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.

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

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Humphreys ◽  
Laura Kilby ◽  
Nik Kudiersky ◽  
Robert Copeland
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Research Interest ◽  
List Type ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
On Line ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo explore the lived experience of Long Covid with particular focus on the role of physical activityDesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviewsParticipants18 people living with Long Covid (9 male, 9 female; aged between 18-74; 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 CovidSettingTelephone interviews with 17 participants living in the UK and 1 participant living in the USResultsFour themes were generated. Theme one highlights the physical and social isolation experienced by people with Long Covid, compounded by a lack of support and advice from medical professionals. Theme two describes how participants sought information and validation through online sources and communities. Theme three captures the challenges associated with managing physical and cognitive effects of Long Covid including fatigue and ‘brain fog’ whilst trying to resume and maintain activities of daily living and other forms of exercise. Theme four 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 consensus around physical activity-related advice for people with Long Covid and improved support to resume activities considered important for wellbeing.Article SummaryStrengths and limitations of this studyTo our knowledge, this paper is the first to explore the role of physical activity in the lived experience of Long Covid using a qualitative approachThe study design enabled in-depth inquiry of lived experiences in a diverse sampleInductive thematic analysis ensured descriptions and interpretations of the lived experience were tested and found to be grounded in the dataParticipants were recruited from members of a Long Covid research interest database who registered via an on-line form, meaning study findings might not capture the views of digitally excluded populationsFunding statementThis work was supported by Sheffield Hallam University.Competing interestsAll authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf and declare: no support from any organization for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

scholarly journals Urban Adolescence: The Role of Neighbourhood Greenspace in Mental Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie A. E. Mueller ◽  
Eirini Flouri
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Urban Adolescents ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Mental Well Being

Mental health and well-being in adolescence are associated with many short- and long-term outcomes. The evidence suggests that greenspace may play a role in adolescents' mental well-being, but we do not know much about the specifics of this link. In this paper, we investigated the role of other factors in the association. In a cross-sectional study, we investigated the role of neighbourhood greenspace in emotional and behavioural outcomes in 11-year-old urban adolescents participating in the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 4,534). We used linear regression models to test for an association of greenspace with self-esteem, happiness, positive mood, negative mood, and antisocial behaviour. We also investigated effect modification/moderation by garden access, physical activity, and perceived area safety. We did not find a main effect of greenspace, but we did find interaction effects. First, in adolescents without a garden, higher levels of greenspace were associated with lower levels of self-esteem and positive mood. Second, in adolescents who reported lower levels of physical activity, higher levels of greenspace were associated with lower levels of negative mood. Third, in adolescents who perceived their areas to be unsafe, higher levels of greenspace were associated with higher levels of antisocial behaviour. Our findings suggest that merely more greenspace in the neighbourhood may not be sufficient to promote the mental well-being of urban adolescents in the UK. However, greenspace does seem to have an influence under certain conditions which should be investigated further in future studies.

Exercise and Depression: Considering Variability and Contextuality

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Faulkner ◽  
Stuart J.H. Biddle
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Adjunctive Treatment ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Barriers To Exercise ◽  
Critical Insight ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into

Research continues to support the consideration of exercise as an adjunctive treatment for depression. Adopting a qualitative approach, the aim of this study was to extend our understanding of the motives and barriers to exercise faced by this clinical population, and to explore the role of physical activity in promoting psychological well-being, in a way that encompasses the variability and contextuality of the lives of individuals. Marking a departure from standard content analyses reported in the literature, instrumental case studies are developed that offer a different format for representing qualitative data. Given its longitudinal nature, this study demonstrates the fundamental importance of considering the wider context of participants’ lives in order to understand the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being. This association is likely to be complex and highly idiosyncratic. Such an understanding may inform a more critical insight into the potential of exercise as an antidepressant in terms of process and effectiveness.

