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Sexual well-being, integral to individual identity and health, is often neglected in health care. Occupational therapists, though well-suited to addressing this aspect, lack training and confidence. A literature review revealed that discomfort and avoidance surround the intimate topic for both clients and professionals. This leads to the underrepresentation of sexual well-being in occupational therapy education and treatment. The proposed solution, “TheOtherADL.com: Access to Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence to Promote Sexual Well-Being Within Israeli Occupational Therapy Treatments” (TheOtherADL.com), is an educational website. Drawing on established theories and models, it is designed to empower Israeli occupational therapists to address their client’s sexual well-being. Offering accessible resources in Hebrew and Arabic, the initiative aims to bridge the gap in addressing sexual well-being in occupational therapy in Israel. Provided free of charge, the long-term objectives include improved support for sexual well-being interventions and increased interest in sexual well-being education. The effectiveness of TheOtherADL.com will be evaluated for changes in awareness, knowledge, and confidence levels. A multifaceted marketing strategy will ensure widespread dissemination and engagement. A funding plan outlines potential funding sources as well as a subscription model. In conclusion, TheOtherADL.com is a pioneering initiative to enhance the often-overlooked aspect of sexual well-being in occupational therapy, positively impacting overall health and the health care system.

No / This chapter opens with a review of current conceptualizations of child well-being and a good childhood. It moves on to consider the origins and driving forces influencing the development of the field of child indicators. The incorporation of children’s subjective perspectives in measuring and monitoring their well-being is highlighted along with the concomitant challenges posed by this welcome development. Recent evidence from a quantitative survey which consulted children found three key determinants of child well-being. Their relationships with family and positive relationships with friends were positive influences while peer bullying negatively affected their well-being. Bearing these findings in mind, a body of qualitative research findings where children were central informants was selected for an in-depth examination of how these three key areas impacted upon their well-being. The studies included children in the general population, children living in different family types, children with special needs, children living in families experiencing difficulties, as well as children living in out-of-home care. Throughout the qualitative studies, there was clear evidence of the importance of relationships with family and friends. Children’s close relationships with both were characterized by a sense of trust. Shared activities were the vehicles for developing trust and learning about negotiation with others. Where children lived in different family types, the quality of their relationships rather than the structure was the critical factor. Acceptance and having close relationships with family and friends were equally important to children with special needs. Children living in families experiencing difficulties often had to balance feelings of loyalty to their parents with feeling unsafe and insecure at times. Developing and maintaining friendships was particularly challenging for these children. We gained a glimpse of the dilemmas these children face which should inform the development of support strategies. Finally, children in out-of-home care highlighted the importance of being able to develop trust in their social workers and carers and the impact of multiple moves of home and school on these developing relationships. Bullying and the fear of bullying was highlighted by the children in all of these circumstances as a constant preoccupation in their daily lives. One of the key messages from these studies was just how prevalent this issue is and how much of children’s energies are focused on preventing or combating it. Apart from seeking the support of parents, the development of strong friendships was viewed as the most successful strategy. On a more general note, children’s agency in their relationships and in keeping safe was clearly evident. It is argued that studies which place children’s perspectives at the center have an important part to play in informing policy development.

