An Open Trial of Immersive Reality Experiences (IRE) Technology for Reducing Social Isolation and Improving the Social Connectedness and Well-Being of Hospitalized Children and Young People (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiran Thabrew ◽  
Christa Fouché ◽  
Laura Ann Chubb ◽  
Stacey Yates ◽  
Harshali Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hospitalized Children ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
The Social

BACKGROUND Hospitalized children and young people can feel disconnected from their peers and families, which can in turn predispose them to psychological problems including anxiety and depression. Immersive Reality Experiences (IRE) technology, recently developed by the New Zealand Patience Project Charitable Trust may help to overcome these issues. IRE technology uses immersive 360-degree live-streaming and a virtual reality (VR) headset to enable hospitalized children and young people to connect with cameras located in either their school or home environment. OBJECTIVE This trial was undertaken to 1) quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of IRE technology in reducing social isolation and improving social connectedness and wellbeing using validated outcome measures and 2) expand qualitative findings from a previous smaller ‘proof of concept’ trial to ascertain the views of hospitalized New Zealand children and young people, their caregivers and teachers regarding IRE technology. METHODS An open trial of IRE technology was conducted between December 2019 and December 2020 and included 19 New Zealand children and young people aged 13-18, who had been hospitalized at Starship Hospital, a specialist pediatric hospital in Auckland, for at least 2-weeks. All participants completed the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), an abbreviated version of the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS) and the Social Inclusion Scale (SIS) and at baseline. Ten participants used IRE technology as often as they wished over a 6-week period and completed post-intervention measures. Semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants, caregivers and teachers were conducted immediately post-intervention. RESULTS Participants reported improvements in social inclusion (mean change 3.9, SD 2.8, p 0.057), social connectedness (mean change 14.2, SD 10.0, p 0.002) and well-being (mean change 5.7, SD 4.0, p 0.003). Key themes from interviews with participants, caregivers and teachers were: the importance of support for using IRE technology, connecting vs connectedness, choice and connection, and the value of setting it up and getting it right. A number of recommendations for improving connectedness via IRE and related technology were also provided. CONCLUSIONS IRE technology can improve the social inclusion, social connectedness and well-being of hospitalized New Zealand children and young people. With some technological modifications and simplified implementation, IRE technology could become part of standard care and support hospitalized children and young people in New Zealand and elsewhere to sustain family and peer cohesion, experience fewer psychological problems and more easily return to normal life following completion of treatment. CLINICALTRIAL This study has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Network Registry: ACTRN12619000252112p

scholarly journals O Papel da Recreação e do Lazer na Inclusão Social de Adolescentes

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-153
Author(s):  
Virgilio Abrahão Junior ◽  
Julia Alejandra Pezuk
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Program ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Marginalized Youth ◽  
Recreational Activities ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
The Social ◽  
The City

Resumo Atualmente no Brasil é possível observar uma parcela da população jovens, principalmente nas classes sociais mais baixas, sujeitos a situações que acarretam maior susceptibilidade para se envolver com drogas, prostituição, crimes, gravidez e doenças sexualmente transmissíveis. Diversos fatores psicossociais são necessários para que os adolescentes passem pela adolescência sem a necessidade deste tipo de envolvimentos. A recreação e o lazer podem ser usados como instrumento para facilitar a inclusão social e ao mercado de trabalho de jovens marginalizados. O impacto emocional positivo do uso da recreação e do lazer favorece o bem-estar e auxilia na inclusão social de adolescentes, e possibilitam o uso dessas ferramentas para serem explorados em eventos e atividades recreativas. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo mostrar a importância do desenvolvimento de projetos sobre recreação e o lazer para a inclusão social de jovens. Para isso é relatada a experiência com o Programa Social realizado na cidade de Guarulhos/SP intitulado Programa Oportunidade ao Jovem, que busca a qualificação profissional dos jovens da cidade que se encontram em situação de risco e pobreza, e que estão em geral excluídos da sociedade. Mostramos aqui que a inclusão social por meio de programas sociais usando atividades recreativas facilita a inserção social de jovens marginalizados e devem ser consideradas nas políticas públicas. Pois ainda permitem que adolescentes em situação econômica precária tenham a possibilidade de exercer uma profissão na área de recreação ao término dos cursos dos programas, impactando significativamente na vida desses jovens.   Palavras-chave: Programa Social. Agente de Recreação. Políticas Públicas.   Abstract In Brazil it is possible to observe a portion of the young population, mainly in the lower social classes, who are subject to situations that cause greater susceptibility to get involved with drugs, prostitution, crimes, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Several psychosocial factors are necessary for adolescents to go through adolescence without the need for this type of involvement. Recreation can be used as an instrument to facilitate social inclusion and the labor market for marginalized youth. The positive emotional impact of recreation favors well-being and assists in the social inclusion of adolescents and enables the use of these tools to be explored in events and recreational activities. In this context, this paper aims to show the importance of developing projects on recreation for the social inclusion of young people. For this, the experience with the Social Program carried out in the city of Guarulhos / SP entitled Programa Oportunidade ao Jovem, which seeks the professional qualification of young people in the city who are at risk and poverty, and who are in general excluded from society, is reported. We show here that social inclusion through social programs using recreational activities facilitates the social insertion of marginalized youth and should be considered in public policies. Because they still allow adolescents in a precarious economic situation to have the possibility of exercising a profession in the area of recreation at the end of the program courses, significantly impacting the lives of these young people   Keywords: Social Program. Recreation Agent. Public Policy.

