scholarly journals Identity Formation in Adolescents with Concentration Problems, High Levels of Activity or Impulsiveness: A Pragmatic Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Audhild Løhre

Students showing core symptoms of ADHD face additional challenges in school. This study asks how children and adolescents with inattentiveness, high levels of activity or impulsiveness perceive their symptom-like behaviour and how this may affect their identity, friendships and well-being. Researchers conducted individual interviews with 12 students (10–16 years) selected to attend a school programme aimed at improving their concentration. Six students had an ADHD diagnosis. The interviews were analysed, guided by theoretical reading. The students’ narratives fit a discursive perspective showing that identity developed through interactions with others. All students told about their disturbing concentration problems. Students disliked having a short fuse and talking before thinking, and they admitted that impulsive behaviour could threaten their friendships. On the other hand, students with high levels of activity described this as fun in interaction with friends. Nobody mentioned that concentration problems affected friendships, and none of the core symptoms seemed to influence well-being. There were no obvious differences between students with or without an ADHD diagnosis. The students’ stories, therefore, show that teachers should know their students with inattentiveness, hyperactivity or impulsiveness individually to learn about their challenges and preferences.

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Caci ◽  
David Cohen ◽  
Olivier Bonnot ◽  
Bernard Kabuth ◽  
Jean-Phillipe Raynaud ◽  
...  

Objective: The objective of this study is to retrospectively describe the pathway toward ADHD diagnosis and treatment, and identify potential areas for improvement. Method: Parent-reported questionnaires were collected by a national sample of ADHD specialists. Results: In total, 473 complete questionnaires were analyzed. Initial onset of ADHD symptoms was reported at a mean age of 4.45 years. Mean age at diagnosis was 8.07 years, and half of the families had seen at least three health care professionals previously. Psychiatrists were most commonly consulted. A “combined” (89% boys) and inattentive (49% boys) profile was identified. Diagnosis was made 1 year later for the latter group. Two thirds of patients received pharmacological treatment. The delay in diagnosis was identified as the main source of concern for caregivers. Conclusion: The 4-year delay in diagnosis may represent a loss of opportunity. Training health care professionals in the core symptoms of ADHD may help reduce disparities and improve patient trajectory.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assia Mohdeb ◽  
Sofiane Mammeri

Identity, in one of its understanding, signifies a set of characteristics that make up a person’s ethical faithfulness to, identification with, and pride of one’s origin, tradition, and culture. Remaining true to one’s identity and being faithful to the core values of one’s culture is a complicated matter when it comes to a black living in white society like America, where color and racial identity are rudimentary prerequisites in self-definition and naming. Philip Roth’s novel entitled The Human Stain (2000) shows how some black figures undress their black identity to wear the prestigious white one to go onward with life as full selves, to have access to all the privileges the whites enjoy, and, above all, to live without the specter of race and the decisiveness of epidermal signs. The novel calls into question and revision such essentialist notions as other, class,andrace by describing the crises the subject or self undergoes in the light of racial prejudices, center-periphery relations, and class stereotypes. The present paper, then, addresses the act of self-abdication the protagonist, Silk Coleman, carries out to overstep the feeling of otherness and to dodge racial discrimination. The paper looks into the notions of selfhood and Otherness by negotiating the definition of the self and the distortion it undergoes in its encounter with the Other . The study aims at revealing, primarily, the effects of Black racial-passing, a common phenomenon in American society of the first half of the twentieth century, on familial relationships and cultural heritage. It also reveals the weight of gender and class discrimination in the individual’s identity formation and well-being.


