Ultramarathon Runners’ Perceptions of Mental Toughness: A Qualitative Inquiry

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Marie C. Jaeschke ◽  
Michael L. Sachs ◽  
Kristen D. Dieffenbach
Keyword(s):  
Life Experience ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Improve Quality ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Skills Use

Ultramarathon running entails coping with unanticipated environmental circumstances and intense physical and psychological fatigue; a sport in which the role of mental toughness can be crucial. This research focused on semistructured interviews with 12 ultramarathon runners who volunteered to discuss their perceptions of mental toughness. The data allowed researchers to gather a multidimensional view of mental toughness from ultramarathon runners’ experiences and perspective in addition to providing a snapshot of the challenges and demands ultrarunners face, as well as ethical concerns associated with athletes pushing themselves beyond their limits. Central themes included: perseverance/persistence, overcoming adversity, perspective, life experience, psychological skills use, and camaraderie in the ultra community. A deeper understanding of mental toughness obtained from a sample of ultramarathon runners can inform consultants working to improve quality or consistency of performance, and become aware of ethical concerns of encouraging athletes to exceed perceptual or actual limitations.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Inquiry into Nursing Students’ Experience of Facilitating Reflection in Clinical Setting

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Karimi ◽  
Fariba Haghani ◽  
Nikoo Yamani ◽  
Majid Najafi Kalyani
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Nursing Educators ◽  
Reflective Process ◽  
Semistructured Interviews

Background and Aim. Reflection is known as a skill that is central to nursing students’ professional development. Due to the importance and the role of reflection in clinical areas of nursing, it is important to know how to achieve it. However, nursing trainers face the challenge of how to help their students to improve reflection in clinical settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the nursing students’ experiences of facilitating reflection during clinical practice. This qualitative study was conducted by qualitative content analysis approach. Twenty nursing students during the second to eighth semester of their educational program were selected for participation using purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews. The interview was transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. From the data analysis, four main themes were extracted. Motivation to reflect, complex experiences, efficient trainer, and effective relations were four main themes obtained from study that, in interaction with each other, had facilitating roles in students’ reflective process on experiences. The findings revealed that the nursing students’ reflection in clinical settings is effective in personal and professional level. Reflection of nursing students depends on motivational and educational factors and these factors increase the quality of care in patients. Furthermore, nursing educators need to create nurturing climate as well as supporting reflective behaviors of nursing students.

scholarly journals Practical and Ethical Concerns in Implementing Enhanced Surveillance Methods to Improve Continuity of HIV Care: Qualitative Expert Stakeholder Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Buchbinder ◽  
Colleen Blue ◽  
Stuart Rennie ◽  
Eric Juengst ◽  
Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Retention In Hiv Care ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Privacy And Confidentiality ◽  
Living With Hiv

BACKGROUND Retention in HIV care is critical to maintaining viral suppression and preventing further transmission, yet less than 50% of people living with HIV in the United States are engaged in care. All US states have a funding mandate to implement Data-to-Care (D2C) programs, which use surveillance data (eg, laboratory, Medicaid billing) to identify out-of-care HIV-positive persons and relink them to treatment. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe practical and ethical considerations that arise in planning for and implementing D2C. METHODS Via purposive sampling, we recruited 43 expert stakeholders—including ethicists, privacy experts, researchers, public health personnel, HIV medical providers, legal experts, and community advocates—to participate in audio-recorded semistructured interviews to share their perspectives on D2C. Interview transcripts were analyzed across a priori and inductively derived thematic categories. RESULTS Stakeholders reported practical and ethical concerns in seven key domains: permission and consent, government assistance versus overreach, privacy and confidentiality, stigma, HIV exceptionalism, criminalization, and data integrity and sharing. CONCLUSIONS Participants expressed a great deal of support for D2C, yet also stressed the role of public trust and transparency in addressing the practical and ethical concerns they identified. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Practical and Ethical Concerns in Implementing Enhanced Surveillance Methods to Improve Continuity of HIV Care: Qualitative Expert Stakeholder Study

10.2196/19891 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e19891
Author(s):  
Mara Buchbinder ◽  
Colleen Blue ◽  
Stuart Rennie ◽  
Eric Juengst ◽  
Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Retention In Hiv Care ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Privacy And Confidentiality ◽  
Living With Hiv

