Moral injury and the need to carry out ethically responsible research

2020 ◽  
pp. 174701612096974
Author(s):  
Victoria Williamson ◽  
Dominic Murphy ◽  
Carl Castro ◽  
Eric Vermetten ◽  
Rakesh Jetly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Moral Injury ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Illegal Acts ◽  
Repeated Questioning ◽  
Responsible Research

The need for research to advance scientific understanding must be balanced with ensuring the rights and wellbeing of participants are safeguarded, with some research topics posing more ethical quandaries for researchers than others. Moral injury is one such topic. Exposure to potentially morally injurious experiences can lead to significant distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and selfinjury. In this article, we discuss how the rapid expansion of research in the field of moral injury could threaten the wellbeing, dignity and integrity of participants. We also examine key guidance for carrying out ethically responsible research with participants’ rights to self-determination, confidentiality, non-maleficence and beneficence discussed in relation to the study of moral injury. We describe how investigations of moral injury are likely to pose several challenges for researchers including managing disclosures of potentially illegal acts, the risk of harm that repeated questioning about guilt and shame may pose to participant wellbeing in longitudinal studies, as well as the possible negative impact of exposure to vicarious trauma on researchers themselves. Finally, we offer several practical recommendations that researchers, research ethics committees and other regulatory bodies can take to protect participant rights, maximise the potential benefits of research outputs and ensure the field continues to expand in an ethically responsible way.

scholarly journals The antiseptic Miramistin: a review of its comparative in vitro and clinical activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Osmanov ◽  
Zara Farooq ◽  
Malcolm D Richardson ◽  
David W Denning
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Soviet Bloc ◽  
Clinical Activity ◽  
Good Tolerability ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Low Toxicity

ABSTRACT Miramistin is a topical antiseptic with broad antimicrobial action, including activity against biofilms and a clinical profile showing good tolerability. Miramistin was developed within a framework of the Soviet Union Cold War Space Program. It is available for clinical use in several prior Soviet bloc countries, but barely known outside of these countries and there is almost no mention of miramistin in the English literature. However, considering emerging antimicrobial resistance, the significant potential of miramistin justifies its re-evaluation for use in other geographical areas and conditions. The review consists of two parts: (i) a review of the existing literature on miramistin in English, Russian and Ukrainian languages; (ii) a summary of most commonly used antiseptics as comparators of miramistin. The oral LD50 was 1200 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg and 100 g/L in rats, mice and fish, respectively. Based on the results of the review, we suggest possible applications of miramistin and potential benefits over currently used agents. Miramistin offers a novel, low toxicity antiseptic with many potential clinical uses that need better study which could address some of the negative impact of antimicrobial, antiseptic and disinfectant resistance.

scholarly journals The Impact of MNRI Therapy on the Levels of Neurotransmitters Associated with Inflammatory Processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana V. Tatarinova ◽  
Trina Deiss ◽  
Lorri Franckle ◽  
Susan Beaven ◽  
Jeffrey Davis
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Attention Deficit Disorder ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
The Impact

The neurotransmitter levels of representatives from five different diagnosis groups were tested before and after participation in the MNRI®—Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Intervention. The purpose of this study was to ascertain neurological impact on (1) Developmental disorders, (2) Anxiety disorders/OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress disorder), (3) Palsy/Seizure disorders, (4) ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Disorder Hyperactive Disorder), and (5) ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) disorders. Each participant had a form of neurological dysregulation and typical symptoms respective to their diagnosis. These diagnoses have a severe negative impact on the quality of life, immunity, stress coping, cognitive skills, and social assimilation. This study showed a trend towards optimization and normalization of neurological and immunological functioning, thus supporting the claim that the MNRI method is an effective non-pharmacological neuromodulation treatment of neurological disorders. The effects of MNRI on inflammation have not yet been assessed. The resulting post-MNRI changes in participants’ neurotransmitters show significant adjustments in the regulation of the neurotransmitter resulting in being calmer, a decrease of hypervigilance, an increase in stress resilience, behavioral and emotional regulation improvements, a more positive emotional state, and greater control of cognitive processes. In this paper, we demonstrate that the MNRI approach is an intervention that reduces inflammation. It is also likely to reduce oxidative stress and encourage homeostasis of excitatory neurotransmitters. MNRI may facilitate neurodevelopment, build stress resiliency, neuroplasticity, and optimal learning opportunity. There have been no reported side effects of MNRI treatments.