2019 ◽  
pp. 98-129
Author(s):  
Riane Eisler

This chapter focuses on the tension between domination systems and partnership systems as two ends of a continuum along which human societies can be organized, regardless of whether they are Eastern or Western, Northern or Southern, religious or secular, rightist or leftist, and so on. It describes the core components of each system, how these interact, and how growing up in societies that orient to one or the other differently affects neurological development and hence our perceptions, cognitions, emotions, and behaviors—which in turn affect human health, happiness, well-being, and the types of societies we create. The chapter provides examples of how domination systems produce high levels of stress—from the artificial creation of economic scarcity to stressful early family experiences—and how this plays out in the neurochemistry of the brain, tending to keep people at a less advanced level of overall human development that interferes with the full flourishing of those very qualities that make people happiest: security, empathy, consciousness, creativity, and love. On the other hand, partnership environments—as illustrated by descriptions of conditions in Nordic nations—enhance the expression of human capacities for health, happiness, well-being, consciousness, and creativity.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Marina Sjöberg

The overall aim of this thesis was to illuminate the meanings of existential loneliness(EL) and describe how it was eased, as narrated by frail older people, as well as toexamine existential aspects documented in patient records in specialised palliative care.Two of the constituent studies of this thesis were qualitative with an explorative anddescriptive design (i.e., studies I and II), and two studies were based on a retrospectivepatient record review, of which one was quantitative with an exploratory design (StudyIII) and the other was qualitative with a descriptive design (Study IV). The datacollection for studies I and II was based on individual interviews with frail older people75 or more years old. Studies III and IV were based on a randomly selected sample ofpatient records of frail older people who died in specialised palliative care during 2017.The data were collected using a pilot-tested review template to identify aspects of thedocumentation relating to the aims of the studies.The findings of Study I indicated that EL was a negative experience. Four themeswere identified related to meanings of EL: being trapped in a frail and deterioratingbody, being met with indifference, having nobody to share life with, and lacking purposeand meaning. The first theme was considered an overarching theme due to its closeinterrelatedness with the other three themes. The comprehensive understanding of ELamong frail older people was ‘being disconnected from life’, an experience of at leastmomentary abandonment, being left to one’s fate, and living a meaningless life. Study IIshowed that existential loneliness was eased when being acknowledged by others, beingthe focus of others’ concern, encountering intimacy, and having meaningful exchangesof thoughts and feelings. It was further eased when the participants could bracketnegative thoughts and feelings, that is, when they could adjust and accept the presentsituation, view life in the ‘rear-view mirror’, be in contact with spiritual dimensions, andwithdraw and distract themselves. Existential loneliness could be either in the forefront(i.e., feelings of ill-being) (Study I) or in the background (i.e., feelings of well-being)(Study II). The findings of Study III indicated that performed interventions were the14most common subject of documented clinical notes, mostly related to pharmacologicalinterventions. Pain was the most common documented problem, followed by circulatoryproblems, nutrition problems, and anxiety. Clinical notes concerning wishes and wellbeing-related details were documented, but not frequently. Overall symptom assessmenttools, especially multi-dimensional tools, were used to a small extent. More people whoreceived care in palliative in-patient wards died alone than did people who received carein their own homes. Study IV was based on notes extracted from 84 patient records.The results indicated that documented existential aspects had both negative and positiveconnotations and were related to the patients’ loss of freedom and self-determination,loneliness and community, anxiety and inner peace, and despair and hope. The notesconcerning existential aspects were, however, not recorded in a structured way and nocare plans relating to existential aspects were found.According to the studies, both ill-being and well-being were evident, and the livedbody occupied a central position in all studies. The frail body increased the patients’vulnerability and limited their living space. Meaningful activities and meaningfulcommunity and exchange with others eased the existential loneliness. Existentialloneliness remains invisible to others as long as nobody talks about it, and it remainsinvisible in the documentation as long as it is not documented in a structured way.This thesis demonstrates the importance of making existential loneliness and existentialaspects visible in encounters with frail older people and in the clinical documentation.


