Challenges of measuring the influence of the Recovery Academy upon health professionals: considerations for quantitative research

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-155
Author(s):  
Rebecca Sutton ◽  
Paul French
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Student Population ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Attitudinal Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Measuring Change ◽  
Conducting Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon experiences of measuring the influences of the Recovery Academy within Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust amongst a student population of health professionals. This paper aims to present considerations for future quantitative research surrounding the efficacy of Recovery Colleges such as the Recovery Academy. Design/methodology/approach This paper utilised baseline data collected from health professionals as part of a quantitative evaluation of the Recovery Academy. The paper discusses challenges experienced in measuring change amongst this student population within GMMH. Findings Health professionals reported positive attitudes towards recovery at baseline presenting challenges in measuring attitudinal change associated with the Recovery Academy. The experiences of conducting research amongst health professionals within GMMH offers insights into the selection and use of self-report measures in Recovery College research; the representativeness of health professional student populations; and models of course attendance within Recovery Colleges. Originality/value The existing literature specific to Recovery College influences upon health professionals remains predominantly qualitative and anecdotal. It is important to gather empirical evidence regarding Recovery Colleges to establish their ability to re-orientate health professionals around principles of recovery. This paper therefore offers considerations for future researchers aiming to gather empirical evidence which may facilitate quantitative evaluations of Recovery Colleges such as the Recovery Academy amongst staff populations.

Leaving Lake Wobegon: firearm-related education and training for medical and mental health professionals is an essential competence

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianni Pirelli ◽  
Liza Gold
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Gun Violence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Average Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Training

Purpose Firearm-involved violence and suicide in the USA, often collectively referred to as “gun violence,” has been labeled a public health problem and an epidemic, and even an endemic by some. Many lawmakers, community groups, mainstream media outlets and professional organizations regularly address gun-related issues and frequently associate firearm violence with mental health. As a result, these groups often set forth positions, engage in discussions and promote policies that are at least partially based on the widely held but incorrect assumption that medical and mental health professionals are either inherently equipped or professionally trained to intervene with their patients and reduce gun deaths. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Furthermore, notable proportions of medical and mental health professionals self-report a level of comfort engaging in firearm-specific interventions that is often disproportionate to their actual education and training in the area. This type of overconfidence bias has been referred to as the Lake Wobegon Effect, illusory superiority, the above average effect, the better-than average effect or the false uniqueness bias. While medical and mental health professionals need to serve on the front line of firearm-involved violence and suicide prevention initiatives, the vast majority have not actually received systematic, formal training on firearm-specific issues. Findings Therefore, many lack the professional and cultural competence to meet current and potential future in regard to addressing gun violence. In this paper, the authors discuss empirical studies that illustrate this reality and a novel model (i.e. the Know, Ask, Do framework) that medical and mental health professionals can use when firearm-related issues arise. In addition, the authors set forth considerations for clinicians to develop and maintain their professional and cultural competence related to firearms and firearm-related subcultures. Originality/value This paper provides empirical and conceptual support for medical and mental health programs to develop formal education and training related to guns, gun safety and gun culture. A framework is provided that can also assist medical and mental health professionals to develop and maintain their own professional and cultural competence.

Capitalizing on women’s entrepreneurial alertness

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-272
Author(s):  
Héctor Montiel-Campos
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Job Complexity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Alertness ◽  
Established Firms ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how human, social and psychological capital influences women’s entrepreneurial alertness and discover if these influences are moderated by job complexity. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative research study using a purposive sampling method where data are gathered from a self-report survey. The hypotheses are tested using a sample of 274 female middle managers using a hierarchical moderated regression analysis. Findings The results support that women’s human and psychological capital are positively related to each dimension of their entrepreneurial alertness, and that these relationships are moderated by job complexity. Results also indicate that women’s social capital is not related to their entrepreneurial alertness. Research limitations/implications The most important limitation of this study is that it only considers women who work as middle managers in established firms without considering the specific responsibilities or duties that influence their entrepreneurial alertness and thus generalizability for other contexts may be limited. Practical implications The results show that entrepreneurial alertness represents a capability that can be learned and improved and may offer guidance to aspiring women middle managers in how to mindfully discover opportunities with business potential. Originality/value This study adds new empirical evidence that contributes to a better understanding of how women, within the context of established firms, enhance the occurrence of entrepreneurial behavior by being alert to entrepreneurial opportunities.

