The Social Networks and Social Support of Siblings of Children with Cancer

Siblings of children with cancer need support to ameliorate the challenges they encounter; however, little is known about what types and sources of support exist for siblings. This study addresses this gap in our understanding of the social networks and sources of support for adolescents with a brother or sister who has cancer. Additionally, we describe how the support siblings receive addresses what they feel are the hardest aspects of being a sibling of a child with cancer. During semi-structured interviews, siblings (ages 12–17) constructed ecomaps describing their support networks. Data were coded for support type (emotional, instrumental, informational, validation, companionship) and support provider (e.g., mother, teacher, friend). Network characteristics and patterns of support were explored. Support network size ranged from 3 to 10 individuals (M = 6 ± 1.9); siblings most frequently reported mothers as sources of support (n = 22, 91.7%), followed by fathers (n = 19, 79.2%), close friends (n = 19, 79.2%) and siblings (with or without cancer) (n = 17, 70.8%). Friends and brothers or sisters most often provided validation and companionship while instrumental and informational supports came from parents. This study provides foundational knowledge about siblings’ support networks, which can be utilized to design interventions that improve support for siblings of children with cancer.

Early Childhood Education Psychoeducation during the COVID-19

The COVID 19 pandemic has made various changes in people's lives, also on Early Childhood Education. The Children hve been affected both directly and indirectly in formal and non-formal education, both education by parents and related institutions. Early Childhood Education and components of the system of education encountered various obstacles related to the implementation of children's activities during social restrictions. Referring to this problem, this Community Partnership Program activity is intended as an effort to anticipate obstacles that occur in Early Childhood Education during the pandemic situation. This Community Partnership Program is implemented through the Psychoeducation Activity Program which focuses on Early Childhood Education. The Psychoeducation Program use an intervention method that can be applied to individuals, families, and groups that focus on educating participants about significant challenges in life, helping participants develop sources of support and social support in facing, and developing coping skills to face these challenges

Non-University Mass Student Public Associations: Institutional Isomorphism as a Factor of Stability

The relevance of this research is about the need to search for factors that increase the stability of youth associations, including student ones. Only stable youth associations can effectively socialize young people and form them as active actors in civil society. The project is a desk study and has a quality design.Object: non-university mass student public associations. They were created in Russia in the 60s of the twentieth century: student building brigades (SSO) and student nature protective brigades (DOP). Subject: institutional isomorphism of non-university student public associations. Purpose: to assess the impact of character and the degree of isomorphism of student public associations on their stability.Research results. It is shown that the main factor in the stability of student public associations is the level of their compliance with institutional requirements. It leads to forced isomorphism. The cause of this isomorphism is the monopoly of sources of support for the activities of these associations. In Russia, the state has such a monopoly. Student associations must take into account the institutional factors, in particular the requirements of higher-level systems and institutions. It gives them the necessary resources to continue their activities. Intra-organizational factors (level of social significance, charisma of leaders, mass character, and others) are less important for ensuring their sustainability.

COVID-19: Contrasting experiences of South African physiotherapists based on patient exposure

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed physiotherapists to unique work-related challenges. However, there is a lack of research regarding the mental health and lived experiences of South African physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic.Objectives: To determine levels of mental and physical health, burnout, depression, anxiety and resilience and coping strategies used by a sample of South African physiotherapists with and without exposure to patients with COVID-19. Lived work experience, perceived health and sources of support were also explored.Method: A non-experimental, cross-sectional, mixed-method design was used. Physiotherapists completed an online survey comprising: a demographic questionnaire; scales assessing mental and physical health, burnout, depression, anxiety and coping strategies and six open-ended questions. A total of 171 physiotherapists participated in our study, 43.3% of whom were exposed to patients with COVID-19.Results: The exposure group scored significantly higher on self-reported mental health, anxiety, depression and burnout than the non-exposure group. No significant differences were reported for physical health and resilience. Significantly more maladaptive coping strategies were employed by the exposure group. Participants’ lived experiences highlighted similar experiences, as well as work-related challenges. Both groups reported that primary sources of support were significant others, but highlighted the lack of organisational support.Conclusion: Irrespective of the degree of exposure to COVID-19, the mental health and lived experiences of physiotherapists working in South Africa has been negatively impacted by COVID-19.Clinical implications: Understanding physiotherapists’ well-being and lived experiences during the pandemic may guide workplace interventions. Our findings suggest the need for psycho-educational intervention programmes to be implemented at an organisational level.

