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Perceptions of Exposure Therapy: A Survey of the Next Generation of Psychologists
No full textExposure therapy is underutilized across disability diagnoses despite empirical support for its efficacy. Extant research largely focuses on the perseverance of negative perceptions of professionals towards exposure therapy. There is currently no research indicating the perspectives of the next generation of psychology professionals: doctoral psychology students. Since the field of psychology has increasingly recognized the effectiveness of exposure therapy paired with research contradicting the legitimacy of negative beliefs in regard to exposure therapy it is reasonable to assume that students entering the psychology field during the current climate of increased acceptance towards exposure therapy would hold more positive views in regard to exposure therapy and be more willing to use and/or recommend exposure therapy to clients. By understanding the perspectives of psychology students towards exposure therapy and key determinants that lead to a student’s use or recommendation of exposure therapy, psychology professionals would be able to make predictions regarding the future of exposure therapy and the likelihood this evidence-based intervention will be more widely utilized in the future.
The current study surveyed 91 graduate psychology students across 185 graduate psychology programs in the United States to assess their attitudes towards exposure therapy. The research design was correlational and statistical analyses involved examining the degree of relationship between variables as well as significant differences between groups. The purpose of the study was to: (a) determine the relationship between student demographic factors (i.e. gender) and propensity towards negative beliefs in regard to exposure therapy, (b) determine the relationship between experience/training (i.e. level of training with ET, level of clinical experience, theoretical orientation) with exposure therapy and propensity towards negative beliefs in regard to exposure therapy, (c) determine the relationship between education (i.e. highest degree earned, current degree program, areas of psychology training, year in psychology program) and propensity towards negative beliefs in regard to exposure therapy, (d) determine the relationship between client demographics (i.e. age of client, client diagnosis) and the participants’ willingness to use and/or recommend exposure therapy, and (e) determine the relationship between the negative belief scale score, the positive belief scale score, and the participants’ willingness to use and/or recommend exposure therapy. The study also included qualitative data regarding the participants’ perspective on exposure therapy and evidence-based practices.
The results of the current study suggest that, while some negative beliefs about exposure therapy continue to persist despite contradictory research evidence, the next generation of psychologists generally hold less negative beliefs about exposure therapy and are more willing to use and/or recommend exposure therapy across client diagnoses. Furthermore, they hold more positive associations with exposure therapy. Based on the results of this study, the utilization rates of exposure therapy are likely to increase in the next few years as these graduate psychology students become practicing professionals.
This study provides support for the increasing acceptance of exposure therapy among psychology doctoral students. The research further indicates clinician and client characteristics associated with the students’ willingness to use and/or recommend exposure therapy
Self-Identified Strengths and Self-Efficacy in Adults with Chronic Disease
No full textSelf-management models for chronic disease are increasingly being utilized in healthcare settings due to growing prevalence and diagnosis of life-long disease diagnoses. To support long-term outcomes of individuals with chronic diseases, care is increasingly focusing on utilizing innate capacities of the persons presenting for care and their family systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive relationship between self-reported strengths, perceived self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life in a community sample of adults who self-identify as having one or more chronic diseases. 192-participants were recruited through Amazon’s MechanicalTurk crowdsourcing platform. These participants completed four self-report measures gathering information regarding the participants demographics, perceived self-efficacy, self-reported strengths, and health-related quality of life. Analyses conducted indicated that self-reported strengths and self-efficacy appeared to account for a significant portion of variance in how the participants perceived their emotional well-being
Origami Mathematics
Full text linkIn this paper we give a comprehensive introduction to the mathematical definitions and ideas used to analyze origami. An origami is defined as a two-dimensional plane projected into three dimensions by rotation about a set of creases. We represent this rotation using matrices, and discuss the implied restrictions on the movement of origami structures. Flat foldability conditions such as Kawasaki\u27s theorem determine whether local crease patterns can be folded at, and rigid foldability conditions determine their range of motion. We extend one existing at foldability theorem to include a broader class of structures. Origami has inspired designs for many engineering applications, such as efficient storage and impact damping. Metallic origami structures are useful for impact damping because they absorb energy by metallic deformation and can return to their original shapes. We create a design sketch for earthquake damping using origami, and outline how one might use the mathematical principles discussed in this paper to find an optimal design for this application
Seaweed Consumption and Its Effect on Breast Cancer
Full text linkBackground: Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide. Interestingly, breast cancer incidence varies dramatically among countries. Japan, in particular, has relatively low breast cancer (BC) rates when compared to those in Western countries. Daily consumption of seaweed has been proposed as one of the factors in explaining the difference in incidence rates of BC. The high concentrations of polysaccharides in seaweed have been reported in many studies to have anti-cancer effects as well as chemoprotective effects. The aim for this review is to look at the potential benefits of seaweed consumption and its effect on breast cancer.
