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Professional quality of life (ProQOL) refers to workers' subjective feelings associated with work involved in helping others who have experienced trauma. It consists of positive and negative aspects, that is, subscales of compassion satisfaction, and burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Foster and kinship caring inherently involves risks associated with exposure to the trauma responses of children in their care. This exposure can lead to poor ProQOL, carer attrition, and placement instability. While limited studies specifically explore ProQOL of carers, many studies have examined factors and interventions related to ProQOL. However, there is a lack of synthesis of these studies. To fill such a research gap, we undertook a scoping review of 70 empirical studies from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, published from 2012 to 2022 reporting on ProQOL, and its related factors and concepts. We applied a multilevel ecosocial construct to examine complex interrelationships between private and governance settings to better understand factors related to ProQOL of carers and interventions aimed to improve it in these dynamic systems. In our review, some studies showed positive outcomes for carers, such as reduced stress or burnout associated with training. However, there was insufficient attention to factors associated with ProQOL at relational and sociopolitical levels. It is crucial to improve carers' ProQOL or well-being to ensure their retention and placement stability. Long-term systemic improvements require interventions across different levels of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their care of children and young people, foster carers report experiencing social isolation and a lack of support. This study examines the social network experiences of Australian foster carers who are members of Mockingbird Family. While well established in the United States and United Kingdom, Mockingbird Family was introduced to Australia offering a new approach to address the unique challenges of foster caring for vulnerable children and young people. The model geographically networks 6–10 foster care households in a 'constellation' with a central 'hub home provider' tasked with providing information, support, and respite care. This study employed a cross-sectional explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to investigate social connections and supports in the first four Australian Mockingbird Family constellations. A social network tool was used to survey participants (n = 27) and two focus groups (n = 20) to gather their experiences. Analysis found the highest mean social network connections with people from within their own Mockingbird Family constellations. Three measures of centrality were used indegree, betweenness and closeness, to report the connections and role of members within each constellation. Comparing constellations at different stages of maturity, the hub home provider was consistently ranked with high betweenness centrality as the bridge. In the longer-running constellations, the hub home provider was ranked with high indegree centrality or the primary source of advice or expert support. This indicated micro-network evolution that may potentially result in reduced reliance on statutory and other formal system supports over time. Changes to micro-dynamics in social support within constellations were explained qualitatively through three themes: leadership and expertise, information diffusion and communication, and trust and familiarity. Mockingbird Family was found to provide social connections and support networks amongst foster carers, indicating the model's capacity to strengthen supports to carers thereby strengthening the immediate environment of children and young people in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching academics are under pressure to move away from traditional lecture-tutorial teaching modes to less traditional forms. Such pressures are in addition to changes to funding arrangements and other developments that increasingly oblige universities to operate as businesses. The flow-on effects for teachers are increased student:staff ratios, changes in student diversity and less face-to-face time, while also being required to meet expectations for increased research output. While it has become the norm to shift away from traditional teaching methods, individuals are not always equipped with educational theory nor the time, technology and motivations to change significantly what they do. We draw upon a workplace audit that explored the use of four non-traditional teaching and learning modes. These modes were chosen because of professional development workshops available centrally at our university and because they offered promise in terms of time-saving for teachers and educational effectiveness for students. The majority of respondents reported using one or more of these non-traditional teaching and learning modes. However, contradictory information in qualitative descriptions suggested that this majority had limited knowledge about the technicalities and the application of these modes; instead they attempted to fit descriptions of their traditional teaching into the non-traditional descriptors provided. While we seek to understand these responses, which may well be a form of resistance, we consider how diffusion of innovation theory may provide insight into why change has not been forthcoming.

