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Dyadic interviews are an approach to qualitative data collection designed to understand the meaning pairs of individuals make from experiences. The greatest benefit of dyadic interviews, and perhaps a reason for their gaining momentum in the literature, is that they encourage participants to interact, resulting in detailed and complex descriptions of phenomena. However, dyadic interviews pose challenges to qualitative researchers. Researchers must figure out how to account for the presence of two interviewees, any differences in perspective, and interactions. Unfortunately, no known study demonstrates how the interactions of dyadic interviews can be analyzed in accordance with a methodological approach. Rather, researchers tend to observe pre-existing methods without direct mention of modification for conducting and analyzing dyadic interviews. Thus, the degree to which participant interactions are being analyzed in current studies remains unknown. In the following paper, we use Giorgi's (2009) descriptive psychological phenomenology as an exemplar for how dyadic interviews may be applied to qualitative investigations. The theoretical fit of dyadic interviews with Giorgi's approach, proposed modifications, and their limitations, are discussed.

Abstract: Support of family is paramount to reducing the impact of highly stressful work on firefighters. Yet the degree of stress encountered by the family members, particularly spouses, resulting from ongoing job demands and exposure to traumatic situations is unclear. This qualitative study examined the effects of emergency service work on spouses of firefighters. While participants were highly supportive and proud of their spouse's work, they nevertheless encountered several challenges. Specific areas of challenge were (a) the effects of shift work on family life, (b) the transfer of firefighters' reactions to dangerous and traumatic events to family, and (c) the social atmosphere associated with the fire service. Suggestions for the development of support services for firefighters and their families are offered.

Young adults are disproportionally affected by mental illnesses (MIs) and often encounter numerous obstacles to accessing healthcare. Untreated MIs have high chronicity and recurrence and are associated with worse health and life outcomes. The aim of the study described in this protocol is to characterize and better understand the barriers and facilitators to accessing mental healthcare for young adults with mental health-related disabilities (YMHDs), focusing on the impact of functional impairment, determinants of health, and unmet healthcare needs. The study protocol, guided by critical realism, uses a patient-oriented sequential mixed-methods design and involves patient research partners (PRPs) to ensure the voices and perspectives of those directly impacted are central to the research process. This study includes a quantitative analysis of secondary data from the Canadian Community Health Survey and a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with YMHDs. The data will be integrated by themes-by-statistics joint display. The study protocol follows the Tri-Agency Statement of Principles for data collection, storage, retention, sharing, and analysis, adheres to ethical guidelines to ensure participant confidentiality and informed consent, and has received institutional ethics approvals. This study will provide valuable insights into factors that act as barriers or facilitators to accessing care and inform the development of targeted interventions to improve access and support for YMHDs. This study has several strengths, including a participatory research approach that involves PRPs and other relevant stakeholders in the research process, a targeted focus on a specific age group, and the use of mixed-methods research and critical realism. This protocol describes a study that will inform policy, service delivery, and treatment options. This study has the potential to drive systemic change and significantly improve the lives and health of young people with mental health needs.

ObjectiveTo explore the lived experiences of secondary trauma among partners of law enforcement professionals (LEPs).BackgroundStress is a common occurrence for LEPs. Although research suggests that LEPs are directly affected by trauma exposure, few studies focus on the secondary trauma of partners or spouses of LEPs.MethodUtilizing transcendental phenomenological inquiry, in‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of eight spouses of law enforcement recruited from community groups and police departments.ResultsThe results revealed three overarching themes of how participants experienced being partnered with an LEP: (a) types of trauma exposure, (b) the ripple impact of trauma, and (c) strength of couples and how they cope with trauma.ConclusionFindings suggest that spouses are both affected by trauma and serve a supportive role to LEPs following trauma exposure. Because secondary trauma can exacerbate existing difficulties in communication and emotional intimacy within couples' relationships, a greater understanding of the impact of trauma on law enforcement couples may lead to greater resources to help support couples wherein one individual is directly exposed to work‐related trauma.ImplicationsFamily professionals should promote healthy responses and coping among law enforcement couples following exposure to traumatic events.

IntroductionIn Alberta, 2,400 youth with chronic needs transition to adulthood every year, and many are not prepared for this change. Transferring youth from pediatric to adult-oriented care is poorly managed. To improve this process, we need to know how youth patients use health services during this period.
Objectives and ApproachWe used the Alberta Health Services Corporate Data Repository (CDR-9), which collects records of ambulatory visits, to define a cohort of patients with chronic disease using pediatric tertiary care; data is available from 2008 to 2016. Personal health numbers allowed for deterministic data linkage to CDR-9, registry data (e.g., death dates, moves out of province), and area deprivation indices. Eligible patients were: (a) between ages 12-15 years in 2008 (for ≥2 years observation in adulthood, after age 18), (b) involved with a Chronic Care Clinic (CCC) at Alberta Children's Hospital, and (c) had repeated CCC visits with ≥3 months between visits.
ResultsWe identified 26 Chronic Care Clinics (CCC) at Alberta Children's Hospital (Calgary, Alberta), with stakeholder input. Using CDR-9, a total of 10,111 patients at the hospital were identified who were 12 to 15 years old at the start of the study window (in 2008), and who visited a CCC before age 18. Less than 1% (n=418) were excluded due to moving out of province or having an invalid personal heath number. Final sample sizes were captured across 3 algorithms (A1, A2, A3), based on frequency of CCC visits within a 2-year period: (i) A1: ≥2 CCC visits (N=4123); (ii) A2: ≥3 CCC visits (N=2242); (iii) A3: ≥4 CCC visits (N=1344).
Conclusion/ImplicationsOur identified cohort of youth affected by chronic conditions is the first of its kind in Alberta, and can answer important questions about patterns of service utilization in other sectors of care. Our next step is to link the cohort to population-level datasets (e.g., physician claims, NACRS, CIHI-DAD).

Resilience has been championed as important for mitigating stressors and challenges experienced by students during post-secondary education, as evidenced by the abundance of programs aimed at enhancing student resilience. Despite growing attention to resilience, there continues to be a lack of consensus about the definition or operationalization of the concept. Even less is known about how to foster resilience in the post-secondary context, especially for marginalized or underrepresented students, who are recognized to be at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes during their post-secondary education. To address these gaps, we employed qualitative methodology to explore marginalized or underrepresented students' perceptions of resilience. Findings demonstrated that resilience arises from a complex and dynamic interplay between personal skills and attitudes and resources available within students' communities. Post-secondary institutions are called to shift from individual student responsibility to a collective and shared responsibility for students' wellbeing in the face of adversity.