The impact of a short-term cohousing initiative among schizophrenia patients, high school students, and their social context: A qualitative case study

Psychosocial care for people with suicidal behavior from the perspective of users and health professionals

OBJECTIVE

To understand the implications of the assistance provided to people with suicidal behavior within the scope of the Psychosocial Care Network, from the perspective of users and health professionals.

METHOD

A qualitative research, under the theoretical framework of complex and methodological thinking in Grounded Theory. Interviews were conducted from May to December 2017, with users assisted due to suicidal behavior and with health professionals in psychosocial care settings. The comparative data analysis technique was used.

RESULTS

18 users and health professionals participated. Non-acceptance intensifies users' introspection, demotivation and hopelessness, increasing the difficulty of exposing their desires. In situations of embracement, availability and bonding with professionals, patients feel more open, to the point of giving new meanings to life and reducing thoughts of death.

CONCLUSION

Weaknesses and potentialities were noticed in the care provided by health professionals to users with suicidal behavior, within the scope of the Psychosocial Care Network. The need for management committed to the quality of care in the face of the risk of suicide stands out.

Analysis of the Usefulness of a Serious Game to Raise Awareness about Mental Health Problems in a Sample of High School and University Students: Relationship with Familiarity and Time Spent Playing Video Games

BACKGROUND

One of the main challenges in the field of mental health today is the stigma towards individuals who have psychological disorders.

AIMS

This study aims to analyse the usefulness of applying a serious game developed for the purpose of raising awareness among students about mental health problems and analyse whether its usefulness can be influenced by the type of video games or the time that students usually devote to playing with this type of entertainment.

METHOD

The serious game introduces four characters who display the symptoms of different psychological disorders. A total of 530 students participated in the study, 412 of whom comprised the experimental group and 118 the control group, 291 came from secondary school classes and 239 were university students.

RESULTS

The findings show that this serious game significantly reduced total stigma among students. Variables like time habitually spent playing video games or video game preference had no bearing on the results.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the serious game is an appropriated tool to reduce stigma, both in high school and university students, independently of the type of video games that young people usually play, or time spent playing video games.

Recognition of Barriers to Physical Activity Promotion in Immigrant Children in Spain: A Qualitative Case Study

Physical activity facilitates the acquisition of healthy habits from childhood to adulthood. Differences exist regarding the performance of physical activity among immigrant children compared to native Spanish children. The purpose of the study was to describe the barriers that exist for the promotion of physical activity. A qualitative case-study approach was implemented. Parents of immigrant children, teachers, a school principal, and priests were included, using purposeful sampling. Data were collected from 25 participants, via unstructured and semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and researchers’ field notes. A thematic analysis was performed and ecological levels were identified. Our findings revealed the following barriers to performing physical activity: (a) the meaning of physical activity, (b) gender inequalities, (c) academic burden, (d) lack of social contact, (e) expenses and family economy, (f) lack of infrastructure and natural surroundings, (g) time constraints, (h) fear and insecurity, and (i) the reason for immigrating. These results may be used to revise the school curriculum, promoting equal opportunities for physical activity and encouraging family participation. Additionally, urban design policies should be encouraged to facilitate access to open spaces for recreation within cities.