The experiences of Australian parents with psychosis: The second Australian national survey of psychosis

Objective: Being a parent is an important part of one’s identity and role. Previous research outlines many challenges associated with parenting by people with severe mental illness. However, there is a limited research describing parenting experiences of mothers and fathers who have psychosis. Method: The second Australian national survey of psychosis recruited 1825 people living with symptoms of, or a diagnosis of, psychosis. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews and included key clinical and demographic information, as well as parenting specific information. Results: Over half of all women and a quarter of men were parents. Almost a quarter of women but only 5.5% of the men had dependent children (own and/or stepchildren) living at home with them. Of parents with dependent children, the most common diagnosis was schizophrenia (48.2% fathers, 28.9% mothers), and there were high rates of comorbidity with substance abuse/dependence (alcohol: fathers 69.2%, mothers 44.3%; cannabis: fathers 69.22%, mothers 47.8%). A substantial proportion of parents with dependent children experienced challenges including low educational attainment, unemployment, poverty, and social isolation. Although many parents living with dependent children functioned in the average range, a significant proportion was moderately to severely disabled on global independent functioning ratings (fathers 49.1%, mothers 35.7%) and some were identified as having obvious/severe impairments in their ability to care for their child(ren) (fathers 28.3%, mothers 21.3%). Conclusions: Most parents living with psychosis function well. However, a significant proportion has impairments in parenting and general functioning that could have adverse consequences for both the parent and children. This study brings into focus the need for interventions to optimise successful parenting outcomes.

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Local tumour ablation for localized kidney cancer: Practice patterns in Canada

Canadian Urological Association Journal ◽

10.5489/cuaj.3317 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (11-12) ◽

pp. 420

Author(s):

Vincent Trudeau ◽

Alessandro Larcher ◽

Paolo Dell'Oglio ◽

Katharina Boehm ◽

Mohamed Bishr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Cancer ◽

National Survey ◽

Practice Patterns ◽

Response Rate ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Demographic Information ◽

Local Tumor ◽

Electronic Survey ◽

Local Tumour ◽

Tumour Ablation

Introduction: Local tumor ablation (LTA) is a recommended option for the treatment of localized kidney cancer in nonsurgical candidates. We performed a survey to describe the practice patterns of this procedure in Canada.Methods: An electronic survey was sent by email to all urologists registered to the Canadian Urological Association (CUA). Urologists were queried about general demographic information, LTA availability at their institution (and reasons of non-availability, if it was the case) as well as the type and context of LTA use. Results: Overall, 103 individual responses were obtained (response rate of 19.5%). Of those, 58 (56.3%) had access to LTA at their institution. Urologists who had access to LTA were more likely to work at an academic institution (69 vs. 16%, p<0.001). Among individuals who did not use LTA, the main reasons were the lack of staff, such as radiologists, who can assist and/or perform the procedure (64%); and the lack of expertise with the procedure (62%). Among urologists who had access to LTA, percutaneous radiofrequency and cryoablation were the most commonly used (72% and 21%, respectively). However, urologists were rarely involved in those procedures (12%).Conclusions: In this national survey, we found that a significant proportion of Canadian urologists did not have access to LTA. We also found that when LTA was performed, urologists were rarely involved in the procedures. Those findings represent significant areas for improvement in the access to LTA. The conclusions of this study are limited by the low response rate.

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Teleconference focus groups with fathers: ‘You’re on the line with …’

Fathers, Families and Relationships ◽

10.1332/policypress/9781447331476.003.0007 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Simon Burnett ◽

Caroline Gatrell

Keyword(s):

Focus Groups ◽

Work And Family ◽

Work Life ◽

Work Life Balance ◽

Methodological Issues ◽

Research Project ◽

Life Balance ◽

Dependent Children ◽

Face To Face ◽

Entire Process

This chapter analyses methodological issues experienced in the employment of audio teleconference focus groups in fatherhood research. It cites a research project entitled ‘Work Life Balance: Working for Fathers?’, which explores how men with dependent children combine work and family commitments. As part of this research, when recruiting fathers for face-to-face interviews and focus groups proved difficult, scholars utilised the medium of recordable teleconferencing technology. In the context of research on fatherhood, the chapter evaluates the emergent complexities integral to the entire process of running ‘teleconference’ (telecon) focus groups. The first part of the chapter describes the technological and procedural challenges in the commissioning of telecon focus groups, while the second reflects on fathers' confession-like admissions.