Utilization of YouTube as an information resource to support university courses

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Almobarraz
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Resource ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Video Sharing ◽  
University Courses ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Social Media Tools

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions, attitudes and experiences of undergraduate students related to the use of YouTube as an information resource to support their learning. The use of YouTube by professors for course activities is also examined. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research design based on a survey method was used by using a questionnaire tool. The collected data were analyzed using frequency and simple percentage. The sample comprises undergraduate students from the College of Computer and Information. Findings The general results reveal that the use of YouTube in the classroom influences student engagement. Students’ understanding of the importance of YouTube was determined in this study. However, professors do not seem to have positive attitudes towards incorporating YouTube into course activities. Originality/value The application of social media tools in Saudi Arabia is unclear because of the lack of studies that focus on the use of video-sharing websites by university students. This paper is the first of its kind conducted to explore the use of YouTube in the academic environment as an information resource to support university courses.

Cost and time performance analysis of progressive design-build projects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Adamtey
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Cost Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Performance ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Design Build ◽  
The Cost

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate and determine the time and cost performance of progressive design-build (PDB) projects compared with that of design-build (DB) projects. The objective is to provide empirical evidence on the performance of PDB delivery method. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was used by analyzing time and cost data collected on 75 PDB and 92 DB projects from the database of Design-Build Institute of America. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine statistical difference in time and cost performance between PDB and DB. Findings PDB projects have a comparatively better time performance than cost performance. When compared with DB projects, there was a statistically significant difference in time overrun with PDB performing better than DB (0.41 vs 8.0%). Additionally, about 80% of PDB projects had shorter or as scheduled duration compared to 74% for DB. There was no statistically significant difference of cost performance between PDB and DB. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is the sample size of 72 PDB projects. It is recommended that further research should be conducted using a larger sample size to confirm the findings of this study. Practical implications PDB will be more beneficial for projects with sensitive deadlines. For an owner deciding between PDB and DB, the advantage of using PDB is in its time performance, which may lead to the project being completed on or ahead of time. As such, PDB can serve as another “tool in the toolbox” for owners to help in reducing construction delays. Originality/value This paper is the first attempt to provide an empirical evidence of the cost and time performance of PDB based on analyzing multiple projects. Owners will be better informed when selecting PDB for their projects.

Spreading joy: examining the effects of smiling models on consumer joy and attitudes

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 459-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Berg ◽  
Magnus Söderlund ◽  
Annika Lindström
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expression ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Emotional Contagion ◽  
Consumer Response ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Packaging Design ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Positive Attitudes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer response to pictures of smiling models in marketing, focusing on the roles of emotional contagion from the smiling models and the perceived typicality of marketing with smiling models. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports the findings from three experimental studies, comparing consumer response to two versions of an advertisement (Study 1) and a packaging design (Study 2 and 3), including either a picture of a smiling or a non-smiling model. To measure consumer response, a combination of self-report questionnaires and eye-tracking methodology was used. Findings – The pictures of smiling models produced more consumer joy and more positive attitudes for the marketing. The positive effects on attitudes were mediated by consumer joy, and the effects on consumer joy were mediated by the perceived typicality of the marketing with smiling models. Originality/value – Despite the ubiquity of photos of smiling faces in marketing, very few studies have isolated the effects of the smile appeal on consumer response to marketing objects. By comparing marketing where the same model is shown smiling or with a neutral facial expression, the positive effects were isolated. The roles of emotional contagion and perceived typicality in this mechanism were also examined and implications of the findings for research and practitioners are discussed.

Facing a Patient Who Seeks Help After a Suicide Attempt

Crisis ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Areal Rothes ◽  
Margarida Rangel Henriques ◽  
Joana Barreiros Leal ◽  
Marina Serra Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Suicidal Patient ◽  
Emotional Difficulties ◽  
Specific Training ◽  
Patient Suicide ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Professional Characteristics ◽  
Suicidal Patients

Background: Although intervention with suicidal patients is one of the hardest tasks in clinical practice, little is known about health professionals’ perceptions about the difficulties of working with suicidal patients. Aims: The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the difficulties of professionals facing a suicidal patient; (2) analyze the differences in difficulties according to the sociodemographic and professional characteristics of the health professionals; and (3) identify the health professionals’ perceived skills and thoughts on the need for training in suicide. Method: A self-report questionnaire developed for this purpose was filled out by 196 health professionals. Exploratory principal components analyses were used. Results: Four factors were found: technical difficulties; emotional difficulties; relational and communicational difficulties; and family-approaching and logistic difficulties. Differences were found between professionals who had or did not have training in suicide, between professional groups, and between the number of patient suicide attempts. Sixty percent of the participants reported a personal need for training and 85% thought it was fundamental to implement training plans targeted at health professionals. Conclusion: Specific training is fundamental. Experiential and active methodologies should be used and technical, relational, and emotional questions must be included in the training syllabus.

