USING MIXED METHODS TO EXPLORE RESILIENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, AND RE-SUSPENSION AMONG YOUTH IN A COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVE-TO-SUSPENSION PROGRAM

Background: The Dalhousie Health Mentors Program (DHMP) is a community-based, pre-licensure interprofessional education initiative that aims to prepare health professional students for collaborative practice in the care of patients with chronic conditions. This program evaluation explores the students’ 1) learning and plans to incorporate skills into future practice; 2) ratings of program content, delivery, and assignments; 3) perspectives of curricular factors that inadvertently acted as barriers to learning; and 4) program improvement suggestions.Methods: All students (N = 745) from the 16 participating health programs were invited to complete an online mixed methods program evaluation survey at the conclusion of the 2012–2013 DHMP. A total of 295 students (40% response rate) responded to the Likert-type questions analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Of these students, 204 (69%) provided responses to 10 open-ended questions, which were analyzed thematically.Findings: While the majority of respondents agreed that they achieved the DHMP learning objectives, the mixed-methods approach identified curriculum integration, team composition, and effectiveness of learning assignments as factors that unintentionally acted as barriers to learning, with three key student recommendations for program improvement.Conclusions: Educators and program planners need to be aware that even well-intended learning activities may result in unintended experiences that hamper interprofessional learning.

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Trauma Healing: A Mixed Methods Study of Personal and Community-Based Healing

Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma ◽

10.1080/10926771.2014.920453 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 611-632 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jeffrey L. Todahl ◽

Elaine Walters ◽

Deepa Bharwdi ◽

Shanta R. Dube

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Trauma Healing

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Community Peer-Led Exercise Groups: Reasons for Success

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice ◽

10.46743/1540-580x/2014.1483 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Linda Robertson ◽

Beatrice Hale ◽

Debra Waters ◽

Leigh Hale ◽

Alexa Andrew

Keyword(s):

Social Connectedness ◽

Specific Model ◽

Falls Prevention ◽

Peer Leaders ◽

Group Leaders ◽

Community Based ◽

Volunteer Leaders ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

Qualitative Descriptive ◽

Physical Achievement

Purpose: This paper considers reasons for the successful maintenance of community based, falls-prevention programs. While the physical achievement of such programs has been demonstrated through randomized trials, other features influential in ongoing membership have received less attention. This study examined the sustainability of a specific model of a community-based program in a New Zealand city: SAYGO, the strength and balance classes for older adults lead by older volunteer leaders recruited from local communities. Method: A qualitative, descriptive approach was used and first-hand knowledge of the experiences of those involved in the groups gathered. Data collection methods included individual interviews of two group organizers and seven focus groups: six with the members of the exercise groups (57 participants) and one with the peer leaders from these same groups (6 participants). Results: Three major themes emerged from the interviews. Two were related to the outcomes of the groups (ie. physical and social benefits). The third was concerned with the support needs of the groups to ensure their on-going maintenance. The aspect that most invigorated the participants was the social value of the group. Conclusions: A major feature that contributed to the sustainability of the peer led exercise groups was the positive social connectedness created by the modeling of a caring culture by the peer-leaders. This caring culture involves support and inclusion of every member and acting as a resource and confidant for individual issues. Because group leaders are similar in age and physical problems, it is expected that they will empathize with participants, and because of their community and agency links, it is expected that they will be able to act as a resource for information on issues related to the participants, therefore, stand between the formal and informal domains and are perceived to have knowledge and connections in both. This, we suggest, is a major, previously unconsidered feature in the sustainability of these groups.

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HIV Testing and Care in Canadian Aboriginal Youth: A community based mixed methods study

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/1471-2334-8-132 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Judy E Mill ◽

Randy C Jackson ◽

Catherine A Worthington ◽

Chris P Archibald ◽

Tom Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Hiv Testing ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Community Based ◽

Aboriginal Youth

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Supporting Self-Management and Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorder with the Beta PolarUs App: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.36213 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Erin E Michalak ◽

Steven J Barnes ◽

Emma Morton ◽

Heather O'Brien ◽

Greg Murray ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Community Based Participatory Research ◽

Self Management ◽

Community Based ◽

Self Monitoring ◽

Web Based ◽

Beta Version

BACKGROUND Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly recognised as a key outcome of self-management interventions for bipolar disorder (BD). Mobile phone applications (apps) can increase access to evidence-based self-management strategies and provide real-time support. However, while individuals with lived experience desire support with monitoring and improving broader health domains, existing BD apps largely target mood symptoms only. Further, evidence from the broader mHealth literature has shown that the desires and goals of end-users are not adequately taken into account during app development, and as a result engagement with mental health apps is suboptimal. To capitalise on the potential of apps to optimise wellness in BD, there is a need for interventions developed in consultation with real-world users that are designed to support QoL self-monitoring and self-management. Objective: This mixed methods pilot study is designed to evaluate the beta version of the newly developed PolarUs app, which aims to support QoL self-monitoring and self-management in people with BD. Developed using a community-based participatory research framework, the PolarUs app builds on the web-based adaptation of a BD-specific QoL self-assessment measure, and integrates material from a web-based portal providing information on evidence-informed self-management strategies in BD. OBJECTIVE The primary objectives of this project are to: (1) evaluate PolarUs app feasibility (via behavioral usage metrics); (2) evaluate PolarUs impact (via the Brief Quality of Life in Bipolar Disorders, QoL.BD scale, our primary outcomes measure); and (3) explore engagement with the PolarUs app (via both quantitative and qualitative methods). METHODS Study participants will be North American residents (N=150) aged 18-65 years with a DSM-5 diagnosis of BD-I, BD-II or BD not otherwise specified (NOS) as assessed by a structured diagnostic interview. An embedded mixed-methods research design will be adopted; qualitative interviews with a purposefully selected sub-sample (~n=30) of participants will be conducted to explore in more depth feasibility, impact and engagement with the PolarUs app over the 12-week study period. RESULTS At the time of publication of this protocol, the development of the beta version of the PolarUs app is complete. Participant enrollment is expected to begin in February 2022. Data collection is expected to be completed by December 2022. CONCLUSIONS Beyond contributing knowledge on the feasibility and impacts of a novel app to support QoL and self-management in BD, this study is also expected to provide new knowledge on engagement with mHealth apps. Furthermore, it is expected to function as a case study of successful co-design between individuals living with BD, clinicians who specialise in the treatment of BD, and BD researchers, providing a template for future use of community-based participatory research frameworks in mHealth intervention development. Results will be used to further refine the PolarUs app and inform the design of a larger clinical trial.

