Social support contributes to resilience among physiotherapy students: a cross sectional survey and focus group study

A Qualitative Exploration of Health Profession Students' Experiences of Resilience and Burnout Using the Coping Reservoir Model during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Phenomenon: The Coping Reservoir Model is a useful theoretical and analytical framework through which to examine student resilience and burnout. This model conceptualizes wellbeing as a reservoir which is filled or drained through students' adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms. This dynamic process has the capacity to foster resilience and reduce burnout or the inverse. This study aimed to explore health profession students' coping mechanisms and their experiences of resilience and burnout during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Approach: Employing the Coping Reservoir Model, qualitative focus groups involving health profession students enrolled at Qatar University were conducted, in October 2020, to solicit their lived experiences of stress and burnout during the pandemic. The Coping Reservoir Model was used to structure the topic guide for the focus group discussion and the Framework Analysis Approach was used in the data analysis. Findings: A total of 43 participants comprised eight focus groups. Health profession students encountered myriad personal, social, and academic challenges during the pandemic which adversely impacted their wellbeing and their capacity for coping. In particular, students reported high levels of stress, internal conflict, and heavy demands on their time and energy. The shift to online learning and uncertainty associated with adapting to online learning and new modes of assessment were exacerbating factors. Students sought to replenish their coping reservoir through engagement in a range of intellectual, social, and health-promoting activities and seeking psychosocial support in their efforts to mitigate these stressors. Insights: Students in this region have traditionally been left to their own devices to deal with stress and burnout during their academic training, wherein the institutions focus exclusively on the delivery of information. This study underscores student needs and potential avenues that health profession educators might implement to better support their students, for instance the development and inclusion of longitudinal wellbeing and mentorship curricula geared to build resilience and reduce burnout. The invaluable contributions of health professionals during the pandemic warrant emphasis, as does an examination of the stress associated with these roles to normalize and justify inclusion of wellbeing and resilience modules within the curriculum. Actively engaging health profession students in university-led volunteer activities during public health crises and campaigns would provide opportunities to replenish their coping reservoirs through social engagement, intellectual stimulation, and consolidating their future professional identities.

Enhancing emotional health and engagement in Chinese English language learners: an approach from teachers' autonomy- supportive behavior, teachers' harmony, and peer support in a two-sample study

Background

In the evolving landscape of Chinese education, understanding the factors that influence the emotional health and engagement of English language learners is increasingly vital. Against this backdrop, our study delves into how teachers' autonomy-supportive behavior, teachers' harmony, and peer support impact these key educational outcomes.

Aim

This study investigates the roles of teachers' autonomy-supportive behavior, teachers' harmony, and peer support in influencing the emotional health and engagement of English language learners in China.

Method

Involving a diverse sample of 68 English Language Teachers and their 389 students from various Chinese universities, the study leverages a convenience sampling method.

Results

Key findings indicate that students' emotional health is predominantly influenced by peer support, while student engagement is significantly affected by a combination of teachers' autonomy-supportive behavior, peer support, and teachers' harmony. These outcomes highlight the importance of both teacher behavior and peer relationships in educational settings, underscoring their crucial roles in enhancing student well-being and engagement. The study's methodology, incorporating a diverse sample from multiple educational institutions and a comprehensive analytical approach, offers robust insights. However, the limitations of convenience sampling and reliance on self-reported data necessitate a careful interpretation of the findings.

Implications

Implications from this research are vital for educational policy and practice, emphasizing the need for interventions that enhance teacher-student relationships and foster supportive peer environments. This study adds to the body of knowledge on factors influencing emotional health and engagement among English language learners, advocating for a comprehensive approach in educational strategies and interventions.

