Development of an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism Pledge as the Foundation for Action in an Academic Department of Neurology

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (15) ◽  
pp. 729-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian L. Gordon Perue ◽  
Susan E. Fox-Rosellini ◽  
Nicole B. Sur ◽  
Erika Marulanda-Londono ◽  
Jason Margolesky ◽  
...  

Recent racial inequities as illustrated by the health disparities in COVID-19 infections and deaths, the recent killings of Black men and women by law enforcement, and the widening socioeconomic inequality and have brought systemic racism into a national conversation. These unprecedented times may have deleterious consequences, increasing stress, and trauma for many members of the neurology workforce. The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Committee within our Department of Neurology provides infrastructure and guidance to foster a culture of belonging and addresses the well-being of faculty, staff, and trainees. Here, we present the creation and implementation of our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDIA) Pledge, which was central to our committee's response to these unprecedented times. We outline the process of developing this unique EDIA Pledge and provide a roadmap for approaching these important topics through a Continuing Medical Education Neurology Grand Rounds aimed at fostering a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and antiracist work environment. Through the lived experiences of 4 faculty members, we identify the impact of bias and microaggressions and encourage allyship and personal development for cultural intelligence. We hope that these efforts will inspire neurology departments and other academic institutions across the globe to make a similar pledge.

NASPA Journal ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Graham ◽  
Irv Cockriel

The issues of accountability and increased public concern have contributed to widespread institutional self-examination and to a greater emphasis placed on assessing the impact of college attendance. This study focuses on 36 items in the ACT College Outcomes Survey to identify specific areas of personal and social gain where students percieved colleges to have the greatest impact. Identification of these general constructs provides guidance for college administrators and faculty members on areas where the colleges can focus their attention to achieve their greatest impact.


Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132199372
Author(s):  
Kate Seers ◽  
Rachel C Hogg

There is currently a paucity of literature exploring the experiences of women on the autism spectrum. It is imperative research is conducted to capture the experiences of women on the autism spectrum and ensure appropriate support is provided to this cohort. Drawing upon a social constructionist framework, this qualitative research study sought to understand how psychological and socio-cultural constructions of autism spectrum condition and gender influence the well-being of women on the autism spectrum. Eight participants engaged in a semi-structured interview, with thematic analysis conducted to demonstrate the impact of gender roles and social expectations on the women’s identity and autism spectrum condition expression. The research highlighted the changing understandings of autism spectrum condition across a woman’s lifespan and the process and impact of resisting hegemonic autism spectrum condition categorisation. The findings demonstrate that social constructions of gender and stereotypical understandings of autism spectrum condition, which prioritise a deficit, medical model, have significant consequences for women’s well-being and subjectivity. The women experienced challenging formative years, but with diagnosis and the evolution and acceptance of their identities, they were able to resist negative narratives of autism spectrum condition, embrace their strengths and develop adaptive coping strategies. It is hoped this article generates insights for societal and clinical recognition to better support women on the autism spectrum. Lay abstract Most autism spectrum condition research addresses the neurological and biological causes of autism spectrum condition, focusing upon deficits associated with autism spectrum condition and behavioural interventions designed to minimise these deficits. Little is known about the lived experiences of adult women on the autism spectrum and how they navigate social expectations around gender, autism spectrum condition and gendered understandings of autism spectrum condition. The lived experiences of eight women on the AS will be shared here, with attention to how gendered expectations influence women’s experiences of autism spectrum condition, their sense of self and well-being. Findings showed these women struggled to reconcile the expectations of others, particularly early in life. The women had difficultly conforming to stereotypical ideals of femininity, yet as they aged, they felt less need to conform, valuing their unique style and behaviours. The women also rejected deficit-oriented descriptions of autism spectrum condition generated by the medical community, preferring to focus on their strengths and unique characteristics. It is hoped this article helps psychologists and the wider community to understand and meet the needs of women on the AS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-93
Author(s):  
Mary Jo Kreitzer

