scholarly journals How Adolescent Students with Disabilities and /or Complex Needs Perceive the Notion of Resilience: A Study in Greece and England

Author(s):  
Maria Georgiadi ◽  
Stefanos Plexousakis ◽  
Maitland Josie ◽  
Elias Kourkoutas ◽  
Angie Hart

Adolescents with behavioral and learning difficulties are at increased risk in relation to psychological and social well-being. This study aimed to investigate the views and experiences of adolescent students, diagnosed with a variety of complex needs such as behavioral, emotional and learning difficulties, to explore potential risk and protective factors that they perceive can enable or constrain resilience. Participants in the study were adolescents both from the UK (n=12) and Greece (n=14), all of whom were receiving additional learning and psychological support in their school settings. A qualitative research design employed the ‘draw and write’ technique in addition to face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Data analysis identified the protective and risk factors that adolescents associated with resilience. Two distinct categories of protective factors emerged from the data: a) personal (positive thoughts, nutrition and achievements) and b) socio-ecological factors (significant others, activities, pets, places). Risk factors were also divided into two categories: a) personal (negative thoughts and feelings and health problems) and b) socio-ecological factors (relational problems). Findings highlight the complex interplay between personal and socio-ecological factors in building resilience in adolescents who are at increased risk in relation to psychological and social well-being.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Muhammad ◽  
Shobhit Srivastava ◽  
T. V. Sekher

Abstract Background Greater cognitive performance has been shown to be associated with better mental and physical health and lower mortality. The present study contributes to the existing literature on the linkages of self-perceived income sufficiency and cognitive impairment. Study also provides additional insights on other socioeconomic and health-related variables that are associated with cognitive impairment in older ages. Methods Data for this study is derived from the 'Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India'. The final sample size for the analysis after removing missing cases was 9176 older adults. Descriptive along with bivariate analyses were presented to show the plausible associations of cognitive impairment with potential risk factors using the chi-square test. Also, binary logistic regression analysis was performed to provide the relationship between cognitive impairment and risk factors. The software used was STATA 14. Results About 43% of older adults reported that they had no source of income and 7.2% had income but not sufficient to fulfil their basic needs. Older adults with income but partially sufficient to fulfil their basic needs had 39% significantly higher likelihood to suffer from cognitive impairment than older adults who had sufficient income [OR: 1.39; OR: 1.21–1.59]. Likelihood of cognitive impairment was low among older adults with asset ownership than older adults with no asset ownership [OR: 0.83; CI: 0.72–0.95]. Again, older adults who work by compulsion (73.3%) or felt mental or physical stress due to work (57.6%) had highest percentage of cognitive impairment. Moreover, older adults with poor self-rated health, low instrumental activities of daily living, low activities of daily living, low subjective well-being and low psychological health were at increased risk for cognitive impairment. Conclusion The study highlights the pressing need for care and support and especially financial incentives in the old age to preserve cognitive health. Further, while planning geriatric health care for older adults in India, priority must be given to financially backward, with no asset ownership, with poor health status, older-older, widowed, and illiterate older individuals, as they are more vulnerable to cognitive impairment.


Author(s):  
Amalia De Leo ◽  
Eloisa Cianci ◽  
Paolo Mastore ◽  
Caterina Gozzoli

The COVID-19 pandemic put the Italian health system under great stress. The sudden reorganization of work practices and the emotional impact of the large number of the victims had many consequences on the well-being of the healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in managing the crisis. In the available literature, most studies have focused on the risk aspects while only few studies also take into account protective factors. For this reason, it was decided to conduct, within psycho-sociological perspective, a qualitative study with the aim to explore in depth the protective and risk factors as experienced by HCPs who worked in the Italian healthcare system during the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 19 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HCPs–9 nurses and 10 physicians (7M and 12F) with an average age of 43 (SD = 13.4)–selected using snowball sampling. Considering three different levels of analysis the results highlight the protective and risk factors: personal history level (intrinsic/ethical motivation and flexible role versus extrinsic motivation and static role), interpersonal level (perception of supportive relationships with colleagues, patients, and family versus bad relationships), and organizational level (good leadership and sustainable work purpose versus absence of support from management and undefined or confused tasks).


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (spe) ◽  
pp. 68-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole Mitchell ◽  
Laura Simich ◽  
Carol Strike ◽  
Bruna Brands ◽  
Norman Giesbrecht ◽  
...  

