scholarly journals Understanding Grief During the First-Wave of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom—A Hypothetical Approach to Challenges and Support

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Fang ◽  
Alastair Comery
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Loss And Grief ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Continuous Support ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Media Data

Purpose: This article develops immediate understandings of loss and grief at both an individual and collective level following the first-wave of COVID-19 in the UK. This allows for insights into the likely challenges and support for loss and grief in facing unprecedented disruption and uncertainty. Ultimately, it explores avenues for the priorities to inform better bereavement support.Methods: By examining trusted media data and carefully selected academic literature, we analyse both individual and societal responses to loss and grief in the novel context of the first-wave of COVID-19 in the UK. The discussion relocates the ideas of good and bad deaths in the context of increased social constrains and inequalities. Further, two pairs of contrasting hypotheses are proposed to examine how the UK's first-wave outbreak has shaped policy and practical structures and how these have further impacted experiences of loss and grief both at an individual and collective level.Findings: The discussion captures a mixed picture of loss and grief in the UK, which highlights the importance of timely, holistic, and continuous support both in social policy and care provision. It is found that individuals and collectives express diverse needs in response to deaths and losses as a process of meaning-making. Further, the significance of socio-cultural environments also become evident. These findings highlight community support during the outbreak and further promote a grief literate culture as imperative to support individual and collective needs when confronted with loss and grief.Conclusion: This article provides a timely and comprehensive account of possible challenges and support both for individual and collective experiences of loss and grief at a time of unprecedented social restrictions and mass deaths in the UK. These understandings provide a base from which we advocate the priorities for future research into the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on grief and bereavement.

scholarly journals Understanding grief in a time of COVID-19 - a hypothetical approach to challenges and support

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Fang ◽  
Alastair Comery
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Policy Decisions ◽  
Loss And Grief ◽  
Grief And Bereavement ◽  
Continuous Support ◽  
Literate Culture ◽  
Academic Discourses

<p><a></a>This article develops preliminary understandings of loss and grief at both an individual and collective level following the COVID-19 outbreak. By examining relevant media and academic discourses, the authors analyse and envisage challenges and support for those experiencing loss during COVID-19. The discussion revisits and further relocates the ideas of good and bad deaths in the context of increased social constrains and inequalities. Further, two pairs of contrasting hypotheses are proposed to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on both bereaved individuals and society as a whole during and post the outbreak. The discussion captures a mixed picture of grief and bereavement, which highlights the importance of timely, holistic and continuous support. It is found that individual and collectives express diverse needs to respond to deaths and losses as a process of meaning-making. Further the significance of socio-cultural environments also become evident. These findings highlight community support during COVID-19 and further promote a grief literate culture as imperative to support individual and collective needs when confronted with loss and grief. This article provides timely and comprehensive accounts of possible challenges and support both for individual and collective experiences of loss and grief. These understandings could facilitate further research, informing better practice and policy decisions to support the bereaved in the context of COVID-19 and other disruptive world events.</p>

scholarly journals Understanding grief in a time of COVID-19 - a hypothetical approach to challenges and support

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Fang ◽  
Alastair Comery
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Policy Decisions ◽  
Loss And Grief ◽  
Grief And Bereavement ◽  
Continuous Support ◽  
Literate Culture ◽  
Academic Discourses

<p><a></a>This article develops preliminary understandings of loss and grief at both an individual and collective level following the COVID-19 outbreak. By examining relevant media and academic discourses, the authors analyse and envisage challenges and support for those experiencing loss during COVID-19. The discussion revisits and further relocates the ideas of good and bad deaths in the context of increased social constrains and inequalities. Further, two pairs of contrasting hypotheses are proposed to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on both bereaved individuals and society as a whole during and post the outbreak. The discussion captures a mixed picture of grief and bereavement, which highlights the importance of timely, holistic and continuous support. It is found that individual and collectives express diverse needs to respond to deaths and losses as a process of meaning-making. Further the significance of socio-cultural environments also become evident. These findings highlight community support during COVID-19 and further promote a grief literate culture as imperative to support individual and collective needs when confronted with loss and grief. This article provides timely and comprehensive accounts of possible challenges and support both for individual and collective experiences of loss and grief. These understandings could facilitate further research, informing better practice and policy decisions to support the bereaved in the context of COVID-19 and other disruptive world events.</p>

scholarly journals Reliability, Validity, and Gender Invariance of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale: An Emerging Evidence for a More Concise Research Tool

