The theatre as therapy for military veterans? Exploring the mechanisms which impact psychosocial well-being and social connections during theatre-based programmes

ABSTRACT Objective: The British Columbia Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) provides low-income households with coupons valued at $21/week for 16 weeks to purchase healthy foods in farmers’ markets. Our objective was to explore FMNCP participants’ experiences of accessing nutritious foods, and perceived program outcomes. Design: This study used qualitative description methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with FMNCP participants during the 2019 farmers’ market season. Directed content analysis was used to analyse the data whereby the five domains of Freedman et al’s framework of nutritious food access provided the basis for an initial coding scheme. Data that did not fit within the framework’s domains were coded inductively. Setting: One urban and two rural communities in British Columbia, Canada. Participants: 28 adults who were participating in the FMNCP. Results: Three themes emerged: Autonomy and Dignity; Social Connections and Community Building; and Environmental and Programmatic Constraints. Firstly, the program promoted a sense of autonomy and dignity through financial support, increased access to high-quality produce, food-related education and skill development, and mitigating stigma and shame. Secondly, shopping in farmers’ markets increased social connections and fostered a sense of community. Finally, participants experienced limited food variety in rural farmers’ markets, lack of transportation, and challenges with redeeming coupons. Conclusions: Participation in the FMNCP facilitated access to nutritious foods and enhanced participants’ diet quality, well-being and health. Strategies such as increasing the amount and duration of subsidies, and expanding programs may help improve participants’ experiences and outcomes of farmers’ market food subsidy programs.

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Positive Subjective Health of Older Homeless and Older Irish Travelers: a Participant-Led Approach

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.353 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 107-107

Author(s):

Bridin Carroll ◽

Kieran Walsh

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Life Course ◽

Community Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Health ◽

Social Connections ◽

Structural Determinants ◽

Care Models ◽

Nuanced Understanding ◽

Positive Ageing

Abstract Older people experiencing homelessness and older Irish Travellers (OTOH) are both over-represented in the cohort who use acute health services. Impending health care reform in Ireland will be based on primary care models, meaning home and community care will be, for the first time, underpinned by a regulatory framework. For these reasons, this study aims to gain a nuanced understanding of how OTOH, as marginalised older people, might be best served by new home care and community care models. Using a qualitative, voice-led approach, a life course and structural determinants lens is employed to probe the health conditions, experiences and expectations of OTOH, as well as their perceptions and values around the concept of ‘home’. The research processes and outcomes of one of five phases of research are presented in this paper: participant-led research. In this phase, five OTOH were trained and assisted to complete a short research project which fed into the goals of the wider study. Emergent findings suggest that social connections underpin health and well-being for OTOH, throughout the life course, and presently. This was also seen as a fundamental element for healthy and positive ageing. In addition, ‘home’ was defined with reference to the presence (or absence) of familial or other social connections. This study represents an important contribution to scholarship on old age social exclusion. It is entirely novel in its approach to focusing on OTOH health and wellbeing. The outputs of this study also have important implications for upcoming health reform policies in Ireland.

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The Embodiment of Insult: A Theory of Biobehavioral Response to Workplace Incivility

Journal of Management ◽

10.1177/0149206321989798 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014920632198979

Author(s):

