scholarly journals “The Light at the End of the Tunnel”: Experiences of LGBTQ+ Adults in Portuguese Healthcare

Healthcare ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Mara Pieri ◽  
Joana Brilhante

This work analyses experiences of LGBTQ+ people accessing healthcare in Portugal. A total of 32 semi-structured interviews were conducted with queer adults (18–59 years old). The thematic analysis and thematic networks brought to light how structural cis-heteronorms are compliant with the maintenance of invisibility regarding sexual and gender diversity. As a consequence, experiences of direct and indirect discrimination show us how crucial it is to have well prepared healthcare providers, capable of embracing diversity and creating safe spaces that allow us to shorten the path between Portugal’s progressive legal frame and the people lived experiences.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-191
Author(s):  
Angelle Cook

This article presents a dissertation study that investigated the lived experiences of participants engaged in an inclusive therapeutic theatre production through a post-intentional phenomenological lens, informed by critical dis/ability theory. The study included ten participants aged 14–26 with a variety of dis/abilities. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and a focus group and analysed using thematic analysis. The qualitative findings included six themes and fifteen subthemes. These findings suggested that the participants experienced belonging and community, personal growth and insight, feelings of empowerment and the desire to make societal change by being a part of the inclusive production.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Keshtkaran ◽  
Farkhondeh Sharif ◽  
Elham Navab ◽  
Sakineh Gholamzadeh

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Brain death is a concept in which its criteria have been expressed as documentations in Harvard Committee of Brain Death. The various perceptions of caregiver nurses for brain death patients may have effect on the chance of converting potential donors into actual organ donors.</p><p>Objective: The present study has been conducted in order to perceive the experiences of nurses in care-giving to the brain death of organ donor patients.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> This qualitative study was carried out by means of Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology. Eight nurses who have been working in ICU were interviewed. The semi-structured interviews were recorded bya tape-recorder and the given texts were transcribed and the analyses were done by Van-Mannen methodology and (thematic) analysis.</p><p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>One of the foremost themes extracted from this study included ‘Halo of ambiguity and doubt’ that comprised of two sub-themes of ‘having unreasonable hope’ and ‘Conservative acceptance of brain death’. The unreasonable hope included lack of trust (uncertainty) in diagnosis and verification of brain death, passing through denial wall, and avoidance from explicit and direct disclosure of brain death in patients’ family. In this investigation, the nurses were involved in a type of ambiguity and doubt in care-giving to the potentially brain death of organ donor patients, which were also evident in their interaction with patients’ family and for this reason, they did not definitely announce the brain death and so far they hoped for treatment of the given patient. Such confusion and hesitance both caused annoyance of nurses and strengthening the denial of patients’ family to be exposed to death.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> The results of this study reveal the fundamental perceived care-giving of brain death in organ donor patients and led to developing some strategies to improve care-giving and achievement in donation of the given organ and necessity for presentation of educational and supportive services for nurses might become more evident than ever.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Surasak Sornsena ◽  
Preechawut Apirating ◽  
Sipp Suksamran

This article is a part of a Doctoral Thesis titled “Isaan Heritage Tree: From the Belief and the Aesthetic to the Creation of Visual Arts,” with the objectives of studying the belief and the aesthetic that exist in the Isaan Heritage Tree using the qualitative method. The study’s target groups can be divided into three following groups: the experts, the practitioners, and the related people. The area of study is in the Isaan region. The region is divided into upper Isaan, mid-Isaan, and lower Isaan. The research tools consist of surveys, non-participatory observation, and structured and non-structured interviews. The data collected from documents and field data was analyzed using Aesthetic Theory and Symbolic Interactionism Theory and presented using descriptive analysis.  The study results show that Isaan has a long history and development both in geography, the administration, society, the culture, and the migration of people who came to settle in the area from Luang Phrabang, Vientiane, and Champasak. This had caused the people and nation’s coming together and led to social management, which consists of regulations, religion, and belief. The beliefs of the Isaan people are connected to forest spirits, household spirits, or tree spirits. Five following characteristics of the Heritage Trees were also found: 1) The traditional beliefs related to the Heritage Trees of Isaan. 2) The new belief. 3) The beliefs that are connected to the locations. 4) The beliefs in the tree spirits whose identity and gender cannot be identified. 5) Auspicious and inauspicious beliefs. There are three aspects for the aesthetics: Aesthetic elements are the feeling of amazement due to the gigantic size filled with astonishment, mystery, and the fear of power. The interesting aspects of Art elements are the unity and relationship to the seasons, such as the Fall season, Rainy Season, and the blooming of flowers that contribute to the changes in the aesthetics changes. The visual art elements consist of six following components; bodies and shapes, lines, colors, textures, light and shadows, and area. It was found that the gigantic size and height cause amazements to the viewers. The physical lines of the Isaan Heritage trees were the lines along the trunks, the lines on the branches, and the lines that go along the leaves and flowers. There are different colors of the trunk, the leaves, and the flowers. The texture was rough, harsh, and the cracks follow the same directions as the trunk. There are botanical differences in the light and shadows of the heritage trees. As for the area, there are differences between the area of the heritage trees and the surrounding areas, as well as the differences within the Isaan Heritage Trees area.   Received: 25 January 2021 / Accepted: 31 March 2021 / Published: 10 May 2021