Background Retention in HIV care is critical to maintaining viral suppression and preventing further transmission, yet less than 50% of people living with HIV in the United States are engaged in care. All US states have a funding mandate to implement Data-to-Care (D2C) programs, which use surveillance data (eg, laboratory, Medicaid billing) to identify out-of-care HIV-positive persons and relink them to treatment. Objective The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe practical and ethical considerations that arise in planning for and implementing D2C. Methods Via purposive sampling, we recruited 43 expert stakeholders—including ethicists, privacy experts, researchers, public health personnel, HIV medical providers, legal experts, and community advocates—to participate in audio-recorded semistructured interviews to share their perspectives on D2C. Interview transcripts were analyzed across a priori and inductively derived thematic categories. Results Stakeholders reported practical and ethical concerns in seven key domains: permission and consent, government assistance versus overreach, privacy and confidentiality, stigma, HIV exceptionalism, criminalization, and data integrity and sharing. Conclusions Participants expressed a great deal of support for D2C, yet also stressed the role of public trust and transparency in addressing the practical and ethical concerns they identified.

scholarly journals Redefining Forro as a marker of identity: Language contact as a driving force for language maintenance among Santomeans in Portugal

Multilingua ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Eve Bouchard
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Language Maintenance ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Speech Community ◽  
Group Code ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Sao Tome And Principe ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Changing Attitudes

AbstractIn São Tomé and Príncipe, the language shift toward Portuguese is resulting in the endangerment of the native creoles of the island. These languages have been considered of low value in Santomean society since the mid-twentieth century. But when Santomeans are members of a diaspora, their perceptions of these languages, especially Forro, change in terms of value and identity-marking. It is possible to observe such changes among the Santomeans who learn Forro when they are abroad, who use it as an in-group code, and start to value it more. In this article, I address the role of language contact in the maintenance and expansion of Forro. I investigate the mechanisms of language maintenance by focusing on the shifts in community members’ attitudes and beliefs regarding their languages, as a result of contact. The changing attitudes and beliefs have led to a redefinition of the role of Forro in the speech community. This qualitative study is based on semistructured interviews conducted on São Tomé Island and in Portugal. Findings suggest that the change in value attributed to Forro by Santomeans as a result of contact contribute to the valorization of the language.

scholarly journals Long COVID and the role of physical activity: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e047632
Author(s):  
Helen Humphreys ◽  
Laura Kilby ◽  
Nik Kudiersky ◽  
Robert Copeland
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

ObjectivesTo explore the lived experience of long COVID with particular focus on the role of physical activity.DesignQualitative study using semistructured interviews.Participants18 people living with long COVID (9 men, 9 women; aged between 18–74 years; 10 white British, 3 white Other, 3 Asian, 1 black, 1 mixed ethnicity) recruited via a UK-based research interest database for people with long COVID.SettingTelephone interviews with 17 participants living in the UK and 1 participant living in the USA.ResultsFour themes were generated. Theme 1 describes how participants struggled with drastically reduced physical function, compounded by the cognitive and psychological effects of long COVID. Theme 2 highlights challenges associated with finding and interpreting advice about physical activity that was appropriately tailored. Theme 3 describes individual approaches to managing symptoms including fatigue and ‘brain fog’ while trying to resume and maintain activities of daily living and other forms of exercise. Theme 4 illustrates the battle with self-concept to accept reduced function (even temporarily) and the fear of permanent reduction in physical and cognitive ability.ConclusionsThis study provides insight into the challenges of managing physical activity alongside the extended symptoms associated with long COVID. Findings highlight the need for greater clarity and tailoring of physical activity-related advice for people with long COVID and improved support to resume activities important to individual well-being.

Color-Neutral Disaggregation? Principals’ Practices Around Disaggregating Data From Three School Districts

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-588
Author(s):  
Rachel Roegman ◽  
Ala Samarapungavan ◽  
Yukiko Maeda ◽  
Gary Johns
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Data Practices ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Disaggregated Data ◽  
Disaggregate Data ◽  
Low Performance ◽  
Role Of The Principal

Purpose: We explored the practices and understandings around using disaggregated data to inform instruction of 18 principals from three Midwestern school districts. Research Method: This qualitative study used one-on-one semistructured interviews with the principals focusing on how they disaggregate data in practice. The protocol included general questions about principals’ data practices as well as specific questions around disaggregation. Initial inductive coding began with principals’ direct responses to specific questions around disaggregation, and then emerging themes were used to analyze the entire transcripts. Findings: Participants were more likely to talk about disaggregation in relation to performance (by teacher, by grade level, etc.) than by subgroup (by race/ethnicity, by gender, etc.). Further analysis highlighted principals’ purposes for disaggregating data that focused on identifying low performance on standards-based assessments, as well as the challenges they faced, particularly in terms of technical skills and software. Implications for Research and Practice: We conclude with a discussion of how disaggregation could support or challenge equity-focused leadership, with implications for policy, practice, and preparation. We consider the role of the principal in identifying inequitable patterns versus focusing on individual students, and different ways that equity can become part of regular leadership practice.

