Search

Family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) faced increasing challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; however, empirical evidence on the general challenges they experienced is lacking. Thus, the purpose of the current integrative review was to explore family caregivers' challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of nine relevant studies were included. Family caregivers experienced greater care burdens, physical and mental health problems, and limited access to health care services due to the pandemic. It is necessary to develop mental health policies and appropriate interventions to help individuals with mental illness and their family caregivers in the event of future crises. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx (xx), xx–xx.]

Purpose: This integrative review aims to identify changes in people with schizophrenia during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: An integrative literature review method of Whittemore and Knafl was applied to integrate the studies. The literature search was conducted in six electronic databases using English and Korean search terms. Three researchers independently reviewed the extracted papers and rated their quality based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of fifteen relevant studies were included.Results: The selected articles were all international papers, and most of them were quantitative studies. The changes observed in people with schizophrenia were summarized as follows: (1) changes in health outcomes: psychosocial (increased levels of depression, stress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and psychotic-like experience) and physical (reduction in food intake, weight loss, changes in immunerelated clinical values, etc.); (2) changes in treatment and health management: increased hospitalization, decreased ICU hospitalization, and a decrease in outpatient visits and prescription rate.Conclusion: This study confirmed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with schizophrenia. It is necessary to develop mental health policies and appropriate nursing interventions to help people in preparing for possible future crises.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore family members’ caring experiences of schizophrenia patients during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Seventeen family caregivers participated in this study. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted from February to March 2022. Content analysis was applied for the data analysis.Results: Three categories were derived. First, healthcare aspects with three subcategories: increased difficulties in hospitalization process, complete separation of mental health inpatient, and difficulties in implementing quarantine guidelines. Second, rehabilitation aspects with three subcategories: broken daily lives, pity for lost recovery chance, a ruled out life, and nothing different from the pre-pandemic period. Finally, familial aspects with three subcategories: necessity of reorganizing medical system, necessity of national-led care system, and necessity of face-to-face programs.Conclusion: Family members’ of schizophrenia patients had various challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides evidence for mental health professionals to expand their perspectives of families of schizophrenia during possible infectious disease disasters in the future.

Thermoelectric technology has been developed as a substitute for existing refrigerants in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system applications for building decarbonization. A hydraulic thermoelectric radiant cooling panel (hTERCP) operated based on the Peltier effect can alternate a conventional cooling system using a chiller with refrigerators. This study aimed to develop a cooling performance prediction model for a hTERCP-integrated free cooling system according to the desirable range of five design factors. A mockup model of the hTERCP was constructed and tested in an environmental chamber to verify the proposed simulation model. The simulation and the experimental analysis confirmed that the heat rejection performance of the thermoelectric module (TEM) significantly affects the cooling performance of the hTERCP. The cooling water temperature was the primary design factor for releasing heat from the hot side of the TEM and significantly influenced the cooling performance of the hTERCP. A parametric analysis of the five design factors was conducted to investigate a method for improving the coefficient of performance (COP) of the hTERCP. The cooling water temperature affected the COP by 38.6–45.7%, and the heat exchange area of the cooling surface greatly influenced the cooling performance by 41.4%. The cooling water flow rate, heat exchange effectiveness of the water block, and heat resistance of the hot side were confirmed to have relatively little influence as 9.7–10.2%, 11.9–24.8%, and 0.7–11.1%, respectively.

Using in-depth interviews, this study identified the experiences of five people with mental illness who participated in art activities. Findings indicated that the life journey that led to the participants' art activities and the impact of these activities in their lives were different and unique. The voices of the individuals with mental illness who participated in this study provided deeper understanding of how art activities have changed their lives. In addition, it was confirmed that art activities in which people with mental illness participate, bring positive inner changes and have the potential to improve their interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

Introduction Older adults with schizophrenia experience aging-related challenges and chronic psychiatric difficulties. However, their uniqueness is understudied. Aim This study explored three life stories to illuminate schizophrenia's trajectory. Method A narrative inquiry method was used to elicit rich narratives in chronic patients' lives. Two men and one woman suffering from chronic schizophrenia for more than 20 years were engaged in conversation three times. Results The analysis revealed one main theme expressing their fundamental perspective on their lives: “moving forward despite adversity.” Three subthemes emerged: living with the mental disorder, giving and receiving support, and adaptation to old age. They reflected on their interpersonal relationships, failures, and successes in the context of the challenges of schizophrenia. They indicated adapting to schizophrenia, exchanging social support with loved ones, and meeting aging-related challenges with confidence. They were hopeful about brighter personal futures than their pasts. Discussion Family and community supports were very important; self-acceptance positively influenced their successful community living. Implications for practice For effective long-term treatment of older adults with schizophrenia, mental health policies should focus on meeting the social needs of patients and families and reorient programs away from the medical model limited to symptom reduction.

