Experience, impact and needs of informal parental caregivers around the communication of a diagnosis of schizophrenia

Aims: To qualitatively characterize the experience, impact and needs of informal family caregivers around the communication of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Methods: In all, 13 informal family caregivers were recruited. All were parents. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore their experience of the diagnosis of schizophrenia, the impacts of the diagnosis and the needs related to the diagnosis around its communication. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, codes generated and mixed deductive–inductive thematic analysis undertaken. Results: Participants described receiving the diagnosis of schizophrenia for their relative as a devastating experience, although some nuanced the experience with a sense of relief of finally naming the disorder and getting access to care. Caregivers’ experience and representations prior to hearing the diagnosis played an important role in the way the ‘news’ was internalized. The communication of the diagnosis constituted a starting point for acceptance of the reality of the illness in participants. Numerous unmet needs around the communication of the diagnosis were reported by participants, including personnalized support, specific explanations about the disorder and guidance on their role as caregiver. Conclusion: A specific attention must be given to the communication of the diagnosis of schizophrenia to the informal family caregivers. Information giving must be early, comprehensive, personalized and embedded into tailored education and support programmes for caregivers to facilitate illness acceptance and adaptation.

Moving paradigms - conservation agriculture with alternative agronomics to minimize inputs.

The African Union Malabo Declaration outlines goals to achieve sustainable production practices for economic growth in the agriculture sector by 2025. Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices represent a climate smart and resource friendly sustainable production system, and these need to be adopted and refined. This will be a paradigm shift for academics, experts and farmers who are embedded in the intensive external-input monoculture tillage systems. From our review of literature, recent history has shown that CA systems are successful and profitable while using less external inputs and expending less energy. Energy use can be reduced by 40% and labour needs by 50%-90%. Research has shown that CA farming is superior in terms of enhancing soil functions, biodiversity, beneficial insects, energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and resilience to extreme climate events. Nitrogen and other essential elemental crop needs can be reduced by 10%-70% through CA systems. African research and farm testing have shown integrated CA cropping systems can control insect and weed pests while providing more diverse economic crops. For the paradigm shift to occur quickly, efficiently and economically, institutions need to lead change. Policy makers need to start strategic changes to research and institutions by initiating support programmes identified by innovative researchers and agricultural leaders that can move the Malabo dial towards the 2025 goals.

Developing Mindsets: A Qualitative Study among First-Year South African University Students

This article reports on a qualitative study that evaluated first-year students’ lived experiences of attending a 12-week student support programme focused on fostering mindsets. Participants included 545 first year Engineering students enrolled for academic studies at a South African university. All participants completed qualitative narrative sketches depicting their experiences. A random sample of 300 students’ narrative sketches was included as data in the qualitative study. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, and Dweck’s theory on mindsets served as the theoretical lens through which the data were interpreted. The results indicate that the majority of students experienced significant personal growth from attending the student support programme. Additionally, the findings point to the relevance and importance of offering student support programmes focused on exploring mindsets to first-year students. The results of this exploratory study suggest that mindset theory should be considered as an essential component when advising first-year South African Engineering students. Furthermore, we make a case for the relevance of positive psychology-based development programmes for first-year students.

Policy and Linkages in the Application of a One Health System for Reporting and Controlling African Trypanosomiasis and Other Zoonotic Diseases in Zambia

The capacity to detect, control and manage emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases in Africa has been limited by a lack of utilisation of available reporting structures and policies to support programmes at national and local levels. This study explored the impact of the Zambian government policies on animal and human disease reporting and management and on One Health opportunities. An in-depth review and analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the existing policies and reporting structures in the departments responsible for Veterinary Services, Health, and Wildlife, was conducted. According to our findings, sub-optimal implementation of existing policies related to the control of zoonotic diseases was impacting disease reporting, and reporting structures play an important role in effective and sustainable reporting of zoonotic diseases. Further, the study explored capacities and strategies in trypanosomiasis control as a case study that could prompt effective adoption of a One Health approach, and as such, the study suggests measures that could help to assess the performance of a One Health system in the control of African trypanosomiasis and other zoonotic diseases.

