scholarly journals Recovering the Relational Starting Point of Compassion Training: A Foundation for Sustainable and Inclusive Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1346-1362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Condon ◽  
John Makransky
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Relational Support ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Contextual Elements ◽  
Contemplative Traditions ◽  
Common Barriers

The cultivation of compassion through meditation training is of increasing interest to scientists, health-care providers, educators, and policymakers as an approach to help address challenging personal and social issues. Yet people encounter critical inner psychological barriers to compassion that limit the effectiveness of compassion training—including the lack of a secure base, aversion to suffering, feeling alone in suffering, and reductive impressions of others. These barriers emerge, in part, from a lack of relational support and are exacerbated by modernist conceptions that present meditation as an autonomous, self-help practice. This article proposes a solution centered on relationality that is derived from the integration of diverse areas of psychology with contemplative traditions. Theories and findings from social, developmental, and health psychology can inform meditation programs and help recover important relational elements of compassion training from traditional cultures that address common barriers to compassion and thus promote more sustainable and inclusive care. In so doing, this article illustrates the value of psychological theories for translating important contextual elements from contemplative traditions into diverse modern settings.

scholarly journals Recovering the relational starting point of compassion training: A foundation for sustainable and inclusive care.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Condon ◽  
John Makransky
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Relational Support ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Contextual Elements ◽  
Contemplative Traditions ◽  
Common Barriers

Cultivation of compassion through meditation training is of increasing interest to scientists, healthcare providers, educators, and policy makers as an approach to help address challenging personal and social issues. Yet people encounter critical inner psychological barriers to compassion that limit the effectiveness of compassion training—including the lack of a secure base, aversion to suffering, feeling alone in suffering, and reductive impressions of others. These barriers emerge, in part, from a lack of relational support and are exacerbated by modernist conceptions that present meditation as an autonomous, self-help practice. This article proposes a solution centered on relationality, derived from the integration of diverse areas of psychology with contemplative traditions. Theories and findings from social, developmental, and health psychology can inform meditation programs and help recover important relational elements of compassion training from traditional cultures that address common barriers to compassion, and thus promote more sustainable and inclusive care. In so doing, this paper illustrates the value of psychological theories for translating important contextual elements from contemplative traditions into diverse modern settings.

Workplace Fatigue Within Summer Camp: Perspectives From Camp Health Care Providers and Directors

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Alexsandra Dubin ◽  
Barry A. Garst ◽  
Tracey Gaslin ◽  
Beth E. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Summer Camps ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Analysis Process ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Negative Impacts

Background: Summer camps engage millions of youth in enrichment opportunities during the summertime while employing a substantial young adult workforce to provide high-quality programs and services to camp participants. Workplace fatigue has been implicated in camp-related injury and illness events, yet few studies have targeted fatigue among camp employees. Purpose: This study aimed to better understand how fatigue impacted employee performance as well as strategies for reducing the negative impacts of fatigue within camp settings. Methodology/Approach: Focus groups were conducted with camp health care providers and directors, and their responses were analyzed using directed content analysis. The analysis process was guided by sensitizing concepts from the literature. Findings/Conclusions: Emergent themes suggested that camp-related fatigue is conceptualized as a construct of time, types, and causes; is a distinct experience leading to setting-specific outcomes; is managed using administrative and peer supports; and is sometimes perceived in positive ways. Implications: This exploratory study highlighted the unique challenges associated with working in a camp setting and the potential development of fatigue as a starting point informing future research. It suggests that future research should include a broader study population, including frontline staff, as well as possible quantitative measures.

scholarly journals Development of an Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Self-Help Program for Arabic-Speaking Immigrants: Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Nygren ◽  
Matilda Berg ◽  
Ali Sarkohi ◽  
Gerhard Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Arabic Speaking