The Role of Nutrition and Forest-Bathing in the Physical Rehabilitation of Physically Inactive Patients: From the Molecular Aspects to New Nature-Inspired Techniques

Physical rehabilitation plays a fundamental role in the management of individuals with disabilities associated with age-related muscle loss or affected by catastrophic conditions such as trauma, surgery, cancer or other severe pathologies. These events have in common an extended period of physical inactivity. Patients who undergo prolonged bed rest often present with a number of complications; for example, muscle loss that can exacerbate existing conditions determined by sarcopenia, which in turn greatly limits physical functions. The main scope of this work is to summarize certain key strategies for the physiotherapeutic management of physically inactive patients, regardless of the reason behind their prolonged bed rest, with a particular focus on physical rehabilitation, nutrition and forest-bathing. The importance of correct nutrition in counter-acting the loss of muscle mass and consequent function is explored alongside a description of the main nutrients that are needed for muscle regeneration. From a biomolecular perspective, some specific molecular mechanisms associated with physical rehabilitation are also reported not only in the context of physical therapy, but also within nature-inspired techniques, such as forest-bathing as well as body self-healing. Combining a targeted physiotherapeutic approach with an appropriate diet as well as nature-based therapy could thus help with the recovery of bed ridden patients.

Barriers to Seeking Mental Help and Interventions to Remove Them in Medical School during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of Students

Medical students are at increased risk for psychological morbidity but the majority of those with mental health problems do not seek professional care. We aimed to uncover the viewpoints of medical students regarding barriers and facilitators to using university mental health services and their attitudes and preferences towards online counselling. Four semi-structured focus groups were conducted (n = 26, mean age = 21.8, ±1.88, 73% males). After reaching data saturation, interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and content-analysed by two independent coders. Intrapersonal barriers emerged to be perceived low risk, excessive self-reliance, lack of belief in the effectiveness of service, lack of openness. Interpersonal factors were the following: assumed long waiting list, insufficient provision of service information, fear of exposure, and not being familiar with the counsellor and the process. Extrapersonal barriers such as insurance problems, the number of available sessions, adverse sociocultural attitudes, fear of stigmatisation were identified. Students suggested that the university should provide psychoeducation and routine screening, apply social marketing and stigma reduction campaigns, improve information flow, and offer not only personal but also online video counselling to target removing these barriers. The results provide a reference for the redesign of mental health services to facilitate their access by students. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Screening and supporting the mental health of student physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background/Aims

The purpose of this study was to use the Model of Emotions, Adaptation and Hope as a way to screen and support physiotherapy students and understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their health by focusing on the stories (narrative) they tell.

Methods

This pilot mixed methods study included a convenience sample of BSc and MSc level student physiotherapists. A single screening online interview was conducted via Zoom or Skype. Students' narratives underwent qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis using the Model of Emotions, Adaptation and Hope.

Results

A total of 19 students took part in this study. Students identified four master plot narratives as a response to the interview: future control; lost productivity; isolation; and opportunity. Significant pre-interview to follow-up change was found in acceptance, pleasantness and energy.

Conclusions

It is possible to support the mental health of physiotherapy students by screening for difficulties and listening to and exploring their responses.

A Simple Method for Assessing the Mental Health Status of Students in Higher Education

Mental health problems are common among students in higher education all over the world, so identifying those who are at higher risk would allow the targeted provision of help. Our goal was to develop an assessment tool to identify students at risk for vulnerable mental health status. This tool was created from the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and Antonovsky’s abbreviated sense of coherence scale and was tested to distinguish between those with high or low mental resilience. Predictive ability was characterized by likelihood ratios taking the Beck Depression Inventory and perceived health as references. One-quarter (95% CI 21.1% to 29.7%) of the students had been in vulnerable mental health characterized by low sense of coherence and high distress, whereas 28.4% (95% CI 24.2% to 33.1%) seemed resilient, having high sense of coherence and low distress. The high negative predictive value of the assessment tool reliably identified resilient students in comparison with both the Beck Depression Inventory (98.6%) and perceived health status (83.9%). Use of the assessment tool is recommended for students to distinguish between those at decreased and increased risk in terms of mental health. Mental health services should be offered to students at higher risk.

Evaluation of social support and stress in nursing students

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the perception of stress and social support of nursing students considering the number of supporters and the satisfaction with them.

METHOD

Quantitative, cross-sectional study performed with nursing students from a public university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We used the Stress Evaluation in Nursing Students scale and the Social Support Questionnaire. We performed the chi-squared test and analyzed the structure of the support network using software Gephi version 0.9.1.

RESULTS

192 students participated. Family and friends were the most mentioned supporters. Despite counting on a low number of supporters, most participants were satisfied with the perceived support. The students presented high intensity of stress in the "professional training" domain. Furthermore, the students who were pleased with the perceived social support presented low intensity of stress in accomplishing the theoretical activities of the undergraduate course.

