Going Online!

2022 ◽  
pp. 80-96
Author(s):  
Gabriela Aurora A. Martínez-Ramírez ◽  
Xóchitl Garza-Olivares ◽  
Daniela Aguilar-De León ◽  
Mónica C. Garza-Martínez

The use of technology in healthcare became a prevailing necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sanitary services oriented in mental health broadened their way of interaction due to the increase in the need for these services. Healthcare professionals had to develop different learning skills and adapt their abilities to the virtual clinical practice through a digital interface, where communication represented the biggest challenge. The objective of the study was to identify the different adjustments, especially in the communication skills, made by those who provide psychological services by the Virtual Clinic in Psychology and others and clinical psychologists. The authors considered adequate qualitative methodology for the study with an exploratory, descriptive design. The data gathering tool was a semi-structured interview and the word analysis method. The participants are professors that provide psychological care in the Virtual Clinic in Psychology of a nonprofit institution of higher education in Mexico and professionals providing mental health attention.

Author(s):  
María José Sosa Díaz

To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, governments all over the world implemented strong lockdown measures to a large part of the population, including the closing of educational centres. Teachers were urged to transform their teaching methodology, moving from a face-to-face model to an emergency remote education (ERE) model, characterised by the use of technologies to continue with lectures and maintain the physical distance with the students. The aim of the present study was to analyse the existence of socio-digital inequalities and the educational challenges posed by the development of an ERE model, hence, contributing to the literature by proposing a systematic and holistic approach on this phenomenon. Based on the characteristics of the research problem and the objectives set, a qualitative methodology was applied. On the one hand, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 136 active teachers as the main data gathering technique. On the other hand, grounded theory was key in interpreting the results, with the aim of generating the theory in a systematic and holistic manner. It can be asserted that ERE was very useful during the lockdown of schools, and its potential to transform education was demonstrated. However, it was also shown that the development of an ERE model can cause socio-digital inequalities among students, due to the lack of access to digital devices and Internet connection, mainly due to factors, such as the socio-educational level of the family and the rural or urban context of the centre.


2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 597-604
Author(s):  
Mohit Nandy, Dr. Swaroopa Chakole

BACKGROUND COVID-19 or coronavirus disease 2019 is the pandemic that had hit all the aspect of the human life in a negative way. Proper solutions needs to be find out before situation worsens. SUMMARY COVID-19 affected the mental wellbeing of all the people inhabiting the earth in some way or the other. As extreme uncertainty is attached to the event, it is impossible to forecast the future which everyone care about. In that quest we become anxious and forget to fully live the present which can be a slippingpoint to depression. Proper use of technology like telemedicine can be done to ensure larger penetration of psychological services. CONCLUSION More study between the effects of pandemic and its effect on mental health needs to be done. Telemedicine and communication can be the game changer in such times of distress to tackle the problem of social distress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e200101119439
Author(s):  
Adriana Goncalves Queiroz ◽  
Anna Caroline Galan ◽  
Logan Darbyshire ◽  
Jordan Smith ◽  
Lisa Mische Lawson

Mental health care has been shifting from treating mental illness to health promotion. Occupational therapists aligned with the new paradigm can include leisure in their recovery-oriented interventions helping mental health patients live a meaningful and satisfactory life. The aim of this paper is to determine the common perceptions of leisure among occupational therapists who practice in mental health settings, and to understand how they implement leisure as an intervention when working with individuals with severe mental health disorders. A qualitative methodology was used to explore Occupational Therapy perceptions of leisure. Through snowball sampling 5 occupational therapists from a metropolitan city in the Midwest of the United States of America to complete a semi-structured interview were recruited. American Occupational Therapy Association Practice Framework (3rd edition) guided the thematic analysis. Three themes emerged, including Concepts of Leisure, Occupations, and Leisure as Therapy. Theme definitions, examples and implications are discussed. Although occupational therapy practitioners in mental health consider leisure important, it is underutilized in their interventions. The professional’s perspectives of leisure influences how they include it in their practice.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-69
Author(s):  
Dagmar Kopčanová ◽  
Bibiana Filípková

Abstract The content of this scientific study is based on the qualitative analysis of selected answers of parents, in the framework of semi-structured interview. The qualitative research is apart of bigger research work P-155/A, dealing with mental health of children in family and school settings. The main goal is to learn and analyse the empirical experience and views of participants, related to joint custody and shared care. The research sample consisted of randomly selected 9 participants who visited Výskumný ústav detskej psychológie apatopsychológie on behalf of some problems regarding custody after divorce/separation. In this contribution the parents´ attitudes towards mutual communication of former partners/parents, functioning of joint custody and shared care and some views related to some limits in this form of shared parenting have been analysed. Some valuable remarks with regard to the need of multi-professional team work, addressed to parents within the process of their divorce/separation proved to be very useful. Parents proposed they would extremely welcome some more help from mental health professionals and their crises intervention actions. On behalf of discussion we notice that the juridical institute of joint custody and shared care is a very important tool, however, some legislative changes of this law should be still done. Concluding the study, we state that in spite of some methodological problems – like a limited number of research participants, we believe that the results can serve as a basis for the next deeper research, bringing more proposals for improvement in this field.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed M. J. Alqahtani