BACKGROUND Recent years have seen an increase in Arabic-speaking immigrants in Sweden and other European countries, with research showing this group to suffer from elevated levels of various forms of psychological disorders. There is a lack of treatment options for immigrants with mild to moderate mental health problems, with barriers including lack of accessible services and concerns that problems will not be understood by health care providers. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe the process of developing a transdiagnostic internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy self-help program in Arabic for mild to moderate symptoms of common psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. METHODS The iterative development process, including feedback from 105 pilot users as well as 2 focus groups, is described. RESULTS Overall, the modules were rated as acceptable by the pilot users, with overall ratings ranging from 3 to 4 points on average for the respective modules on a 5-point Likert scale. Feedback from the 2 focus groups was overall positive with regard to the content and structure of the program but also included suggestions for improving the Arabic translation as well as the usability of the material. CONCLUSIONS An internet-based self-help program that is deemed acceptable by an Arabic-speaking audience can be successfully developed, thus providing increased access to psychological help for an at-risk population. However, further research regarding the efficacy of this type of intervention is warranted.

Hispanics, Mental Health, and Suicide: Brief Report

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Brenes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Hispanic Americans ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Provider Attitudes ◽  
Health Crisis

A global health crisis exists surrounding suicide. In the United States, suicide rates have increased by nearly 30% in most states since 1999. Although the suicide rate among Hispanic Americans is significantly lower than non-Hispanic Whites, reasons for the lower rate are unclear. Current literature suggests that the lower rate may be due to underreporting, a lack of suicide screening and a number of complex social issues, including the stigma surrounding suicide in Hispanic culture. Health care provider attitudes toward suicidal individuals may also negatively affect mental health outcomes. This brief report focuses on suicide as a public health concern, addresses key issues arising from the phenomenon, and provides a perspective on health care providers’ attitudes toward suicide. Recommendations for future research, as well as implications for clinical practice and policy, are suggested.

It’s Complicated: Improving Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Understanding Family and Care of LGBTQ Older Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Henriquez ◽  
Kathryn Hyndman ◽  
Kathryn Chachula
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing Students ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing

Research has identified the need for improved cultural competence of health care providers regarding the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community’s needs. This article articulates the teaching approach and methodology of an unfolding LGBTQ family case study for undergraduate nursing students. This method provided a forum for exploration of personal biases and gender-affirming techniques, and addressed the challenges of aging for a transgender woman and family within the context of societal stigma and discrimination. Students gained knowledge concerning shifts in family structures and understanding of the nurses’ role encouraging inclusiveness and equitable access in health care settings, advocating for vulnerable populations, and addressing specific health concerns for transgender older adults. Student responses demonstrated increased knowledge of family diversity, and critical thought regarding the intersectionality of discrimination and aging. The findings revealed the case study methodology facilitated student understanding of the unique health and social issues for LGBTQ older adults within a family context.

scholarly journals Use of traditional and complementary medicine among Norwegian cancer patients in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnete Egilsdatter Kristoffersen ◽  
Trine Stub ◽  
Ann Ragnhild Broderstad ◽  
Anne Helen Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Complementary Medicine ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Conventional Cancer Treatment ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Natural Remedies

Abstract Background Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is commonly used by cancer patients in Northern Norway, in particular spiritual forms like traditional healing. T&CM is mainly used complementary to conventional cancer treatment and is rarely discussed with conventional health care providers, increasing the risk of negative interaction with conventional cancer care. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of T&CM among cancer patients in Tromsø, and to investigate the differences in T&CM use between people living with cancer, people with cancer previously, and people without a history of cancer. Method Data was drawn from the seventh survey of the Tromsø study conducted in 2015–2016. All inhabitants of Tromsø aged 40 and above were invited to participate (n = 32,591) of whom n = 21,083 accepted the invitation (response rate 65%). Data was collected thorough three self-administered questionnaires and a comprehensive clinical examination. Pearson chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests and one-way ANOVA tests were used to describe differences between the groups while binary logistic regressions were used for adjusted values. Results Eight percent of the participants (n = 1636) reported to have (n = 404) or have had (n = 1232) cancer. Of the participants with cancer at present 33.4% reported use of T&CM within the last year, 13.6% had consulted a T&CM provider, 17.9% had used herbal medicine/natural remedies and 6.4% had practiced self-help techniques. The participants with cancer at present were more likely to have visited a T&CM provider than participants with cancer previously (13.6% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.020). Among the participants with cancer at present, 6.4% reported to have consulted a TM provider, 5.8% had consulted an acupuncturist, while 4.7% had consulted other CM providers. Women were significantly more likely than men to have used acupuncture and self-help techniques. No significant gender differences were found regarding visits to other CM providers, TM providers nor use of herbal medicine/natural remedies. Conclusion The findings are in line with previous research suggesting that both men and women use TM complementary to other CM modalities outside the official health care system. As herbal medicine might interact with conventional cancer treatment, health care providers need to discuss such use with their patients.

