complexity and contradictions of this parenting experience are revealed. We suggest that attending to the emotional work of fathers may help social workers connect with and support them., Bien que la parentalité d’un enfant avec un diagnostic d’un trouble neurodéveloppemental (ex.: autisme, paralysie cérébrale ou épilepsie) puisse être une expérience qui change la vie, les pères sont généralement sous-représentés dans les recherches sur la parentalité et leurs expériences uniques sont peu explorées. L’objectif de cette étude était d’explorer les sentiments, les émotions et leur gestion à travers une analyse de données secondaires d’une étude d’analyse phénoménologique interprétative telles qu’ils sont apparues dans les récits de onze pères. Deux thèmes principaux ont été abordés : la danse des émotions dans le lien père-enfant et les espaces d’expression et de soutien émotionnels. En s’appuyant sur la théorie du travail émotionnel de Hochschild et sur les théories de la masculinité, la complexité et les contradictions de cette expérience parentale sont révélées. Nous suggérons que l’attention portée au travail émotionnel des pères peut aider les travailleurs sociaux à entrer en contact avec eux et à les soutenir.