Health and allied health professionals are uniquely positioned to collaborate in prevention, early intervention and responses to child maltreatment. Effective collaboration requires comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE), and inadequate collaboration across sectors and professions continually contributes to poor outcomes for children. Little is known about what interprofessional preparation health and allied health professionals receive before initial qualification (preservice) that equips them for interprofessional collaboration and provision of culturally safe care in child protection. This scoping review aimed to identify what is known internationally about IPE in child protection for preservice health and allied health professionals. Thirteen manuscripts reporting 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the synthesis. Key characteristics of the educational interventions are presented, including target disciplines, core content and their learning objectives and activities. Findings demonstrated primarily low-quality methodologies and educational interventions that had not been replicated beyond their initial context. Many educational interventions did not provide comprehensive content covering the spectrum of prevention, early intervention and responses for all types of child maltreatment, and/or did not clearly indicate how IPE was achieved. Key challenges to delivering comprehensive interprofessional child protection include lack of institutional support and competing priorities across disciplines who must meet requirements of separate regulatory bodies. Consequently, there is a need for further development and robust evaluation of educational interventions to explore how interprofessional collaborative skills for child protection can be developed and delivered in preservice health and allied health professional education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Although the vulnerabilities stemming from the intersection of aging and migration are widely recognized, the migration contexts and the factors influencing the mental health of older unforced migrants have received scant attention. This review explores the drivers of unforced migrations in later life and the individual, relational, and structural factors influencing their mental health and well-being. Research Design and Methods Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic search of 7 databases for English peer-reviewed journal articles was conducted. A total of 21 studies were identified and analyzed inductively. Results The review classified motivations for migration as push factors and pull factors: push factors such as escaping structural inequities in the homeland and pull factors included seeking better lifestyle opportunities and reuniting with family. The positive determinants of mental health included cordial family relationships, paid employment, the presence of a partner, and strong support networks. Advanced age, absence of a partner, lifestyle changes, lack of intergenerational support, poor language proficiency, unfavorable policies, lack of access to resources, and systemic biases negatively affected the mental health of older unforced migrants. Discussion and Implications The review highlights the need to recognize the diversity among older migrants to develop policies and programs that address their specific circumstances. Recognizing their strengths, rather than focusing solely on their vulnerabilities will help create a more positive and supportive environment, enabling them to thrive in their new communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that the number of children and young people needing care keeps rising and fewer people are becoming foster carers, efforts to support carers and workers in foster caring are essential. This paper considers the experiences of carers and foster care agency workers involved in Australia's piloting of the Mockingbird Family. With a view understanding experience, data were collected via focus groups with carers and agency workers (n = 20) involved in piloting, implementation and evaluation. Deductive analysis applied the theory of experience to generate understanding of experience, as both intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions to capture strengths in the Mockingbird Family's foster caring networks. These dimensions of experience included collective passions of carers and workers; experiential change over time; collective experiences as a moving force; and experiences as transformational. Understanding of experience associated with the perceived strengths of the Mockingbird Family, including strategies to promote strong professional relationships between carers and workers, is an important element in strengthening environments of children and young people in care. Safe and stable environments are crucial for wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective communication between patients and doctors is fundamental to high-quality healthcare, patient safety, and overall satisfaction. However, the onset of COVID-19 has prompted significant shifts in communication from in-room and face-to-face interactions to virtual consults. The impact of this pandemic-related change on patient-doctor communication goals, processes, attributes, and environment remains unclear. We undertook a scoping review involving the systematic search of seven academic databases for relevant articles published up to and including June 2021. In total, 47 articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. We applied the patient-doctor communication framework to guide our