Working in the “Villas” of Buenos Aires: Cultural Considerations

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Hanrahan
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Mental Skills ◽  
Cultural Considerations ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Self Worth

People who live in the villas (i.e., slums) of Buenos Aires are confronted with poverty, poor and dangerous living conditions, and discrimination. Ten weeks were spent in the villas delivering a program designed to enhance life satisfaction and self-worth through games and the development of mental skills. The purpose of this paper is not to report on the content or the effectiveness of the program, but rather to explore the variables within Argentina and the villas as well as my own cultural biases that may have influenced the delivery of a psychological intervention program. Argentine factors include a high prevalence of psychologists and a psychoanalytic focus. Characteristics of the villas include environmental factors (e.g., transportation issues, sanitation), logistical issues (e.g., venues, access to writing implements), and psychological matters (e.g., hopelessness, different perceptions of confidence). Practitioner concerns included limited familiarity with life in the villas and having values that might be different from those of the participants. The discussion includes recommendations for others who are considering working in similar cultural and contextual situations.

scholarly journals Using Mindfulness to Reduce Anxiety and Depression of Patients With Fever Undergoing Screening in an Isolation Ward During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuping Liu ◽  
Sizhu Huyang ◽  
Haihong Tan ◽  
Yubiao He ◽  
Jin Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Lunch Break ◽  
Mindfulness Interventions ◽  
Isolation Ward ◽  
Life Satisfaction Score

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread globally. This infectious disease affects people not only physically but also psychologically. Therefore, an effective psychological intervention program needs to be developed to improve the psychological condition of patients screened for fever during this period. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a brief mindfulness intervention on patients with suspected fever in a screening isolation ward awaiting results of the COVID-19 test. The Faces Scale and the Emotional Thermometer Tool were used to investigate 51 patients who were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. All patients completed self-rating questionnaires online at the time they entered the isolation ward and before they were informed of the results. The intervention group listened to the mindfulness audios through hospital broadcasts in the isolation ward before their lunch break and while they slept. Compared with the control group, the intervention group’s life satisfaction score increased (F = 4.02, p = 0.051) and the emotional thermometer score decreased (F = 8.89, p = 0.005). The anxiety scores (F = 9.63, p = 0.003) and the needing help scores decreased significantly (F = 4.95, p = 0.031). Distress (F = 1.41, p = 0.241), depression (F = 1.93, p = 0.171), and anger (F = 3.14, p = 0.083) also decreased, but did not reach significance. Brief mindfulness interventions can alleviate negative emotions and improve the life satisfaction of patients in the isolation ward who were screened for COVID-19 during the waiting period.

Associations between environmental factors, living conditions and mental health in Dhaka, Bangladesh

2010 ◽  
Vol 72 (08/09) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Penner ◽  
F Alaze ◽  
E Berens ◽  
A Ruhe ◽  
L Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Living Conditions

The Efficacy and Mechanism of Positive Psychological Intervention on Well-Being for Colostomy Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfei Jin ◽  
Yuqing Wang ◽  
Hongwen Ma ◽  
Xu Tian ◽  
Wang Honghong
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Standard Care ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Positive Psychological Intervention

Abstract Aims To evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of positive psychological intervention (PPI) on the psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction among colostomy patients. Methods Patients (n=120) with permanent stomas were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups. Patients in the experimental group (n=60) received standard care and PPI, whereas patients in the control group (n=60) only received standard care. The psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction were measured and compared between two groups before the intervention, the immediate post-intervention, and follow-up. Results All 120 patients completed the study. The hope, optimism, resilience, psychological distress, and life satisfaction score of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at T1 and T2 (P<0.05). Self-efficacy score of the experimental group had no significant difference at the two-time points after the intervention than the control group (P>0.05). Changes in hope and resilience which belong to psychological capital mediated the intervention’s efficacy on changes in PPI on life satisfaction (β = 0.265, P=0.005; β = 0.686, P=0.002). Conclusions PPI could effectively improve psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction among patients with stomas. Besides, our findings add novel support that increased hope and resilience are the active ingredients that promote intervention change.

SOMATOTYPOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
E. Krukovich ◽  
N. Tumanova ◽  
G. Bondar
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Physical Development ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Present Stage ◽  
Hereditary Factors

Physical development (RF) is one of the main indicators of health status, largely due to hereditary factors, depends on the living conditions and upbringing, social and environmental factors [1,2,3,4]. This is especially important for children and adolescents in the process of growth and development. At the present stage of scientific research of RF in pediatrics, there is a transition from the analysis of average RF indicators to a personalized assessment [5,6].

Protocol for the Development and Rapid-Response Deployment of Pandemic Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment Response (PACER) Training (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Fung ◽  
Jenny JW Liu ◽  
Mandana Vahabi ◽  
Alan Tai-Wai Li ◽  
Mateusz Zurowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intervention Program ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Ace Model ◽  
Chinese Canadian ◽  
Collective Empowerment

BACKGROUND During a global pandemic, it is critical to rapidly deploy a psychological intervention to support the mental health and resilience of highly affected individuals and communities. OBJECTIVE This is the impetus behind the development and implementation of the Pandemic Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment Response (PACER) Training, an online blended-skills building intervention to increase the resilience and wellbeing of participants while promoting their individual and collective empowerment and capacity-building. METHODS Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and social justice-based Group Empowerment Psychoeducation (GEP), we developed the Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment (ACE) model to enhance psychological resilience and collective empowerment. PACER program consists of six online interactive self-guided modules complemented by six weekly 90 minutes facilitator-led video-conference group sessions. RESULTS As of August 2021, a total of 325 participants have enrolled in the PACER program. Participants include frontline healthcare providers and Chinese Canadian community members. CONCLUSIONS The PACER program is an innovative intervention program with the potential for increasing psychological resilience and collective empowerment while reducing mental distress during the pandemic.

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