Lilia M. Cortina ◽

M. Sandy Hershcovis ◽

Kathryn B. H. Clancy

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Responses ◽

Well Being ◽

Workplace Incivility ◽

The Body ◽

Social Connections ◽

The Novel ◽

Target Response ◽

Organizational Life ◽

New Science ◽

Broad Theory

This article builds a broad theory to explain how people respond, both biologically and behaviorally, when targeted with incivility in organizations. Central to our theorizing is a multifaceted framework that yields four quadrants of target response: reciprocation, retreat, relationship repair, and recruitment of support. We advance the novel argument that these behaviors not only stem from biological change within the body but also stimulate such change. Behavioral responses that revolve around affiliation and produce positive social connections are most likely to bring biological benefits. However, social and cultural features of an organization can stand in the way of affiliation, especially for employees holding marginalized identities. When incivility persists over time and employees lack access to the resources needed to recover, we theorize, downstream consequences can include harms to their physical health. Like other aspects of organizational life, this biobehavioral theory of incivility response is anything but simple. But it may help explain how seemingly “small” insults can sometimes have large effects, ultimately undermining workforce well-being. It may also suggest novel sites for incivility intervention, focusing on the relational and inclusive side of work. The overarching goal of this article is to motivate new science on workplace incivility, new knowledge, and ultimately, new solutions.

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Are you listening? Echoing the voices of looked after children about their transition to secondary school

Adoption & Fostering ◽

10.1177/0308575921989826 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 37-55

Author(s):

Yvonne J Francis ◽

Laura Rowland ◽

Sarah Humrich ◽

Sally Taylor

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

School Environment ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Connections ◽

Research Approach ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Vulnerable Children ◽

Looked After Children ◽

Action Research Approach ◽

Childhood Event

Transition to secondary school is a significant childhood event, especially for the most vulnerable children. Many looked after children experience multiple episodes of instability, loss and change which can affect this move. Research shows that school belonging promotes acceptance, inclusion and respect, and impacts positively on school transfer and participation. Asking children for their views on matters that affect them can ease the process and increase their belonging and well-being. This article seeks to echo the voices of 36 children aged 10 to 12 who participated in a therapeutic primary to secondary transition initiative for looked after children. Informed by a participatory action research approach, its focus was to facilitate the child’s voice. Child-friendly, multi-method techniques and activities were used to elicit their views about the transition. Social connections, relationships, feeling safe and belonging within the school environment emerged as key themes. Children specifically highlighted the importance of friendships as a mechanism for supporting their belonging during this time. They also voiced the need for their social connections and belonging to be promoted. This unique intervention provides a framework for facilitating the voices of looked after children and underlines the need for practitioners to listen and understand moves from primary to secondary schools from the child’s perspective.

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Mental Health Outcomes of Peer-led Therapeutic Adventure for Military Veterans

Journal of Experiential Education ◽

10.1177/10538259211049535 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 105382592110495

Author(s):

Joanna Ellen Bettmann ◽

Ileana Anderson ◽

Joe Makouske ◽

Adam Hanley

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Military Veterans ◽

Well Being ◽

Group Model ◽

Health Issues ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Community Based Interventions ◽

Community Based ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Adventure Program

Background: Skepticism of therapy and stigma are significant barriers for veterans with mental health issues. Therapeutic adventure shows promise in addressing veterans’ mental health needs while circumventing the stigma many veterans face in initiating treatment. Purpose: Given the small group model of therapeutic adventure programs, such programs may be ideal to provide social support for veterans and reduce mental health symptomology. The present study investigated: can a brief peer-led therapeutic adventure program modify veterans’ mental health symptoms? Methodology/Approach: The study's sample included 56 participants attending one Sierra Club Military Outdoors trip lasting at least three days and two nights and involving camping. Participants completed study measurements assessing depression, anxiety, stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, substance misuse symptoms, and suicidality at pre-trip, post-trip, one-month post trip, six-months post trip, and 12-months post trip. Six-month and 12-month post-trip data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings/Conclusions: Results indicated significant reduction in mental health symptomology from pre-trip to post-trip, but showed few longer-term changes in mental health symptomology. Implications: The present study's findings are consistent with research suggesting improvements in overall psychological well-being immediately following a nature-based intervention and suggest the need for on-going, community-based interventions to support optimally military veterans’ mental health.

