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Barriers to help-seeking for mental health issues in young rural males
No full textIn New Zealand, poor mental health is a salient problem. We experience high suicide rates, and this rate increases when the lens of being young, rural, and male are applied. Traditionally, poor rural mental health has been something portrayed within the media as only applying to older farmers who own their land – and that the issues are more centred upon stock price fluctuations, adverse weather events and financial difficulties. While these issues have shown to be major catalysts for poor rural mental health in other countries such as Australia and Spain, in New Zealand, the scant studies that do exist have shown that we have been looking in the wrong places. These issues do exist, but it is overwhelmingly our young rural men that are experiencing the highest numbers of poor mental health and suicide rates in the agricultural industry. These poor mental health rates can be attributed to many factors, including personal relationship breakdown, interpersonal conflict, loneliness, and easy access to firearms and alcohol.
It appears that young rural men in New Zealand mostly suffer in silence when it comes to poor mental health. A common precursor to many experiences of rural suicides was that “nobody saw it coming”. This research aims to dissect why this is so, and what professionals might be able to do about this problem. It is my hope that this research will provide a significant and innovative contribution to the leadership figureheads within the rural mental health sector, such as GPs, counsellors, psychologists and more.
The questions that guided this research were:
• What are the barriers to seeking help for mental health issues in young rural men in New Zealand?
• What can practitioners do to help break down these barriers?
• What does that look like in a practical, tangible sense?
This study was undertaken using a sequential mixed-methods design, which consisted of an anonymous survey, in-depth interviews with participants who volunteered at the conclusion of the survey, and stakeholders whom I approached for interviews that hold positions of influence and/or authority within the agricultural community. It incorporates quantitative and qualitative research components that were examined autonomously and then construed collectively. These methods all played a part in comprehending the experiences of contributors.
The findings of this research have demonstrated that the basic barriers to help-seeking are three-fold: knowledge-based, shame-based, and practical-based. Other recommendations include the need for employers to enlist some basic mental health knowledge training, and that practitioners be flexible and relatable. There were multiple other factors that needed to be understood within both the experiences of the young men in this demographic, and via delivery of mental health care from professional practitioners. This research critically evaluates and provides evidence on a multitude of levels around these barriers and will contribute significantly to the delivery of mental health care within this population
Thermal performance of school buildings: Impacts beyond thermal comfort
No full textBased on field study data regarding the winter indoor thermal environment of three classrooms with different building envelopes, this study compared and evaluated these environments, not only related to students’ thermal comfort but also to their health. The inadequacy of the conventional New Zealand school building for maintaining a comfortable and healthy winter indoor thermal environment has been identified. A classroom with thermal mass had 31%, 34% and 9% more time than a classroom without thermal mass when indoor temperatures met 16 C 18 C and 20 C respectively and has 21.4% more time than the classroom without thermal mass when indoor relative humidity was in the optimal range of 40% to 60%, in a temperate climate with a mild and humid winter. Adding thermal mass to school building envelopes should be considered as a strategy to improve the winter indoor thermal environment in future school design and development. Adding thermal mass to a school building with sufficient insulation can not only increase winter indoor mean air temperature but can also reduce the fluctuation of indoor air temperatures. This can significantly reduce the incidence of very low indoor temperature and very high indoor relative humidity, and significantly improve the indoor thermal environmen
The effects of the 2021 Delta lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand: A thematic analysis of some preliminary material to inform a future research question
No full textThis paper is based on preliminary material gathered about the effects of the 2021 Delta lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand. The preliminary material was gathered via a questionnaire and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. This paper will offer some preliminary findings which are intended to inform a future research questio
Long-read sequencing reveals atypical mitochondrial genome structure in a New Zealand marine isopod
No full textMost animal mitochondrial genomes are small, circular and structurally conserved. However, recent work indicates that diverse taxa possess unusual mitochondrial genomes. In Isopoda, species in multiple lineages have atypical and rearranged mitochondrial genomes. However, more species of this speciose taxon need to be evaluated to understand the evolutionary origins of atypical mitochondrial genomes in this group. In this study, we report the presence of an atypical mitochondrial structure in the New Zealand endemic marine isopod, Isocladus armatus. Data from long- and short-read DNA sequencing suggest that I. armatus has two mitochondrial chromosomes. The first chromosome consists of two mitochondrial genomes that have been inverted and fused together in a circular form, and the second chromosome consists of a single mitochondrial genome in a linearized form. This atypical mitochondrial structure has been detected in other isopod lineages, and our data from an additional divergent isopod lineage (Sphaeromatidae) lends support to the hypothesis that atypical structure evolved early in the evolution of Isopoda. Additionally, we find that an asymmetrical site previously observed across many species within Isopoda is absent in I. armatus, but confirm the presence of two asymmetrical sites recently reported in two other isopod specie
Reinvigorating a faded nation: A project that reinvigorates the cultural identity of Macedonia through creating placemaking for displaced Macedonians worldwide
No full textRESEARCH QUESTION
How can a Macedonian food and culture facility create placemaking for displaced Macedonians worldwide, in the city of Strumica?