Author(s):  
Eric Taylor

Abstract. This review starts from the finding that there is strong persistence of ADHD problems into adult life, despite the availability of effective treatment with stimulants and other drugs. Short-term trials in adults reveal that those drugs can still be efficacious in adults. Pharmacoepidemiology studies, on the other hand, clearly show that most young people discontinue medication during adolescence. Neuropharmacology research suggests a waning of stimulant effects after a few years. Longitudinal studies are scarce but provide some evidence that prognosis is often determined by factors other than the core symptoms of inattentiveness and impulsive overactivity. The implications for clinical practice are discussed. Continuing care, especially during the follow-up after initial therapy, needs further development.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e033450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E L Brown ◽  
William Laughey ◽  
Paul Alexander Tiffin ◽  
Gabrielle M Finn

ObjectiveTo explore student physician associates’ (PAs) experiences of clinical training to ascertain the process of their occupational identity formation.SettingThe role of the PA is relatively new within the UK. There has been a rapid expansion in training places driven by National Health Service (NHS) workforce shortages, with the Department of Health recently announcing plans for the General Medical Council to statutorily regulate PAs. Given such recent changes and the relative newness of their role, PAs are currently establishing their occupational identity. Within adjacent fields, robust identity development improves well-being and career success. Thus, there are implications for recruitment, retention and workplace performance. This qualitative study analyses the views of student PAs to ascertain the process of PA occupational identity formation through the use of one-to-one semistructured interviews. A constructivist grounded theory approach to data analysis was taken. Research was informed by communities of practice and socialisation theory.ParticipantsA theoretical sample of 19 PA students from two UK medical schools offering postgraduate PA studies courses.ResultsA conceptual model detailing student PA identity formation is proposed. Factors facilitating identity formation include clinical exposure and continuity. Barriers to identity formation include ignorance and negativity regarding the PA role. Difficulties navigating identity formation and lacking support resulted in identity dissonance.ConclusionsAlthough similarities exist between PA and medical student identity formation, unique challenges exist for student PAs. These include navigating a new role and poor access to PA role models. Given this, PA students are turning to medicine for their identity. Educators must provide support for student PA identity development in line with this work’s recommendations. Such support is likely to improve the job satisfaction and retention of PAs within the UK NHS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Jane Liva ◽  
Wendy Anne Hall ◽  
John Oliffe

Abstract Background Challenges with engaging in postnatal physical activity can negatively affect the health of women and their families. This study investigated women’s physical activity decision-making processes and strategies to support their physical activity as part of a healthy postpartum transition. Methods Thirty healthy women with infants aged 2.5–12 months completed 3-day activity diaries and an individual interview. Using Glaser and Charmaz’s grounded theory methodology, the core category, reconciling relationships with physical activity, was constructed, which explained women’s processes of postnatal physical activity decision-making. Results Through reconciling relationships with physical activity, women discerned the types of physical activity they were comfortable pursuing at various points in the postpartum transition. Based on the meaning physical activity held for participants and their views about risks, supports, and resources, women gauged their capacity and the workability of their physical activity desires. Most women were uncertain of their capacity (physical, emotional) to return to physical activity and viewed the achievement of several or all of their desired physical activities as unworkable. Only a small group of women fully pursued the desirable physical activities they viewed as important for their well-being. Women adjusted the strategies they used to achieve physical activity when their expectations of capacity and workability did not align with their experiences. Some women lacked access to resources or supportive messaging about postpartum physical activity and downgraded their physical activity pursuit after negative personal physical or childcare experiences. Conclusions Women can benefit from discussions about physiological birth recovery and navigating community and peer resources to support physical activity access and the safe return to physical activity following birth.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e035013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen D Coulman ◽  
Fiona MacKichan ◽  
Jane M Blazeby ◽  
Jenny L Donovan ◽  
Amanda Owen-Smith