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 583
Author(s):  
Rita Alcaire

The main purpose of this article is to analyse how healthcare providers in Portugal perceive asexuality. To do so, the author makes use of qualitative data from both the CILIA LGBTQI+ Lives project and The Asexual Revolution doctoral research on asexuality in Portugal, namely, a focus group conducted with healthcare providers, drawing from their assessment of interview excerpts with people identifying as asexual. The data were explored according to thematic analysis and revealed three major tendencies: (1) old tropes at the doctor’s office; (2) narratives of willingness to learn about the subject; and (3) constructive and encouraging views of asexuality. From this analysis, valuable lessons can be drawn concerning the respect for gender and sexual diversity. The author argues that both formal and informal learning play an important role in building cultural competence among healthcare providers. This could be achieved both by introducing sexual and gender diversity in curricula in HE and through media exposure on these subjects. Overall, it will lead to building knowledge and empathy about marginalised groups, and will help fight inequalities of LGBTQI+ people in healthcare. As such, LGTBQI+ activism that puts the topics of asexuality and LGBTQI+ in the media agenda, is a powerful strategy. Hence, because healthcare providers show willingness to learn, the media becomes a source for learning about asexual and LGTBQI+ experiences, which they can incorporate in their medical practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidah Alkaissi ◽  
Fadi AlZiben ◽  
Mohammad Abu Rajab ◽  
Mahdia Alkony

Abstract Background: Exploring lived experiences of recovered COVID-19 patients might have scientific, social, and policy relevance that apply to the healthcare infrastructure. This multi-center phenomenological study was conducted to explore lived experiences of Palestinian patients who recovered from COVID-19.  Methods: In this qualitative study, a phenomenological descriptive approach was used. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with patients who recovered from COVID-19 (n = 20). The transcripts of the audio recorded interviews were analyzed by using Giorgio’s phenomenological analysis method. Results: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 male and 6 female participants. The age of the participants ranged from 25-50 years. Nine themes and multiple subthemes emerged from the qualitative data. The themes were relevant to patient’s feelings about the experience, mental issues, social discriminations/stigma, symptoms, life in isolation, using supportive treatment, personal preventive measures, social support, and life after recovery.Conclusion: Survivors who were interviewed in this study recounted devastating experiences with regard to their mental health, social stigmatization, feeling guilt, shame, and hesitant to regain contact with others. Mental health issues should be addressed as a part of the care plan for patients with COVID-19. More studies are still needed to investigate if introducing mental healthcare providers to the care team of patients with COVID-19 can improve the experiences of the patients.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-276
Author(s):  
Deryl Northcott ◽  
Janine Smith

This paper examines how social (ethnic and gender) diversity influences board effectiveness and impacts the role of the chair. It draws on semi-structured interviews with New Zealand board members from two company types - stated-owned enterprises (SOEs) and public listed companies (PLCs) - where the former has greater social diversity around the board table. Few prior studies of board effectiveness have accessed the views of board members via interviews, or compared directors’ perspectives from companies of similar size but differing board diversity. The findings reveal that members of SOE boards, where there is greater social diversity, saw negative director characteristics (character and attitude) and weak board relationships as strongly negative influences on board effectiveness. This group also identified poor boardroom practice (i.e. failing to achieve a boardroom atmosphere that fosters quality debate and effective decision making) as having a significant, negative impact on board outcomes. While board members in both company types saw the chair as a key influence on both board effectiveness and ineffectiveness, the ways in which the chair was seen to exert that influence differed between the company types, suggesting that diversity impacts the role of the chair as leader of the board


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 379-380
Author(s):  
Glenna Brewster ◽  
Christina Pierpaoli ◽  
Fayron Epps ◽  
Kalisha Bonds Johnson ◽  
Kate Yeager

