scholarly journals ‘Well, This is it. Just Get on With it’: Pain Willingness and Activity Engagement in People with Chronic Pain

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Cecelia A. Titus ◽  
Herbert C. Biggs
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Rehabilitation Professionals ◽  
Pain Experiences ◽  
And Control ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes ◽  
Activity Restrictions

Acceptance of chronic pain is associated with positive health outcomes. The study examined participants’ chronic pain experiences by exploring two acceptance factors: pain willingness and activity engagement. Eleven participants (seven women and four men) participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed to identify pain willingness and activity engagement in participants’ experiences. The study found that participants demonstrated some pain willingness and activity engagement, but that avoidance and control could result in unwanted activity restrictions. Three themes were identified in participants’ accounts of getting on with their lives: making necessary adjustments, taking control and finding purpose and meaning. To improve outcomes for people with chronic pain, counsellors and rehabilitation professionals should encourage pain acceptance, and educate their clients about the effects of social withdrawal, and avoidance and control of pain.

scholarly journals Families as support and burden: A mixed methods exploration of the extent to which family identification and support predicts reductions in stress among disadvantaged neighbourhood residents

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110500
Author(s):  
Clifford Stevenson ◽  
Juliet R. H. Wakefield ◽  
Blerina Kellezi ◽  
Rebecca J. Stack ◽  
Saskia Dogra
Keyword(s):  
Family Support ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Informational Support ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Disadvantaged Community ◽  
Related Stigma ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

Stronger family relationships predict positive health outcomes: a relationship that is partially due to the range of emotional, practical and informational support that families can provide. Yet not all families possess these resources. A survey study in a disadvantaged community in Nottingham, UK ( N = 142) demonstrated that family identification positively predicts ability to cope with financial stress, but that this relationship is moderated by whether family support is present or absent. Semi-structured interviews with 10 members of different families from the same community shed further light upon the nature of this relationship: individuals report that they tend to turn to their family rather than friends or community services in times of financial hardship, even though their family are unlikely to be able to support them effectively, and that this is often due to feelings of embarrassment or finance-related stigma. Our findings highlight the complex role that families can play in finance-related issues, as well as the need to encourage individuals to seek financial support from sources which provide effective (rather than emotionally comfortable) assistance.

E Hine: Talking about Māori teen pregnancy with government groups

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Adcock ◽  
Beverley Lawton ◽  
Fiona Cram
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Teen Pregnancy ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Health Gap ◽  
Kaupapa Māori ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

Despite improved access to health services in Aotearoa New Zealand there remains a significant socio-economic and health gap between Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders) and Pākehā (non-Māori). E Hine (Girl) is a qualitative Kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) research project seeking to identify barriers and facilitators to positive health outcomes for young Māori mothers (under 20 years) and their infants. We present the findings of a discourse analysis of six semi-structured interviews with 13 representatives from six government agencies who were asked how their agency catered to the needs of young Māori mothers. Interviews were conducted in Wellington in 2013. First, we discuss respondents’ perspectives on how their agencies work to increase positive health outcomes. Next, we discuss structural issues, such as resource distribution, organization, and “silence”, that may act as barriers to positive outcomes. Addressing these barriers is essential to successfully deliver policies and initiatives that meet the needs of young Māori mothers and their infants.

Conceptualizing Drug Addiction and Chronic Pain through a Biopsychosocial Framework to Improve Therapeutic Strategies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary S. Harmon ◽  
Emily N. Welch ◽  
Christina L. Ruby
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Drug Addiction ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Opioid Analgesics ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Biopsychosocial Perspective ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

