scholarly journals The impact of Covid-19 on access to psychological services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Purrington ◽  
Nigel Beail

Purpose The novel coronavirus and associated mitigation efforts have produced barriers to accessing services for adults with intellectual disabilities. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on access to psychological services. The paper evaluates monthly referral rates and psychological distress scores for service users awaiting therapy. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative service evaluation was completed in a psychology service based in the North of England which specialises in supporting adults with intellectual disabilities. A single case experimental design was used to examine the impact of events in March 2020 on referral rates. Descriptive statistics and effect size calculations were used to examine the impact of prolonged waiting times on psychological distress scores. Findings Referral rates were examined comparing a 5-year rolling average monthly referral rate for the 12 months prior to March 2020 with the 12 months following. Findings demonstrate that events starting in March 2020 have had a considerable impact on referral rates and rates have not recovered. Eight service users were contacted to determine the impact of prolonged waiting times with results demonstrating increases in psychological distress of large effect size. Originality/value This is the only paper the authors are aware of examining the impact of the coronavirus on access to services and psychological distress for adults with intellectual disabilities. It is hoped that these findings will be able to inform both policy and practice as services continue to navigate the pandemic.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 169-179
Author(s):  
Sarah Cameron ◽  
James Swanton ◽  
Dave Dagnan

Purpose This study aims to explore the applicability of Bordin’s model of therapeutic alliance in talking therapies for people with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach People with intellectual disabilities and therapists in six therapy dyads were interviewed using a qualitative methodology. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to explore how people with learning disabilities constructed the dimensions of therapeutic alliance. Content analysis was then used to focus on therapy bond, therapy tasks and goals to explore the agreement on these dimensions between the therapist and client. Findings People with intellectual disabilities reported their experience of therapy in a way that initially validates the alliance dimensions of Bordin’s model. There was clear overlap within most dyads in the description of the characteristics of the bond, the tasks undertaken and the goals of therapy. Some therapists described additional goals based on their therapeutic model that were not clearly described by the client working with them. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by only including six therapy dyads; however, the results suggest further research on the impact of therapy alliance and how goals and tasks are agreed would be valuable. Originality/value Very few studies have explicitly examined the client’s view of therapy alliance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Hu

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of an integration programme on service users from users’ own perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Multi-method approach was used. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis were employed to uncover and examine service users’ views of the impact of the integration programme. Findings – An improvement in the physical functioning of one in three occupational equipment users; a rise in the level of satisfaction of 85 per cent of occupational health and 82 per cent of physiotherapy users; older people with complex problems and high-level needs were able to be helped to live at home; and waiting times for both assessment and for services within two weeks and four weeks were below the national achievement and ministerial targets. The impact of the integration programme on users was complex. Positive outcomes were achieved for some user groups and individuals but not for others. A lack of change outcomes in social care, and service users’ low level of satisfaction with social care services appears to be associated with the impact of agency work and the predominant aim in social work of achieving maintenance and prevention outcomes. Originality/value – This paper contributes to knowledge on what and how the total integration in Cambridgeshire has benefited users.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Louise Bester ◽  
Anne McGlade ◽  
Eithne Darragh

Purpose “Co-production” is a process in health and social care wherein service users and practitioners work in partnership. Recovery colleges (RCs) are educational establishments offering mental health education; a cornerstone feature is that courses are designed and delivered in parity by both mental health practitioners and “peers” – people with lived experience of mental illness. This paper aims to consider, through the identification of key themes, whether co-production within RCs is operating successfully. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a systematic review of qualitative literature. Relevant concept groups were systematically searched using three bibliographic databases: Medline, Social Care Online and Scopus. Articles were quality appraised and then synthesised through inductive thematic analysis and emergent trends identified. Findings Synthesis identified three key themes relating to the impact of co-production in RCs: practitioner attitudes, power dynamics between practitioners and service users, and RCs’ relationships with their host organisations. As a result of RC engagement, traditional practitioner/patient hierarchies were found to be eroding. Practitioners felt they were more person-centred. RCs can model good co-productive practices to their host organisations. The review concluded, with some caveats, that RC co-production was of high fidelity. Originality/value RC research is growing, but the body of evidence remains relatively small. Most of what exists examine the impact of RCs on individuals’ overall recovery and mental health; there is a limited empirical investigation into whether their flagship feature of parity between peers and practitioners is genuine.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duygu Akçay ◽  
Nuray Barış

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of interventions focused on reducing screen time in children. Design/methodology/approach Studies that aim to investigate the effects of interventions aimed at reducing the time spent in front of the screen (i.e. screen time). A Random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled standard mean differences. The outcome was to evaluate the screen time in children in the 0–18 age range. A subgroup analysis was performed to reveal the extent to which the overall effect size varied by subgroups (participant age, duration of intervention and follow). Findings For the outcome, the meta-analysis included 21 studies, and the standard difference in mean change in screen time in the intervention group compared with the control group was −0.16 (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.21 to −0.12) (p < 0.001). The effect size was found to be higher in long-term (=7 months) interventions and follow-ups (p < 0.05). Originality/value Subgroup analysis showed that a significant effect of screen time reduction was observed in studies in which the duration of intervention and follow-up was =7 months. As the evidence base grows, future researchers can contribute to these findings by conducting a more comprehensive analysis of effect modifiers and optimizing interventions to reduce screen time.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloe Crompton ◽  
Bethany Duncan ◽  
Graham Simpson-Adkins