ObjectivesBariatric surgery is the most clinically effective treatment for people with severe and complex obesity, however, the psychosocial outcomes are less clear. Follow-up care after bariatric surgery is known to be important, but limited guidance exists on what this should entail, particularly related to psychological and social well-being. Patients’ perspectives are valuable to inform the design of follow-up care. This study investigated patients’ experiences of life after bariatric surgery including important aspects of follow-up care, in the long term.DesignA qualitative study using semistructured individual interviews. A constant comparative approach was used to code data and identify themes and overarching concepts.SettingBariatric surgery units of two publicly funded hospitals in the South of England.ParticipantsSeventeen adults (10 women) who underwent a primary operation for obesity (mean time since surgery 3.11 years, range 4 months to 9 years), including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy, agreed to participate in the interviews.ResultsExperiences of adapting to life following surgery were characterised by the concepts of ‘normality’ and ‘ambivalence’, while experiences of ‘abandonment’ and ‘isolation’ dominated participants’ experiences of follow-up care. Patients highlighted the need for more flexible, longer-term follow-up care that addresses social and psychological difficulties postsurgery and integrates peer support.ConclusionsThis research highlights unmet patient need for more accessible and holistic follow-up care that addresses the long-term multidimensional impact of bariatric surgery. Future research should investigate effective and acceptable follow-up care packages for patients undergoing bariatric surgery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 454-463
Author(s):  
Philippa Morag Lyon ◽  
Martha Turland

Health professionals routinely draw for patients, carers and colleagues as part of clinical communication to describe, explain and record. The drawings that result are either discarded, kept by patients or become part of a patient’s records. Some health professionals also draw when engaged in teaching and training in clinical contexts. Very little literature has acknowledged that such drawing regularly takes place and there does not appear to have been formal research into the reasons, benefits or disadvantages of these drawing practices. This study examined the perceptions of seven UK health professionals, from different specialties, who draw as part of their daily professional practice. In this qualitative study, the researchers carried out in-depth individual interviews, during which they invited participants to make exemplar drawings. The findings included that for nearly all, drawing was a flexible, sensitive and spontaneous method of visualising information. In making explanatory drawings for patients, health professionals were taking care to provide information in a way that was accessible and personally relevant. While one participant indicated that ‘live’ drawing had been superseded by professionally illustrated material and video in their profession, the other participants believed that drawing remained the more practical, effective and emotionally appropriate method of visualising explanations. Health professionals convey and clarify knowledge for one another through drawing, yet it does not appear to be included in their training. Drawing was also described as useful and often pleasurable for the professionals themselves. Further research is now needed to explore patients’ perspectives on such drawing practices.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052096923
Author(s):  
Mandy McKenzie ◽  
Kelsey L. Hegarty ◽  
Victoria J. Palmer ◽  
Laura Tarzia

Young women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are most likely to turn to their friends for help. Although friends can play a critical role in providing support, there is little research that examines friends’ experiences. In this qualitative study, we explored how friends of young women experiencing IPV perceived their role in responding to IPV in the context of friendship. We held in-depth interviews with 15 friends of young women who had experienced IPV and used reflexive thematic analysis to develop key themes from the data. We developed two overarching themes that reflected participants’ perceptions of the roles they had played or considered as a friend in responding to IPV: “taking action” (which included “providing an outsider’s view,” “being an advisor or coach,” “being a protector,” and “taking a stand”); and “being there” (which included “being a listener,” “being a companion” and “being an ally”). Their perceptions were shaped by friendship expectations, as well as by understandings of IPV. However, deciding what role to play in supporting their friend was constructed as challenging due to conflicting expectations that arose in the context of friendship. It involved balancing a perceived responsibility to do what they thought was best for their friend’s well-being, a need to promote honesty and mutuality in the friendship, along with a competing obligation to respect their friend’s choices, maintain her trust and ensure equality in the friendship. Being friends with the abuser as well as with the victim created additional complexities. Based on our findings, we identify key areas to address in developing interventions to assist friends to respond to young women experiencing IPV. These could guide friends on how to play an effective support role while also maintaining the friendship and managing the significant emotional impacts of providing help.


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