scholarly journals Trustworthy Augmented Intelligence in Health Care

2022 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott Crigger ◽  
Karen Reinbold ◽  
Chelsea Hanson ◽  
Audiey Kao ◽  
Kathleen Blake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Medical Community ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Innovative Technologies ◽  
Quadruple Aim ◽  
Regulatory Systems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Reducing Costs

AbstractAugmented Intelligence (AI) systems have the power to transform health care and bring us closer to the quadruple aim: enhancing patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs, and improving the work life of health care providers. Earning physicians' trust is critical for accelerating adoption of AI into patient care. As technology evolves, the medical community will need to develop standards for these innovative technologies and re-visit current regulatory systems that physicians and patients rely on to ensure that health care AI is responsible, evidence-based, free from bias, and designed and deployed to promote equity. To develop actionable guidance for trustworthy AI in health care, the AMA reviewed literature on the challenges health care AI poses and reflected on existing guidance as a starting point for addressing those challenges (including models for regulating the introduction of innovative technologies into clinical care).

scholarly journals Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’ Perceptions of the Calm App: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

JMIR Cancer ◽  
10.2196/16926 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e16926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Huberty ◽  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Ryan Eckert ◽  
Linda Larkey
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Fear Of Recurrence ◽  
Pharmacologic Therapy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
Starting Point

Background There is a need for tools to decrease cancer patients’ and survivors’ long-term symptom burden. Complementary strategies, such as meditation, can accompany pharmacologic therapy to improve symptoms. Although support programs with targeted content have wider reach, higher adherence, and greater impact, there are no consumer-based meditation apps designed specifically for cancer. Objective This study aimed to gather information to advise the development of a cancer-specific meditation app in a small convenience sample of cancer patients and survivors who currently use the Calm app. Methods Adult cancer patients and survivors who are Calm users (N=82) were recruited through the Daily Calm Facebook page. Participants completed a Web-based survey related to Calm app use and satisfaction, interest in and ideas for a cancer-specific Calm app, and demographic characteristics. Open-ended responses were inductively coded. Results Participants were aged between 18 and 72 years (mean 48.60 years, SD 15.20), mostly female (77/82, 94%), white (65/79, 82%), and non-Hispanic (70/75, 93%), and reported using Calm at least 5 times per week (49/82, 60%). Although rates of satisfaction with current Calm components were high (between 65/82, 79% and 51/81, 63%), only 49% (40/82) of participants used guided meditations that they felt specifically helped with their cancer-related symptoms and survivorship, and 40% (33/82) would prefer more cancer-related content, with guided meditations for cancer-specific anxieties (eg, fear of recurrence; n=15) and coping with strong emotions (n=12) being the most common suggestions. A majority of participants (51/82, 62%) reported that they would be interested in becoming a member of a Calm cancer community (eg, in-app discussion boards: 41/46, 89%; and social media communities: 35/42, 83%). Almost half of the participants (37/82, 45%) reported that they would benefit from features that tracked symptoms in concurrence with app usage, but respondents were divided on whether this information should be shared with health care providers through the app (49/82, 60% would share). Conclusions Responses suggest ways in which the current Calm app could be adapted to better fit cancer patients’ and survivors’ needs and preferences, including adding cancer-specific content, increasing the amount of content focusing on coping with strong emotions, developing communities for Calm users who are cancer patients and survivors, and including features that track cancer-related symptoms. Given differences in opinions about which features were desirable or would be useful, there is a clear need for future cancer-specific apps to be customizable (eg, ability to turn different features on or off). Although future research should address these topics in larger, more diverse samples, these data will serve as a starting point for the development of cancer-specific meditation apps and provide a framework for evaluating their effects.