Books across borders: German-English literary translation in the contemporary German and Anglo-American contexts

<p>This thesis examines discourses and practices surrounding German-English translated books in the contemporary German and Anglo-American contexts, focusing on works published as trade fiction. It thereby provides the chronological extension to an existing line of studies that evaluate the production and reception of German-English literary translations in the second half of the twentieth century: notably, the survey volumes by Uta Kreuter (1985), Mark Rectanus (1990a) and, more recently, Wiebke Sievers (2007) who concludes her assessment period in 1999.Continuing the investigation into the twenty-first century, the present thesis combines research into new developments in selected focal territories – Germany, the UK and US – with an enquiry into the contemporary relevance of political and other borders in the circulation of German-English translated books. It thus offers an up-to-date account of activities for German-English translation in these territories; at the same time, it contributes to sociologically oriented scholarship on a methodological and theoretical level. The period under consideration is notable in two key respects. First, it coincides with technological innovations that are transforming the book business and calling into question existing communications paradigms (Bhaskar 2013). Assessing the impact of these innovations, the thesis examines changing licensing, publishing and retail practices for German-English translated books and evaluates the role of institutional and other frameworks in the circulation of literary products and texts. Second, activities for the translation of literature in the UK and US have proliferated since the early 2000s, indicating a need to move beyond Lawrence Venuti’s diagnosis of an Anglo-American disregard for translated literature (1995), which provides the backdrop for Sievers’s account of German-English translation in the UK (2007). Accordingly, the thesis considers German-English translated books in the context of this upsurge in projects to celebrate translation in the UK and US, and explores the intersection of activities for translation into English with programmes sponsored by intermediaries in Germany to promote the translation of German-language works. The advancement of the thesis through the ‘macro, mezzo and micro’ levels of analysis serves, on the one hand, to illuminate different aspects of German-English literary translation and, on the other, to interrogate models for sociological translation research (Sapiro 2008). The investigation begins with an analysis of accounts of global translation production, revealing deficiencies in proposed mappings of translational activity and highlighting the deployment of statistical data on book translation for polemical or promotional ends. Drawing on original fieldwork and primary sources, it then considers publishing practices and support programmes for German-English translation in the UK and US, and examines the translational fortunes of selected German-language books and their UK and US editions, thereby connecting with current scholarship on the Anglo-American book business (Thompson 2012) and with research in German Studies associated with the ‘transnational’ paradigm (Taberner 2011a).</p>

Books across borders: German-English literary translation in the contemporary German and Anglo-American contexts