CONCLUSION

The creation of more welcoming spaces in the academic environment, the qualification of the social support, and the employment of strategies to improve the transition from the student stage to the professional stage are important recommendations that will contribute for positive outcomes regarding the coping with student stress.

Prevalence of psychological distress and the effects of resilience and perceived social support among Chinese college students: Does gender make a difference?

This study aimed to examine the gender differences in the prevalence of psychological distress, and in the effects of resilience and perceived social support on psychological distress among Chinese college students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in current study. The psychological distress, resilience, and perceived social support of 1400 university students of China were measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Multiple group analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling to examine the moderating role of gender in the effects of resilience and perceived social support on psychological distress. The prevalence of psychological distress was 90.86%. Female college students reported a higher prevalence of psychological distress (94.07%) than males (89.11%). Among male college students, the resilience was more strongly associated with psychological distress than perceived social support (-0.18 vs.-0.16). In contrast, among female college students, resilience was not significantly related, but perceived social support was closely related with psychological distress (0.01 vs. -0.31). In conclusion, Chinese female college students are more vulnerable to psychological distress than males. Gender moderates the relationships among resilience, perceived social support, and psychological distress.

Impact of peer support on student mental wellbeing: a systematic review

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Objectives: Many universities use peer support programmes to support students. However, there are currently no guidelines on the most effective way of facilitating emotional wellbeing in students. The aim of this paper is to review the evidence for the effectiveness of peer support to improve mental health wellbeing in university students. Methods: Six electronic databases (Medline, Embase, British Education Index (BEI), Australian Education Index (AEI), PsychINFO and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA)) were searched in December 2017. Search terms included "peer support", "university students" and "mental wellbeing". Studies that did not include peer support or assess the impact of students' mental health were excluded. Data about design and delivery of the peer support intervention and changes in student mental wellbeing outcomes were extracted. Results: 489 records were identified. Three studies met the inclusion criteria; two cross-sectional surveys and one non-randomised intervention study. One study found social support to be the most important protective factor for mental wellbeing. Two studies showed no statistically significant improvement in wellbeing outcomes with peer support. One study found that majority of mentors and mentees found peer support useful. Conclusions: There is currently no evidence that peer support improves mental wellbeing among university students.

What does it take to graduate? A qualitative exploration of the perceptions of successful physiotherapy graduates from one university in the UK

Little is known about the complex factors that underpin persistence and success for preregistration physiotherapy students. This article presents findings from a qualitative study which explored the perceptions of eight recent graduates from one UK university about their experiences of their physiotherapy undergraduate degree program, and what they considered important in their success. Data were collected via one-to-one, semi-structured interviews. An in-depth thematic analysis was undertaken from which three overarching themes were inferred. First, successful learning was portrayed as a fundamentally social activity, embedded in tight learning communities of peers and tutors which conferred a firm sense of belonging. Second, participants recalled having a strong sense of commitment to their future identity as physiotherapists which may have helped them to resist some of the difficulties they encountered as students. Finally, a minority of these successful participants reported overcoming hardship on clinical placement by drawing on a range of personal and institutional resources. Crucially, these successful students' sense of belonging, and their alignment with the norms and values of the program, may have been critical to accessing and using these formal and informal resources.

Investigating the psychological resilience, self-confidence and problem-solving skills of midwife candidates

BACKGROUND

The high level of psychological resilience, self-confidence and problem solving skills of midwife candidates play an important role in increasing the quality of health care and in fulfilling their responsibilities towards patients.

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to investigate the psychological resilience, self-confidence and problem-solving skills of midwife candidates.

DESIGN

It is a convenience descriptive quantitative study.

SETTINGS

Students who study at Health Sciences Faculty in Turkey's Central Anatolia Region.

PARTICIPANTS

Midwife candidates (N = 270).

METHODS

In collection of data, the Personal Information Form, Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults (PRSA), Self-Confidence Scale (SCS), and Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) were used.

RESULTS

There was a negatively moderate-level significant relationship between the Problem Solving Inventory scores and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults scores (r = -0.619; p = 0.000), and between Self-Confidence Scale scores (r = -0.524; p = 0.000). There was a positively moderate-level significant relationship between the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults scores and the Self-Confidence Scale scores (r = 0.583; p = 0.000). There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between the Problem Solving Inventory and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults scores according to getting support in a difficult situation.