scholarly journals Integrating a Dimensional, Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology into Clinical Practice_

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo Ruggero
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Diagnostic Systems ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Common Barriers

Diagnosis is a cornerstone of clinical practice for mental health care providers, yet traditional diagnostic systems have well-known shortcomings, including inadequate reliability in daily practice, high co-morbidity, and marked within-diagnosis heterogeneity. The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a data-driven, hierarchically based alternative to traditional classifications that conceptualizes psychopathology as a set of dimensions organized into increasingly broad, transdiagnostic spectra. Prior work has shown that using a dimension-based approach improves reliability and validity, but translating a model like HiTOP into a workable system that is useful for health care providers remains a major challenge. To this end, the present work outlines the HiTOP model and describes the core principles to guide its integration into clinical practice. We review potential advantages and limitations for clinical utility, including case conceptualization and treatment planning. We illustrate what a HiTOP approach might look like in practice relative to traditional nosology. Finally, we discuss common barriers to using HiTOP in real-world healthcare settings and how they can be addressed.

scholarly journals Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’ Perceptions of the Calm App: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Huberty ◽  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Ryan Eckert ◽  
Linda Larkey
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Fear Of Recurrence ◽  
Pharmacologic Therapy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
Starting Point

BACKGROUND There is a need for tools to decrease cancer patients’ and survivors’ long-term symptom burden. Complementary strategies, such as meditation, can accompany pharmacologic therapy to improve symptoms. Although support programs with targeted content have wider reach, higher adherence, and greater impact, there are no consumer-based meditation apps designed specifically for cancer. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to gather information to advise the development of a cancer-specific meditation app in a small convenience sample of cancer patients and survivors who currently use the Calm app. METHODS Adult cancer patients and survivors who are Calm users (N=82) were recruited through the Daily Calm Facebook page. Participants completed a Web-based survey related to Calm app use and satisfaction, interest in and ideas for a cancer-specific Calm app, and demographic characteristics. Open-ended responses were inductively coded. RESULTS Participants were aged between 18 and 72 years (mean 48.60 years, SD 15.20), mostly female (77/82, 94%), white (65/79, 82%), and non-Hispanic (70/75, 93%), and reported using Calm at least 5 times per week (49/82, 60%). Although rates of satisfaction with current Calm components were high (between 65/82, 79% and 51/81, 63%), only 49% (40/82) of participants used guided meditations that they felt specifically helped with their cancer-related symptoms and survivorship, and 40% (33/82) would prefer more cancer-related content, with guided meditations for cancer-specific anxieties (eg, fear of recurrence; n=15) and coping with strong emotions (n=12) being the most common suggestions. A majority of participants (51/82, 62%) reported that they would be interested in becoming a member of a Calm cancer community (eg, in-app discussion boards: 41/46, 89%; and social media communities: 35/42, 83%). Almost half of the participants (37/82, 45%) reported that they would benefit from features that tracked symptoms in concurrence with app usage, but respondents were divided on whether this information should be shared with health care providers through the app (49/82, 60% would share). CONCLUSIONS Responses suggest ways in which the current Calm app could be adapted to better fit cancer patients’ and survivors’ needs and preferences, including adding cancer-specific content, increasing the amount of content focusing on coping with strong emotions, developing communities for Calm users who are cancer patients and survivors, and including features that track cancer-related symptoms. Given differences in opinions about which features were desirable or would be useful, there is a clear need for future cancer-specific apps to be customizable (eg, ability to turn different features on or off). Although future research should address these topics in larger, more diverse samples, these data will serve as a starting point for the development of cancer-specific meditation apps and provide a framework for evaluating their effects.

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