deductive thematic analysis of articles included, sorting results from reported studies and position papers into themes and sub-themes. The theme of communication goals highlighted sub-themes related to patient safety, convenience, affordability, and satisfaction; preparation included sub-themes on technology interventions, workforce training, and digital literacy; participant attributes included compassion for doctors and rebuilding trust among patients; and communication process included issues related to telemedicine or video conferencing, challenges with diminished patient privacy, and distractions in the patient's home setting. Finally, the environment theme included insights into doctors' workload, isolation, and anxiety and how changes requiring increases in virtual consults iteratively altered confidence in care provision and communication with patients. Results of the scoping review provide important insights for strengthening virtual patient-doctor interactions, including target areas for training and professional development during and beyond the current pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we used a novel hybrid approach to review literature concerned with family and domestic violence (FADV) perpetrators. Our intention was to chart the research and publication activity of authors with Australian affiliation to identify homegrown evidence related to stopping the perpetration of violence. This involved systematic searching of literature from the Scopus electronic database, utilization of VOSviewer to sort keyword co-occurrences and authorship linking for 1,494 publication records over a 30-year period, and the review of 21 articles with perpetrator focus, identified from the 50 most cited publications. We found that Australians' authoring interests in FADV, over the last three decades, with perpetrator focus were predominantly concentrated on gender, rape and sexual assault, coercive control, and child abuse. In the most cited literature, six major themes were identified: perpetrator motivations, perpetrator interventions, patterns of violence, pandemic duet, perception of blame, and cyberstalking and violence. An upward curve in Australian authoring activity in the period under review aligns with societal shifts in which FADV was once considered a private issue and has now become ubiquitous in the public domain. Our findings revealed that research into perpetrators is insufficient to promote a zero-tolerance approach to FADV. Our corresponding in-depth literature review provides valuable insights surrounding perpetrator intervention programs with the goal of more effectively addressing the emerging challenge of technology-facilitated coercive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a pervasive social problem that social workers often encounter in practice. Responses to DFV require specialist and non-specialist services. Research suggests that first contact social workers can experience a lack of confidence, both in engaging with men who use violence and working with women and children who disclose experiencing violence. This article reports on the findings of an Australian survey (N = 100) that sought to identify the knowledge and practice skills that social workers draw on when they are the first responders to DFV. The survey invited qualified social worker participants from all sectors across Australia through the national online bulletins of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and Child Family Community Australia (CFCA). Whilst 28% of the respondents demonstrated working in specialist DFV and child protection sectors, 72% worked in other sectors. The research found that most participants recognised signs of DFV, but responses were mainly focused on referring women victims to practical or accommodation support, and children to psychological support. Responding to perpetrators was rarely mentioned. Equipping non-specialist DFV practitioners with knowledge and skills to respond safely can create an opportunity for engagement, earlier intervention, and increased interagency collaboration with specialist services. IMPLICATIONS Social workers need to be able to recognise domestic and family violence and know how to respond when it presents itself in their work contexts. Continuing professional development in domestic and family violence is required in social work so practitioners can maintain, improve, and broaden their knowledge and skills as first responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the narrative of a Samburu woman, whom we call Sasha, from northern Kenya. She has been living with recto- and vesico-vaginal fistula for more than ten years. Her homeland is characterized by abject poverty, patriarchy and traditional practices involving witchcraft, which is intertwined with the teachings of Christian evangelist missionaries that traverse the last two centuries. Sasha's research interview offered representations of the broader social and political aspects affecting women with vaginal fistula and how this influences their lived experiences. We suggest that this condition is more than a biomedical issue, which we explain through our interpretive feminist analysis of Sasha's story. An African feminist lens enables attention towards the influences of patriarchy, African ethnicities and underdevelopment of the African continent. Keywords: Obstetric Fistulas, African Feminism, Kenya, Patriarchy, Leaking Bodies, Cultural Practices, Introduction The logic for this paper rests upon a cliche: 'one picture is worth a thousand words.' In doing so, we propose that our case study of one woman's story [...]