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has obstructed the classical practices of psychological assessment and intervention via face-to-face interaction. Patients and all health professionals have been forced to isolate and become innovative to continue receiving and providing exceptional healthcare services while minimizing the risk of exposure to, or transmission of, COVID-19. OBJECTIVE This document is proposed initially as a guide to the extraordinary implementation of telepsychology in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to extend its implementation to use fundamentally as the main guideline for telepsychology services in Saudi Arabia and other Arabic communities. METHODS A professional task force representing different areas of professional psychology reviewed, summarized, and documented methods, policies, procedures, and other resources to ensure that the recommendations and evidence reviews were valid and consistent with best practices. RESULTS The practice of telepsychology involves the consideration of legal and professional requirements. This paper provides a guideline and recommendations for procedural changes that are necessary to address psychological services as we transition to telepsychology, as well as elucidates and demonstrates practical telepsychology frameworks, procedures, and proper recommendations for the provision of services during COVID-19. It adds a focused examination and discussion related to factors that could influence the telemedicine guideline, such as culture, religion, legal matters, and how clinical psychologists could expand their telepsychology practice during COVID-19 and after, seeking to produce broadly applicable guidelines for the practice of telepsychology. Professional steps in practical telemedicine were illustrated in tables and examples. CONCLUSIONS Telepsychology is not a luxury or a temporary response. Rather, it should be considered part of a proactive governance model to secure a continuity of mental health care services. Arabic communities could benefit from this guideline to telepsychology as an essential protocol for providing mental health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Ching Chang ◽  
Megan C. Chang ◽  
Yun-Jou Chang ◽  
Ming-De Chen

Abstract Background Sleep disruption is pervasive in people with schizophrenia, but few studies have explored their sleep experiences. This study aims to identify factors relevant to sleep problems and explore coping methods used by community-dwelling people with schizophrenia. Methods Eighteen participants with schizophrenia were recruited from three mental health centers in Taiwan. They completed a semi-structured interview and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assessment. The Person-Environment-Occupation model offered a framework to assess factors related to sleep. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data analysis. Results Factors related to sleep were classified under person, environment, and occupation domains. The person domain included three subthemes: psychiatric symptoms, unpleasant emotions, and frustration about sleep. The environment domain included three subthemes: sensory intrusions from the environment, quality of bedding, and roommates. The occupation domain included sleep interruption and sleep preparation. There were notable discrepancies in sleep quality between the participants’ narratives and their PSQI global scores. Regarding coping methods for poor sleep, sleep medication was the primary strategy while some participants also used other strategies, such as modifying the environment, adjusting routines, or engaging in activities that improve sleep quality. Conclusions Psychiatric symptoms and nightmares were identified as unique sleep disruptions in people with schizophrenia, and poor economic status was also found to impact their sleep. The sleep quality of people with schizophrenia tends to be poor, as identified by the PSQI, even though they may have positive perceptions of their sleep quality. Our participants appeared to prefer to take hypnotics to address their sleep problems, which may be due to limited knowledge about alternatives. Mental health professionals are encouraged to receive training in the application of non-pharmacological approaches to support their clients’ issues related to sleep.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brea L. Perry ◽  
Emma Frieh ◽  
Eric R. Wright

Mental health services and psychiatric professional values have shifted in the past several decades toward a model of client autonomy and informed consent, at least in principle. However, it is unclear how much has changed in practice, particularly in cases where client behavior poses ethical challenges for clinicians. Drawing on the case of clients’ sexual behavior and contraception use, we examine whether sociological theories of “soft” coercion remain relevant (e.g., therapeutic social control; Horwitz 1982) in contemporary mental health treatment settings. Using structured interview data from 98 men and women with serious mental illness (SMI), we explore client experiences of choice, coercion, and the spaces that lie in between. Patterns in our data confirm Horwitz’s (1982) theory of therapeutic social control but also suggest directions for updating and extending it. Specifically, we identify four strategies used to influence client behavior: coercion, enabling, education, and conciliation. We find that most clients’ experiences reflect elements of ambiguous or limited autonomy, wherein compliance is achieved by invoking therapeutic goals. However, women with SMI disproportionately report experiencing intense persuasion and direct use or threat of force. We argue that it is critical to consider how ostensibly noncoercive and value-free interventions nonetheless reflect the goals and norms of dominant groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Cristina Francisco de Almeida Fehr ◽  
Welington Rocha

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the role of open-book accounting (OBA) and trust on buyer–supplier relationship satisfaction. The objective of this paper is to analyze how OBA and trust influence satisfaction on the relationship between suppliers and buyers in the Brazilian automotive sector’s supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe research has been developed based on a qualitative strategy, characterized as explanatory. Data gathering has been conducted through document analysis and semi-structured interview, and content analysis has been used for discourse analysis.FindingsResults show that OBA is unilateral, imposed by the auto manufacturer, representing a selective information process, as suppliers try to protect their information value as far as possible. Trust is partial and cooperation is not spontaneous, both driven by the search for benefits. OBA may yield a positive or a negative outcome with regard to the social and the economic overall satisfaction of suppliers, depending on how the information is used by auto manufacturer.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this article is to provide an understanding of the difficulties of applying the OBA in companies and of the factors that may influence its operation and performance, impacting on satisfaction and continuity of relationships. The paper also contributes with the proposal of a clearer and more objective definition of OBA. Being the intention that new research in this area can be developed from a delimited, clear and objective definition of OBA, allowing better understanding on the subject and comparison among research studies.


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