scholarly journals “You Feel Like You Kind of Walk Between the Two Worlds”: A Participatory Study Exploring How Technology Can Support Emotion Regulation for Autistic People

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Gillies-Walker ◽  
Naeem Ramzan ◽  
Jean Rankin ◽  
Emy Nimbley ◽  
Karri Gillespie-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Physiological Signals ◽  
User Needs ◽  
Emotional Communication ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Communication Challenges ◽  
Design Factors ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractAn increasing amount of technological solutions aiming to support emotion regulation are being developed for Autistic people. However, there remains a lack of understanding of user needs, and design factors which has led to poor usability and varied success. Furthermore, studies assessing the feasibility of emotion regulation technology via physiological signals for autistic people are increasingly showing promise, yet to date there has been no exploration of views from the autistic community on the benefits/challenges such technology may present in practice. Focus groups with autistic people and their allies were conducted to gain insight into experiences and expectations of technological supports aimed at supporting emotion regulation. Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes: (1) communication challenges (2) views on emotion regulation technology (3) ‘how’ technology is implemented. Results provide meaningful insight into the socio-emotional communication challenges faced by autistic people, and explore the expectations of technology aimed at supporting emotion regulation.

Development of an online transdisciplinary student wellbeing bundle: a thematic analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jena Buchan ◽  
Bonnie Clough ◽  
Jonathan Munro ◽  
Tatjana Ewais ◽  
Jaime Wallis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Student Wellbeing ◽  
Community Connectedness ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Further Development

BACKGROUND The consequences of burnout for tertiary students across the health professions are well documented and include higher rates of mental health challenges, suicide, alcoholism, and relationship problems. As a key stakeholder in University-offered wellbeing services and support, it is desirable for students to hold a central role in development of such resources, particularly given effectiveness relies on student uptake. Hence there is a compelling need to develop a student-driven approach to promote wellbeing in the tertiary setting at individual, curricula, and systems levels. OBJECTIVE Based on this need, an online student-focused platform was developed using a bottom-up approach to support participant-driven enhancement of wellbeing and resilience to counteract burnout. This study reports on the development of the initial online “Student Bundle”, providing a foundation to inform the design of more locally based approaches to improve wellness and prevent burnout. METHODS Students and academic and professional staff from Griffith University Health groups were invited to participate in a series of focus groups. Sessions sought to collect information on desired structure, resources and overall content of the Student Bundle, with a thematic analysis undertaken to identify emerging themes. RESULTS Focus groups were conducted separately with staff (n=17) and students (n=7). Six main themes in relation to the development of the bundle emerged: Communication/Engagement; Accessibility/Flexibility; Professional practice; Community; Awareness; and Opportunity for personal growth. Stakeholders emphasized a bundle should be engaging and proactive to address wellbeing issues, incorporate aspects linked to professional identity and foster community, connectedness and self-awareness, providing an opportunity for growth. CONCLUSIONS Our research has revealed significant needs in relation to how an online student-focused wellbeing bundle could be delivered and what it could provide. Findings from this study will be used to guide further development and implementation of a multimodal, interactive student wellbeing bundle.

An investigation into the experiences of school counsellors working with adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Cathy G. Bettman ◽  
Alexander Digiacomo
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
School Context ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
School Counsellors ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Currently, Australia’s school counsellors are increasingly being called upon to respond to adolescent mental health needs. Through semistructured interviews with seven school counsellors working with adolescents, this qualitative study aimed to capture the lived experiences of this group of practitioners. By adopting a phenomenological approach and using thematic analysis, this study provides insight into their profession: the current ambiguity surrounding their role; the opportunities and obstacles they face; as well as the often-present tension between stakeholders including parents, other school staff and external agencies. The findings of this study indicate that school counsellors are challenged by the need to be advocates not only for their students but also for themselves and their roles within the school context.

scholarly journals Development of a hybrid sleep and physical activity improvement intervention for adults with osteoarthritis-related pain and sleep disturbance: a focus group study with potential users