Pilot study of a well-being app to support New Zealand young people during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Serlachius ◽  
Anna Boggiss ◽  
David Lim ◽  
Kiralee Schache ◽  
Kate Wallace-Boyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
The Look

BACKGROUND Well-being apps represent a promising and scalable approach for improving mental health outcomes in youth, especially during a global pandemic when access to face-to-face interventions may be limited. Whitu (seven in the New Zealand Māori language Te Reo) is a newly developed well-being app with seven modules that support young people to learn and practice evidence-based coping skills, including relaxation, mindfulness, self-compassion, healthy eating, and goal-setting. OBJECTIVE During this pilot, we explored the acceptability, usability, and preliminary efficacy of Whitu before refining the app for a randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS We recruited 20 New Zealand young people aged 16-25 years via social media to trial the first prototype of the Whitu app over 6 weeks. Within-group differences from baseline to 2- and 6-weeks post intervention in self-reported well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, self-compassion, and optimism were evaluated using repeated-measures ANOVA. A further 21 participants aged 16-30 years were recruited to participate in 4 focus groups to give feedback on the app’s usability and cultural acceptability. Feedback was analyzed using directed content analysis. RESULTS Statistically significant improvements in anxiety (p=.024) and stress (p=.017) were observed from baseline to 2-weeks post intervention. Improvements in well-being (p=.021), depression (p=.031), anxiety (p=.005), and stress (p=.004) were also observed from baseline to 6-weeks. No statistically significant changes were seen in self-compassion, optimism, or sleep. Qualitative feedback comprised of five key themes, namely: factors affecting engagement, issues with functionality, preferences regarding aesthetics, effectiveness and adverse effects, and cultural acceptability. CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary results suggest that Whitu may be an effective app for improving multiple dimensions of young people’s well-being. Modifications to the look and feel, cultural content, and onboarding have been undertaken based on the qualitative feedback, and an RCT is currently underway.

From vulnerability to risk: Consolidating state interventions towards Māori children and young people in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 526-545
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Stanley ◽  
Sarah Monod de Froideville
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
The Political ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Progressive Policy ◽  
State Interventions

Vulnerability has been a guiding narrative to state interventions towards children and their families in New Zealand. This article shows how this progressive notion has been systematically managed to fit pre-established political and policy priorities. These processes have emphasised: (i) categorisations of risk to those who demonstrate vulnerabilities; (ii) pre-emptive, multi-agency involvement in the lives of those deemed potentially ‘vulnerable’; and (iii) a responsibilising expectation that children and families will avoid vulnerable situations and comply with interventions. This individualising logic of vulnerability has solidified policy interventions towards Māori, and re-emphasised colonial practices of viewing Māori children and young people as deficit-laden risks to be managed. With a late 2017 change in government, the political dalliance with vulnerability appears to be in decline. A new progressive policy discourse – of child ‘well-being’ and ‘best interests’ – is being engaged. Yet, the emphasis on risk, and its corresponding elements of pre-emption and responsibility, persist. These discursive and institutional arrangements will ensure that Māori remain perilously entrenched in welfare and justice systems.