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3516
Author(s):  
Stefan Koehn ◽  
Farzad Amirabdollahian
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gender Invariance ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Fit Index ◽  
Northwest Region

The Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) research instrument has been extensively used to investigate the perceived benefits and barriers of exercise in a range of settings. In order to examine theoretical contentions and translate the findings, it is imperative to implement measurement tools that operationalize the constructs in an accurate and reliable way. The original validation of the EBBS proposed a nine-factor structure for the research tool, examined the EBBS factor structure, and suggested that various factors are important for the testing of the perception of exercise benefits and barriers, whereas a few items and factors may not be vital. The current study conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using hierarchical testing in 565 participants from the northwest region of the United Kingdom, the results of which provided evidence for a four-factor structure of the benefits measure, with the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.943, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.933, and root means square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.051, namely life enhancement, physical performance, psychological outlook, and social interaction, as well as a two-factor structure of the barrier measures, with the CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.931, and RMSEA = 0.063, including exercise milieu and time expenditure. Our findings showed that for a six-factor correlated model, the CFI = 0.930, TLI = 0.919, and RMSEA = 0.046. The multi-group CFA provided support for gender invariance. The results indicated that after three decades of the original validation of the EBBS, many of the core factors and items are still relevant for the assessment of higher-order factors; however, the 26-item concise tool proposed in the current study displays a better parsimony in comparison with the original 43-item questionnaire. Overall, the current study provides support for a reliable, cross-culturally valid EBBS within the UK adult population, however, it proposes a shorter and more concise version compared with the original tool, and gives direction for future research to focus on the content validity for assessing the perception of the barriers to physical activity.

scholarly journals Adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of UK and European hand surgery units

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail V Shaw ◽  
David GW Holmes ◽  
Victoria Jansen ◽  
Christy L Fowler ◽  
Justin CR Wormald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reconstructive Surgery ◽  
Hand Surgery ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Hand Surgeon ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Research Initiatives ◽  
Made In

Abstract Hand surgery services had to rapidly adapt to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the Reconstructive Surgery Trials Network #RSTNCOVID hand surgery survey was to document the changes made in the United Kingdom and Europe and consider which might persist.A survey developed by the Reconstructive Surgery Trials Network, in association with the British Association of Hand Therapists, was distributed to hand surgery units across the UK and Europe after the first wave of COVID-19. It was completed by one consultant hand surgeon at each of the 44 units that responded.Adult and paediatric trauma was maintained but elective services stopped. Consultations were increasingly virtual and surgery was more likely to be under local anaesthetic and in a lower resource setting.Many of the changes are viewed as being beneficial. However, it is important to establish that they are clinically and cost effective. These survey results will help prioritise and support future research initiatives.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Investigation into the Cultural Master Narrative for Overcoming Trauma and Adversity in the United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Blackie ◽  
Jade Colgan ◽  
Stephanie McDonald ◽  
Kate C. McLean
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Narrative Psychology ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk ◽  
And Function ◽  
Insight Into