2021 ◽  
pp. 204946372110260
Author(s):  
Daniel Whibley ◽  
Kevin Stelfox ◽  
Alasdair L Henry ◽  
Nicole KY Tang ◽  
Anna L Kratz
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Intervention Component ◽  
Beneficial Impact ◽  
Improvement Intervention

Objective: Suboptimal sleep and physical activity are common among people living with osteoarthritis (OA) and simultaneous improvements in both may have a beneficial impact on pain. This study aimed to gather perspectives of people living with OA on important aspects to incorporate in a hybrid sleep and physical activity improvement intervention for OA pain management. Design: Qualitative study using two rounds of two focus groups. Setting and participants: Focus groups were conducted with adults living with OA-related chronic pain and sleep disturbances. Eighteen people attended focus groups in January 2020 and, of these, 16 attended subsequent focus groups in February 2020. Methods: Discussion at the first round of focus groups informed generation of prototype intervention materials that were shared, discussed and refined at the second round of focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes from the data. Results: Three themes, each with three sub-themes, were identified: facilitators of engagement with the intervention (sub-themes: motivational language, accountability and education); barriers to engagement (sub-themes: suboptimal interaction with healthcare practitioners, recording behaviour as burdensome/disruptive and uncertainty about technique) and characteristics of a physical activity intervention component (sub-themes: tailored, sustainable and supported). Conclusion: We have identified important aspects to incorporate into the design and delivery of a hybrid sleep and physical activity improvement intervention for OA pain management. Insights will be incorporated into intervention materials and protocols, with feasibility and acceptability assessed in a future study.

scholarly journals Strategies for developing and implementing a rheumatoid arthritis healthcare quality framework: a thematic analysis of perspectives from arthritis stakeholders

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e043759
Author(s):  
Claire Barber ◽  
Diane Lacaille ◽  
Marc Hall ◽  
Victoria Bohm ◽  
Linda C Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Outcome Measurement ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Healthcare Quality ◽  
Quality Measurement ◽  
Measurement Development ◽  
Business World ◽  
Measurement Framework

ObjectivesTo obtain stakeholder perspectives to inform the development and implementation of a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) healthcare quality measurement framework.DesignQualitative study using thematic analysis of focus groups and interviews.SettingArthritis stakeholders from across Canada including healthcare providers, persons living with RA, clinic managers and policy leaders were recruited for the focus groups and interviews.ParticipantsFifty-four stakeholders from nine provinces.InterventionsQualitative researchers led each focus group/interview using a semistructured guide; the digitally recorded data were transcribed verbatim. Two teams of two coders independently analysed the transcripts using thematic analysis.ResultsPerspectives on the use of different types of measurement frameworks in healthcare were obtained. In particular, stakeholders advocated for the use of existing healthcare frameworks over frameworks developed in the business world and adapted for healthcare. Persons living with RA were less familiar with specific measurement frameworks, however, they had used existing online public forums for rating their experience and quality of healthcare provided. They viewed a standardised framework as potentially useful for assisting with monitoring the care provided to them individually. Nine guiding principles for framework development and 13 measurement themes were identified. Perceived barriers identified included access to data and concerns about how measures in the framework were developed and used. Effective approaches to framework implementation included having sound knowledge translation strategies and involving stakeholders throughout the measurement development and reporting process. Clinical models of care and health policies conducive to outcome measurement were highlighted as drivers of successful measurement initiatives.ConclusionThese important perspectives will be used to inform a healthcare quality measurement framework for RA.

scholarly journals Exploring the functions of music in the lives of young people on the autism spectrum

2021 ◽  
pp. 030573562110089
Author(s):  
Melissa L Kirby ◽  
Karen Burland
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Multiple Methods ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Interview Technique ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Insight Into