Ethical Issues Relevant to the Assessment of Suicide Risk in Nonclinical Research Settings

Crisis ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn M. Wilson ◽  
Bruce K. Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Current Paper ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Genetic Features ◽  
Conducting Research

Background: Our laboratory recently confronted this issue while conducting research with undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo (UW). Although our main objective was to examine cognitive and genetic features of individuals with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), the study protocol also entailed the completion of various self-report measures to identify participants deemed at increased risk for suicide. Aims and Methods: This paper seeks to review and discuss the relevant ethical guidelines and legislation that bear upon a psychologist’s obligation to further assess and intervene when research participants reveal that they are at increased risk for suicide. Results and Conclusions: In the current paper we argue that psychologists are ethically impelled to assess and appropriately intervene in cases of suicide risk, even when such risk is revealed within a research context. We also discuss how any such obligation may potentially be modulated by the research participant’s expectations of the role of a psychologist, within such a context. Although the focus of the current paper is on the ethical obligations of psychologists, specifically those practicing within Canada, the relevance of this paper extends to all regulated health professionals conducting research in nonclinical settings.

Political Science Research in the Middle East and North Africa

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Personal Accounts

Based on personal accounts of their experiences conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the contributors to this volume share the real-life obstacles they have encountered in applying research methods in practice and the possible solutions to overcome them. The volume is an important companion book to more standard methods books, which focus on the “how to” of methods but are often devoid of any real discussion of the practicalities, challenges, and common mistakes of fieldwork. The volume is divided into three parts, highlighting the challenges of (1) specific contexts, including conducting research in areas of violence; (2) a range of research methods, including interviewing, process-tracing, ethnography, experimental research, and the use of online media; and (3) the ethics of field research. In sharing their lessons learned, the contributors raise issues of concern to both junior and experienced researchers, particularly those of the Global South but also to those researching the Global North.

Now they’re listening: involvement in clinical psychology training

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
Laura Lea ◽  
Sue Holttum ◽  
Victoria Butters ◽  
Diana Byrne ◽  
Helen Cable ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Psychology ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Service User ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Psychology Training ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Clinical Psychology Training ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe 2014/2015 UK requirement for involvement of service users and carers in training mental health professionals has prompted the authors to review the work of involvement in clinical psychology training in the university programme. Have the voices of service users and carers been heard? The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe authors update the paper of 2011 in which the authors described the challenges of inclusion and the specific approaches the authors take to involvement. The authors do this in the context of the recent change to UK standards for service user and carer involvement, and recent developments in relation to partnership working and co-production in mental healthcare. The authors describe the work carried out by the authors – members of a service user involvement group at a UK university – to ensure the voices of people affected by mental health difficulties are included in all aspects of training.FindingsCareful work and the need for dedicated time is required to enable inclusive, effective and comprehensive participation in a mental health training programme. It is apparent that there is a group of service users whose voice is less heard: those who are training to be mental health workers.Social implicationsFor some people, involvement has increased. Trainee mental health professionals’ own experience of distress may need more recognition and valuing.Originality/valueThe authors are in a unique position to review a service-user-led project, which has run for 12 years, whose aim has been to embed involvement in training. The authors can identify both achievements and challenges.

scholarly journals Levels of research evidence in health policy assessment in Malawi

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-250
Author(s):  
Patrick Mapulanga ◽  
Jaya Raju ◽  
Thomas Matingwina
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Systems

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine levels of health research evidence in health policies in Malawi. Design/methodology/approach The study selected a typology of health policies in Malawi from 2002 to 2017. The study adopted the SPIRIT conceptual framework and assessed the levels of research evidence in health policy, systems and services research using the revised SAGE policy assessment tool. Documentary analysis was used to assess levels of health research evidence in health policies in Malawi. Findings In 29 (96.7 per cent) of the health policies, policy formulators including healthcare directors and managers used generic search engines such as Google or Google Scholar to look for heath research evidence. In 28 (93.3 per cent) of the health policies, they searched for grey literature and other government documents. In only 6 (20 per cent) of the heath policy documents, they used academic literature in a form of journal articles and randomised controlled trials. No systematic reviews or policy briefs were consulted. Overall, in 23 (76.7 per cent) of the health policy documents, health research evidence played a minimal role and had very little influence on the policy documents or decision-making. Research limitations/implications The empirical evidence in the health policy documents are limited because of insufficient research citation, low retrievability of health research evidence in the policy documents and biased selectivity of what constitutes health research evidence. Practical implications The study indicates that unfiltered information (data from policy evaluations and registries) constitutes majority of the research evidence in health policies both in health policy, systems and services research. The study seeks to advocate for the use of filtered information (peer reviewed, clinical trials and data from systematic reviews) in formulating health policies. Originality/value There is dearth of literature on the levels of health research evidence in health policy-making both in health policy, systems and services research. This study seeks to bridge the gap with empirical evidence from a developing country perspective.

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