19683 research outputs found
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LGBTQA+ Mental Health and Suicidality: Tasmania Briefing Paper
No full textSuicidality and mental ill-health are serious concerns that impact all parts of the population in Australia, although some are disproportionately affected. LGBTQA+ people are recognised in numerous Commonwealth, State and Territory mental health and suicide prevention strategies or action plans.However, LGBTQA+ people continue to face barriers to accessing affirming healthcare and, to-date, limited comprehensive data exists on the mental health and healthcare experiences of LGBTQA+ people. This briefing paper outlines findings from three major surveys of LGBTQA+ people and aims to:Highlight the extent and nature of mental ill-health and suicidality among LGBTQA+ young people and adults in Tasmania (TAS).Explore the factors that can put people at greater risk of suicide or mental ill-health, as well as those that reduce their risk of suicide.Examine mental health service engagement and preferences among LGBTQA+ people in TAS.Draw comparisons between experience of LGBTQA+ people in TAS compared to other jurisdictions in Australia, and where possible, comparisons between LGBTQA+ people in TAS to the general population using the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS; 2022-2022).</p
A Scoping Review of Outcomes Measured and Involvement of People With Intellectual Disabilities in Active Support Research
No full textBackground: Active Support is a staff practice that aims to increase engagement of people with intellectual disabilities. This study seeks to: (1) identify the outcomes of staff using Active Support and how these are measured; (2) identify how the views of people with intellectual disabilities have been included in Active Support research. Method: A scoping review was conducted of peer-reviewed articles about Active Support published between 2009 and 2023. Results: Sixteen articles were identified. Outcomes included engagement, the quality of staff support, choice and challenging behaviour. Structured observations were the most frequently used measurement method. Only two studies explored people with intellectual disabilities' perspectives about Active Support. Conclusions: Consistent use of similar measures is a strength of Active Support research. Including perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities may provide insight into dimensions of support not been measured and assist in further developing these measures and Active Support practice.</p
Biology vs. Mechanics: The Missing Link Between Force Effectiveness and Performance in Road Cycling
No full textTraining cycling technique has been popular among coaches, but limited evidence supports benefits from this practice in terms of performance. The use of pedal force effectiveness metrics is discussed, noting the limitations of these outcomes to truly reflect pedaling technique. This editorial discusses the potential discrepancies between optimal mechanics and biological constrains for cyclists to optimize pedaling technique. Current evidence on the conflicts between improved technique and performance is illustrated. Evidence on limitations from the neuromuscular system to direct forces and maximize power at the same time are discussed. Potential adaptations from key muscles to single-leg cycling and other forms of technique training are explored with acknowledgement on the current limitations from evidence in the literature, particularly around the lack of robust controlled trials. Recommendations to practitioners are provided suggesting allocating training time to other activities rather than technique for cyclists willing to improve performance.</p
Can the dark spirituality of Wim Wenders's "Perfect Days" provide an antidote to what ails Western culture?
No full textNo description supplied.</p
Mental Health Practitioners’ Knowledge of LGBTQA+ Conversion Practices and Their Perceptions of Impacts on Survivors
No full textAbstract:The aims of this study were to identify Australian mental health practitioners’ knowledge of what LGBTQA+ conversion practices are and their perceptions of impacts on survivors. We interviewed 18 mental health workers from a range of clinical modalities who were practicing in Australia. We used reflexive thematic analytic techniques to identify themes that characterized Australian mental health practitioners’ knowledge of LGBTQA+ conversion practices and perceptions of the impacts of such practices on survivors. Practitioners’ understandings of what constitutes LGBTQA+ conversion practices were varied and derived from a range of sources, and practitioners’ perceptions of the impacts that conversion practices had on survivors ranged from undeveloped to nuanced. Generalist and specialist practitioners provided vastly different responses. We identified the following four themes: (1) inexperienced practitioners’ understandings were limited and reliant on stereotypes about conversion practices; (2) specialist practitioners’ understandings were refined and match experiences reported by survivors; (3) generalist practitioners emphasized specific and undeveloped negative impacts; (4) specialist practitioners were aware of deeper harms and the need for sustained support. These themes may be translated into strategies to facilitate improved services offered by practitioners, which may assist survivors in managing and coping with the trauma associated with exposure to these practices.</p
Sleep and fatigue management strategies: How nurses, midwives and paramedics cope with their shift work schedules—a qualitative study