Current research investigating the functions of music in everyday life has identified cognitive, emotional, and social functions of music. However, previous research focuses almost exclusively on neurotypical people and rarely considers the musical experiences of autistic people. In addition, there is limited research which focuses explicitly on the musical experiences of young people on the autism spectrum. Current research exploring the functions of music may therefore not accurately represent the experiences of the autistic community. This article aims to explore the function of music in the lives of young people on the autism spectrum through a series of interviews. Eleven young people on the autism spectrum age 12 to 25 ( M = 19.4) were interviewed about the function of music in their lives. An adaptive interview technique, utilizing multiple methods of communication, was employed to account for the participants’ broad communicative and personal needs. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed four key functions of music in the participants’ lives: Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Identity. Collectively, these results provide a unique insight into the musical experiences of young people on the autism spectrum.

Transition Experiences of Indian Nurses Into Australian Mental Health System

2021 ◽  
pp. 104365962110263
Author(s):  
Bindu Joseph ◽  
Michael Olasoji ◽  
Cheryl Moss ◽  
Wendy Cross
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Mental Health System ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Hermeneutic Phenomenology ◽  
Dual Culture ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transition Experience ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Insight Into

Introduction: In the past decade, there has been an influx of migrant nurses from India to Australia. Migrant professionals have specific transition needs associated with working in Mental Health (MH). This study aimed to explore the transition experience of overseas trained nurses from India working in Australian MH settings. Method: Hermeneutic phenomenology was the methodological approach used in the study. The participants ( N = 16) were overseas trained nurses from India. Data were collected through in-depth interview and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The findings resulted in the identification of the following themes: (1) Living in dual culture, (2) Loneliness, (3) Discrimination, and (4) Feeling incomplete. Discussion: It is evident that the transition to work in MH in Australia was a journey of mixed experiences. While certain findings of this study are comparable with experiences of migrant nurses in other settings, it provides insight into those that are working in MH.

Exploring behaviours perceived as important for human—dog bonding and their translation to a robotic platform

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Riddoch ◽  
Roxanne Hawkins ◽  
Emily S. Cross
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Bonds ◽  
Artificial Agents ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Pet Dogs ◽  
Potential Barriers ◽  
Physical Affection ◽  
Social Robotic ◽  
Insight Into

To facilitate long-term engagement with social robots, emerging evidence suggests that modelling robots on social animals with whom many people form enduring social bonds – specifically, pet dogs – may be useful. However, scientific understanding of the features of pet dogs that are important for establishing and maintaining social bonds remains limited to broad qualities that are liked, as opposed to specific behaviours. To better understand dog behaviours that are perceived as important for facilitating social bonds between owner and pet, we surveyed current dog owners (n = 153) with open-ended questions about their dogs’ behaviours. Thematic analysis identified 7 categories of behaviours perceived as important to human-dog bonding, including: 1) attunement, 2) communication, 3) consistency and predictability, 4) physical affection, 5) positivity and enthusiasm, 6) proximity, and 7) shared activities. We consider the feasibility of translating these behaviours into a social robotic platform, and signpost potential barriers moving forward. In addition to providing insight into important behaviours for human—dog bonding, this work provides a springboard for those hoping to implement dog behaviours into animal-like artificial agents designed for social roles.

“Women Are Cancer, You Shouldn’t Be Working in Sport”: Sport Psychologists’ Lived Experiences of Sexism in Sport

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Aura Goldman ◽  
Misia Gervis
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Power Differentials ◽  
The Feminine ◽  
Gendered Power ◽  
The Impact

Though sexism has been recognized as problematic in sport, its impact on female sport psychologists in the United Kingdom has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of sexism and its influence on practice. Four semistructured focus groups were conducted, comprising 11 sport psychologists who worked in the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis revealed four general themes: the environment, privileging masculinity, acts of sexism, and the feminine. Participants’ discourse suggests that female sport psychologists are impacted by sexism in their workplaces. Gendered power differentials, coupled with the low status of sport psychology within sport, exacerbated the challenges faced by female sport psychologists. This study contributes to making up for the dearth of research on the impact of sexism on sport psychologists. Suggestions are made with regard to implications for practice.

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