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Consumer valuation of traceability labels: a cross-cultural study in Germany and Greece

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-07-2016-0333 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 119 (4) ◽

pp. 803-816 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Olga Christophorou Kehagia ◽

Christian Colmer ◽

Minas G. Chryssochoidis

Keyword(s):

Stated Preference ◽

Specific Information ◽

Chicken Nuggets ◽

Content Type ◽

Face To Face ◽

Consumer Valuation ◽

Cross Cultural Study ◽

Food Packages ◽

Information Consumers ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess impact of literacy on the combinations of traceability information on food packages of chilled chicken nuggets and fish fingers consumers choose. Design/methodology/approach A discrete choice experiment, belonging to the “stated preference method” was designed to meet the purpose of this study with 512 German and Greek consumers. According to this method, the information is gathered using methods of distinct preference asking individuals face to face questions about their behaviour. Findings The results indicate that literacy has an impact on the combinations of information consumers choose; specific information is most useful and sought by high- and low-literate consumers; and price is an important factor for the consumer choices presented in the current study, but cannot overshadow other equally important factors. Practical implications Marketing issues are raised because of the importance and utility consumers attach to traceability systems. Originality/value This is a novel research concerning literacy’s impact on the combinations of package information chosen by consumers in Germany and Greece in relation to the two studied chilled chicken and fish products (i.e. chilled chicken nuggets and fish fingers).

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The management of mixed urinary incontinence in women

Canadian Urological Association Journal ◽

10.5489/cuaj.4584 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (6S2) ◽

pp. 121 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Blayne Welk ◽

Richard J. Baverstock

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Stress Incontinence ◽

Urge Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor Muscle ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Mixed Urinary Incontinence ◽

Success Rates ◽

Vaginal Estrogen ◽

Common Diagnosis

Mixed urinary incontinence is a common diagnosis among women with urinary leakage and is often present in women who are unable to characterize their incontinence. Research and optimized clinical treatment of these patients is limited by the challenges in objectively defining and stratifying this population. The evaluation of these patients should follow the same general principles as any assessment of any women with incontinence; however, it is essential to define whether urge or stress incontinence is the predominant symptom. Urodynamics (UDS) may be helpful in this regard and may help predict surgical outcomes. Behavioural therapy, weight loss, and pelvic floor muscle therapy are usually appropriate initial management strategies. In postmenopausal women, vaginal estrogen can be considered, and in women with equal parts stress and urge incontinence or urge-predominant mixed incontinence, a trial of anticholinergics or beta-3 agonists is appropriate. In women with stress-predominant or equal parts stress and urge incontinence, stress incontinence surgery can be considered, with the caveat that outcomes are generally worse among women with more severe levels of urgency, success rates may not be as durable, and a significant proportion of women may need additional medical therapy.

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PS1 - 188 Rehabilitation Consultation: An Integrated Model for Addressing Rehabilitation Concerns in the Primary Brain Tumor Population

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques ◽

10.1017/cjn.2016.355 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 43 (S4) ◽

pp. S9-S10

Author(s):

I. Lax ◽

M. Daniels ◽

C. Kanter ◽

W. Mason ◽

K. Edelstein

Keyword(s):

Brain Tumor ◽

Brain Tumors ◽

Disease Process ◽

Primary Brain Tumor ◽

Rehabilitation Services ◽

Face To Face ◽

Primary Brain Tumors ◽

Common Diagnosis ◽

Consultation Model ◽

Oncology Treatment

Individuals with primary brain tumors experience a range of physical, cognitive and psychosocial sequelae which impact their independence, safety and quality of life. These impairments may be addressed through rehabilitation intervention. Despite acknowledgement that timely rehabilitation services over the course of the disease process is of benefit, few outpatient neuro-oncology treatment teams include a rehabilitation professional. Purpose: The aims are: (1) to describe a rehabilitation consultation model of care integrated into outpatient neuro-oncology treatment for individuals with primary brain tumors; and (2) to describe the characteristics of individuals referred for rehabilitation services. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study examined data from 200 individuals that received rehabilitation consultation from January 2015 to March 2016 at Princess Margaret Hospital, Pencer Brain Tumor Centre. Information on patient demographics, referral characteristics, and number of patient care visits was collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Preliminary Results: Of all patients, (n=195), the most common diagnosis is glioblastoma, 39% (n=76), and 50% are 50-69 years of age (M=55, SD=15.0). The most common reason for initial referral was decline in physical functioning, strength and balance (41%). In 77% of cases, patients were seen immediately at the time of referral. In total, 540 consultations were completed (face-to-face=230, telephone=310) with 2.78 on average (SD=4.0) per patient. Conclusion: Given the range of symptoms that individuals with primary brain tumors experience coupled with changes in functional status as the disease progresses, integrated and timely rehabilitation consultation is feasible.