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Integrated decision-making model for community-based rehabilitation service utilisation among persons with severe mental illness in China: protocol for a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021528 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. e021528 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ruoxi Wang ◽

Shangfeng Tang ◽

Ian Shaw ◽

Zhanchun Feng ◽

Zhuo Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Service Utilisation ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Community Based Rehabilitation ◽

Integrated Decision Making ◽

Different Levels

IntroductionA common problem low-income and middle-income countries face is the scarcity of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) resources and low service utilisation among persons with severe mental illness (SMI). Despite this problem, the factors and pathways followed influencing one’s decision on service utilisation in China have not been fully comprehended. This study aims to develop a theory-based model that systematically describes the integrated decision-making process of mental health CBR utilisation among persons with SMI in China.Methods/DesignThis cross-sectional, mixed-methods study involves three main stages and is expected to last 3 years, from January 2018 to December 2020. In stage 1, the Social Exchange Theory is deployed as an analytical framework to comprehensively capture factors associated with tendency to use CBR services in China using semistructured interview methodology involving patients with SMI, their primary caregivers and CBR service providers. In stage 2, interpretive structural modelling will be applied to analyse the relationships between factors in different dimensions, at different levels and with different levels of impact. Stage 3 involves a multiregion survey among at least 300 family decision-makers (either the patient or their caregivers) in six communities in three cities to statistically validate the initial model derived in stage 2 using a further structural equation modelling.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (No 2017S319). All interviewees will be provided with written information about the study, and a signed consent will be retrieved prior to the interview. Rules on confidentiality and anonymity of data will be strictly followed. The findings of this study will be disseminated via international and domestic peer-reviewed journals, reports, conference presentations and symposium discussions. Reports will be submitted to the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Integrating Community-based Research into a Senior Capstone Seminar: Lessons Learned from a Mixed-methods Study

Teaching Sociology ◽

10.1177/0092055x19841667 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 191-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara Shostak ◽

Margarita Corral ◽

Ann G. Ward ◽

Alex Willett

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Research Methods ◽

Social Processes ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Important Work ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Research ◽

Community Based Organizations ◽

Sociology Departments

This article describes a senior capstone, Neighborhoods and Health, which used community-based research (CBR) as its primary pedagogy. Students in the course drew upon multiple research methods and forms of data to provide our partner, the Urban Farming Institute of Boston, with an array of research products in support of the revitalization of a historic farm in the Boston neighborhood of Mattapan. Based on pre- and posttest assessment and analysis of students’ reflections in their journals, we identify how a multimethods approach—combined with a commitment to producing usable research products—simultaneously contributed to students’ research methods proficiency and their understanding of complex social processes. For both sociology departments and interdisciplinary majors that draw on sociological perspectives, CBR offers a compelling means of providing seniors with meaningful capstone experiences while adding capacity to the important work of community-based organizations.

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A Palliative Care Program for Volunteers in a Community Setting: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® ◽

10.1177/1049909119895213 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (6) ◽

pp. 455-464 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jiwon Lee ◽

Jong-Eun Lee

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Meaning In Life ◽

Palliative Care Service ◽

Care Program ◽

Palliative Care Program ◽

Community Based ◽

Volunteer Program ◽

Coping With Death

Background: The objective of community-based palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families and to share the responsibility of caregiving. However, the evidence of the efficacy of volunteer services in community-based palliative care is insufficient. Purpose: This pilot study sought to uncover the feasibility and efficacy of a volunteer program in palliative care. Methods: The study used a sequential mixed-methods design. A total of 19 volunteers participated in the training program, and 6 trained volunteers provided services for a period of 10 weeks to 5 families. Quantitative data were collected on death anxiety, coping with death, and meaning in life for volunteers before and after the training and after completing their services. Qualitative data were collected about volunteering experiences. Results: Significant increases in coping with death and meaning in life after training and in meaning in life after providing services were observed among volunteers. Three categories (“Volunteer’s growing influence at home,” “Discovering meaning-in-life through volunteering,” and “Death as the final journey in life”) emerged from the qualitative findings. The caregivers’ satisfaction score was high. Conclusions: A palliative care program was found to be useful for volunteers in finding meaning in life, motivating continued volunteering. Moreover, caregivers were satisfied with the palliative care service of volunteers.

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