Recently diagnosed gay men talk about HIV treatment decisions

Sexual Health ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Down ◽  
Garrett Prestage ◽  
Kathy Triffitt ◽  
Graham Brown ◽  
Jack Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Early Initiation ◽  
Sense Of Control ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Treatment Results ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Hiv Seroconversion

Background In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) may provide health benefits for those infected with HIV. There has also been significant discussion about the role of HIV treatment in preventing onward transmission of the virus. Early provision and uptake of ART to people recently diagnosed with HIV could achieve both individual and public health outcomes. The success of such an initiative relies, in part, on the preparedness of those recently diagnosed with HIV to engage with the therapy. Methods: The HIV Seroconversion Study collects both quantitative and qualitative data from people in Australia who have recently been diagnosed with HIV. During 2011–2012, 53 gay or bisexual men recruited across Australia took part in semistructured interviews as part of the study. The men were asked about their knowledge and experience of, and their decisions about whether or not to commence, HIV treatment. Results: The interviews identified differing levels of knowledge about HIV treatments and divergent views about the health and prevention benefits of ART. For some, treatments provided a sense of control over the virus; others were apprehensive and distrustful, and preferred to resist commencing treatments for as long as possible. Conclusions: If early initiation of treatment is to be encouraged, appropriate measures must be in place to ensure recently diagnosed individuals have access to the appropriate information and the support they need to enable them to make informed choices and, if necessary, to address their fears.

Exploring novice Indian school counsellors’ experiences collaborating with teachers and administrators

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Aashna Sadana ◽  
Aneesh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
School Climate ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Indian School ◽  
School Counsellors ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Collaboration Strategies

Abstract Previous studies have shown that collaboration between school counsellors and other stakeholders such as teachers and administrators leads to improved outcomes for students and a better school climate. The current qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of novice school counsellors in India regarding collaboration with teachers and administrators. The sample included 11 novice school counsellors working in five different cities who were recruited using purposive sampling. The thematic analysis of the data collected via semistructured interviews revealed six main themes: ‘Counsellors’ perceptions about collaboration’, ‘Collaboration with teachers’, ‘Collaboration with administrators’, ‘Challenges faced during collaboration’, ‘Strategies helpful in collaboration’ and ‘Impact of training’. Implications discussed include the need for school counsellors to advocate for their role, the need for training programs to prepare stakeholders for collaboration, and the need for policies to integrate the role of a school counsellor into schools.

Psychological Skills and Performance Efficacy in Hockey Players: The Mediating Role of Sportsmanship

2021 ◽  
pp. 173-189
Keyword(s):  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Correlational Research ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
And Performance

The current study was designed to find out relationship between psychological skills and performance efficacy and mediating role of sportsmanship in domestic, national and international hockey players. It was a correlational research employing cross sectional research design in which the sample of 261 hockey players was recruited via purposive sampling. The assessment measures included Psychological Skills Scale for Hockey Players and Cricketers (Solomon, Malik & Kausar, 2019), Youth Sports Value Questionnaire-2 (Lee, Whitehead, & Ntoumanis, 2007) and Collective Efficacy for Sports Questionnaire (Short, Sullivan, & Feltz, 2009). Results showed a significant relationship between psychological skills, sportsmanship and performance efficacy in hockey players, however, perceivedpsychologicalsupport was found to be significant positive predictor of sportsmanship and sportsmanship coined as a significant positive predictor of performance efficacy. Furthermore, sportsmanship was found to be significant mediator between perceived psychological support and performance efficacy. This research will work as an empirical proof for Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to conduct psychological skills training for hockey players for the enhancement of their performance efficacy by signifying theimportance of sportsmanship.

Can the recruitment of ex-offenders enhance offender engagement? An assessment of the London Probation Trust’s engagement worker role

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel Hosking ◽  
John Rico
Keyword(s):  
Life Experience ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Mutual Respect ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Probation Service

Research has long established that the most effective strategy for reducing reoffending is to develop collaborative relationships with service users. Practitioners need to exhibit empathy, mutual respect, and an appreciation for the life, perspectives, and needs of service users. However, the balance between trusted confidante, and enforcer is a difficult one to achieve. With this in mind, the London Probation Trust (LPT) developed the role of engagement worker in order to provide practitioners with another resource to be utilised towards their attempts to establish successful working relationships with their service users. The engagement workers are former users of the Probation Service themselves - a life experience that allows them to successfully engage current service users, in a way that practitioners are not always able to do. Furthermore, in addition to supporting individuals to change, the experience of being an engagement worker may contribute to the engagement workers’ own desistance. Following a year of the engagement worker experiment, the project was evaluated by the LPT (now London CRC) research analyst. This chapter asks whether employing ex-offenders in this way can enhance engagement and improve outcomes.

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