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Supportive care organization: Patients and oncologist national survey comparison.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2014.32.31_suppl.202 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 32 (31_suppl) ◽

pp. 202-202

Author(s):

Florian Scotte ◽

Christian Herve ◽

Jean Marc Tourani ◽

Roland Bugat ◽

Fadila Farsi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Supportive Care ◽

National Survey ◽

Care Organization ◽

Analgesic Treatment ◽

Face To Face ◽

French Speaking ◽

Professional Resources

202 Background: The medical doctor's (MD) perspective of supportive care in cancer (SCC) in France was previously assessed on a national survey. However, the opinion of patients (P) has never been evaluated nor compared to MD’s perception.Wepromoted and compared P and MD awareness via national surveys to monitor implementation and information delivered to patients on SCC. Methods: The French Speaking Association for SCC (AFSOS) conducted two observational studies, analyzed with a Chi2 test: S1: a 30 points questionnaire sent to 2,263 physicians caring for cancer P (oncologists, radiotherapists, haematologists, gastroenterologists); and S2: a 40 points questionnaire performed by physicians to P, using a face-to-face method. Results: 711 MDs returned S1 and S2 was conducted with 1,562 P. In S1, MDs declared relying on SCC organization (81%) but 19% of P declared they were offered to benefit from an organization called SCC (54% at diagnosis, 35% after complication). The name SCC was known by 34% of P, most frequently described as complementary care to specific treatments (55%). Palliative Care word had been previously heard by 80% P, mostly considered as care to improve quality of life during cancer treatment for 59%. In S2, professional resources identified outside the hospital were: general practitioners (84%), nurses (58%), pharmacists (52%). According to P, the top 3 supportive care consultations proposed were psychology (61%), nutrition (55%) and announcement organization (55%), while MDs mentioned palliative care (98%), psychological care (98%), social care (98%), S2 showed that supportive treatment was prescribed to 63% of P, mostly by their oncologist (74%), and 64% of those P received information on side-effects. Epoetin was prescribed to 25% and analgesics to 73%, with discussion on adverse events respectively for 38% and 53%. MDs declared delivering information on adverse events to 49% of P receiving epoetin and to 74% of P running for analgesic treatment. Conclusions: Oncologist is the cornerstone of SCC organization. Information as well as treatment must be developed to further enhance SCC and patient quality of care.

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Psychological Distress in Men With Breast Cancer

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2006.10.064 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 95-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Kate Brain ◽

Buddug Williams ◽

Rachel Iredale ◽

Liz France ◽

Jonathon Gray

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Body Image ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Information Needs ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Specific Information ◽

Avoidance Coping ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Potential Risk Factors

Purpose This article reports the first United Kingdom study to examine the prevalence of psychological distress in men with breast cancer and the factors associated with increased distress. Patients and Methods One hundred and sixty-one men with breast cancer completed a cross-sectional questionnaire that included measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms, cancer-specific distress, body image, coping, information and support needs, and clinical and demographic variables. Results Clinical levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were reported by 6% and 1% of men, respectively, while 23% reported high levels of cancer-specific distress. Anxiety was most strongly associated with avoidance coping and fear and uncertainty about the future (42% of the variance in anxiety scores, P < .001). Depressive symptoms were associated with altered body image (35% of the variance, P < .001). Body image, avoidance coping, referral to the study by a clinician, fear and uncertainty, and wanting to receive more gender-specific information together explained 51% of the variance in cancer-related distress (P < .001). Clinical and demographic factors did not account for a significant proportion of the variance in any of the distress measures. Conclusion Although the prevalence of clinical anxiety and depressive symptoms were low in this sample, almost a quarter of men experienced traumatic stress symptoms specific to breast cancer. Potential risk factors for distress include the use of avoidant coping strategies, negative body image, feelings of fear and uncertainty in relation to breast cancer, and unmet information needs. Suggestions are made for improving the information and support available to men with breast cancer.

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Experiences of remote consulting for patients and neurologists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland

BMJ Neurology Open ◽

10.1136/bmjno-2021-000173 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. e000173

Author(s):

Maria Stavrou ◽

Eva Lioutas ◽

Joanna Lioutas ◽

Richard J Davenport

Keyword(s):

Significant Proportion ◽

Model Of Care ◽

Remote Consultation ◽

Web Based ◽

Face To Face ◽

Training Interventions ◽

Consultation Skills ◽

Neurological Conditions ◽

Remote Consultations

BackgroundRemote consulting is an emerging model in managing chronic neurological conditions and has been widely implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this national survey was to investigate the initial experiences of remote consulting for neurologists and patients with established neurological conditions under follow-up during the first COVID-19 phase.MethodsIn collaboration with the Scottish Association of Neurological Sciences and the Neurological Alliance of Scotland, we conducted a web-based survey of neurologists and patients between October and November 2020.FindingsData was available for 62 neurologists and 201 patients. The consensus among neurologists was that remote consulting is a satisfactory way of delivering healthcare in selected groups of patients. For practical and technical reasons, there was preference for phone over video consultations (phone 63% vs video 33%, p=0.003). The prevailing opinion among clinicians was that considerable training interventions for remote consultation skills are required (‘yes’ 63% vs ‘no’ 37%, p=0.009) to improve clinician consultation skills and successfully embed this new model of care.Most patients perceived remote consultations as safe, effective and convenient, with 89% of patients being satisfied with their remote consultation experience. Although traditional face-to-face consultations were the favoured way of interaction for 62% of patients, a significant proportion preferred that some of their future consultations be remote.InterpretationAlthough not a replacement for face-to-face consultations, this survey illustrates that remote consulting can be an acceptable adjunct to traditional face-to-face consultations for doctors and patients. More research is required to identify overall safety and applicability.