This research examined the life experiences of domestic violence survivors in China, specifically the actions taken, experiences and meanings they ascribed in becoming anti-domestic violence volunteers. Data were collected via in-depth interviews in 2020 with ten such volunteers. Theories of posttraumatic growth and theories of volunteering provided an analytical framework. The findings showed that the volunteers' experiences during and following their escape from violence went through three stages: from shock, self-blame and acceptance to recognition of the abuser as wholly responsible for the violence, followed by connecting domestic violence experiences to gender equality, social justice and human rights. Their actions against domestic violence also went through three stages: from endurance to breaking-away, followed by becoming anti-domestic violence volunteers. Participation in anti-domestic violence volunteer work contributed to rebuilding their perceptions of the self, the family and intimate relationships and the world. It also provided them with effective ways to recover from domestic violence and to foster resilience and experience posttraumatic growth. The findings indicated that whilst domestic violence resulted in a variety of negative impacts on survivors, they had resilience that aided recovery and they achieved posttraumatic growth through participating in anti-domestic violence volunteer work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has experienced rapid social and economic transformation since the early 1990s. While state control has attempted to maintain a collectivist spirit that emphasizes communal goals and obligations over unrestricted capitalism, rapid economic growth has weakened socialist ideals and individualism has thrived. The present paper draws attention to potential associations between the rise of capitalism, individualism in mainland China, the one-child policy and changes in domestic violence laws with the increased perpetration of cold violence by some men towards their female partners. Cold violence refers to an emotional form of domestic violence characterized by a complete withdrawal of all verbal and physical communication by one member of an intimate relationship towards the other. Identified from discussion with key informants and preliminary analysis of English and Chinese literature, the phenomenon of cold violence is suggested to be increasingly used by urban living, educated, wealthy men. While the competing interests of traditional patriarchy and policy supporting women's gender equity is discussed, it is proposed that post-socialist transformations in urban China that are characterized by rapid socio-economic change and individualism may have provided fertile ground for the rise of cold violence by some men towards their female partners. Keywords: China, cold violence, violence against women, economic change, individualism, Introduction Western conceptualizations of individualism are represented by freedom, democracy and equality. When translating the notion of 'individualism' into Chinese understanding, it is best conceived as 'me-first-ism' and it implies [...]

All Black women have experienced living in a society that devalues them. The scholarship of bell hooks submits that the control of Black women ideologically, economically, socially and politically functions perfectly to form a highly discriminative but effective system that is designed to keep them in a submissive and subordinate place. As a Ph.D. student, in a reflective journey with my research supervisor, I engage in a struggle to define my own feminist perspective in as I prepare to explore the oppression, disadvantage and discrimination experienced by Kenyan women living with vaginal fistulas. I examine how poor and socially disadvantaged Kenyan women are forced to lead lives or engage in practices that predispose them to poor sexual and reproductive health. Such practices include child rape, child marriage and female genital mutilation. While academic theorizing considers socio-cultural practices that contribute to women's oppression in Kenya, I seek to locate my position as a Black African feminist to enable my contribution to these debates. Keywords: Oppression, Feminism, Black Feminism, Health, Africa, Vaginal Fistulas, Infibulation, Colonization, Introduction I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me [...]

All Black women have experienced living in a society that devalues women of African descent. Control of Black women ideologically, economically and in political life functions perfectly to form a highly discriminative but effective system that is designed to keep Black women in a submissive and subordinate place. As a PhD student, in a reflective journey with my research supervisor, I engage in a struggle to define my own Black feminist perspective in preparation for exploring the oppression, disadvantage and discrimination experienced by Kenyan women who are living with vaginal fistula. I maintain that women's gender oppression is not incidental to their health, while I embark on exploring how poor and socially disadvantaged women are forced to lead lives or engage in practices known to be associated with vaginal fistula and poor health. Such practices include child rape, child marriage and female genital mutilation, which are oppressive themselves. While academic theorizing considers socio-cultural practices that contribute to women's oppression in Kenya, I seek to locate my position as a Black feminist to enable my contribution to these debates. I also consider the difficulties arising from assisting individuals to rise from their oppression when alternative action may not be accessible to those women who experience some of the worst forms of oppression in Kenya. Key Words: Oppression, Feminism, Black Feminism, Health, Africa, Vaginal Fistulas, Infibulation, Colonization, Introduction I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me [...]