In response to the lack of universal agreement about what works in probation supervision (Trotter, 2013) we undertook a Rapid Evidence Assessment of the empirical literature. Our analysis of research into the effect of probation supervision reducing reoffending included 13 studies, all of which employed robust research designs, originating in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, published between 2006 and 2016. We describe the papers included in our review, and the metaanalyses of their findings. Overall we found that the likelihood of reoffending was shown to be lower for offenders who had been exposed to some type of supervision. This finding should be interpreted cautiously however, given the heterogeneity of the studies. We suggest future research and methodological considerations to develop the evidence base concerning the effectiveness of probation supervision.
Researching vulnerable groups has long been a subject of academic work and has been subject to rigorous ethical approvals for conducting face-to-face interviews. With new technologies come new challenges. Groups of people come together on online forums and have anonymous discussions about anything and everything; this often includes the source of their vulnerabilities. In the discussed research, the focus of these community support forums is mental health. It is difficult to shift the focus of researching vulnerable adults away from face-toface to online, particularly as there are no physical cues to give meaning to the language used. The value therefore must be contained in the written word, and there are "unique characteristics" in the data due to this. There is something quite refreshing about focusing on the text rather than body language, and there are many suggestions on how to conduct this type of research. My research focuses on using virtual ethnography of online focus groups, which has been fraught with issues, but has proved a useful learning experience. Learning Outcomes By the end of this case, students should be able to Recognize the limitations within their own research design and be able to defend their use of a particular methodology Critically evaluate the use of virtual ethnography Understand how virtual ethnography can inform the study of qualitative data sets from online environments Project Overview and Context There is an increasing amount of research focusing on online communities, and although there appears to be a plethora of research into support forums for users with health issues, there is a gap in the research market when it comes to specialist community support forums (Salzmann-Erikson and Eriksson, 2012). Online community forums for people with mental health issues are plentiful, and they are also incredibly accessible, particularly if you use open-access forums such as Reddit. Gatekeepers such as forum moderators control most of the closed access sites (where you must sign up and log in using a password each time), and some request that you fill out lengthy forms, proving who you are and what your intentions are, along with a copy of your ethical approval. This is cumbersome; however, once you have gone through this process, the gatekeepers can be very helpful. Extra time should be factored in for this process, and you are generally only able to complete this if ethical approval has already been granted (Witney, Hendricks, & Cope, 2016).
This pilot project sought to identify whether creating a community through setting up a student-run academic journal would increase self-efficacy and academic achievement. The project was set up in a small university campus of less than 2000 students, with a view to extending the project to the whole university population of 38,000 students if successful. Participants were recruited through posters on the campus and through a recruitment desk at the entrance to the student recreation area (opportunity sample). At the recruitment desk, a random sample of people were asked to fill out the questionnaire, and this questionnaire was also given to the participants at the initial meeting. A total of 30 questionnaires were completed. The participants then went through the process of creating a student journal, and were assigned roles by the Editor. Once the journal had been published, the participants were asked to complete the questionnaire again. Comparisons were made between the two sets of results to determine the outcome. Once the results of the academic year had been released, the academic marks were also taken into account in comparison with the general population of the immediate university campus. Although the sample size for the second questionnaire was small, it was clear that the participants felt that they were part of a community after the project than before, with a stronger sense of belonging. They were also more confident in their academic abilities and their future employability. All students involved achieved a 2:1 degree classification or higher, with 90% of the overall journal team achieving a 1st class honours degree classification. The Editor also won an award for academic excellence due to her involvement with the creation of the journal.
Girls from single-parent households in South Africa (90 percent of whom are Black African or coloured) have significantly lower educational outcomes than other demographics. Through a methodology of life-history interviews, we explore the experiences of 30 women in single-headed households who have been successful in their educational endeavours as university students or graduates. Results show that pressures on girls from single-headed households to look after the family and domestic sphere and to protect their bodies from sexual abuse leave many girls depleted of the time, energy, and mental capacity required to study. Despite these challenges, these participants have escaped the perceived weight of their female burden in a post-apartheid, patriarchal society and reclaim their bodies and sense of agency through educational success.
This article considers how minoritisation features in Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) in England and Wales and identifies critical learning in relation to addressing minoritisation. Five themes were identified: i) the invisibility of race, culture and ethnicity; ii) perceptions and experiences of services; iii) use of stereotypes and the culturalisation of domestic violence and abuse (DVA); iv) lack of interpreters; and v) DHR recommendations. Our analysis illustrates that statutory sector services should strengthen their responses to Black and minoritised victims by ensuring proper recording of cultural background is used to inform practice; engage professionally trained interpreters with an awareness of DVA; resist framing DVA as endemic to minoritised cultures; and enhance trust and confidence in public services within minoritised communities. The best examples of DHRs challenged service narratives and usually sought expertise from a specialist Black/minoritised DVA service or community organisation (frequently minoritised women's rights organisations).
This research project specifically examines the experience of online community support groups as reported by users. The project began out of concern that healthcare providers in the Global North are directing people with mental health problems to online services, without seemingly understanding the impact that this may have on the individuals. The research findings will be of particular interest to mental health practitioners and service providers in the UK and elsewhere in the Global North, and aims to influence decisions made for policies around developing new online mental health services.
Aims and objectives To assess the impact of educational interventions on the knowledge and attitude of healthcare professionals (HCPs) regarding sickle cell disease (SCD) pain management in the UK. Background Variations and inadequate pain management due toHCPs’ lack of knowledge and negative attitude is still an ongoing global concern for SCD patients despite availability of effective treatment and evidence‐based guidelines. Several international studies have implemented interventions aimed at improving knowledge, attitude, and pain management. No review on the effectiveness of these interventions was found. Also, no previous intervention done in the UK was found from the thorough search of research databases. However, there are estimated 240,000 genetic carriers with about 12,500–15,000 estimated people living with SCD in the UK. Design Rapid Evidence Assessment of existing evidence. Methods A rapid evidence assessment was conducted between March 2021–January 2022 following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Included papers must have an educational intervention about SCD or related symptom management where the learners were HCPs. Excluded papers were those not published in English or before 2010. The following databases were searched: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed America and Europe, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Data quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT) and analysed using a narrative approach. Results Ten studies were included in the final review. Overall, they reported improved outcomes in six main themes: knowledge, attitude, perception, adoption, satisfaction and efficiency. Five studies reported statistically significant improvement in at least one outcome, four studies reported positive improvement, and two studies reported no significant improvement in knowledge and attitude. These heterogeneous studies were implemented once, and all designs were prone to bias; this makes it difficult to state how effective interventions are for SCD. Conclusion Current evidence of positive improvement in HCPs’ knowledge and attitude is insufficient for generalisation and recommendation for adoption. However, we believe that implementing validated educational interventions remains essential for effective acute SCD pain management and patient‐centred care. Further research is needed to find a suitable educational intervention that can be replicated. Relevance to clinical practice Quality SCD education, timely crisis management and reduced patient stigma are crucial in reducing the risk of rapid clinical decompensation to avoid developing life‐threatening complications. Understanding SCD can also support the building of therapeutic relationships between the patient and practitioner. Trial registration This review was not registered.
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