No description available.

Individuals perceiving stigma may be unwilling to seek support directly. Instead, they may use indirect strategies due to fear of rejection. Ironically, indirect seeking leads to unsupportive network responses (i.e., rejection). In Study 1, data collected from structured interviews of a sample of U.S. women in poverty (N = 116) showed that perceived poverty-related stigma was related to increased fear of rejection, which in turn partially mediated perceived stigma and indirect seeking. In Study 2, data gathered from structured interviews of a sample of U.S. abused women (N = 177) revealed that perceived abuse-related stigma was linked to increased indirect seeking, which in turn related to increased unsupportive network responses. By contrast, direct support seeking was related to increased supportive and decreased unsupportive responses.

No description available.

Collegiate athletes have been an overlooked and vulnerable population regarding mental health concerns. Across the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and Division II, many athletes have taken on the mindset of “shake it off” or “get over it”, when dealing with physical or emotional pain (López and Levy, 2013). Additionally, collegiate athletes face barriers when considering treating pain, including the limited availability of time to use services, the stigma of being perceived as weak by coaches or other teammates, and the lack of counselors that have knowledge or experience with sports. Given these disparities, the current study attempted to understand the impact of injury, support, and emotional distress on current collegiate athletes. The researchers hypothesized that greater collegiate sports-related injuries, reduced team and coach support (Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire), greater perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and reduced readiness to return to sport following injury (Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Scale) would be associated with reduced measures of psychological wellbeing (Student-Athlete Wellbeing Scale) and increases in athletic burnout (Athlete Burnout Scale). Participants included student-athletes from a private, liberal arts university, who completed an online survey. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant association between number of collegiate injuries (NCI: β=.533, p<.027) and perceived stress (PSS: β=.716, p<.012) on the Athlete Burnout subscale, sports devaluation (r2 = .903, F(3,7) = 12.397, p < .017). Furthermore, perceived stress was also significantly associated with athletic burnout subscales: reduced accomplishments (r2 = .942, F(3,7) = 21.555, p < .006; β=.750, p<.004) and emotional & physical exhaustion (r2 = .883, F(3,7) = 10.100, p < .024; β=.943, p<.006), as well as, psychological wellbeing (SAWS: r2 = .919, F(3,7) = 15.120, p < .012; β=-.922, p<.004). Measures of support in sport and psychological readiness to return to sport after injury were not significant predictors of either athlete burnout or student-athlete wellbeing. This data suggests that perceived stress is a primary predictor of burnout and psychological wellbeing in student-athletes and may help to identify those athletes in need of additional support. However, further studies need to investigate this relationship as this fairly homogenous athlete population may not fully identify specific vulnerabilities of the larger collegiate athlete population.

Role ambiguity in school counseling is common; therefore, school counselors deal with issues of role conflict, lack of advocacy, and the assignment of inappropriate duties. The American School Counselor Association (2012) National Model was developed to provide school counselors with a framework for the delivery of appropriate school counseling services to students; however, the National Model is not implemented in all school districts. School counselors' perceived organizational support (POS) was hypothesizes as possible variable mitigating the adoption of the ASCA National Model. This study examined the relationship between school counselors' in Central Florida perceived organizational support (as measured by the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support [SPOS]) and their school counseling service delivery (as measured by the School Counselor Activity Rating Scale [SCARS]). Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression (MLR), and Pearson product-moment correlation (two-tailed) analysis were employed to investigate correlations. MLR analysis was applied to the outcome/dependent variable of POS (total mean SPOS score) and predictor/independent variables of school counseling services delivery (five mean SCARS subscale scores). Overall, the five mean SCARS subscale score predicted only 6.1% of the variance in the school counselors’ mean SPOS scores. In addition, none of the five mean SCARS subscale scores had a statistically significant beta coefficient. Moreover, the results identified that school counselors at the elementary school level had higher POS, SCARS consultation, SCARS curriculum, and SCARS other scores than middle and iv high school counselors. Furthermore, the school counselors with more experience and not working at Title I schools had lower SCARS counseling scores. The school counselors reporting an older age and with a larger counselor-to-student ratio also had higher SCARS curriculum scores.

Prematurity is a worldwide healthcare problem affecting 15 million births every year. Having a child that is born prematurely brings forth numerous challenges, placing significant stress on families, impacting family dynamics and overall well-being. In addition, advancements in perinatal health care have increased the survival rates of premature infants, placing most infants at higher risk for complex medical needs and developmental impairments that extend beyond discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Research shows that while parental psychological support is provided while in the hospital and the infant may receive allied health services for developmental care, these services are often delayed, not accessible or discontinued following discharge. A two-part educational initiative called “The Preemie Toolkit” is introduced in this doctoral project, guided by evidence and the Knowledge to Action theoretical framework. This initiative aims to fill the identified gap in care and provide accessible knowledge and support for families living in northeast Pennsylvania during this critical period. The project highlights the vital role of occupational therapists in enhancing support for preterm infants and their families. By providing a feasible avenue to provide comprehensive care and support, families will be able to navigate the complexities of caring for their premature infants with greater confidence and well-being during the first few weeks at home until other services begin. This doctoral project includes a plan for program evaluation, funding and dissemination.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult for mothers in Ontario to obtain the breastfeeding support they required due to pressure on the healthcare system, social restrictions, and redeployment of healthcare professionals from perinatal services to the pandemic response (Canadian Institute for Health Information [CIHI], 2022; Jack et al., 2021; Rudrum, 2021). The purpose of this interpretive description study was to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon first-time mothers' experiences and perceptions of breastfeeding support in Ontario, Canada. Eligible participants were recruited using purposeful and snowball sampling. Thirteen one-on-one, semi-structured interviews were conducted using a video-conferencing software. One over-arching theme, on their own, and three major themes were identified by the researchers. The first theme, lack of support, is broken down into subthemes lack of practical support, lack of informational support, lack of social support and lack of emotional and esteem-building support. The second theme, figuring it out, is further categorized into the subthemes understanding, taking risks, and motivation and resourcefulness. The third theme, emotional hardships, is broken down into two sub-themes, isolation and it was difficult. The findings from this study have implications for nursing practice, policy, and research, that support the need for more effective pandemic preparedness from the province, including, consistent access to formal and informal breastfeeding support services.

No description available.

No description available.