Abstract Sleep disturbance is prevalent among caregivers of people living with dementia. Gaps exist regarding when caregivers begin to experience sleep disturbance along their caregiving trajectory. This study aimed to identify and describe phenotypes of current caregivers’ sleep patterns before and during caregiving and describe caregivers’ perception of their current sleep quality relative to their pre-caregiving sleep. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 caregivers participating in a larger, randomized controlled trial. Interviews were about caregivers’ sleep patterns and were conducted after caregivers completed the first 6 months of the study. Interviews were audio-recorded using a videoconferencing platform and ranged from 20 to 45 minutes. We conducted thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. Four distinct caregiver-sleep phenotypes emerged from the qualitative data: Changed and Dissatisfied, Changed and Satisfied, Unchanged and Dissatisfied, and Unchanged and Satisfied. Caregivers whose sleep was categorized as Changed experienced a difference in their pre-caregiving sleep, usually from good to poor sleep. Caregivers whose sleep was Unchanged had poor sleep pre-caregiving and continued to have poor sleep during caregiving. Caregivers also reported being Satisfied or Dissatisfied with their current sleep pattern, defined in terms of daily distress and impairment. These 4 subtypes highlight the heterogeneity of caregivers’ sleep experiences and debut a useful clinical framework with which to identify, categorize, and target caregivers at risk for sleep disturbance. Identifying caregivers’ sleep phenotypes will enable healthcare providers to determine caregivers’ needs and readiness for interventions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 660-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Gonçalves ◽  
Michely Aline Rodrigues do Prado ◽  
Simone Santana da Silva ◽  
Karen da Silva Santos ◽  
Priscila Norié de Araujo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the interference of leprosy in women’s life regarding work and daily life activities. Method: Exploratory qualitative study developed from semi-structured interviews and with the use of field diaries. The strategy of the organization of data was a thematic analysis of content and referential of the work process in health and gender. Results: The themes presented are: “The leprosy pains”, “Changes with the disease and adaptation at work and activities” and “Being a woman with leprosy”. On them, we present the aspects that changed in women’s life from the leprosy, especially regarding work and daily activities. Beyond physical limitation, there are impacts on social relations and above all on formal work, there may even be dismission. Final considerations: In women affected by leprosy, work and daily activities are directly affected; this deepens the social difficulties and requires attention of health professionals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola L Wheeler ◽  
Trilby Langton ◽  
Elizabeth Lidster ◽  
Rudi Dallos

The gender roles and identity of siblings have been found to be an important factor in the nature and quality of sibling relationships. With an increasing number of young people identifying as gender-diverse or transgender, this research aimed to develop a greater understanding of how young people make sense of their siblings’ gender diversity. Semi-structured interviews explored the experiences of eight sibling participants (aged 11–25 years) who have a sibling identifying as gender-diverse. Five overarching themes emerged from the thematic analysis of their transcribed interviews. These themes encapsulated commonalities and nuances within the sibling participants’ experiences and revealed a process of adjustment. Developing an increased understanding of transgender issues appeared to enable young people to embrace supportive roles, and as a consequence, they reported that their relationships with their gender-diverse siblings were enhanced. However, the sibling participants’ increased understanding of transgender issues also generated significant fears and concerns about their siblings’ well-being and their sibling relationships. From understanding more about these eight young people’s experiences, suggestions are given for how specialist services might best support siblings of gender-diverse young people along their processes of adjustment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajdi Ben Rejeb ◽  
Sarra Berraies ◽  
Dorra Talbi

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the link between board of directors’ roles namely strategy, service and control roles and ambidextrous innovation. This study also aims to determine whether the independence and gender diversity of boards have mediating effects in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachOn the basis of a quantitative approach, the authors conducted a survey on all Tunisian-listed firms. A partial least square method was used to analyze the quantitative data. The authors also conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of boards’ members of the surveyed firms followed by a thematic analysis of the discourses to discuss the results.FindingsResults revealed that ambidextrous innovation is negatively linked to board’s control role. The outcomes of this research show also that ambidextrous innovation is positively associated with board’s service role and that the gender diversity moderates positively this link. Findings do not indicate a significant relationship between board’s strategy role and ambidextrous innovation but show evidence that the relationship is negatively moderated by independent directors, while positively moderated by gender diversity.Originality/valueThis research sheds light on the effects of Boards’ roles on ambidextrous innovation and the moderating effect of board’s gender diversity and independence as well. This paper addresses the gap in the literature as this thematic has not been studied, offering key insights with regard to corporate governance of companies looking to achieve ambidextrous innovation.


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