Dairy cows are increasingly predisposed to diseases in the periparturient time period due in part to immunosuppression. Dystocia amplifies the disease risk due to the increased tissue trauma and stress the animal endures during the lengthened parturition. To decrease the increased inflammatory response seen in dystocic animals and improve their well-being in the postpartum period, we administered either a potent steroid, dexamethasone (DEX), or a saline control (CON) to cows within 12 hours after a dystocic parturition. The inflammatory marker haptoglobin was measured as well as behavioral and production measures. We observed that primiparous DEX cows exhibited a greater haptoglobin concentration on d 3 and d 7 postpartum compared to primiparous CON cows. Behavior was seen to be altered between the treatments, with DEX cows having reduced locomotion and increased lying times in the week following parturition. These measures could indicate pain reduction, suggesting improved comfort. Milk yield was affected, with a reduction of 7.3 kg/d in multiparous DEX cows in comparison to CON cows for almost the entirety of the first month following dexamethasone treatment. No treatment effects were seen for milk production of primiparous cows. Additional research is needed for further investigation of the immunological and production effects of steroids on postpartum dairy cows, especially between parities. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Dairy cows are most likely to develop metabolic diseases in the weeks leading up and following calving. This risk can be heightened in cows that experience a difficult calving process, most likely due to an increased inflammatory response. A potent steroid, dexamethasone, was assessed after a difficult calving to see if postpartum animal recovery is accelerated through dampening of the inflammatory response. Dairy cows were given either dexamethasone (DEX) or saline control (CON) within 12 hours after a difficult birth to counter the inflammatory response. Our study found that primiparous cows that received dexamethasone, exhibited a greater concentration of the inflammatory marker, haptoglobin, on d 3 and d 7 postpartum than in CON cows. This may be attributed to increased tissue trauma in first time calvings since there was no treatment difference in multiparous cows. Cows that received dexamethasone also had a reduction in locomotion and an increased amount of total lying time in the days following calving. Additionally, multiparous cows that received dexamethasone exhibited a reduction in milk production by 7.3 kg/d for almost the entirety of the first month following treatment. Future research needs to examine the long-term effects of dexamethasone on the mammary gland and the inflammatory response in different parity cows postpartum.

Many studies suggest that aging women have unique experiences in widowhood, which are different from those of aging men because of gender inequality. This study explored the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to discover whether gender influences the factors that affect subjective well-being of elderly widows and widowers (aged 65 and over). To look at subjective well-being, I used a feminist gerontological approach to explore possible gender differences and examined life satisfaction, a life satisfaction scale, and happiness, their corresponding predictive factors, and their importance for each of the measures of subjective well-being. This study found that there were gender differences in total household income and social support from friends. Although gender did not affect subjective well-being directly, there were gender differences in the ways that education, total household income, total wealth, and social support from children and friends affected the subjective well-being of widows and widowers. / Master of Science / Aging is getting increasing attention from scholars, policymakers, and the general public. However, the experiences of widowed elders are not at the center of attention, even though they constitute a considerable portion of the aging population. When scholars do focus on widowhood, the typical approach is to examine the negative sides of widowhood, such as depression. However, this study investigates the subjective wellbeing of widowed elders in terms of life satisfaction and happiness. Specifically, this study focuses on potential gender differences in sources of subjective well-being, and how these might relate to gender inequalities over the life course. The findings suggest that the ways education, income, wealth, and some sources of social support that affected life satisfaction and happiness did differ between widows and widowers. Women’s roles as wives and mothers and their domestic labor meant that income and social support from children were important to their life satisfaction and happiness; widowers’ life satisfaction was related only to income, although their happiness was sensitive to many factors. Further, even though elderly widows had much lower income and wealth, they still had comparable levels of subjective well-being as did elderly widowers. The results point to ways that inequality in terms of the gender division of labor shaped the sources of seemingly equal levels of subjective well-being.

Yes / Area level factors, such as deprivation and urban/rural settings, have been associated with variation in local resources and services and health inequality in later life. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential impact of deprivation and urban/rural areas on capability to live well with dementia and to examine whether availability of informal carers modified the associations. The analysis was based on a large cohort study of 1547 community-dwelling people with dementia across Great Britain. Quality of life, life satisfaction, and well-being were measured as indices of "living well." Multivariate modelling was used to investigate differences in living well measures across deprivation quintiles and urban/rural areas adjusting for sociodemographic factors and number of comorbidities and stratifying by three groups: those living with a carer, those with a noncoresident carer and those without a carer. Negative dose-response relationships between deprivation and measures of quality of life (-2.12; 95% CI: -3.52, -0.73), life satisfaction (-1.27; 95% CI: -2.70, 0.16), and well-being (-5.24; 95% CI: -10.11, -0.36) were found in participants living with a carer. The associations were less clear in those with a noncoresident carer and those without a carer but these two groups generally reported lower scores on living well indicators than participants living with a carer. There was no urban/rural difference. The findings suggest inequalities in living well with dementia according to levels of deprivation. Additional resources are needed to improve postdiagnostic care in highly deprived areas and support those who have no informal carer.

