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This paper reports on findings from an integrative literature review of evaluation studies undertaken into sexual health promotion preparation programmes aimed at professionals with a sexual health promotion remit. Using a pre-defined search strategy, inclusion criteria and PRISMA guidelines, databases were systematically searched. Studies were screened and those included were quality assessed. Twenty-seven relevant studies were identified. Thematic analysis showed programmes were diverse in terms of how they had been developed, the content included, approaches to evaluation and outcomes identified. Evaluations showed participation in a training programme encouraged participants to feel more comfortable and confident to discuss sexual health within their role and more likely to introduce sexual health into client discussions. The types of programmes and evaluation approaches were diverse making direct comparison between them challenging. There should be agreed core outcome impact measures for sexual health education programmes in the areas of knowledge, comfort, skills and changes to practice, to allow for more direct comparison in future evaluation studies.

Although men and women both experience eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, there are differences in the way their eating disorder may present. Body dissatisfaction or body dysmorphia in men may be more related to a drive for muscularity as opposed to thinness. Muscle dysmorphic disorder (also known as muscle dysmorphia) is a form or subtype of body dysmorphia that is characterised by an extreme desire for muscularity and a preoccupation with the idea that one's physique is too small or not sufficiently muscular. It is more common in men than women and is associated with body image distortion, excessive exercise routines, muscularity-orientated disordered eating and the use of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic androgenic steroids. Risk factors for muscle dysmorphic disorder include social pressure (including to conform to gender stereotypes) and low self-esteem. The condition has negative psychological, physical, relational and financial effects. Nurses can play a role in health promotion as well as in the assessment, care and referral of men with muscle dysmorphic disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a one-day mental health Wellness Workshop on participants' mental health and attitudes towards mental health. Design: Convergent, longitudinal mixed-methods approach. Setting: The study evaluated Wellness Workshops which took place throughout the Republic of Ireland. Method: Questionnaires measuring hope, mental health self-efficacy, attitudes towards mental health and perceived impact on wellbeing were administered to participants before the workshop (n = 415), 1 week after (n = 221) and 3 months after (n = 110). Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 participants to generate a more in-depth understanding of the impact of the workshop. Results: Quantitative findings relating to hope, mental health self-efficacy and attitudes towards mental health did not identify statistically significant changes; however, participants' perceptions of the effect of the workshop on wellbeing suggested a positive impact which was maintained over time. Qualitative findings, however, suggested that hope and self-efficacy were improved and the simplicity and utility of the wellness strategies disseminated in the workshop, in addition to the warmth and openness of the narrative approach used by the facilitators, were central to the perceived positive impact. Conclusion: This evaluation demonstrates the potential for wellness interventions to have a subjective improvement in wellbeing in members of the general public.

Aim: To provide a snapshot of the extent to which nursing and the prison context features in non‐specialist/generic nursing journals. Design: Focused mapping review and synthesis. Methods: Relevant articles were examined for the extent to which they featured nursing and the prison context. A descriptive and contextual analysis of the data was carried out to provide a topography and synthesis of the key trends identified. Data Sources: Articles meeting criteria for nursing and the prison context in relevant non‐specialized, generic nursing journals (n = 7) from January 2018 to December 2022. Results: Four thousand, nine hundred and twelve (n = 4912) articles were published during the review period of which (n = 14) met inclusion criteria. The key trends identified are presented under three headings: taking an advocacy approach for better health and well‐being, examining self‐determination and autonomy in prison populations and nursing in the prison context. Conclusion: Nursing and the prison context features in non‐specialized and generic nursing journals but sparsely and infrequently. There is a need for greater visibility of nursing and the prison context in nursing journals to help reduce stigma and marginalization of those working and those detained in prison. Implication for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Nurses working in prison environments often manage extremely complex care needs. It is necessary to feature all nursing care environments in nursing journals so as to increase visibility and to act as a source of education for all. Impact (What Problem Did the Study Address? Main Findings? Where/Whom Will the Research Have Impact on): The findings of this review will have impact on all nurses engaged in practice and research as it highlights the extent to which nursing in a prison context is featured in non‐specialized nursing journals and also speaks to the challenges faced by those working and detained in prison. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. This was a review of existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research views hope as a process that plays a positive role in the recovery of individuals with mental health problems. However, little attention has been given to the role of hope in the lives of their families. We aimed to address that gap. We deployed a qualitative descriptive design and carried out individual interviews with nine family members who supported a relative with mental health problems. A cross‐comparison of the data generated three major themes: understandings of hope; factors that diminish hope and factors that nurture hope. The participants viewed hope as a positive and productive feeling or attitude that was life‐affirming, and empowering. They also associated it with behaviours and dispositions such as attentiveness and empathy and the possibility of a return to a more stable and 'normal' life. The participants experienced hope as initially eroded when their relative was first diagnosed and institutionalized. Hope was further diminished due to the poor communication practices of some mental health professionals and the stress of the caring role itself. On the other hand, hope was nurtured through the support of other family members, friends, neighbours and peers. Acquiring knowledge and understanding about the relative's state of mental health nurtured hope and enabled the participants to have a more meaningful role in their recovery process. Practices of self‐care such as independent activities and counselling also strengthened hope and some mental health professionals played a positive role in supporting these. Most striking about the reports of many of the participants was their assertion of their abiding love for their relative. Their account of their ability to see beyond the illness of their relative was an insight that we did not find in other accounts of the experiences of family members. We highlight the need for family members to have timely access to relevant information about their relatives' illness. We conclude that hope is relational at its core because of the interplay of intrapersonal, interpersonal and social factors that diminish or nurture it over time. Specifically, we propose that friends, neighbours and peer support groups as key actors in nurturing the hope of both family members and their relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Internationally mental distress is more prominent in the LGBTI community than the general population. The LGBTIreland study was set up to take stock of this in the Republic of Ireland. This paper reports on the analysis of the transgender group with reference to minority stress theory and cognitive dissonance theory. Method: An online survey was conducted addressing several aspects of mental health and distress that received responses from all groupings (n = 2,264) among which 12.3% (n = 279) identified as transgender. The survey consisted of several validated tools to measure depression, anxiety, stress (DASS-21), coping (CSES), self-esteem (RSES), alcohol and drugs misuse (AUDIT) and a variety of questions addressing demographics, experiential aspects, coping and self-related factors. Data analysis focused on predicting mental distress using DASS-general (composite of depression, anxiety and stress). Results: Transgender participants reported higher levels of mental distress, self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempts, and lower levels of self-esteem in comparison with the LGB groups, as well as the general population. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that 53% of variance in mental distress could be predicted from reduced self-esteem, the experience of harassment and not belonging in school. Furthermore, mental distress was highest among younger participants, those who were 'not out', those who had self-harmed and used avoidant coping. There was no significant difference in distress levels among those who had sought mental health support and those who had not. Conclusions: To understand mental distress in transgender people, the minority stress model is useful when taking into account both adverse external (environmental) and internal (cognitive/emotional) factors. The cognitive dissonance mechanism is essential in outlining the mechanism whereby gender incongruence is associated with psychological discomfort, low self-esteem and high mental distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate a Health Service Executive (HSE) Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FPSHP) with a specific emphasis on capacity building. Design: A mixed-method design using both quantitative and qualitative methods was used to collect the data. Setting: The FPSHP was delivered to staff working in health, education and community settings and was designed and facilitated by sexual health promotion staff who are part of the Irish HSE. Methods: A survey, designed by the researchers, as well as individual telephone interviews with past participants was used to evaluate the programme. Out of a possible 200 participants, 97 completed the questionnaire (response rate 49%), and a total of 22 telephone interviews were completed. Results: There was generally a high level of satisfaction with the FPSHP. Participants reported high levels of individual and intra-organisational capacity-building activities, but apart from networking, interorganisational capacity-building activities were reported less frequently and tended to be ad hoc in nature. Satisfaction with the programme was high and so was the perception of its sustained impact. Motivation, satisfaction with the programme and attending of further training were strong predictors of reported sustained impact. Conclusion: Capacity building in sexual health promotion was affected positively by participation in the programme. Nonetheless, a greater emphasis on capacity building at an inter-organisational level needs to be considered. It is recommended that participants need to be motivated, guided and supported in the use of strategies to achieve this.