No full textAims: To understand the benefits and challenges of shift work, and the coping strategies used by nurses, midwives and paramedics to manage the impact of shift work on sleep and fatigue from shift work. Design: A single case study with embedded units. Methods: Twenty-seven participants were interviewed exploring their shift work experiences, coping strategies used to improve sleep, and what their recommendations are for improving shift work management. Interviews were completed between November and December 2022. Results: Participants enjoyed the lifestyle, flexibility and financial rewards offered by working shift work. However, fatigue and sleep deprivation undermined these benefits, as it impacted their ability to enjoy social and family events. There were also concerns of long-term health consequences of shift work and delivery of care. Changes to rostering practices and sleep and shift work education were common recommendations. Conclusion: This study provides insights on how healthcare professionals manage sleep and fatigue due to shift work and the inadequate support. There is absence of adequate policies, processes and training at an organizational, academic and personal level on how to best manage sleep and fatigue when working shift work. Future research is needed to explore how to equip healthcare shift workers with the skills to successfully manage their schedules to mitigate the negative impact that poor sleep and fatigue has on the health and safety of themselves and their patients. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Understanding the specific challenges of shift work and how workers manage their shift work schedules is critical for improving the health and safety of themselves and their patients. This study identified that there is insufficient training regarding sleep and shift work management strategies, potentially leading to occupational health and safety concerns. Further education and training to equip staff with the necessary information, training and guidance to staff on how to reduce fatigue risk is required. Patient or Public Contribution: This study involved healthcare shift workers in semi-structured interviews. Data gathered from a previous survey that participants were involved in helped shape the interview topics and the study design.</p
Co–elevation of CO<sub>2</sub> and temperature enhances nitrogen mineralization in the rhizosphere of rice
No full textIt is unclear how elevated CO2 (eCO2) and warming interactively influence soil N mineralization in the rhizosphere of rice (Oryza sativa L.), given that the N mineralization process in anaerobic paddy soils differs from that of aerobic upland soils. In this study, we conducted a rhizobox experiment in open top chambers and used 15N-13C dual-labeling to examine the impacts of eCO2 (700 ppm) and warming (2 °C above the ambient) on N mineralization and associated microbial processes in the rhizosphere of rice plants under anaerobic conditions. Compared to the control, the combination of eCO2 and warming increased rice N uptake by 50% in a no-added-N treatment and 32% under an N-added treatment, with the additional uptake mainly consisting of soil-derived N. Co-elevation of CO2 and temperature increased microbial biomass C and N and increased N mineralization by 41% and 23% in the no-added-N and N-added treatments, respectively. The absolute abundances of the N-mineralization genes chiA, pepA, pepN, and urea hydrolysis gene ureC in the rhizosphere increased by 22–30% under eCO2 and warming, corresponding to the additional N mineralization and photosynthetic C allocation into the soil. However, eCO2 plus warming did not increase the metabolic efficiency of N mineralization (mineralized N per unit microbial N). Our results suggest that the co-elevation of CO2 and temperature stimulated microbially mediated soil N mineralization in the rhizosphere of rice, posing a risk on the acceleration of soil organic matter decomposition.</p
‘I want to scream it from the rooftops now […] there are other pathways’: What young people learned from a co-designed post-secondary transition programme
No full textAbstract: This paper uses the framework of transition as becoming to explore what young people learned from participating in a post-secondary transition program that was co-designed by young people. The 9-week youth participatory action research (YPAR) involved six staff collaborators (SCs) and seven youth collaborators (YCs). Data comprised recordings of weekly group meetings, group interviews, reflections and artefacts such as planning documents, graphic organisers and writing. We discuss the findings using two themes that we identified together as a team of YCs and SCs. The first represents how YCs became aware of and vocalised understandings of life after secondary school as a diverse and fluid process. The second describes and interrogates how YCs became more confident and empowered, showing the importance of critical consciousness, reflection and action in seeking transformation. We conclude that conceptualising transition as becoming enables us to collectively make sense of the diverse ways we co-construct life experiences and directions.</p
Men school teachers get bullied too: examples from an Australian study
No full textAbstract:Studies of teachers targeted and bullied by students and parents have mostly been quantitative studies with few qualitative portrayals of the lived experience of teachers who suffer this discursively invisible bullying and harassment. The present study examines the accounts of three Australian male secondary teachers’ experiences of being bullied and harassed. Gender, in these accounts, is an ambivalent variable, simultaneously relevant yet in other ways not relevant. On one hand, these are deeply felt narratives of personal hurt and disquiet. At the same time, the structuring effects of the formal contemporary educational system is coupled to cultural changes in how teachers are positioned in imperatives of balanced class management, state education performance metrics, and shifting social attitudes and expectations. These intersections move these personal stories beyond any simple gender binary divide in how bullying impacts these individuals’ personal lives and professional teaching careers.</p
Risky Pedagogy: Teaching Victorian Secondary School Students the Skills for Positive, Ethical Intimacy and Respectful Relationships
No full textSubmitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University Victoria, Australia.</p