<p>This thesis examines discourses and practices surrounding German-English translated books in the contemporary German and Anglo-American contexts, focusing on works published as trade fiction. It thereby provides the chronological extension to an existing line of studies that evaluate the production and reception of German-English literary translations in the second half of the twentieth century: notably, the survey volumes by Uta Kreuter (1985), Mark Rectanus (1990a) and, more recently, Wiebke Sievers (2007) who concludes her assessment period in 1999.Continuing the investigation into the twenty-first century, the present thesis combines research into new developments in selected focal territories – Germany, the UK and US – with an enquiry into the contemporary relevance of political and other borders in the circulation of German-English translated books. It thus offers an up-to-date account of activities for German-English translation in these territories; at the same time, it contributes to sociologically oriented scholarship on a methodological and theoretical level. The period under consideration is notable in two key respects. First, it coincides with technological innovations that are transforming the book business and calling into question existing communications paradigms (Bhaskar 2013). Assessing the impact of these innovations, the thesis examines changing licensing, publishing and retail practices for German-English translated books and evaluates the role of institutional and other frameworks in the circulation of literary products and texts. Second, activities for the translation of literature in the UK and US have proliferated since the early 2000s, indicating a need to move beyond Lawrence Venuti’s diagnosis of an Anglo-American disregard for translated literature (1995), which provides the backdrop for Sievers’s account of German-English translation in the UK (2007). Accordingly, the thesis considers German-English translated books in the context of this upsurge in projects to celebrate translation in the UK and US, and explores the intersection of activities for translation into English with programmes sponsored by intermediaries in Germany to promote the translation of German-language works. The advancement of the thesis through the ‘macro, mezzo and micro’ levels of analysis serves, on the one hand, to illuminate different aspects of German-English literary translation and, on the other, to interrogate models for sociological translation research (Sapiro 2008). The investigation begins with an analysis of accounts of global translation production, revealing deficiencies in proposed mappings of translational activity and highlighting the deployment of statistical data on book translation for polemical or promotional ends. Drawing on original fieldwork and primary sources, it then considers publishing practices and support programmes for German-English translation in the UK and US, and examines the translational fortunes of selected German-language books and their UK and US editions, thereby connecting with current scholarship on the Anglo-American book business (Thompson 2012) and with research in German Studies associated with the ‘transnational’ paradigm (Taberner 2011a).</p>

Flood Risk Management and its Compliance in Loko Community Adamawa State, Nigeria

Flood risk management functions to reduce socio-economic and human resources associated with disasters. This study investigates flood risk administration for the socio-demographic progress of the Loko Community in the Song local government area in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study’s objective was to evaluate the compliance levels to flood risk management practices, challenges and interventions adopted to address the concerns. The study utilized a case study research design while targeting a population of 4,200 inhabitants comprising, 800 households, 20 NEMA staff and 40 ADSEMA staff. The findings indicated that floods significantly affects the socio-economic condition and livelihoods of the people. Moreover, the study found that institutional, cultural, and demographic factors limited compliance to FRM practices, necessitating the adoption of appropriate interventions. Therefore, it is necessary because homes far from flood-prone areas will mitigate the adverse flood effects. Similarly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives through the Extension Services should incentivize the communities through funding to increase the area cultivated on the upland to enhance the food security at the household level. There should be increased support programmes for the affected, and viable farmers prioritized for the support programmes. The study concludes that there is a need to develop better and appropriate measures to prepare and mitigate the effects of floods. Socio-economic problems such as poverty, livelihood profile, cultural views, the position of weaker social groups, and the rights of minorities and ethnic groups must be addressed urgently.

Loneliness in Scottish Adolescents Before, During and After the First National UK Lockdown

PurposeWhile lockdowns are essential in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures may increase risk of loneliness in adolescents. In this paper, we investigate how lockdown affects loneliness in adolescents and potential protective factors. MethodsThis study examines 768 young people in Scotland age 12 to 17, who took part in TeenCovidLife surveys during and after the first national lockdown in 2020. Survey 1 ran from May to July 2020, during the first school closures period. Survey 2 ran from August to October 2020, after schools reopened for most pupils. Participants reported current loneliness and pre-pandemic loneliness. Participants also completed self-report measures of resilience and social support.ResultsLoneliness increased from pre-pandemic levels during lockdown and then decreased when restrictions eased. However, loneliness remained significantly higher post-lockdown compared to pre-pandemic. Predictors of loneliness were assessed with ordinal logistic regression. Greater resilience was associated with lower loneliness at all stages of lockdown, but older teens were more likely to be lonely post-lockdown. Greater peer support was associated with lower loneliness before lockdown. However, during lockdown, family support was associated with lower loneliness. After schools re-opened, participants with greater social support from school staff were 15% less likely to be lonely.ConclusionLoneliness was higher during lockdown than before lockdown. Moreover, loneliness remained higher after lockdown than before lockdown. However, resilience and social support in school may protect against this lingering loneliness. Resilience training and school-based social support programmes may reduce the long-term effects of lockdown on well-being in young people.