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How the Entertaining Effects of Movies Help People to Reduce Chronic Stress and Increase Happiness

International Journal of Social Science and Humanity ◽

10.18178/ijssh.2021.v11.1048 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 102-105

Author(s):

Zhesheng (Jason) Xu ◽

Keyword(s):

Facial Expressions ◽

Chronic Stress ◽

Well Being ◽

The Body ◽

Entertainment Industry ◽

Social Connections ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Emotional Event ◽

Scientific Experiments

With the increasing stress from work and study that people face today, easy-to-access entertainment to release chronic stress and increase happiness would arouse more popularity. As a traditional entertainment industry, Movie is easy to access by going to the cinema or watching online, which has become an increasingly globalized business. The present research was on how the entertaining effects of movies are associated with psychological well-being. It provides a study on three film types, comedies, tearjerkers, and thrilling movies. Comic movies are usually welcome, which bring people happiness by funny plots. Moreover, many scientific experiments made before verified that people will unconsciously mimic the facial expressions of characters in comedies, which turns out to affect the experience of the same emotion of happiness through the integration between the body and brain. Tearjerkers may bring people tears. However, an experiment made by Gracˇanin, Vingerhoets, Kardum, Šantek,& Šimic´ (2015), provided evidence that after the initial deterioration of mood following crying, it takes some time for the mood, not just to recover, but also to become even less negative than before the emotional event. Per Sapolsky, R.M, scary and thrilling movies generate moderate glucocorticoid elevation, which turns out to trigger the release of dopamine from pleasure pathways and gain a sense of anticipatory pleasure. Besides the above mentioned, there are also general benefits of movies, such as social connections, a distraction from worries, and increased flow. All of those make movies good activities to reduce chronic stress and increase happiness.

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Effects of Perceived Public Regard on the Well-Being of Military Veterans

Society and Mental Health ◽

10.1177/2156869319894372 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 291-304

Author(s):

Fred E. Markowitz ◽

Sara M. Kintzle ◽

Carl A. Castro ◽

Steven L. Lancaster

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Public Attitudes ◽

Military Veterans ◽

Well Being ◽

Public Understanding ◽

Civilian Life ◽

The Relationship ◽

Public Regard

Many military veterans face considerable challenges reintegrating into civilian life. Evidence suggests the general public holds conflicting attitudes toward veterans. This study examines how perceived public attitudes play a role in veterans’ mental health and well-being. Drawing from and extending interactionist theories of self-concept, stigma, and mental health recovery, we develop and estimate models for the relationships between internalized public attitudes toward veterans (perceived public regard), military identity–related self-worth (private regard), and well-being (depression, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction). Using survey data from the Chicagoland Veterans Study, we found that perceived public regard is negatively related to depression and positively related to self-efficacy and life satisfaction. The relationship between public regard and self-efficacy is fully mediated by private regard, and a significant part of the relationship between perceived public regard and both depression and life satisfaction is mediated by private regard. The study suggests avenues for extending theory and research related to military identity and public understanding of veterans as well as other groups where there may be conflicting public sentiment toward them.

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Youth homelessness and housing stability: What outcomes should we be looking for?

Healthcare Management Forum ◽

10.1177/0840470418817333 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 73-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Stephen Gaetz ◽

Ashley Ward ◽

Lauren Kimura

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Performance Indicator ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Connections ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Life Domains ◽

Key Performance Indicator ◽

Youth Homelessness ◽

Housing Stability ◽

Health And Well Being

In North America, the key performance indicator of success in community strategies to address homelessness is whether a homeless person is housed or not. In this article, we argue that for young people experiencing homelessness, we need to advance a broader consideration of outcomes to include a range of well-being indicators designed to understand the needs of developing adolescents and young adults and contribute to housing stability. We articulate that the positive outcomes of young people across life domains that include housing stability as well as their safety and security, health and well-being, social connections to peers, family and meaningful adults, connections to groups/neighbourhoods/communities, interests and recreation and leisure, and school and career/work aspirations and goals must be at the centre of these efforts. The Making the Shift project is designed to test this outcomes framework in order to enhance service and measurement capacity and ultimately improve outcomes for youth.

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