Equine-assisted therapy and practitioner´s well-being in the context of physical and mental health: a systematic review

Introduction There has been growing interest in community gardens as an effective and affordable health promotion strategy. However, most available evidence is derived from qualitative studies, whereas quantitative research on this subject is limited. Objectives To synthetize the literature about physical and mental health outcomes associated with community gardening. Two main questions were addressed: a) is there evidence, from quantitative studies, that community gardening is associated to physical and mental health and well-being of non-institutionalized individuals? b) Does community gardening provokes any discomfort in terms of physical health, i.e., bodily pain, to their beneficiaries? Methods A systematic review of the literature was carried out following PRISMA guidelines by searching relevant electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). Empirical, quantitative studies published in English with no restrictions concerning the date of publication were considered eligible. The quality of the evidence was appraised using the tool developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results Overall, 8 studies were considered eligible, of which seven studies were rated as having good methodological quality (one scored as fair). Community gardeners had significantly better health outcomes than their neighbours not engaged in gardening activities in terms of life satisfaction, happiness, general health, mental health, and social cohesion. Conclusion Community gardens are associated to health gains for their users, irrespective of age, being an affordable and efficient way of promoting physical and mental health and well-being. To encourage the design, maintenance, and prospective evaluation of supportive urban environments promoting healthy and, at the same time, sustainable lifestyles, is essential to achieve public health gains and environmental sustainability.

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Connecting healthcare with income maximisation services, and their financial, health and well-being impacts for families with young children: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056297 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e056297

Author(s):

Jade Burley ◽

Anna MH Price ◽

Anneka Parker ◽

Nora Samir ◽

Anna Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Healthcare Service ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Financial Hardship ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

IntroductionPoverty has far-reaching and detrimental effects on children’s physical and mental health, across all geographies. Financial advice and income-maximisation services can provide a promising opportunity for shifting the physical and mental health burdens that commonly occur with financial hardship, yet awareness of these services is limited, and referrals are not systematically integrated into existing healthcare service platforms. We aim to map and synthesise evidence on the impact of healthcare-income maximisation models of care for families of children aged 0–5 years in high-income countries on family finances, parent/caregiver(s) or children’s health and well-being.Methods and analysisTo be included in the review, studies must be families (expectant mothers or parents/caregivers) of children who are aged between 0 and 5 years, accessing a healthcare service, include a referral from healthcare to an income-maximisation service (ie, financial counselling), and examine impacts on child and family health and well-being. A comprehensive electronic search strategy will be used to identify studies written in English, published from inception to January 2021, and indexed in MEDLINE, EMBase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Proquest, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, Cochrane Library, and Informit Online. Search strategies will include terms for: families, financial hardship and healthcare, in various combinations. Bibliographies of primary studies and review articles meeting the inclusion criteria will be searched manually to identify further eligible studies, and grey literature will also be searched. Data on objective and self-reported outcomes and study quality will be independently extracted by two review authors; any disagreements will be resolved through a third reviewer. The protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated widely via peer-reviewed publication and presentations at conferences related to this field.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020195985.

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Assessing the impact of the European resilience curriculum in preschool, early and late primary school children

School Psychology International ◽

10.1177/01430343211025075 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014303432110250

Author(s):

Celeste Simões ◽

Anabela C. Santos ◽

Paula Lebre ◽

João R. Daniel ◽

Cátia Branquinho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Control Group ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Mental Health Difficulties ◽

Prosocial Behaviours ◽

The Impact

Resilience is an individual’s ability to adapt successfully to and persevere during and after significant challenges. Resilience programmes based on a socioemotional learning approach have been associated with an increase in protextive factors (e.g., prosocial competencies), improvements in physical and mental health, and a decrease in internalised and externalised symptoms. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the RESCUR curriculum implemented in Portuguese schools on students’ academic, behavioural, and socioemotional outcomes, based on child and teacher reports. Participants included 1,084 children (53.2% male) aged 3-15 ( M = 7.24, SD = 2.31). A quasi-experimental study compared outcomes for an experimental intervention group (AIG) with a waiting list control group (WG). The results showed the RESCUR programme decreased mental health difficulties while increasing both prosocial behaviours and well-being. In addition, academic performance increased for those in preschool after implementation. Both teachers and children consistently reported positive behavioural changes in resilience-related competencies after implementing RESCUR. Our findings contribute to the recent research on the potential of RESCUR to address key socioemotional competencies and improve relevant protextive factors. Study limitations and future recommendations are addressed.

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Food for thought: the importance of nutritional well-being during COVID-19

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2021.2 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

L. Burke-Furey ◽

F. McNicholas

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Crucial Role ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Balanced Diet ◽

Current Experience ◽

Roll Out

Individuals with mental illness have poorer physical health, nutritional status, and lowered life expectancy. Optimising their physical and nutritional status has become an increasingly important therapeutic goal. Current experience with COVID-19 has further emphasised the susceptibility to physical illness and poorer outcomes amongst individuals with mental illness and those who are nutritionally compromised. Although life as we knew it has been suspended until the widespread roll-out of a vaccine, individuals can take immediate action to improve physical and mental health by attending to and optimising their nutritional well-being. Clinicians within mental health services have a crucial role to play in assisting such change, and reminding their patients of the importance of pursuing a healthy and balanced diet.