Research in the field of narrative psychology has found that redemption – a narrative sequence in which people recount emotionally negative experiences as having positive endings – is a useful mechanism for coping with adversity. Redemption has been viewed as a cultural master narrative in North America, providing individuals with a socially valued script for narrating challenging life experiences. Presently little research has examined the presence and function of the redemption narrative outside of North American contexts. The aim of this qualitative study, therefore, was to identify themes in UK individuals’ narratives of trauma and adversity to gain insight into the content of the master narrative for meaning-making in the UK. Sixty-Five participants (57 females, Mage = 21.97, SD = 7.24) with little to no experience of lifetime adversity were recruited into an online survey. Participants answered open-ended questions adopting the perspective of a survivor from a selected UK national tragedy, focusing on how they felt survivors could recover from trauma. We identified two themes in our thematic analysis that were relevant to recovery: recuperation and redemption. Recuperation was most commonly reported, it was described as a gradual lessening of symptoms over time and the ability to cope with the lasting emotional and physical scars. Our findings suggest that redemption is not necessarily the dominant cultural script in the UK for guiding recovery in the aftermath of trauma.

scholarly journals Changes in industry interference in policy in the United Kingdom 2017-2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Chamberlain ◽  
A Gilmore ◽  
K Silver ◽  
M Zatoński ◽  
L Laurence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Agreed Framework ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Partial Implementation

Abstract Background The Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) Index evaluates the implementation of FCTC Article 5.3. The first edition of the Global TII Index was published in 2019, included 33 countries, and covered the years 2017-2018. A second edition, covering 2018-2019, is scheduled to be published in October 2020. This paper reports on findings of the Index for the UK, the changes observed between 2017 and 2020, and the resulting policy recommendations. Methods The UK Index was based on a questionnaire covering different forms of tobacco industry interference. Lower scores indicate better compliance with Article 5.3. In order to complete the questionnaire, an expert consultation was conducted with UK's leading tobacco control specialists. This was supplemented by a scoping review of academic literature, media websites, government websites, and the Tobacco Tactics resource. Results In the 2019 Index the UK has achieved the lowest score among 33 countries surveyed. Strengths of the UK system included the exclusion of TI from government bodies that set public health policy and from FCTC COP delegations; the obligation of the government to publish information on all meetings with TI; and guidelines stipulating that its diplomats must not engage on behalf of TI. Nevertheless, weaknesses were also identified; including only partial implementation of the above obligations, the absence of an effective lobbying register, and the ongoing involvement of parliamentary consultative bodies, individual politicians and political parties with TI and affiliated organisations. Discussion The change of government in the UK in 2019, the shifting policy framework resulting from Brexit, and the increasing use by the tobacco industry of third parties to access policymakers, bring new challenges to the maintenance of robust Article 5.3 compliance. The presentation will analyse how this has affected the change in the UK's performance between the 2019 and the 2020 Tobacco Industry Interference Index. Key messages The need to strengthen transparency regulations for policymakers. A need for continued monitoring against an agreed framework in the light of very fluid political developments.

Workplace Spirituality and Person–Organization Fit Theory: Development of a Theoretical Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-149
Author(s):  
Jason T. Palframan ◽  
Brian L. Lancaster
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Workplace Spirituality ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Theory Analysis ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Person Organization Fit

This article advances the theoretical and practical value of workplace spirituality by drawing on person–organization (PO) fit theory and transpersonal psychology to investigate three questions: (a) What antecedents lead individuals and organizations to seek and foster workplace spirituality? (b) What are the perceived spiritual needs of individuals, and how are those needs fulfilled in the workplace? and (c) What are the consequences of meeting spiritual needs as individuals perceive them? Using constructivist grounded theory, analysis of interview data from thirty-four participants located in organizations across the Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Portugal led to development of a workplace spirituality, PO fit model in which we propose reconciling self as a core factor of workplace spirituality. We note how through the process of reconciling self, workplace spirituality is related to meaning making and how an individual perceives their work environment as conducive to self-expression and inner purpose. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed, as are limitations of the study and ideas for future research.