ABSTRACT
The North Macedonian cultural identity has suffered over the years with, rising poverty, political issues, government corruption, and the issue of diaspora. There is confusion over what the Macedonian identity is and this has become a major problem for the North Macedonian people, both living in the country, and for the ones who are scattered across the world. Today, there are more North Macedonians who live abroad than in North Macedonia. North Macedonian communities around the world are disconnected from their cultural heritage, traditions and country. The North Macedonian diaspora would benefit from being able to connect with where they come from and with each other.
The issue of declining cultural identity is evident through many different aspects such as the recent name change of the country and the urban development project of Skopje 2014 – which falsely represents the authentic culture and people of North Macedonia and brings no value to the people, it is only a political movement. An identity of a culture is made of many different aspects such as architecture, art, music, traditions and religions – it is what makes a country unique.
The role of the architecture in this project is to re-invigorate culture and promote connection and engagement, through placemaking in the city of Strumica, a city that is heavily affected by mass emigration. A dynamic and interactive program is proposed for locals and visitors to connect and engage through food and cooking together; and other activities such as folk dancing. The design proposal is a North Macedonian Food and Culture facility market in the city of Strumica for locals as well as displaced North Macedonians worldwide. This project aims to reignite the city of Strumica through architecture and attract visitors with performative activities, exhibitions, events and above all food. The project aims for authenticity, but this is seldom constructed by design. The design responds to the culture and history of the country as well as the lifestyle of the people.
The design is deeply interlocked with the site context, culture and traditions of the North Macedonian people, this proposes a contemporary structure forming a place in the heart of Strumica, to benefit and positively impact both locals and visitors
Site: Goce Delchev Sqaure, Strumica, North Macedonia
Future nursing workforce: Student nurse intentions to work in aged care after registration
No full textAIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To understand the extent to which aged care is considered a career option by Unitec undergraduate and return to nursing (CAP) student nurses
To determine Unitec student nurses’ impressions of working in aged care
To understand Unitec student nurses’ intentions to work in aged care during completion of nursing programme
Using vector agents to implement an unsupervised image classification algorithm
No full textUnsupervised image classification methods conventionally use the spatial information of pixels to reduce the effect of speckled noise in the classified map. To extract this spatial information, they employ a predefined geometry, i.e., a fixed-size window or segmentation map. However, this coding of geometry lacks the necessary complexity to accurately reflect the spatial connectivity within objects in a scene. Additionally, there is no unique mathematical formula to determine the shape and scale applied to the geometry, being parameters that are usually estimated by expert users. In this paper, a novel geometry-led approach using Vector Agents (VAs) is proposed to address the above drawbacks in unsupervised classification algorithms. Our proposed method has two primary steps: (1) creating reliable training samples and (2) constructing the VA model. In the first step, the method applies the statistical information of a classified image by k-means to select a set of reliable training samples. Then, in the second step, the VAs are trained and constructed to classify the image. The model is tested for classification on three high spatial resolution images. The results show the enhanced capability of the VA model to reduce noise in images that have complex features, e.g., streets, buildings
Wairua: Te ātaahua kaiwhatu = The beautiful weaver: Incorporating wairua into tertiary education
No full textRESEARCH AIMS AND QUESTION
• To better understand wairua in the tertiary education context
• To better understand what the outcomes for tauira are when wairua is incorporated
• To explore and articulate ways in which we, as tertiary educators, can incorporate wairua into our own education space
How are we incorporating wairua in tertiary education and what are the outcomes?
ABSTRACT
Within Aotearoa New Zealand there is an increasing discussion on the importance of including spirituality into health and education. Occupational therapists have responded to this recent kōrero and are including spirituality within their practice recognizing the alignment between spirituality and occupation. Spirituality may be relatively new to the education and health worlds, but within te ao Māori it is deeply embedded in historical knowledge. The term which best captures and understands this essential element is wairua. Wairua is recognised as fundamental within the lived reality of Māori. Wairua, however, has been excluded from tertiary education or engaged with as an intellectual exercise with little research on the impact of including wairua into tertiary education. The aim of this research was to explore how we are incorporating wairua into tertiary education and what the outcomes are. Further aims of the research included to better understand wairua in the tertiary education context, to better understand what the outcomes for tauira are when wairua is incorporated and to explore and articulate ways in which we, as tertiary educators, can incorporate wairua into our own education space. A co-research partnership was developed between a Pākehā researcher and takata whenua co-researcher using action research methodology and whakawhiti kōrero as a data collection method. Data was then analysed using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL). Five hui were held with six participants. Participants engaged in a whakawhiti kōrero process discussing their developing understanding of wairua and deciding on weekly actions to add, remove, modify, or notice within the classroom. These actions were then incorporated by the researchers and reflected on in the following hui. Through the research process participants demonstrated a deepening understanding and recognition of wairua within tertiary education and their own lives. Findings also suggest that with incorporation of wairua in tertiary education whanaukataka was created and a drive to act was experienced. These findings indicate a need to incorporate wairua into tertiary education to create a culturally responsive education space. Recommendations for incorporation of wairua began with the call for all tertiary educators to embrace their own wairua. Further recommendations comprised the inclusion of te reo Māori, tikaka, mātauraka Māori and a focus on whakawhanaukataka. Regular opportunities for tauira to connect inside and outside the classroom were also recommended, as was the honouring of time and space and lastly an awareness of how wairua can be hurt and subsequently healed. It is hoped these recommendations will guide the embracing and weaving of wairua into all tertiary education spaces. We have an opportunity to rewrite current tertiary education practices to see all who enter tertiary education flourish within a wairua based classroom and engage in the meaningful and transformational process of education
Using the Meke Meter to understand rangatahi hauora in the Aotearoa New Zealand secondary school context
Get PDFBACKGROUND
In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), many rangatahi (adolescents) are not experiencing good quality of life (QoL), which negatively impacts their wellbeing. Wellbeing affects adolescents’ engagement with learning, social and emotional behaviour, and overall satisfaction with life and with school. In the NZ tertiary education setting, the Meke Meter™ was found to be a quick and simple tool that benefited both students and educators through increased awareness and knowledge of the student’s wellbeing and the various aspects that contribute to it. The Meke Meter™ is an indigenous, holistic self-reflection tool that has minimal text and does not require the user to write but instead score themselves for various aspects that contribute to their overall health and wellbeing.