CONCLUSIONS

As psychological resilience and self-confidence levels increase, problem-solving skills increase; additionally, as self-confidence increases, psychological resilience increases too. Psychological resilience, self-confidence, and problem-solving skills of midwife candidates in their first-year of studies are higher than those who are in their fourth year. Self-confidence and psychological resilience of midwife candidates aged between 17 and 21, self-confidence and problem solving skills of residents of city centers, psychological resilience of those who perceive their monthly income as sufficient are high. Psychological resilience and problem-solving skills for midwife candidates who receive social support are also high. The fact that levels of self-confidence, problem-solving skills and psychological resilience of fourth-year students are found to be low presents a situation that should be taken into consideration.

Changes and specificities in health behaviors among healthcare students over an 8-year period

BACKGROUND

Healthcare students are future health care providers and serve as role models and coaches to enhance behaviors for healthy lifestyles. However healthcare students face multiple stressors that could lead to adopting risk behaviors.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the changes in health risk factors among healthcare students between 2007 and 2015, and to identify specific health behaviors based on the curriculum in a population of healthcare students.

METHODS

Two cross sectionnal studies were conducted in 2007 and 2015 among nursing, medical, pharmacy, and physiotherapy students (Rouen, France). During compulsory courses and examination sessions students filled self-administered questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics and behavior as: tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, eating disorders, regular practice of sport, perceived health, stress and use of psychotropic drugs.

RESULTS

2,605 healthcare students were included (1,326 in 2007 and 1,279 in 2015), comprising 1,225 medical students (47.0%), 738 nursing students (28.3%), 362 pharmacy students (13.9%), and 280 physiotherapy students (10.8%). Between 2007 and 2015, occasional binge drinking and regular practice of sport increased significantly among healthcare students, respectively AOR = 1.48 CI95% (1.20-1.83) and AOR = 1.33 CI95% (1.11-1.60), regular cannabis consumption decreased significantly, AOR = 0.32 CI95% (0.19-0.54). There was no change in smoking or overweight/obese. There was a higher risk of frequent binge drinking and a lower risk of tobacco smoking in all curricula than in nursing students. Medical students practiced sport on a more regular basis, were less overweight/obese, had fewer eating disorders than nursing students.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate a stable frequency of classic behaviors as smoking but a worsening of emerging behaviors as binge drinking among healthcare students between 2007 and 2015. Health behaviors differed according to healthcare curricula and nursing students demonstrated higher risks. As health behaviors are positively related to favorable attitudes towards preventive counseling, therefore healthcare students should receive training in preventive counseling and develop healthy lifestyles targeted according to the health curriculum.

Subjective well-being and its association with peer caring and resilience among nursing vs medical students: A questionnaire study

BACKGROUND

The subjective well-being (SWB) of nursing and medical students is a very important component in the training of future nurses and doctors, as well-being enables them to be more productive.

OBJECTIVES

The study examined the effects of peer caring and resilience on SWB as well as the mediating and moderating effects of resilience in the relationship between peer caring and SWB.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey design was used.

SETTINGS

A university and an affiliated hospital in China.

PARTICIPANTS

The convenience sample consisted of 426 nursing students and 336 medical students.

METHODS

Questionnaires comprising peer caring measurement, a resilience scale and a well-being scale were used in the spring of 2014.

RESULTS

Students participate in the study showed low SWB. There was a significant difference between nursing students and medical students in peer caring, but not in SWB and resilience. The mediating effects of resilience on the relationship between peer caring and SWB were examined. As hypothesized, resilience mediated the relationship between peer caring and SWB partly for nursing students (SE=0.022, 95% CI=0.041-0.128) and fully for medical students (SE=0.023, 95% CI=0.067-0.161). Resilience did not statistically significantly moderate the peer caring-SWB relationship for nursing students (β=0.092, p=0.057) but did so for medical students (β=0.108, p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Peer caring and resilience improved the SWB of both nursing students and medical students. In addition, resilience improved SWB through peer caring for both nursing students and medical students, and higher resilience in medical students enhanced the positive effects of peer caring on SWB. Therefore, educators should promote peer caring and resilience in order to improve students' SWB.