Simultaneous polydrug use in undergraduate students was studied in one university in Kingston, Jamaica. The study was a cross-sectional, and used a survey method of data collection. We examined protective and risk factors associated with simultaneous polydrug use in a sample of 295 undergraduate students from the health and medical science departments in the university. Our results suggest that continued residence with family, family support, and students' emotional well-being are protective factors. On the other hand, ease of access of substance and limited emotional support may be considered risk factors. Our findings may inform preventive programs, though further research is required.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Di Romano Benini

The months of a gradual exit from the pandemic show some significant data and phenomena regarding the phenomenon of accidents at work and occupational diseases. The Italian figure highlights a recovery in injuries and illnesses, but also in the impact of new risk factors deriving from the digitalization of work, which grew with smart working during the pandemic. At the same time, the new organizational models highlight the increased risk of work-related stress diseases. The Italian situation makes clear the need to intervene on the issue of organizational well-being and welfare, to limit the negative impact of risk factors associated with this economic system on society and the health system through a new work culture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-53
Author(s):  
Thi Thuy Trang Pham

The aim of this study is to explore the dynamics of the resilience process among Vietnamese ESL (English as the Second Language) university teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study investigated the interactions between risk factors and protective factors at both personal and contextual levels that shape teachers' resilience patterns. Fifteen teachers from different stages of teaching career participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews in qualitative research design, and the collected data were analyzed by means of a two-cycle analysis procedure. Findings of the study revealed two major risk factors, including turbulence and ambiguity and decreasing autonomous motivation. Despite this, teachers drew on three primary resources to adapt to the abrupt changes: positive imaginaries about the future, sense of professionalism, and relational resources. Analysis showed that these protective factors were located across personal level and microsystems; however, there were missing links for protective resources at institutional level, mesosystems, and macrosystems. Taking cognizance of this, the study emphasizes the role of transparent policies and school leadership in bolstering teachers’ resilience in adversities.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 2669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor T. Nyakudya ◽  
Thulani Tshabalala ◽  
Rachael Dangarembizi ◽  
Kennedy H. Erlwanger ◽  
Ashwell R. Ndhlala

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a prevalent, multifactorial and complex disease that is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes and other major cardiovascular complications. The rise in the global prevalence of MetS has been attributed to genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. The adoption of sedentary lifestyles that are characterized by low physical activity and the consumption of high-energy diets contributes to MetS development. Current management criteria for MetS risk factors involve changes in lifestyle and the use of pharmacological agents that target specific biochemical pathways involved in the metabolism of nutrients. Pharmaceutical drugs are usually expensive and are associated with several undesirable side effects. Alternative management strategies of MetS risk factors involve the use of medicinal plants that are considered to have multiple therapeutic targets and are easily accessible. Medicinal plants contain several different biologically active compounds that provide health benefits. The impact of phytochemicals present in local medicinal plants on sustainable health and well-being of individuals has been studied for many years and found to involve a plethora of complex biochemical, metabolic, and physiological mechanisms. While some of these phytochemicals are the basis of mainstream prescribed drugs (e.g., metformin, reserpine, quinine, and salicin), there is a need to identify more medicinal plants that can be used for the management of components of MetS and to describe their possible mechanisms of action. In this review, we assess the potential health benefits of South African ethnomedicinal plants in protecting against the development of health outcomes associated with MetS. We aim to provide the state of the current knowledge on the use of medicinal plants and their therapeutically important phytochemicals by discussing the current trends, with critical examples from recent primary references of how medicinal plants are being used in South African rural and urban communities.


Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian König ◽  
Maik Gollasch ◽  
Ilja Demuth ◽  
Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen

Background: In aging populations with an ever-growing burden of risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is on the rise. However, little is known about its exact prevalence among elderly adults, and often albuminuria is not included in the definition of CKD. Moreover, novel equations for the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) have recently emerged, which have not been applied comprehensively to older adults. Data on CKD awareness among the elderly are sparse. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of CKD among older adults by eGFR and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), compare the performance of 6 established and novel eGFR formulas, explore risk factors, and determine the awareness of CKD in a large cohort of community-dwelling elderly from Germany. Methods: A total of 1,628 subjects from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) were included in this analysis (mean age 68.7 years; 51.2% female). Extensive cross-sectional data on sociodemographics, lifestyle, medication, and diagnoses were inquired during structured interviews and a medical examination, and blood and urine parameters were measured. Results: In all, 77.1% of the subjects had hypertension, 12.4% had diabetes, and 18.3% were obese. The prevalence of CKD strongly depended on the eGFR equations used: 25.4% (full age spectrum [FAS] equation), 24.6% (Berlin Initiative Study), 23.1% (Lund-Malmö revised), 19.3% (Cockcroft-Gault), 16.4% (Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration [CKD-EPI]), and 14.7% (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease [MDRD]). Of the subjects with an eGFRFAS <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or an ACR >30 mg/g, only 3.9% were aware of having CKD. Polypharmacy, age, BMI, coronary artery disease, non-HDL cholesterol, and female sex were independently associated with CKD. Conclusions: CKD is prevalent among older adults in Germany, but awareness is low. The FAS equation detects higher rates of CKD than MDRD and CKD-EPI, which are most widely used at present. Also, when CKD is defined based on eGFR and albuminuria, considerably more people are identified than by eGFR alone. Finally, polypharmacy is associated with an increased risk for CKD in the elderly.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyan Sun ◽  
Yihui Fan ◽  
Ying Guo ◽  
Huiying Pan ◽  
Chen Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) has serious physical and psychological consequences due to estrogen deprivation, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. However, the causes of most POI cases remain unknown (idiopathic POI). Environmental factors play an important role in the occurrence of complex diseases. To explore whether chronic and cumulative adverse life events occur in patients before POI diagnosis. Searching for the potential relative risk factors may find an intervention strategy to prevent POI in young women.Results Forty-three women (mean age=33·8 years) were recruited who were newly- diagnosed with idiopathic POI in a Chinese Ob/Gyn hospital to participate in semi-structured interviews through convenience sampling. The main questions covered by the topic guide were designed to explore adverse life events prior to POI diagnosis. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed thematically. Data were analyzed from June 2019 to August 2020. Among the POI patients, the mean age at diagnosis of POI was 33·8 years (range from 19 to 39 years), and the average time between the onset of irregular menstruation and POI diagnosis was 2.3 years. These patients had a relatively normal menstrual cycle before the diagnosis of POI. A number of stressful life events prior to POI diagnosis were discussed by them as important factors influencing their health and well-being. Four core themes emerged: 1) persistent exposure to workplace stress, 2) persistent exposure to family stress, 3) chronic sleep problem/disturbance existed in patients before POI diagnosis, and 4) participants' general cognition and concerns about POI. Conclusions Persistent exposures to adverse life events related to work stress, family stress and sleep disturbance exist in idiopathic POI patients. In addition, patients and their families generally have incorrect cognition of POI disease and its treatment. Future case-control studies should demonstrate whether chronic and cumulative adverse life events are risk factors of POI disease. Provision of tailored interventions (i.e. preventing or mitigating impact of adverse life events) aimed at high-risk populations is urgently needed to prevent new POI cases and promoting understanding of disease may improve health conditions of POI patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Baer ◽  
Lauren Lessard ◽  
Marta Jankowska ◽  
James G. Anderson ◽  
Jessica Block ◽  
...  

Preterm birth (PTB, < 37 weeks’ gestation) may impose lifelong sequelae or death. Fresno County reports the highest rate of PTB in California. A place-based approach investigating local risk factors for PTB may provide important opportunities for intervention and prevention. In this study, we examine risk and protective factors for PTB in rural, suburban, and urban Fresno County, California. The sample was drawn from Fresno County, California singleton births 2007-2012 (n = 81,021). Multivariate models of maternal risk and protective factors for PTB were stratified by rural, suburban, and urban residence. Women with diabetes, hypertension, infection, fewer than three prenatal care visits, previous PTB, interpregnancy interval less than six months, or were of Black race/ethnicity were at increased risk of PTB. The risk of PTB was highest for women residing in rural locations with preeclampsia superimposed on preexisting hypertension (adjusted relative risk (aRR) 5.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.4-7.4). For women living in urban residences, maternal birth in Mexico and overweight body mass index (BMI) offered protection from PTB (aRRs 0.9), whereas participation in the Women, Infants and Children program was protective for women in either urban or rural residences (aRRs 0.8). Public insurance, <12 year of education,  underweight BMI, and interpregnancy interval of five years or more were risk factors only for women in urban residences. These findings may provide important opportunities for local intervention. 


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre MacManus ◽  
Hannah Dickson ◽  
Roxanna Short ◽  
Howard Burdett ◽  
Jamie Kwan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A proportion of ex-military personnel who develop mental health and social problems end up in the Criminal Justice System. A government review called for better understanding of pathways to offending among ex-military personnel to improve services and reduce reoffending. We utilised data linkage with criminal records to examine the patterns of offending among military personnel after they leave service and the associated risk (including mental health and alcohol problems) and socio-economic protective factors. Method Questionnaire data from a cohort study of 13 856 randomly selected UK military personnel were linked with national criminal records to examine changes in the rates of offending after leaving service. Results All types of offending increased after leaving service, with violent offending being the most prevalent. Offending was predicted by mental health and alcohol problems: probable PTSD, symptoms of common mental disorder and aggressive behaviour (verbal, property and threatened or actual physical aggression). Reduced risk of offending was associated with post-service socio-economic factors: absence of debt, stable housing and relationship satisfaction. These factors were associated with a reduced risk of offending in the presence of mental health risk factors. Conclusions Ex-military personnel are more likely to commit violent offences after leaving service than other offence-types. Mental health and alcohol problems are associated with increased risk of post-service offending, and socio-economic stability is associated with reduced risk of offending among military veterans with these problems. Efforts to reduce post-service offending should encompass management of socio-economic risk factors as well as mental health.


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