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Online appendix 1:South African National Survey of Arachnida: A checklist of the spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of the Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, Limpopo province, South Africa

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v58i1.1405-1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stefan H. Foord ◽

Anna S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽

Rudy Jocqué ◽

Charles R. Haddad ◽

Robin Lyle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

South African ◽

National Survey ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Limpopo Province ◽

Specific Information ◽

Spider Species ◽

Online Appendix

The aim of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) is to document the Arachnida fauna of South Africa. One of the focus areas of SANSA is to survey protected areas to obtain species-specific information, and species distribution patterns for Red Data assessments. Here, we provide the first checklist of the spider species of Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve (LNR) in the Limpopo province of South Africa collected during five surveys between 2009 and 2016 using methods targeting both the ground and field layers. Forty-five families, represented by 168 genera and 268 species, have been collected so far. The most species-rich families were the Salticidae (41 spp.) and Araneidae (38 spp.), followed by the Thomisidae (33 spp.), while 11 families were represented by one species. Information on spider guilds, endemicity value and conservation status are provided. The LNR protects approximately 12.2% of the total South African spider fauna. Two species, Hasarinella distincta Haddad & Wesołowska, 2013 (Salticidae) and Ballomma legala Jocqué & Henrard, 2015 (Zodariidae), are presently known to be endemic to the reserve.Conservation implications: The LNR falls within the Savanna Biome in the Limpopo province. Only five spider species were previously known from the reserve and 263 spp. are reported from the reserve for the first time. Thirteen species are possibly new to science and 2 species represent new distribution records for South Africa.

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E-counselling support during COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of learners’ feedback

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal ◽

10.1108/aaouj-10-2020-0084 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Anil K. Dimri

Keyword(s):

Research Study ◽

Social Issues ◽

Electronic Devices ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Content Type ◽

Face To Face ◽

Online Mode ◽

Online Counselling ◽

Online Platforms

PurposeThis research study aimed to collect feedback from the learners on the usefulness and effectiveness of the online counselling sessions organised during COVID-19 lockdown through online platforms to provide academic support to the learners.Design/methodology/approachThe link of a questionnaire designed in a Google Form sent to IGNOU learners of the January 2020 session enrolled under the jurisdiction of IGNOU Regional Centre (RC) Chandigarh through email as well as SMSs. Total responses received were 487, out of which 445 responses were complete, roughly 8% of the total registered learners during the January 2020 session. The questionnaire contained questions on a cross-section of online counselling issues, besides questions on the learners' profile.FindingsMajority of the learners were satisfied with the input provided while organising online counselling sessions during COVID-19 lockdown in India. A significant proportion of learners (88%) used smartphones for attending counselling sessions. Facebook page of the RC rated as a relatively better option than other online platforms. However, more than 50% of learners faced Internet connection problems and found them a significant hurdle for smooth viewing of online counselling sessions. The proportion of learners who encountered difficulties in handling electronic devices was insignificant. The learner's feedback on many attributes such as usefulness and effectiveness of the online counselling sessions, interaction with the academic counsellors, e-content used in the counselling was significantly positive. A significant proportion of the learners have reported that face to face counselling could be replaced with online sessions in future, considering its flexibility in terms of place and schedule of learning and availability of recording of such sessions.Research limitations/implicationsThe research study was conducted under Chandigarh region of IGNOU which has a predominantly urban population. Thus the results of the study are limited to Chandigarh region and the region with similar socio-economic settings. This certainly limits the scope of the study.Practical implicationsThe study certainly provides valuable feedback to the ODL policymakers to consider replacing face-to-face counselling with an online mode in a phased manner. Online counselling options will be highly cost-effective, easily manageable, and provide flexibility for learners and resource persons, resulting in addressing learners' non-attendance related issues in the face-to-face counselling sessions.Social implicationsIn the analysis of our finding it is clearly stated that the Internet connectivity and availability of electronic devices is an important issue to provide online counselling support to socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Therefore, the research study also identifies such social issues as a major challenge for providing online counselling support to the learners.Originality/valueThis is an original empirical research study and data collected is used in the analysis for the first time. This analysis is based on the feedback gathered from the learners registered at IGNOU RC Chandigarh during the January 2020 session. The data and derived results not used in any other study.

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