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on the well-being of nurses and has exacerbated long-standing issues of stress and burnout. Expecting or hoping that nurses will recover quickly or bounce back from the stress and deep trauma of the pandemic is not realistic. Each nurse has a story, and while these stories may have similar themes, they are all different. It is important to reflect on our stories, identify the myriad of emotions we are experiencing, and find ways to work through our feelings. Ignoring, denying, or suppressing feelings does not serve us well in the long run. Stifling negative emotions does not make them go away. A Call to Action is needed to address the impact of the pandemic, clinician burnout, and systemic racism on health-care organizations and educational institutions. Strategies are identified that will support personal and organizational well-being.


2020 ◽  
pp. 531-537
Author(s):  
Juliana Onwumere ◽  
Elizabeth Kuipers

Families can play an important role in supporting individuals living with psychosis disorders and helping to facilitate their improved outcomes. This chapter, offered by Juliana Onwumere and Elizabeth Kuipers, provides an overview of the literature reporting on family involvement in the care of adults with lived experiences of psychosis, the impact of the caregiving role on carer well-being, and the predictive links between caregiving relationships and key patient outcomes including relapse. The chapter reports on the application of family interventions, the evidence base supporting its application and inclusion in treatment guidelines, and implementation issues.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
ESTHER MORALEDA ◽  
Mario Arana ◽  
Patricia López

Abstract Background: Williams Syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by a variable intellectual disability. People with Williams Syndrome need the intervention of several clinical and educational specialists throughout their life. However, little is known about the impact produced by this disability in their immediate environment, especially in families. The purpose was to know the level of quality of life described by families with Williams Syndrome.Methods: The sample was made up of 33 families belong to Spanish Williams Syndrome Association who were evaluated using the Kidslife Scale. Theirs children and adolescents were between 4 and 20 years old. Eight main quality of life dimensions were evaluated: emotional well-being, physical well-being, material well-being, personal development, interpersonal relations, social inclusion, self-determination and rightsResults: The obtained data indicated that the degree and presence of intellectual disability themselves did not homogeneously influence people’s quality of life, but many variables could alter their quality of life to a greater or lesser extent. There are no significant differences between quality of life areas but significant differences appeared for level of dependence in the self-determination subarea (p<.05). Conclusions: These results led us to analyse the social and emotional implications for families and their environment.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocío Muñoz-Moreno ◽  
Alfonso Chaves-Montero ◽  
Aleix Morilla-Luchena ◽  
Octavio Vázquez-Aguado

During the state of alarm declared in Spain by COVID-19 due to the pandemic, the country's authorities declared Social Services and their workers to be essential, considering that the activity of these professionals with the vulnerable population was crucial and that services should continue to be provided to guarantee the well-being of users in this exceptionally serious situation. This article analyzes the impact that the COVID-19 and the state of alarm has had on Spanish social service professionals. An ad hoc questionnaire was used, administered on-line, individually, voluntarily and anonymously to 560 professionals working in social services, both in the public and private sectors, based throughout Spain. This questionnaire has five different parts: socio-demographic profiling, impact that the health crisis has had on the practice of professional functions, degree of knowledge of the measures imposed to guarantee the protection and safety of professionals and users, impact that it has had on the professional and personal development of social services professionals and, the fifth and last part, degree of adaptation of the measures aimed at the care of the vulnerable population. These results are discussed based on the situation in which professionals working in this sector find themselves in the face of the changes they are experiencing in the development of their work, and we are able to determine the profile of the workers who have felt most affected by the situation, with the consequent and foreseeable mental and emotional affectation that this implies. These professionals tend to value more negatively the set of measures developed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Spanish social services.