The recent surge in opioid-related deaths has brought poor pain management practices to the forefront of our nation’s collective consciousness. However, improving treatments for chronic pain, substance use disorders (SUD), and comorbid expression of both requires a better understanding of the pathophysiology involved in their development. In this chapter, the authors present the argument that chronic pain and SUD can be conceptualized similarly from a biopsychosocial perspective to inform a better approach to treatment. The authors describe the common neurobehavioral mechanisms of SUD and chronic pain, then discuss the efficacy of several psychotherapeutic methods employed to combat chronic pain, addiction, and related disorders. Such methods may contribute to positive health outcomes in managing chronic pain and curbing drug addiction by reducing the role of opioid analgesics for long-term pain management.

scholarly journals “It Is a Very Emotional Topic for Me”—Managing Breastfeeding Problems among German Mothers: A Qualitative Approach

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1352
Author(s):  
Mariz Spannhake ◽  
Charlotte Jansen ◽  
Tatiana Görig ◽  
Katharina Diehl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
Breastfeeding Problems ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

Breastfeeding is associated with positive health outcomes for both child and mother. Nevertheless, some women experience breastfeeding problems which commonly lead to early cessation, or not starting breastfeeding at all. Our aim was to explore how women that have difficulties in breastfeeding perceive their situation and how they actively manage it. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 mothers living in Germany who had experienced breastfeeding problems. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Breastfeeding problems occurred due to different reasons and had a huge impact, as evidenced in the four main themes of the findings: individual situation, managing the situation, perceived consequences for relations, feelings, and potential future pregnancies, and perceived health consequences for the mother. They frequently experienced negative emotions, including psychological distress and mental health problems, with perceived negative consequences for the mother–infant-bonding. Trying to actively manage the situation and availability of social support seemed to have a relieving effect, whereas confrontation and lack of understanding worsened the situation. Breastfeeding problems and the inability to breastfeed can have a great influence on maternal well-being. These can affect different aspects of a mother’s life, including the attachment to the child. Providing support for actively managing the situation and supporting the exchange of experience between mothers who perceive breastfeeding problems may help mothers to better deal with their situation. Our findings may help health professionals to understand what these mothers feel and how they can support these women in a sensitive way.

Chronic Pain Experiences Survey

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Nguyen ◽  
Carlos Ugarte ◽  
Ivonne Fuller ◽  
Gregory Haas ◽  
Russell K. Portenoy
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Pain Experiences

Study-work-life balance of international students in the context of temporal boundaries

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-79
Author(s):  
Megan O'Mahony ◽  
Debora Jeske
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Boundary Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Time Zone ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Personal Challenges

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the experience of study-work-life balance among international students who were separated from their family both geographically and temporally. Using 10 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate students and thematic analysis, several themes were identified. These included boundary management shifts due to study/work demands and time zone differences. In addition, students reported social and personal challenges (in terms of family’s expectations, relationships maintenance, socialization in host country). Temporal boundaries contributed to social withdrawal and isolation among students, many of which were heavily reliant on their own family network for support. The findings strengthen the argument that time difference impacts the boundary management and social experience of international students.

The effect of realistic mathematics education on student achievement in 8th grades geometric objects teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Hasan Huseyin Aksu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
T Test ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
8Th Grade ◽  
And Control ◽  
Dependent Samples

The purpose of this study is to answer if there is a reasonable difference on academical success of students who get education with traditional and RME approach question on “Teaching geometrical objects to 8th grade students” subject. Study group consists of 47 students which contains 21 experimental and 16 control group from “Ordu Anadolu İmam Hatip High School Project School” in Altinordu, Ordu. Experimental and control group have same academical success level, as the school which this study has runned is a school which accepts students with an exam only. After the experimental and control groups were created, a 25 question pre-test was performed to understand the level of knowledge of the group regarding geometrical objects. The same test was performed on the same groups 8 weeks later as retention test. To determine opinions of the students in experimental group regarding RME and related learning activities, semi-structured interviews are conducted. The data obtained from the pretest, posttest and retention tests were analyzed with t-test for independent samples and t-test for dependent samples and variance analysis for mixed measurements with 0.05 significance level. According to the results, it is seen that learning activities prepared according to RME approach are much more effective than learning activities prepared according to the traditional approach on students’ academic success.