scholarly journals Posttraumatic Stress During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Ayers ◽  
Elizabeth Ford
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Individual Vulnerability ◽  
Postpartum Ptsd ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
In Pregnancy

Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in pregnancy and postpartum is relatively new but clearly demonstrates the importance of recognizing and treating women with PTSD at this time. Women with PTSD in pregnancy are at greater risk of pregnancy complications and health behaviors that have a negative impact on the woman and fetus. Approximately –3% of women develop PTSD after giving birth, and rates increase for women who have preterm or stillborn infants or life-threatening complications during pregnancy or labor. Models of the etiology of postpartum PTSD focus on the interaction among individual vulnerability, risk, and protective factors during and after birth. Research shows evidence for the role of previous psychiatric problems, depression in pregnancy, severe complications during birth, support, and women’s subjective experience of birth in postpartum PTSD. Very little research has examined screening or intervention. The chapter highlights key research topics that need addressing.

scholarly journals Competence-driven engineering education: A case for T-shaped engineers and teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alabadan Babatope A ◽  
Taiwo M. Samuel ◽  
Philip I. Ajewole ◽  
Oluwakemi M. Anyanwu
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
New Economy ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Young Professionals ◽  
Science Management ◽  
Service Oriented ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

<span>The demand for engineering education and graduates is increasing daily because the current service and technological designs are unable to meet the needs of the society and the expected dramatic increase in the future. The emerging skill gap requires a shift in the type of expertise required of young professionals that will be needed to successfully lead organizations in the new economy. Researchers have identified various ‘shapes’ for the engineering professionals to make them relevant to the 21<sup>st</sup> century challenge, especially in the industry where their expertise is much needed. T-shaped professionals have skills that make them to be more preferred among others. The purpose of this paper is to present the need to upgrade engineering education curriculum to produce more T-shaped graduate engineers required in the changing industrial world. The potential benefits of T-shaped professionals to organizational performance are quite significant; hence, the demand for T-shaped professionals in knowledge-intensive, service-oriented economies is increasing. Unfortunately, the challenges associated with creating more T-shaped professionals are also significant. National regulatory bodies for engineering education in Nigeria are beginning to move towards integrated curriculum to break down discipline silos and produce T-shaped graduate engineers for the fast-changing industrial world. Service Science Management and Engineering (SSME) is an emerging discipline with over 250 programmes in 50 nations seeking to create more T-shaped professionals.</span>

scholarly journals Chronic back pain and mental disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2S) ◽  
pp. 17-24
Author(s):  
B. A. Volel ◽  
D. S. Petelin ◽  
D. O. Rozhkov
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Chronic Back Pain ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Somatoform Disorder ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Post Traumatic

Chronic back pain is a significant biomedical problem due to its high prevalence and negative impact on quality of life and socioeconomic indicators. Mental disorders play a substantial role in the genesis of chronic pain. This review discusses the issues of back pain comorbid with depressive, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and somatoform disorder. It also considers the features of the clinical manifestations of pain associated with mental disorders. There are data on the neurobiological relationship between pain and mental disorders and on the personality traits of patients with chronic back pain.

scholarly journals Using a Biopsychosocial Approach to Examine Differences in Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Arab and Jewish Israeli Mothers Following A Child’s Traumatic Medical Event

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sewar Hussien ◽  
Yaara Sadeh ◽  
Rachel Dekel ◽  
Efrat Shadmi ◽  
Amichai Brezner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychosocial Assessment ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Biopsychosocial Approach ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Medical Event ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Post Traumatic