Author(s):  
Ludmila Aleksandrovna Kormishkina ◽  
Evgenij Danilovich Kormishkin ◽  
Eka Revazievna Ermakova

This article substantiates social well-being of the population as one of the key indicators of socioeconomic inequality. The author advances a scientific idea is that the system of allocation of income and national wealth formed in the post-Soviet Russia, when excessive advantages of some (small social groups) are provided at the cost of limiting functional capabilities of others (larger social groups), which severely contradicts the basic principles of inclusive society and cannot be recognized as socially fair. The conducted analysis of the peculiarities of inequality in post-Soviet Russia describes it as &ldquo;socially unfair&rdquo; and excessive. Such inequality negatively affects social well-being of the individuals. It is demonstrated that excessive inequality, with characteristic massive poverty (absolute and relative), in the meta-space of social well-being of the population or the Russian Federation, the prevalent type of life realization of an individual is the &ldquo;negative expectations&rdquo;; most significant risk factors for the worsening of social well-being are moral and emotional state of society and some status characteristics of the individual (level of education, professional activity). Using cluster analysis, the author tests the hypothesis on the impact of excessive inequality upon the level of manifestation of deviant behavior of the people in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Recommendations are formulated on amending the redistributive policy of the government aimed at reduction of socioeconomic inequality and improvement pf social well-being of the population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Oleg Kokun ◽  
Ingrida Baranauskienė ◽  
Oleksandr Shamych

One of the most effective ways of integrating people with disabilities into society and ensuring their comprehensive personal development is to engage people with disabilities into Paralympic Games. Such engagement creates the necessary conditions to socialize people with disabilities, to adapt their physical and mental states to existing living conditions, to ease negative manifestations of their psycho-emotional states, to promote their self-realization. The article presents the results of the research determining the impact of sports on Paralympic athletes’ personal development. The comparison of the indicators of psychological well-being and hardiness of Paralympic athletes with normative values, the indicators shown by students without disabilities and students with disabilities has confirmed proven clear positive influence of sports on Paralympic athletes’ personal development. In particular, Paralympic athletes achieve an optimal level of psychological well-being and a significant increase in all psychological hardiness components.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 419
Author(s):  
Maria Chierichetti ◽  
Patricia Backer

In Spring 2020, the College of Engineering at San José State University (SJSU) conducted a comprehensive analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on faculty who were forced to transition to an online learning environment. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on faculty teaching methods, assessment methods, and personal well-being. The study was a combination of a quantitative survey and a qualitative study using interviews of engineering faculty teaching in Spring 2020. In the first part, we surveyed all faculty teaching during Spring 2020 in the SJSU College of Engineering about their experiences after the move to 100% online instruction in March 2020. In the second part of the research, we interviewed 23 faculty members to obtain a more in-depth understanding of their experiences during the move online in Spring 2020. Overall, 98 faculty participated in the survey: lecturers (58), tenure-track (18), tenured (13), adjunct (1), and Teaching Associates (1). The faculty reported being worried about their family and their students’ well-being. In addition, 65% of faculty members reported either a moderate or a great deal of stress related to the shelter in place, and this percentage was higher for female faculty (74%) and for tenure-track faculty (83%). Overall, faculty members felt that they had their classes under control most of the time and that the transition to online teaching was positive, even if they felt they had too much work to do and felt always in a hurry and under pressure. From a teaching perspective, the interviews highlight that faculty members’ main concerns focus on testing and assessment and students’ engagement. Overall, SJSU College of Engineering faculty members felt under stress in the transition to online teaching, especially the tenure-track faculty members, but were able to transition their classes with ease.


Author(s):  
Baltica Cabieses ◽  
Kate E. Pickett ◽  
Richard G. Wilkinson

Child well-being is important for lifelong health and well-being. Although there is evidence linking social determinants of health (eg, relative poverty and income inequality) to child well-being, social and public health policy tends to focus on interventions to mitigate their effects, rather than remove the root causes. Children born into socioeconomically disadvantaged families suffer worse child well-being and its lifelong implications, in all societies, worldwide. However, some societies are able to mitigate these inequalities and create better average child well-being and smaller gaps between rich and poor children. This success has less to do with specific welfare policies or targeted interventions for poor children than to a societal commitment to greater equality.


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