Purpose This paper aims to systematically review the available evidence that explores adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in people with intellectual disabilities (PwID). It is important to systematically review this literature as, to date, there is little known about the number of studies in this area, despite the World Health Organization declaring ACE prevention and support as a global public health priority. Design/methodology/approach Published studies were identified from electronic database searches. Key journals and reference lists were also hand searched. Findings Two studies met the inclusion criteria and the prevalence and frequency of ACEs experienced by participants of these studies analysed. Overall, due to the small number of studies meeting the inclusion criteria, it is difficult to establish any meaningful conclusions. Originality/value This appears to be the first systematic review to try and identify a research base looking at the prevalence of ACEs within a PwID population. Findings suggest that this is a highly neglected area of research, and the authors hope to have identified that further evidence is required to draw clearer conclusions about the impact of ACEs on PwID.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Simó-Pinatella ◽  
Marisa Carvalho

Purpose School-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS) is a proactive behavioural support system that fosters behaviour change in individuals in a school setting. This article aims to present a case example of teaching and reinforcing behavioural expectations in a special school. Design/methodology/approach This case study reflects different steps and materials used before and during the intervention in a special education school with 61 secondary students with intellectual disabilities. An AB design (A – baseline; B – intervention) was used to collect and analyze data. Findings Results suggest that teaching behavioural expectations as a universal measure may be feasible and positively impact school climate. Suggestions and recommendations for implementing SWPBS within a school are provided. Originality/value This case study provides a step-by-step guide illustrating the process of teaching and reinforcing behavioural playground expectations to young adults with intellectual disabilities attending a special school.


2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph S. Guarisco ◽  
Stefoni A. Bavin

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a case study testing the Primary Provider Theory proposed by Aragon that states that: disproportionate to any other variables, patient satisfaction is distinctly and primarily linked to physician behaviors and secondarily to waiting times.Design/methodology/approachThe case study began by creating incentives motivating physicians to reflect and improve behaviors (patient interactions) and practice patterns (workflow efficiency). The Press Ganey Emergency Department Survey was then utilized to track the impact of the incentive programs and to ascertain any relationship between patient satisfaction with the provider and global patient satisfaction with emergency department visits by measuring patient satisfaction over an eight quarter period.FindingsThe findings were two‐fold: firstly, the concept of “pay for performance” as a tool for physician motivation was valid; and secondly, the impact on global patient satisfaction by increases in patient satisfaction with the primary provider was significant and highly correlated, as proposed by Aragon.Practical implicationsThese findings can encourage hospitals and physician groups to place a high value on the performance of primary providers of patient care, provide incentives for appropriate provider behaviors through “pay for performance” programs and promote physician understanding of the links between global patient satisfaction with physician behaviors and business growth, malpractice reduction, and other key measures of business success.Originality/valueThere are no other case studies prior to this project validating the Primary Provider Theory in an urban medical center; this project adds to the validity and credibility of the theory in this setting.


2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 689-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rodwell ◽  
Julia Ellershaw ◽  
Rebecca Flower

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of three components of the psychological contract (i.e. obligations, fulfillment and breach) and the individual characteristic negative affectivity (NA) onto three key outcomes, namely, job satisfaction, organizational identification and psychological distress. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were completed by 222 Australian nurses and midwives from a medium-sized metropolitan Australian hospital. The response rate for the study was 39 percent. Findings – Structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of psychological contract fulfillment were positively linked to organizational identification and job satisfaction, while psychological contract breach was negatively linked to these outcomes. NA was negatively linked to job satisfaction and positively linked to psychological distress. Psychological contract obligations were not associated with any of the employee outcomes. Research limitations/implications – Psychological contract fulfillment is an important driver of employee satisfaction and organizational identification and the findings highlight the importance of including NA in psychological contract research. The occupation and context, being in-demand employees, appeared to neutralize the impact of one dimension of the psychological contract, employer promises and obligations. Practical implications – Explicitly managing employees’ psychological contracts by focussing on fulfilling realistic promises will enable managers to improve employee outcomes and facilitate employees embracing their organization. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to explore all three components of the psychological contract. These results may assist in the development of strategies to retain in-demand employees such as nurses, particularly highlighting the need to make and fulfill realistic promises.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Morris ◽  
Victoria Knight

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to set out an approach to innovation in criminal justice settings that gives service users a “voice” through the co-production of digital content designed for services that promote desistance. The authors describe the benefits and challenges of involving service users in co-creating mediated digital content within a co-production framework.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a new methodology for developing desistance-oriented programmes. The authors draw on a distinctive co-production exemplar within a prison setting that captures the perspectives of people who have shared their voices and the authors begin to explore the impact that co-production has had for them and for the service.FindingsThe testimonies of service users involved in this exemplar provide insights into the benefits and challenges of co-production in the criminal justice system more broadly.Practical implicationsCo-production is a credible service design strategy for developing digital services in prisons and probation; Complementary Digital Media (CDM) provides a promising pedagogical approach to promoting desistance; CDM enables service users to share their voice and stories to assist their peers. Digitally enabled courses to promote desistance can be well suited to peer support delivery models.Originality/valueCDM is a novel approach that uses co-production to create highly tailored content to promote desistance in discrete target groups. CDM can be used to digitalise processes within traditional offending behaviour programmes (OBPs). It can also enable the development of innovative toolkit approaches for flexible use within day-to-day therapeutic conversations between service users and criminal justice staff or peer supporters. CDM thereby offers practitioners in criminal justice settings an entirely new set of evidence-informed resources to engage service users.


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