Methods: Exhaustive search of available medical literature was performed using MEDLINE-Ovid, Science Direct, Web of Science and CINAHL. Keywords used included: breast cancer, breast neoplasm and seaweed. Studies were assessed for quality using GRADE criteria.
Results: The systematic literature search yielded 311 articles for review. After screening the titles and abstracts, 3 articles met the eligibility criteria. Two of the studies were randomized control trials and 1 was a case-control observational study. These studies showed an association between seaweed consumption and lower rates of breast cancer.
Conclusion: Daily consumption of seaweed may play an important role in decreasing the incidence of breast cancer in women.
Keywords: Seaweed, breast cancer, breast neoplas
Athletic Trainers\u27 Perceptions and Experiences with Interprofessional Practice
Full text linkINTRODUCTION Understanding athletic trainers’ (ATs) perceptions of and experiences with interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) can help improve their interactions with other healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore ATs’ perceptions (beliefs, benefits, barriers), experiences and recommended strategies related to IPCP. METHODS 314 ATs (139 male, 175 female) completed an online survey that collected participant demographics in addition to sections about participants’ perceptions experiences related to ICPC and recommended strategies implementation of IPCP. RESULTS Participants reported the primary sports medicine team should include ATs, orthopedic physicians and physical therapists (PTs) with the AT serving as the point person. Athletic trainers reported interacting most frequently with other ATs, orthopedic physicians and primary care physicians using a combination of direct and indirect communication methods. The primary benefits of IPCP included providing comprehensive patient care, building understanding of each other’s professions and professional growth. Barriers to collaboration centered on limited knowledge of providers’ scopes of training, inadequate communication, work setting, work schedules and providers’ attitudes toward each other and collaboration. Strategies to facilitate IPCP focused on building relationships with providers, establishing regular communication and understanding each other’s scope of training. CONCLUSIONS Currently, ATs interact with other healthcare providers and have positive perceptions of IPCP. It is recommended that ATs build on the current relationships and aim to enhance them through purposeful communication
The Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on the Bone Health of Postmenopausal Women
No full textBackground: Osteopenia is a very common problem in postmenopausal women, with significant risk of fracture and progression to osteoporosis, yet despite the variety of treatment options, hormone-related bone loss is difficult to treat effectively while minimizing side effects. The composition of the gut microbiota is strongly associated with bone health, and probiotics are a promising adjunct therapy to the standard of care for osteopenia.
Methods: An exhaustive search of the literature was performed using the search terms probiotics, synbiotics, osteoporosis, bone mineral density, low bone mass, age-related bone changes, postmenopausal, fracture healing, fracture, and spontaneous fracture. Studies were assessed for quality using GRADE.
Results: The initial search generated 75 articles excluding duplicates. Two randomized clinical trials met eligibility criteria, with a study duration of at least 6 months and enrolled osteopenic postmenopausal women. One study found that supplementation of a mixed probiotic supplement seemed to induce a more positive profile of osteometabolic biomarkers, and the other study combined probiotics and isoflavones which significantly diminished bone loss over 12 months.
Conclusion: Probiotics are a promising option for the treatment of osteopenia, especially in combination with plant-derived isoflavones. Further studies will likely provide more support for probiotic administration in postmenopausal women, but in the meantime it would be safe and probably beneficial for clinicians to recommend probiotics to patients as an osteoprotective effort
Find Ways to Say Yes: How we Made our Library More Inclusive Through Removing Barriers to Membership
No full textCreating policies that are equitable and inclusive can often mean an iterative process of incremental changes that slowly evolve the culture of an organization. One example of this is the way that Driftwood Public Library, a medium-sized coastal library in Lincoln City, changed its library card policies to better serve members of the community experiencing homelessness or without a fixed address.
In 2013, Driftwood Public Library (DPL) began an initiative to look at our policies and procedures with fresh eyes, and modify those policies that were presenting significant barriers to individuals who wished to use the library. Library card policies quickly rose to the top. At the time, the library required official photo ID and proof of address to obtain a card, as well as the contact information for a third party who did not live with the applicant. The proof of address requirement was very stringent, requiring a lease or utility bill in the person’s name. It presented a great deal of difficulty for individuals who had recently moved to the city or who did not have any accounts in their own name. A scenario that library staff encountered more than once concerned adult children who had returned to Lincoln City to care for an ailing family member. Because they did not own or lease property in the area, were in town for an extended visit with an uncertain endpoint, and were usually staying with the family member, proving residency was a surprisingly difficult hurdle
Stitching Service Gaps Through Innovative Programming
No full textThe Sewing Project was a pilot program to offer Somali language sewing classes at Multnomah County Library (MCL). It was funded for one year through an internal innovation grant, Curiosity Kick! This article describes some of the challenges and lessons learned from this project, focusing on issues that are relevant to serving immigrant communities and reducing barriers to equitable library services