In Korea, virtual simulation is currently replacing clinical practical training for psychiatric nursing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the virtual simulation experiences of nursing students through focus-group interviews. Three categories were derived: 'glad that the patients were not real people', 'bridge between the text world and the real world', and 'supplementations needed for virtual simulation to replace clinical practice'. Although virtual simulation helped acquire knowledge and skills related to psychiatric nursing practice in a safe environment, there were limitations to replacing clinical practice. To overcome this, a diverse approach between students and professors is required.

This study aimed to explore the experience of clinical nurses regarding training programs for critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and their educational needs.Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, and quantitative data were analyzed according to Borich's formula. Data for the study were collected in March 2021 from 16 nurses who had completed a nursing program for critically ill patients with COVID-19 and were working at three hospitals designated for COVID-19.Participants' experiences were classified into three major categories, namely "Participation experiences and perceptions of the training program," "Recommendations for improving the training program," and "Perceptions of working in an infectious environment," and 10 subcategories. According to Borich's formula, the most pressing educational needs in respiratory and non-respiratory nursing, respectively, were for "nursing care for patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation" and "application of continuous renal replacement therapy and caring for patients."To prepare for the periodic emergence of communicable infectious diseases throughout the world and cultivate nursing staff to care for critically ill patients, it is necessary to develop nursing education programs with content corresponding to nurses' needs. This study can be used as base data for cultivating nursing staff for critically ill patients with communicable infectious diseases in keeping with clinical nurses' educational needs and basic educational materials for nursing students.CRIS, KCT0006359. Registered 20 July 2021 - Retrospectively registered, https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/.

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) are the most promising systems for net-zero energy buildings. However, there are few practical cases because of shortcomings, such as the lack of solar tracking and the rapid rise in PV surface temperature. Therefore, methods of increasing the efficiency of BIPVs have been proposed and studied. These include using phase change material (PCM) or heat fins, wavelength selection, decreasing the PV surface temperature, or using a thermoelectric generator (TEG) and convection cooling to utilize the waste heat from the PV. Many preceding studies have been conducted on TEG and convection heat dissipation methods to utilize as much waste heat as possible. Therefore, in this study, a TEG–PCM hybrid system using mPCM was proposed to improve constructability. Herein, the appropriate phase change temperature of the PCM, the heat fin spacing in the PCM container, and the TEG arrangement were analyzed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based simulations. The appropriate melting temperature of the PCM, the heat fin interval, and the arrangement of the TEG for the proposed system are 25 °C, 20 mm, and 140 mm, respectively. In order to achieve optimal efficiency, it is necessary to consider an appropriate amount of heat transfer, and it has been confirmed that if there are too many thermoelectric elements, the opposite effect occurs.

Background With the drastic change in the nursing education environment due to the coronavirus pandemic, several attempts have been made in Korea to help nursing students better adapt to the new learning environment. Objective This study aimed to explore nursing students' experience of online peer tutoring based on the Goal–Reality–Options–Will (GROW) model. Design A qualitative study using content analysis. Settings This study was conducted in the department of nursing at two universities in South Korea. Participants The participants were 14 nursing students who participated as tutors and tutees in the online peer tutoring. Methods Three focus group interviews were conducted with the 14 students. Data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Results Three categories and nine subcategories were extracted. Online peer tutoring allowed participants to learn using a new approach, promoted their efficiency of studying in multiple aspects, and encouraged them to persevere and advance in academics, thus proving its usefulness as an auxiliary strategy to enhance the efficiency of online learning. Conclusions Structured online peer tutoring can be a useful tool for enhancing the effectiveness of non-face-to-face education for nursing students. This study's results can serve as meaningful basic data for planning and composing learning activities optimized for the future online nursing education environment.

This integrative review analyzed the research on consumer involvement in mental health nursing education in the last decade. We aimed to derive the main contents, methods, and outcomes of education using consumer involvement for mental health nursing students. We searched six electronic databases using English and Korean search terms; two authors independently reviewed the 14 studies that met the selection criteria. Studies on the topic were concentrated in Australia and some European countries; most of them used a qualitative design. The main education subject was recovery, and consumers tended to actively participate in education planning. Moreover, students’ perceptions about education using consumer involvement and people with mental health problems changed positively, as well as their experiences of participating in mental health nursing education. There is a lack of interest in the topic in Asian countries, including Korea. Thus, future studies in Asian countries are needed to conduct qualitative and in-depth explorations of students’ experiences regarding an educational intervention that uses consumer involvement as a tool rigorously designed for mental health nursing education. Consumer involvement can be an innovative strategy to produce high-quality mental health nurses by minimizing the gap between theory and practice in the undergraduate program.