A crossroad in ADHD – adult-onset ADHD

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S334-S334
Author(s):  
A. Ponte ◽  
H. Prata Ribeiro ◽  
L. Carvalhão Gil ◽  
D. Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Adult Adhd ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adult Onset ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Exciting Time ◽  
The Uk

IntroductionAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder characterized by inattention or hyperactivity–impulsivity, or both. For a long time, ADHD was thought of as a disorder of children which would sometimes persist into adulthood. DSM 5 uses as a criterion that several symptoms have to be present prior to age 12 years.ObjectivesTo discuss the findings of 3 recent cohorts that show the onset of ADHD in adulthood.MethodsA review of selected articles of interest using PubMed database.Results3 large, longitudinal, population studies from Brazil, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK) show that we are at a crossroads in our understanding of ADHD. In each study, the prevalence of adult-onset ADHD (Brazil, 10.3%; UK, 5.5%; and NZ, 2.7%) was much larger than the prevalence of childhood-onset adult ADHD (UK, 2.6%; Brazil, 1.5%; and NZ, 0.3%). They all propose different conclusions that would result in a paradigmatic shift in ADHD: in Brazil, that child and adult ADHD are “distinct syndromes”; in the UK, “that adult ADHD is more complex than a straightforward continuation of the childhood disorder” and in NZ, that adult ADHD is “not a neurodevelopmental disorder”. Faraone et al., in an editorial in JAMA Psychiatry, propose that these findings might correlate to subthreshold child ADHD before it emerges as adolescent- or adult-onset ADHD.ConclusionsIt's an exciting time in ADHD research. These new data work as an incentive to study adult-onset ADHD and how it emerges. Future research will shape our understanding of adult ADHD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Sexual Assault of Men: American Research Supports Studies from the UK

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J Isely
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
American Research ◽  
Incident Reports ◽  
The Uk

Incident reports and prevalence research on sexual assault, conducted in the United States, indicate that men may be at greater risk from sexual victimization than previously realized. These studies support the efforts of mental health professionals in the United Kingdom who have argued that sexual assault of men is an underreported crime which can result in significant biopsychosocial dysfunction. Given the increasing evidence that men are victims of sex crimes, future research studies on the prevalence of sexual assault should include adult males in their samples.

scholarly journals Sexism experienced by consultant cardiologists in the United Kingdom

Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. heartjnl-2020-317837
Author(s):  
Shareen Kaur Jaijee ◽  
Caroline Kamau-Mitchell ◽  
Ghada W Mikhail ◽  
Cara Hendry
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bonferroni Correction ◽  
Professional Advancement ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Professional Confidence

ObjectivesThe aims were to compare the frequency with which male and female cardiologists experience sexism and to explore the types of sexism experienced in cardiology.MethodsA validated questionnaire measuring experiences of sexism and sexual harassment was distributed online to 890 UK consultant cardiologists between March and May 2018. χ2 tests and pairwise comparisons with a Bonferroni correction for multiple analyses compared the experiences of male and female cardiologists.Results174 cardiologists completed the survey (24% female; 76% male). The survey showed that 61.9% of female cardiologists have experienced discrimination of any kind, mostly related to gender and parenting, compared with 19.7% of male cardiologists. 35.7% of female cardiologists experienced unwanted sexual comments, attention or advances from a superior or colleague, compared with 6.1% of male cardiologists. Sexual harassment affected the professional confidence of female cardiologists more than it affected the confidence of male cardiologists (42.9% vs 3.0%), including confidence with colleagues (38% vs 10.6%) and patients (23.9% vs 4.6%). 33.3% of female cardiologists felt that sexism hampered opportunities for professional advancement, compared with 2.3% of male cardiologists.ConclusionFemale cardiologists in the UK experience more sexism and sexual harassment than male cardiologists. Sexism impacts the career progression and professional confidence of female cardiologists more, including their confidence when working with patients and colleagues. Future research is urgently needed to test interventions against sexism in cardiology and to protect the welfare of female cardiologists at work.

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