The purpose of this study was to answer the question: Is the Meke Meter™ an appropriate tool for capturing the self-evaluated wellbeing status of rangatahi in a secondary school setting? This overarching question has been broken into three sub-questions:
1. Is the online and/or paper version of the Meke Meter™ a suitable and user-friendly interface for rangatahi to use to self-evaluate their wellbeing?
2. Do classroom teachers feel that the Meke Meter™ can be effectively applied in the curriculum around wellbeing?
3. Are there any existing QoL or wellbeing tools suitable for use in the NZ secondary school context?
METHODS
A case study approach was undertaken to answer sub-questions 1 and 2 with the Meke Meter™ being trialled in a mainstream secondary school and an alternative secondary education setting. At the mainstream secondary school, 12 kaiako (teachers) offered the paper version of the Meke Meter™ to their Whānau group and a total of 85 out of 97 (87.6 %) enrolled rangatahi gave consent to participate by completing their Meke Meter™. The Lead Facilitator of the alternative education programme used the digital format of the Meke Meter™ and at the time this case study took place, there were five rangatahi enrolled, of which four agreed to participate. After regular use of the Meke Meter™, the participating teachers and students provided feedback about the use of the Meke Meter™ via Google Forms. The qualitative data was analysed using an inductive thematic analysis and the appreciate inquiry framework was used to critically analyse and discuss the findings.
A systematic literature review was undertaken to answer sub-question 3. The review comprised of four stages. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) tool and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) flowchart were used to facilitate the selection of articles with appropriate instruments. The characteristics of the eligible QoL and or wellbeing instruments were determined, and the instruments were assessed for suitability in the NZ secondary school classroom setting.
FINDINGS
In the case studies, both kaiako and rangatahi found the Meke Meter™, regardless of format, quick and easy to use requiring very little teacher instructional input. Rangatahi acknowledged that using the Meke Meter™ promoted self-awareness and allowed them to set goals and track progress. The kaiako found the Meke Meter™ to fit well with the current focus on student wellbeing and its use could support the school curriculum. The Meke Meter™ appeared to allow kaiako to gain insight into the lived experiences of rangatahi, which could enable them to alter their teaching pedagogy to better cater pastorally to their students’ needs. The comments from some kaiako suggested that the development of student and teacher resources would support the use of the Meke Meter™ in the classroom. The digital version of the Meke MeterTM appeared to have some administrative and data collection advantages over the paper version.
In the systematic review, the titles and abstracts of 6,613 articles were screened to determine eligibility. After the initial screening, 89 articles were retrieved for full-text screening. From these, eight articles (n = 8) were included in the study and five instruments were identified for assessment. The instruments identified were insufficiently aligned to Māori understandings of wellbeing and in addition, most were unsuitable for teachers to administer during class time, nor were they fit for purpose for rangatahi, in particular rangatahi Māori.
CONCLUSION
In the absence of an existing adolescent QoL or wellbeing tool suitable for use in the NZ secondary school education settings, there is scope for the development of such a tool. This research study has begun to explore the applications of the Meke Meter™ in the secondary education sector. A continued journey of co-design that engages with Government, communities, whānau and rangatahi is needed. This is to ensure that the Meke Meter™ is not just a tool for promoting self-reflection of life, goal setting and progress tracking, but instead an entire wrap-around system of monitoring and resources to equip and empower rangatahi to live their best possible lives with a focus on thriving and flourishing to enhance wellbeing
Desires and doubts on cultural sustainability: A study from Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textOriginal study - research objectives
To know about the cultural components incorporated in an early childhood teacher education classroom;
To reflect on how these components impact the learning of students (student-teachers);
To analyse if these components have impacts on lecturers in terms of reflective teaching