Differences in Reward and Persistency characterise Behavior in Chronic Pain for the Iowa Gambling Task in a Web-based Lab-in-the-field study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Himanshu Vashisht ◽  
Alekhya Nethra ◽  
Brian Slattery ◽  
Tomas Ward
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Iowa Gambling Task ◽  
Learning Curves ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Gambling Task ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Pain Experiences

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a significant world-wide health problem. It has been reported that people with chronic pain experience decision-making impairments, but these findings have been based on conventional lab experiments to date. In such experiments researchers have extensive control of conditions and can more precisely eliminate potential confounds. In contrast, there is much less known regarding how chronic pain impacts decision-making captured via lab-in-the-field experiments. Although such settings can introduce more experimental uncertainty, it is believed that collecting data in more ecologically valid contexts can better characterize the real-world impact of chronic pain. OBJECTIVE We aim to quantify decision-making differences between chronic pain individuals and healthy controls in a lab-in-the-field environment through taking advantage of internet technologies and social media. METHODS A cross-sectional design with independent groups was employed. A convenience sample of 45 participants were recruited through social media - 20 participants who self-reported living with chronic pain, and 25 people with no pain or who were living with pain for less than 6 months acting as controls. All participants completed a self-report questionnaire assessing their pain experiences and a neuropsychological task measuring their decision-making, i.e. the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in their web browser at a time and location of their choice without supervision. RESULTS Standard behavioral analysis revealed no differences in learning strategies between the two groups although qualitative differences could be observed in learning curves. However, computational modelling revealed that individuals with chronic pain were quicker to update their behavior relative to healthy controls, which reflected their increased learning rate (95% HDI from 0.66 to 0.99) when fitted with the VPP model. This result was further validated and extended on the ORL model because higher differences (95% HDI from 0.16 to 0.47) between the reward and punishment learning rates were observed when fitted on this model, indicating that chronic pain individuals were more sensitive to rewards. It was also found that they were less persistent in their choices during the IGT compared to controls, a fact reflected by their decreased outcome perseverance (95% HDI from -4.38 to -0.21) when fitted using the ORL model. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that the estimated parameters had predictive value for the self-reported pain experiences, suggesting that the altered cognitive parameters could be potential candidates for inclusion in chronic pain assessments. CONCLUSIONS We found that individuals with chronic pain were more driven by rewards and less consistent when making decisions in our lab-in-the-field experiment. In this case study, it was demonstrated that compared to standard statistical summaries of behavioral performance, computational approaches offered superior ability to resolve, understand and explain the differences in decision- making behavior in the context of chronic pain outside the lab.

scholarly journals The power-trust cycle in global health: Trust as belonging in relations of dependency

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Emma-Louise Anderson ◽  
Laura Considine ◽  
Amy S. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Global Health Initiatives ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
Power Trust ◽  
Trust And Power ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes ◽  
Exercise Of Discretion ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Trust between actors is vital to delivering positive health outcomes, while relationships of power determine health agendas, whose voices are heard and who benefits from global health initiatives. However, the relationship between trust and power has been neglected in the literatures on both international politics and global health. We examine this relationship through a study of relations between faith based organisations (FBO) and donors in Malawi and Zambia, drawing on 66 key informant interviews with actors central to delivering health care. From these two cases we develop an understanding of ‘trust as belonging’, which we define as the exercise of discretion accompanied by the expression of shared identities. Trust as belonging interacts with power in what we term the ‘power-trust cycle’, in which various forms of power undergird trust, and trust augments these forms of power. The power-trust cycle has a critical bearing on global health outcomes, affecting the space within which both local and international actors jockey to influence the ideologies that underpin global health, and the distribution of crucial resources. We illustrate how the power-trust cycle can work in both positive and negative ways to affect possible cooperation, with significant implications for collective responses to global health challenges.

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