Yes / . Negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with dementia have been widely-documented, but most studies have relied on carer reports and few have compared responses to information collected before the pandemic. Objective. We aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on community-dwelling individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia and compare responses with pre-pandemic data. Methods. During the second wave of the pandemic we conducted structured telephone interviews with 173 people with dementia and 242 carers acting as informants, all of whom had previously participated in the IDEAL cohort. Where possible we benchmarked responses against pre-pandemic data. Results. Significant perceived negative impacts were identified in cognitive and functional skills and ability to engage in self-care and manage everyday activities, along with increased levels of loneliness and discontinuity in sense of self and a decline in perceived capability to ‘live well’. Compared to pre-pandemic data there were lower levels of pain, depression and anxiety, higher levels of optimism, and better satisfaction with family support. There was little impact on physical health, mood, social connections and relationships, or perceptions of neighbourhood characteristics. Conclusion. Efforts to mitigate negative impacts of pandemic-related restrictions and restore quality of life could focus on reablement to address the effects on participation in everyday activities, creating opportunities for social contact to reduce loneliness, and personalised planning to reconnect people with their pre-COVID selves. Such efforts may build on the resilience demonstrated by people with dementia and carers in coping with the pandemic. / ‘Identifying and mitigating the individual and dyadic impact of COVID-19 and life under physical distancing on people with dementia and carers (INCLUDE)’ was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through grant ES/V004964/1. Investigators: Clare, L., Victor, C., Matthews, F., Quinn, C., Hillman, A., Burns, A., Allan, L., Litherland, R., Martyr, A., Collins, R., & Pentecost, C. ESRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). ‘Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: living well with dementia. The IDEAL study’ was funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through grant ES/L001853/2. Investigators: L. Clare, I.R. Jones, C. Victor, J.V. Hindle, R.W. Jones, M. Knapp, M. Kopelman, R. Litherland, A. Martyr, F.E. Matthews, R.G. Morris, S.M. Nelis, J.A. Pickett, C. Quinn, J. Rusted, J. Thom. ESRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). IDEAL data were deposited with the UK data archive in April 2020 and will be available to access from April 2023. Details of how the data can be accessed after that date can be found here: http://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/854293/ ‘Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: a longitudinal perspective on living well with dementia. The IDEAL-2 study’ is funded by Alzheimer’s Society, grant number 348, AS-PR2-16-001. Investigators: L. Clare, I.R. Jones, C. Victor, C. Ballard, A. Hillman, J.V. Hindle, J. Hughes, R.W. Jones, M. Knapp, R. Litherland, A. Martyr, F.E. Matthews, R.G. Morris, S.M. Nelis, C. Quinn, J. Rusted. L. Clare acknowledges support from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South-West Peninsula. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the ESRC, UKRI, NIHR, the Department of Health and Social Care, the National Health Service, or Alzheimer’s Society. The support of ESRC, NIHR and Alzheimer’s Society is gratefully acknowledged.

Yes / Whereas the behavioral and health sciences have been mainly concerned with the private good, there is an urgent need to understand and foster the collective good. Without a coherent framework for the common good, it will be extremely difficult to prevent and manage crises such as pandemics, illness, climate change, poverty, discrimination, injustice, and inequality, all of which affect marginalized populations disproportionally. While frameworks for personal well-being abound in psychology, psychiatry, counseling and social work, conceptualizations of collective well-being are scarce. Our search for foundations of the common good resulted in the identification of three psychosocial goods: mattering, wellness, and fairness. There are several reasons for choosing them, including the fact that they concurrently advance personal, relational, and collective value. In addition, they represent basic human motivations, have considerable explanatory power, exist at multiple ecological levels, and have significant transformative potential. The complementary nature of the three goods is illustrated in an interactional model. Based on empirical evidence, we suggest that conditions of justice lead to experiences of mattering, which, in turn, enhance wellness. Challenges and opportunities afforded by the model at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, occupational, communal, national, and global levels are presented. The proposed psychosocial goods are used to formulate a culture for the common good in which we balance the right with the responsibility to feel valued and add value, to self and others, in order to promote not just wellness but also fairness.