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Public Concerns during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Multicultural Cross-Sectional Study among Internet Survey Respondents in Three Countries

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10081577 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1577

Author(s):

Alona Emodi-Perlman ◽

Ilana Eli ◽

Nir Uziel ◽

Joanna Smardz ◽

Anahat Khehra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Culturally Different ◽

Patient Health

(1) Background: this study aimed to evaluate the worries, anxiety, and depression in the public during the initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in three culturally different groups of internet survey respondents: Middle Eastern (Israel), European (Poland), and North American (Canada). (2) Methods: a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the mentioned countries during the lockdown periods. The survey included a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on personal concerns, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). A total of 2207 people successfully completed the survey. (3) Results: Polish respondents were the most concerned about being infected. Canadian respondents worried the most about their finances, relations with relatives and friends, and both physical and mental health. Polish respondents worried the least about their physical health, and Israeli respondents worried the least about their mental health and relations with relatives and friends. Canadian respondents obtained the highest score in the PHQ-4, while the scores of Israeli respondents were the lowest. (4) Conclusions: various factors should be considered while formulating appropriate solutions in emergency circumstances such as a pandemic. Understanding these factors will aid in the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of stress, social isolation, and uncertainty on the well-being and mental health of culturally different societies.

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Presence of a Secondary Caregiver Differentiates Primary Cancer Caregiver Well-being

10.21203/rs.3.rs-427046/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Thomson ◽

Maureen Wilson-Genderson ◽

Laura A Siminoff

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Health ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Case Series ◽

Primary Caregivers ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Hematological Cancer ◽

Cancer Caregiver ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Informal caregivers play a fundamental role in the care of hematological cancer patients, but less is known about how secondary caregivers are involved. We assessed the presence or absence of a secondary caregiver, the types of caregiving activities performed by primary and secondary caregivers and examined whether the presence of a secondary caregiver was associated with primary caregiver characteristics and wellbeing over time. Methods A case series of hematological cancer patient-caregiver dyads (n = 171) were recruited from oncology clinics in Virginia and Pennsylvania and followed for 2 years. Multi-level models were developed to examine the associations between presence of a secondary caregiver and the primary caregivers’ well-being. Results Most (64.9%) primary caregivers reported having secondary caregivers. Multilevel models showed primary caregivers without help had higher baseline mental and physical health, but experienced deteriorating physical health overtime, compared to supported primary caregivers. Supported primary caregivers reported improvements in mental health over time that was associated with improvements in physical health. Conclusions Primary caregivers in good physical and mental health at the beginning of their caregiving journey but who have the least assistance from others may be at greatest risk for detrimental physical health effects long term. Attention to the arrangement of caregiving roles (i.e., who provides what care) overtime is needed to ensure that caregivers remain healthy and well supported.

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The Use of Mobile Apps and SMS Messaging as Physical and Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Review

FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry ◽

10.1176/appi.focus.16406 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 456-465 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amy Leigh Rathbone ◽

Julie Prescott

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Health Interventions ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Interventions

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Positive Psychology: A Personal History

Annual Review of Clinical Psychology ◽

10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050718-095653 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 1-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Martin E.P. Seligman

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Positive Psychology ◽

American Psychological Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Personal History ◽

Positive Education ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

American Psychological ◽

Politics And Religion

As president of the American Psychological Association in 1998, I organized researchers and practitioners to work on building well-being, not just on the traditional task of reducing ill-being. Substantial research then found that well-being causes many external benefits, including better physical and mental health. Among the applications of Positive Psychology are national psychological accounts of well-being, Positive Psychotherapy, the classification of strengths and virtues, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, and Positive Education. Positive Psychology has spread beyond psychology into neuroscience, health, psychiatry, theology, and even to the humanities. Positive Psychology has many critics, and I comment on the strongest criticisms. I conclude with the hope that the building of well-being will become a cornerstone of morality, politics, and religion.

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Effects of equine-assisted therapy on the functionality of individuals with disabilities: systematic review and meta-analysis

Physiotherapy Theory and Practice ◽

10.1080/09593985.2020.1836694 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessandra Prieto ◽

Kênnea Martins almeida Ayupe ◽

Latife Nemetala Gomes ◽

Ana Cristina Saúde ◽

Paulo Gutierres Filho

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Individuals With Disabilities ◽

Equine Assisted Therapy ◽

Equine Assisted

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Examining the Effectiveness of a Case Management Program for Custodial Grandparent Families

Nursing Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2012/124230 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Lenora Campbell ◽

Dana L. Carthron ◽

Margaret Shandor Miles ◽

LaShanda Brown

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Case Management ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Management Program ◽

Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Case Management Program

Researchers have identified complex needs of custodial grandparent families and lack of access to needed resources such as housing, financial and legal assistance, and health care. Case management links these families with needed services while helping them develop skills to promote their health and well-being. This paper describes a case management program for custodial grandparent families using a nurse-social worker case management team. data were collected from 50 grandparents and 33 children using surveys and semi-structured instruments. Physical and mental health outcomes were measured using Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF 12) to measure the perceived quality of health for grandparents and the Child Behavior Checklist to measure the emotional and behavioral functioning of grandchildren. Grandparents more positively perceived their mental health after participating in the program. Perceptions about physical health were generally the same before and after the program. Grandparents' reported that many grandchildren had emotional and behavioral problems in the clinical range. These findings highlight the need for further research on the mental health needs of children being parented by grandparents as well as determining effective models and interventions to minimize adverse effects of parenting on grandparents.

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