Abstract Background: Parents of children following a traumatic medical event (TME) are known to be at high risk for developing severe post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Findings on the negative impact of TMEs on parents’ PTSS have been described in different cultures and societies worldwide. However, in some cases, a specific ethnic group may also be a minority within a given region or a country, contributing to increased risk for parental PTSS following a child’s TME.Objectives: The current study aimed to examine differences in PTSS between Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Jewish mothers, following a child’s TME. More specifically, we aimed to examine the risk and protective factors affecting mother’s PTSS from a biopsychosocial approach.Methods: Data were collected from medical files of children following TMEs, hospitalized in a pediatric rehabilitation department, during the period 2008–2018. The sample included 47 Israeli-Arab mothers and 47 Israeli-Jewish mothers. Mothers completed the psychosocial assessment tool (PAT), the post-traumatic diagnostic scale (PDS).Results: Arab mothers self-reported significantly higher levels of PTSS than their Jewish counterparts. Further, Arab mothers perceived having more social support than Jewish mothers did. Finally, our prediction model indicated that both Arab ethnicity and pre-trauma family problems predicted higher levels of PTSS among mothers of children following TMEs.Conclusions: Focusing on ethnic and cultural effects following a child’s TME may help improve our understanding of the mental health needs of mothers from different minority ethnic groups and aid in developing appropriate health services and targeted interventions for this population.

scholarly journals Implementing Fully Privately Run Public Schools: Top View

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.15) ◽  
pp. 252
Author(s):  
Sheikh Muhamad Hizam Sheikh Khairuddin ◽  
Kamaruzzaman Ismail ◽  
Zalina Zainudin
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
School Efficiency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
New Type ◽  
Top View ◽  
Type Of School

The aim of this paper is to identify the perceptions of teachers and regulators in implementing fully privately run public schools (FPRPS) in Malaysia. Under the Malaysian Educational Blueprint (MEB) 2013 - 2025, it is clearly stated that the programs and activities that would encourage and allow parents, the public and private sectors, NGOs, and society to forge a partnership with the school will benefit especially concerning values education. These school community partnerships can be related to the ninth shift in the Blueprint which is “partnering with parents, community and private sector at scale,” although, the emphasis of this shift is more on students’ academic progress. This study was conducted for three months’ periods, involving 87 teachers and principals (in 13 schools) in the districts of Petaling Utama, Wilayah Bangsar-Pudu and Hulu Langat and 23 regulators in 10 Regulatory Bodies. The method used was in the form of focus group discussion (FGD). The data was processed by using Atlas ti. From the interviews conducted on FPRPS, all of the respondents (i.e. teachers, principals and regulators) indicated that they are ready and willing to accept the FPRPS implementation. This is because FPRS offers huge potential benefits to them. These include improvement in students’ skill, teacher training, academic performance, employability, financial support, infrastructures, facilities, security, maintenance, workload, and school efficiency. The study contributes to the development of a new type of school in Malaysia. 

Futility and appropriateness: challenging words, important concepts

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 (1110) ◽  
pp. 238-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Robin Taylor ◽  
Calvin J Lightbody
Keyword(s):  
Professional Training ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Curative Intent ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Resource Limitations ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Perfect Storm

The provision of healthcare is being challenged by a ‘perfect storm’ of forces including an increasing population with multiple comorbidities, high expectations and resource limitations, and in the background, the pre-eminence of the ‘curative medical model’. Non-beneficial (futile) treatments are wasteful and costly. They have a negative impact on quality of life especially in the last year of life. Among professionals, frequent encounters with futility cause moral distress and demoralisation. The factors that drive non-beneficial treatments include personal biases, patient-related pressures and institutional imperatives. Breaking loose from the perceived necessity to deliver non-beneficial treatment is a major challenge. Curative intent should give way to appropriateness such that curative and palliative interventions are valued equally. Goals of treatment should be shaped by illness trajectory, the risk of harms as well as potential benefits and patient preferences. This strategy should be reflected in professional training and the design of acute services.