Information Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In any healthcare crisis, people typically seek out information and news about infections, expert analysis of the situation, government policies, sources of support, and so on. Research on other types of crisis situations have shown how individuals draw on information from official sources, the media, and their own contacts in order to make sense of what is going on, understand the risks, and decide how to respond to the situation at a personal level. This chapter examines what is known about individual information behaviors during a pandemic and the implications of these. The chapter includes consideration of levels, patterns, and changes in information consumption during a pandemic; the links between information consumption and pandemic-related behaviors; information content and messaging styles as tools for achieving pandemic management goals; the role of online information channels in supporting daily life during a pandemic; and technology and access to information in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to support various life activities.

Expanding the Conceptualization of Support in Low-Wage Carework: The Case of Home Care Aides and Client Death

Home care aides are a rapidly growing, non-standard workforce who face numerous health risks and stressors on the job. While research shows that aides receive limited support from their agency employers, few studies have explored the wider range of support that aides use when navigating work stress and considered the implications of these arrangements. To investigate this question, we conducted 47 in-depth interviews with 29 home care aides in New York City, focused specifically on aides’ use of support after client death. Theories of work stress, the social ecological framework, and feminist theories of care informed our research. Our analysis demonstrates aides’ extensive reliance on personal sources of support and explores the challenges this can create in their lives and work, and, potentially, for their communities. We also document aides’ efforts to cultivate support stemming from their home-based work environments. Home care aides’ work stress thus emerges as both an occupational health and a community health issue. While employers should carry responsibility for preventing and mitigating work stress, moving toward health equity for marginalized careworkers requires investing in policy-level and community-level supports to bolster employer efforts, particularly as the home care industry becomes increasingly fragmented and non-standard.

Hubungan Dukungan Suami dengan Pemberian ASI Eksklusif : Literature Review

Global study “The Lancer Breastfeeding Series” 2016 explains that infant mortality due to infection reaches 88% in infants aged less than three months, while 82% of children get sick because they do not receive exclusive breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding can reduce infant mortality due to infection. Several factors that affect exclusive breastfeeding are the mother, the infant, and support factors. One of the sources of support that can affect exclusive breastfeeding is the husband’s support. This study aimed to determine the relationship between husband's support and exclusive breastfeeding through a literature review. This study uses a literature review method. The articles used are sourced from online databases with electronic searches on Google Scholar and Garuda Portal published in 2011-2021. The critical assessment instrument used is the STROBE instrument. Based on the 6 articles used in the litarture review, the results showed that in 3 articles namely research from Fitriani (2020), Rolita (2020), and Aries (2019), there was a correlation between the husband’s support and exclusive breastfeeding. Meanwhile, in the other three articles namely research fromIndriyani (2019), Novira (2017), and Rahayu (2018), there was no correlation between the husband’s support and exclusive breastfeeding. Husband's support is related to exclusive breastfeeding, so that the management of nursing care for breastfeeding mothers should involve the husband.Keywords: Exclusives breastfeeding; husband's support AbstrakKajian Global “The Lancer Breastefeeding Series” 2016 menjelaskan bahwa kematian bayi karena infeksi mencapai angka 88% pada bayi berusia kurang dari 3 bulan, sedangkan 82% anak sakit karena tidak menerima ASI Eksklusif. Pemberian ASI Eksklusif dapat menurunkan angka kematian pada bayi akibat infeksi. Beberapa faktor yang berpengaruh terhadap pemberian ASI Eksklusif diantaranya faktor ibu, bayi, dan dukungan. Sumber dukungan yang dapat mempengaruhi pemberian ASI Eksklusif salah satunya dukungan suami. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan dukungan suami dengan pemberian ASI Eksklusif melalui literature review. Penelitian ini menggunakan metodeliterature rev iew. Artikel yang digunakan bersumber dari data base online dengan penelusuran elektronik pada Google Scholar dan Portal Garuda yang terbit pada tahun 2011-2021. Instrumen telaah kritis yang digunakan yaitu instrumen STROBE. Berdasarkan 6 artikel yang digunakan dalam literature review didapatkan hasil penelitian menyebutkan bahwa 3 artikel yaitu penelitian dari Fitriani (2020), Rolita (2020), dan Aries (2019) terdapat hubungan antara dukungan suami dengan pemberian ASI Eksklusif dan 3 artikel yaitu penelitian dari Indriyani (2019), Novira (2017), dan Rahayu (2018) tidak terdapat hubungan antara dukungan suami dengan pemberian ASI Eksklusif. Dukungan suami berhubungan dengan pemberian ASI eksklusif, sehingga dalam kelolaan asuhan keperawatan pada ibu menyusui seharusnya melibatkan suami. Kata Kunci : Exclusives breastfeeding; husband’s support; pemberian ASI Eksklusif; dukungan suami