Physician associate: new role within mental health teams

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-88
Author(s):  
Kaybinder Gill ◽  
Sabina Kauser ◽  
Kalsum Khattack ◽  
Fiona Hynes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Medical Team ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the role of a new healthcare professional, the physician associate (PA), within the developing National Health Service (NHS), particularly within the specialty of psychiatry. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed the available literature from the UK and the USA on the history and development of PAs, particularly within the UK. The paper focuses on PA training and the role of the PA, specialities in which PAs are employed in the UK and an insight into the role of PAs within psychiatry. This paper also drew upon research and viewpoints of the effectiveness and benefits of employing a PA, along with current misconceptions and limitations of the role. Findings – The initial influx of PAs into the NHS at a time of medical staffing crisis was found to be effective and successful in improving service provision and helping provide continuity of care for patients. Where PAs have been employed they have helped to relieve some of the strain by being a consistent member of the medical team and performing many of the duties of junior doctors. However they are still unable to prescribe and order radiological investigations, but this will come in time as the PA profession push for statutory registration. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first in the UK that gives an overview of the key roles of the PA within the liaison, forensic and community subspecialties of psychiatry.

Social Development and Police Reform: Some Reflections on the Concept and Purpose of Policing and the Implications for Reform in the UK and USA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Williams ◽  
Craig Paterson
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
Police Reform ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Anglo American ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Common Understanding

Abstract The increase in calls for police reform following the death of George Floyd has led to renewed debate about social inequality and the role of policing in society. Modern bureaucratic police systems emerged from locally administered structures and Anglo-American policing models continue to be aligned, to varying degrees, with the political, socio-cultural, legal, and ideological aspects of contemporary liberal democratic society with its emphasis on democratic localism and decentralised accountability. However, at a time when society is reimagining itself and technology, government, and nations are radically re-shaping themselves, a critical question is whether there is a sufficiently common philosophical and conceptual understanding of policing to support its development rather than just a common understanding of police functions. This is profoundly important when considering the current calls for reform of policing in the USA and other western democratic states. The article argues that there is an urgent need to reconsider how we conceptualize policing and its relationship with social development.

scholarly journals Three models for the regulation of polygenic scores in reproduction

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2020-106588
Author(s):  
Sarah Munday ◽  
Julian Savulescu
Keyword(s):  
Human Genetics ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Embryo Selection ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

The past few years have brought significant breakthroughs in understanding human genetics. This knowledge has been used to develop ‘polygenic scores’ (or ‘polygenic risk scores’) which provide probabilistic information about the development of polygenic conditions such as diabetes or schizophrenia. They are already being used in reproduction to select for embryos at lower risk of developing disease. Currently, the use of polygenic scores for embryo selection is subject to existing regulations concerning embryo testing and selection. Existing regulatory approaches include ‘disease-based' models which limit embryo selection to avoiding disease characteristics (employed in various formats in Australia, the UK, Italy, Switzerland and France, among others), and 'laissez-faire' or 'libertarian' models, under which embryo testing and selection remain unregulated (as in the USA). We introduce a novel 'Welfarist Model' which limits embryo selection according to the impact of the predicted trait on well-being. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of each model as a way of regulating polygenic scores. Polygenic scores create the potential for existing embryo selection technologies to be used to select for a wider range of predicted genetically influenced characteristics including continuous traits. Indeed, polygenic scores exist to predict future intelligence, and there have been suggestions that they will be used to make predictions within the normal range in the USA in embryo selection. We examine how these three models would apply to the prediction of non-disease traits such as intelligence. The genetics of intelligence remains controversial both scientifically and ethically. This paper does not attempt to resolve these issues. However, as with many biomedical advances, an effective regulatory regime must be in place as soon as the technology is available. If there is no regulation in place, then the market effectively decides ethical issues.

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.

Science and Theology for Everyone: How Climate Science is Shaping Christianity in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-157
Author(s):  
Caleb Gordon ◽  
Hannah Malcolm
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Christian Life ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Technical Leadership ◽  
Science And Theology ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

This article analyses the growing participation of UK Christians in climate initiatives over the last five years. In many cases, climate science is cited as a necessary consideration for the fulfilment of already-existing Christian commitments. This represents a significant shift in the ways UK Christians understand the role of dialogue between theology and the sciences; previous science and theology dialogue has usually been treated as an area of expert concern, primarily offering insight into apologetics or specific ethical problems. By contrast, the dialogue between climate science and theology has seen the emergence of non-technical leadership amid the expectation that climate science plays a critical role in re-examining the meaning of Christian life, both for individuals and as communities.

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