Aftermath of anti-police protests in Nigeria: Burden and predictors of psychiatric morbidity among protesters and non-protesters

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110493
Author(s):  
Olatunde Olayinka Ayinde ◽  
Oluwasemiloore Peace Atere ◽  
Ugonna Ibeawuchi ◽  
Toyin Bello ◽  
Abiola Ogunkoya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Northern Nigeria ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Ratio Range

Objectives: Anti-police (#EndSARS) protests took place in October 2020 across several Nigerian cities, resulting in deaths, injuries and loss of property, but the psychological sequelae of these protests have not been studied. Method: In a cross-sectional online survey, we collected data on psychiatric morbidity and potential risk factors from 426 Nigerian social media users, who self-identified as participants or non-participants in a recent anti-police protest. Results: We found elevated rates of psychiatric morbidity, with worse outcomes for protesters compared to non-protesters (psychological distress [44.2% vs 29.8%], depression [26.0% vs 14.9%], anxiety [51.0% vs 29.8%], post-traumatic stress disorder [7.4% vs 1.8%], current substance use [11.2% vs 4.5%] and suicidal ideation [7.1% vs 4.4%], respectively). After adjusting for the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and previous mental health diagnosis, the predictors of poor mental health among non-protesters were being unmarried (odds ratio = 7.4, p = 0.01) and low resilience (odds ratio range = 4.1–5.4, p < 0.03) while for the protesters, the predictors were low resilience (odds ratio range = 2.9–4.7, p < 0.01), being from Northern Nigeria (odds ratio = 4.7, p < 0.01) or residing in Northern Nigeria (odds ratio = 2.8, p = 0.03), being under-/unemployed (odds ratio range = 2.1–2.5, p < 0.04), holding the view that the protest was caused by the state of the economy (odds ratio = 2.0, p = 0.01), belief that the protest had a direct negative impact on the protester (odds ratio = 2.3, p = 0.04) and willingness to participate in future protests (odds ratio = 4.13, p = 0.02). Conclusion: We conclude that participating in the #EndSARS protest was associated with significant psychiatric morbidity. There is need to recognise and address the mental health sequelae of collective actions, and invest in programmes that build resilience and address socio-political determinants of mental health, especially with a focus on youth.

Maintaining Information Security in E-Government through Steganology

2011 ◽  
pp. 1393-1399
Author(s):  
Huayin Si ◽  
Chang-Tsun Li
Keyword(s):  
Information Security ◽  
National Security ◽  
Computer Networks ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Government ◽  
Open Environment ◽  
Progressive Development ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Potential Benefits

Traditional government structures are sometimes regarded as overly bulky. However, with the rapid expansion of interconnected computer networks and the progressive development of information technology (IT), it is now possible to exchange massive amounts of data at light speed over great distances. These infrastructures and technologies provide the opportunity for governments to transform themselves from huge monsters to compact and efficient organizations. Realizing the potential benefits of IT, as of summer 2004, 198 governments had started their e-government plans to construct digital government based on the Internet (West, 2004). One of the essential features of e-government is the transmission of confidential information via computer networks. Depending on the sensitivity of the information, the security of some information should be treated at the same level as national security. Although each e-government has its own networks, no government can say no to the Internet, because it would be a waste of resource. However, the Internet is an open environment; therefore, protecting data flowing on the Internet from attacks is a pressing e-government issue. All governments with such strategies have sought help from cryptographers and devoted huge amounts of both money and time to the development of specially designed information systems and advanced cryptosystems to strengthen information security. Unfortunately, cryptography is not adequate in some applications. As computing power keeps increasing and the techniques of cryptanalysis keep advancing, contemporary cryptosystems cannot and will not work forever. At the 24th Annual International Cryptology Conference (CRYPTO’04), MD5 and a series of related cryptosystems, which are currently in widespread use, were proved unreliable (Wang, Feng, Lai, & Yu, 2004). From the last decade, steganology—the technique for digitally hiding and detecting information – is attracting more attention. It is already regarded as a powerful complement to cryptology and a promising technique for ensuring e-national security. Unlike cryptology, which renders the encrypted information completely meaningless, steganology keeps the host media perceptually unchanged after hiding the secret information. This article will provide an in-depth explanation of the two components of steganology, namely steganography and steganalysis, and discuss their potential applications in the realm of e-national security.

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