scholarly journals Leisure and youth clubs’ work with young people of ethnic minority background living in socially deprived housing areas: creating processes of hope and empowerment through social pedagogical work

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Elisa Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
After School ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Societal Issues ◽  
The Social

This article gives an analysis of social pedagogical work in leisure and youth clubs, physically located in so-called socially deprived housing areas in Denmark. The pedagogical work is especially aimed at young boys of ethnic minority background. The article draws on empirical research from a project exploring leisure and youth clubs’ impact on children and young people’s well-being and opportunities for development when growing up in socially deprived housing areas. The social pedagogical work seems very closely related to societal issues moving into the pedagogical everyday life of the leisure and youth clubs. These clubs, besides embracing the children and young people’s active leisure life in communities with other children and young people, are thus also instrumental in helping and supporting the children and young people to cope with an everyday life that features experiences of stigmatising and inequality-shaped living conditions. The social pedagogical work is analysed from the perspectives of the pedagogues and young people, taking their point of view to what seems particularly significant to the well-being and development of the young people based on Scandinavian-German critical psychology. This is integrated with Paulo Freire’s notion of hope and empowerment, which is the analytical framework within the context of social pedagogical work concerned with how the young men develop belief in themselves for them to complete their education, get a job in after-school hours and refrain from involvement in crime and gang-related communities.

scholarly journals The 'named person': surveillance and the wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland.

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Stoddart
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
The Social

The Scottish Parliament’s ‘Children and Young People’ Bill has extended statutory responsibilities for the welfare of children to include their well-being. This article focuses on the ‘named person’ service, arguing that an attenuated understanding of surveillance by politicians and other stakeholders has contributed to a failure to adequately consider the social control dimensions of this new universal provision.

scholarly journals Habilitation provision for children and young people with vision impairment in the United Kingdom: A lack of clarity leading to inconsistencies

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kat Hogg ◽  
Clare Thetford ◽  
Sara Louise Wheeler ◽  
Sarah York ◽  
Rachel Moxon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Young People ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Living Skills

The key to empowering and supporting children and young people (CYP) with vision impairment (VI) to achieve their potential lies in the delivery of habilitation training. Evidence has revealed that provision of habilitation services across the United Kingdom was inconsistent, with CYP with VI not receiving services in some areas. This research explored the accessibility and quality of habilitation provision for CYP with VI via two studies: (1) 12 qualitative case studies of habilitation practice and (2) surveys of habilitation training experiences, with CYP with VI ( n = 43) and with parents of CYP with VI ( n = 68). Five themes were identified highlighting inconsistencies and variability in the delivery of habilitation training in recent years, a lack of focus on independent living skills training, on social inclusion and emotional well-being, a lack of support for parents and a lack of clarity with regard to the definition of habilitation, and who is responsible for providing training.

scholarly journals Capturing the impact of adolescent inpatient admissions: The Social Connectedness Scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 631-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Phillips ◽  
Bridie Lawler Whatson ◽  
Emma Wells ◽  
Gordon Milson ◽  
Samantha Hartley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Outcome Measurement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Background: Outcome measurement is central to health service provision. In child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), there are established tools used to assess symptoms and track progress. However, there is a relative dearth of assessments of subjective well-being or recovery. Social connectedness is a concept linked with well-being and risk in young people. We sought to evaluate the utility and acceptability of a measure of social connectedness in inpatient CAMHS. Method: As part of routine clinical practice, we asked 92 young people (mean age 16 years old) on two inpatient CAMHS wards to complete the Social Connectedness Scale, alongside other assessments, and also comment on its acceptability. We repeated the measure on discharge from the unit. Results: The findings showed that the measure was internally consistent (α = .910) and sensitive to change in this population. Scores also correlated with another self-report measure focusing on well-being and mental distress, but not with clinician-rated measures. Ratings of relevance and ease of understanding were reasonable and young people value social connection. Conclusion: The Social Connectedness Scale might offer an appropriate method of exploring this element of young peoples’ experience and progress, as part of inpatient mental health admissions.

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