This study reported the development of a potassium permanganate-based ethylene scavenger using halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as an encapsulation material. Different concentrations of the potassium permanganate-impregnated HNTs (P-HNTs) were loaded into a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix. The results indicated that the loading of the P-HNTs into the LDPE matrix did not optimize the mechanical and barrier properties of the nanocomposite films. However, the loading of 1 g/100 g P-HNTs increased the thermal stability, crystallinity, and ethylene scavenging capacity (by 1700%) of the nanocomposite film. The cherry tomatoes that were wrapped with the 1% P-HNTs/LDPE nanocomposite film (P-HLNF) and stored at 20 °C for 21 d exhibited a low ethylene production rate and respiration rate; furthermore, the nanocomposite film delayed the decrease in the firmness and the color change of the cherry tomatoes.

Background Care competency is a critical aspect required of nursing students who want to become nurses. Peer mentoring is a useful way to experience the natural care process. Objectives This study aimed to explore from the caring perspective the experiences of nursing students who have participated in peer mentoring as mentors and mentees. Design This was a qualitative study; individual interviews were conducted and content analysis was performed to explore and describe peer mentoring experiences. Settings This study was conducted in the department of nursing at a university in the Republic of Korea. Participants The participants were nine students in their second to fourth year who participated as mentors and mentees in the peer mentoring program organized by the department of nursing. Methods Data on participants' experiences of mentoring were collected through individual interviews. The transcribed content was analyzed using content analysis, and the categorized content was reorganized through the framework of the theory of caring. Results The results of the content analysis revealed five categories that formed a sequential process of caring, which became the cycle of another process of care. Conclusions This study's findings regarding peer mentoring experiences of nursing college students indicate that the program can be effective in improving care competencies related to nursing. Peer mentoring in nursing education could be a useful method to develop students' professional competencies.

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are hollow tubular clay nanoparticles used as nanofillers to remove or minimize the production of ethylene gas. The presence of ethylene gas leads to reduced shelf life in fruits and vegetables by accelerating postharvest softening and aging. Alkaline solution-treated HNTs have increased ethylene adsorption capacity due to an increased number of OH groups on the HNTs external surface. This study reports on the thermal, morphological, and mechanical properties of alkaline HNTs (ALK-HNTs) loaded into a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix. Our results indicate that, although the mechanical properties of the LDPE matrix films were not improved with loading ALK-HNTs, the oxygen barrier property were improved and ethylene gas adsorption increased by 220 %. Cherry tomatoes packaged in a 3% ALK-HNTs/LDPE nanocomposite film and stored at 8 °C for 21 days showed a reduction in loss of firmness and weight by 17.0 % and 36.7 %, respectively.

Aim This study aimed to examine the effects of Fumanet exercise on cognitive function, walking ability, and depression in older adults with mild dementia. Methods A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design with a non-equivalent control group was used. Participants were 45 patients with mild dementia (experimental group = 22, control group = 23). In the experimental group, Fumanet exercise was performed 60 minutes per day, once per week for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test, Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Gait ability in the experimental group was significantly improved compared with the control group (F = 9.08, P = .004). There were no significant differences in cognitive function or depression between the experimental and control groups. Although the intervention did not show a reduction in depression, participants exhibited a high participation rate and brighter mood with increasing sessions. Conclusions It was confirmed that Fumanet exercise is an effective nursing intervention to improve gait ability among older adults with mild dementia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a relapse prevention program (RPP) and examine the effects of the RPP on insight, empowerment, and treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were 54 inpatients who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (experimental group: 26, control group: 28). The study was carried out from February 7, 2012 to February 6, 2013. Over a 10-day period prior to discharge each participant in the experimental group received three onehour sessions of RPP a one-to-one patient-nurse interaction. Data were collected using Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), Empowerment Scale, and Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ) and analyzed using PASW 18.0 with chi-square test, independent ttest, Mann-Whitney U test, and ANCOVA. Results: The experimental group had a significant increase in insight and treatment adherence compared to the control group. However, there was no significant difference in empowerment between the two groups. Conclusion: Findings indicate that the RPP for patients with schizophrenia was effective in improving insight and treatment adherence. A longitudinal study is needed to confirm the persistence of these effects of RPP in patients with schizophrenia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify non-psychiatric nurses’ difficulties in caring for patients with mental illness. Methods: Data were collected from eighteen general medical-surgical nurses working at a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. This study involved two focus group discussions and three in-depth individual interviews. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they were spoken, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: General medical-surgical nurses experienced difficulties in 3 categories, 9 subcategories, 27 codes. The three categories were ‘nurse’ related factors, ‘patient’ related factors, ‘resource’ related factors. The nine categories were ‘unpreparedness’, ‘nursing barriers due to stigma’, ‘undervaluing and avoidance of psychiatric nursing’, ‘eroding into the trap of a vicious cycle’, ‘facing unapproachable patients’, ‘dealing with unhelpful family members’, ‘burdening already overburdened staff’, ‘obstructive environment’, and ‘isolation of staff with heavy responsibilities’. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the need to develop psychiatric mental health education programs for non-psychiatric nurses. Education about psychiatric mental health and support from institutions for non-psychiatric nurses can reduce their negative attitude toward psychiatric patients and difficulties in caring for psychiatric patients.