Come for Information, Stay for Support: Harnessing the Power of Online Health Communities for Social Connectedness during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created a globally shared stressor that saw a rise in the emphasis on mental and emotional wellbeing. However, historically, these topics were not openly discussed, leaving those struggling without professional support. One powerful tool to bridge the gap and facilitate connectedness during times of isolation is online health communities (OHCs). This study surveyed Health Union OHC members during the pandemic to determine the degree of COVID-19 concern, social isolation, and mental health distress they are facing, as well as to assess where they are receiving information about COVID-19 and what sources of support they desire. The survey was completed in six independent waves between March 2020 and April 2021, and garnered 10,177 total responses. In the United States, OHCs were utilized significantly more during peak lockdown times, and the desire for emotional and/or mental health support increased over time. Open-ended responses demonstrated a strong desire for connection and validation, which are quintessential characteristics of OHCs. Through active moderation utilizing trained moderators, OHCs can provide a powerful, intermediate and safe space where conversations about mental and emotional wellbeing can be normalized and those in need are encouraged to seek additional assistance from healthcare professionals if warranted.

Health Behaviors in Times of COVID: Different Sources of Support for Older Adults

Eating a nutritious diet reduces vulnerability to common chronic diseases. Yet, older adults struggle to meet nutritional guidelines; many have found it particularly challenging to access fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables during the pandemic. Thus, it is vital to better understand how older adults may recruit the help of close others to support healthy dietary intake. This COVID-19 study examines the role of support for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in daily life. Ninety-seven older adults participated with a close other of their choice (62 % spouse; 38% non-spouse Mage partner1 = 72, SD = 5.26, Mage partner2 = 62, SD = 16.38). Both partners completed two daily questionnaires for 10 days. In the morning they reported their intentions for eating fruit and vegetables. In the evening, they noted their consumed fruit and vegetable servings, the extent to which this matched their intentions, and their partners support in doing so. Consistent with previous research, the older participants were, the more they consumed fruits and vegetables. On days when participants received more support from their partner, they were more successful at reaching their dietary goals. Interestingly, initial findings suggest that associations were stronger when support was provided from a non-spouse than if the support came from spouse. Follow-up analyses, with a larger sample, will further examine some of the underlying mechanisms so as to better understand the role of different kinds of support providers during the pandemic and shed light on who may be best suited to provide support.

“Hunger Would Kill us Instead of the Pandemic:” Elders’ Responses to COVID-19 in Ethiopia

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unpredictable challenges globally. Urban elders in Global South nations are among the major population groups vulnerable to COVID-19. A qualitative case study design was used to uncover the challenges and sources of support for poor urban elders during COVID-19 lockdown in Ethiopia. Data were collected from 27 elders age 60 and above in Debre Markos Town via in-depth interviews and document review. Narrative data were analyzed using thematic data analysis. Four prominent themes were identified: 1. Food insecurity (“Hunger would kill us instead of COVID-19”), 2. Hopelessness (“Feeling hopeless and begging to die”), 3. Social isolation (“We prefer social support rather than food donations”) and 4. Gratitude (“Feeling thankful”). The physical distancing program introduced to contain the pandemic isolated many elders and diminished their capacity to access support from others needed to perform their daily activities. An institutional welfare system is needed to ensure older adults in the Global South can live a joyful and dignified life, even through a global pandemic. Moreover, a special emergency fund to meet older adults’ basic needs during a pandemic like COVID-19 should be introduced to minimize the effect of crises on vulnerable groups like destitute older adults in Ethiopia.