My Silent Story: Conflicted Memories, Silences and Intergenerational Traumas

This article aims to present the interdisciplinary project "My Story from Silence", conceived in 2022. The project represents a pioneering effort in assembling individuals from diverse communities, characterized by varying ethnic, national, and migratory backgrounds, along a historically dynamic border. Its primary objective was to provide a platform for these participants to articulate and share narratives previously shrouded in silence, offering insights into their historical pasts. Emphasizing reciprocal dialogue for the first time, the initiative fostered an environment where participants engaged in the dual act of narrating their own experiences and attentively listening to the narratives of others. These memories were explored in group workshops on both sides of the border. By combining elements of cultural anthropology fieldwork and analytical psychology, the workshops attempted to address hitherto unaddressed traumas and silent personal memories linked to major traumatic historical events such as fascism and Istrian exodus through the narratives of individuals. Three vignettes will illustrate the workshop dynamic and our Jungian understanding of it.

Feasibility of Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Veterans Managing Chronic Pain

Background. Chronic pain impacts people's activity participation, productivity, mental health, and sense of wellbeing. Purpose. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the feasibility of the Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management (MBCPMTM) program on reducing pain perception and enhancing the quality of life, and (2) understand veterans' experience with the program. Method. The pretest-posttest single-group, mixed-methods design was used. Thirty-one veterans were offered the 12-week intervention. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 were administered before and after the program. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted to understand the experience. Findings. Participants' PCS scores improved (Z = -3.116, p = .002), but the pain intensity did not change significantly. Themes from qualitative data include: (1) We are not alone! (2) I have a sense of awareness, choices, and control; and (3) It does work! Implications. The study shows preliminary feasibility of MBCPMTM for veterans. This promising effect supports future rigorous testing of this intervention.

Psychotherapy Within Occupational Therapy Literature: A Scoping Review

Background. Recent changes in the Canadian regulatory landscape have prompted reflections on the role and scope of occupational therapy in the provision of psychotherapy. Purpose. To document how psychotherapy has been explored in occupational therapy literature. Method. We conducted a scoping review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines by searching eight databases (e.g., Medline, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Sociological Abstracts, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses). Articles included at the full-text stage were subjected to a narrative synthesis. Findings. A total of 207 articles met the criteria for inclusion, spanning 93 years. 47.3% of these articles represented non-empirical literature, with only 14% representing effectiveness studies, suggesting that this body of literature remains in an early stage of development. Implications. Occupational therapists have been writing about and practicing psychotherapy for nearly a century, yet there remains an important opportunity to develop and evaluate occupation-based psychotherapy approaches. Effectiveness studies are needed.

[Usage of antimicrobials on seven farms of beef producers in Switzerland]

INTRODUCTION

It was the objective of this study to evaluate morbidity, mortality, use of veterinary drugs and production output on seven representative Swiss beef fatteners, who bought on a regular basis batches of calves from traders (mean age and weight: 31 day, 75 kg) and practised an all in-all out system. From March 2015 until May 2016, 51 batches with a total of 1307 calves were included. The use of drugs during the first eight weeks following delivery of calves from the trader, casualty rate and carcass performance of 837 bulls. The administration of antimicrobials was calculated per calf as the number of days with effective therapeutic concentrations (daily doses per animal; DD/A). The average weight of the calves at arrival on the fattening unit was 75 kg and the age 31 days. The group size was between 13 to 47 calves (median 22, Q1 = 21, Q2 = 30). In 36 batches (70,6 %), a veterinary entry examination was performed which demonstrated that at admission 20 % of the calves suffered from a relevant disease. The median for the number of DD/A was 16 for the first 56 days on the farm (Q1 = 11, Q3 = 21); 68 % of these DD/A were attributed to metaphylactic medications after delivery. Thereafter, pneumonia (54 %), diarrhea (33 %) and otitis (10 %) were the most frequent indications for subsequent therapeutic interventions. Over all batches, a median of 71 % (Q1 = 47, Q3 = 85) of all DD/A were due to critically important antimicrobials (CIM) and drugs containing several antibiotics including a CIM. The losses due to death or euthanasia averaged 3,7 % of all calves. The median for daily weight gain for the total fattening period (median 354 days; Q1 = 328, Q3 = 379) accounted for 1325 g (Q1 = 1216, Q3 = 1425). The profound variation between the farms in respect to the results of drug use and production output reveals evidence for the strong impact of farm-specific factors (such as pen space per calf, barn climate, vaccination protocol, supervision). Concurrently, the remarkable differences between the results of different batches on one farm depict that there are further important risk factors which are beyond the control of the farmer (in particular season of the year, transport). It is concluded that a systematic minimization of risk factors as part of a continuous veterinary consultation is useful two improve herd health and to reduce the input of drugs in the production of beef.

[Support groups, preventing violence and dangerousness]

A support group brings together several people around a common theme. It aims to favour the expression of experiences, suffering, conflicts, problems as well as discussions about potential improvements or solutions. The themes of these supervised exchanges are varied and numerous. They might cover violent acts against oneself or others in order to lessen or prevent such violence and dangerousness. Support groups are often supervised and facilitated by psychologists, frequently accompanied by nurses when they take place within a healthcare setting.

[Therapeutic approaches in court-ordered therapy]

As is the case with other contexts of mental health treatments, the therapeutic approaches to court-ordered therapy are varied. They are based on the principle of their clinical indication and must be delivered by therapists trained in the specific area. The classic therapeutic approaches are used: medication, psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically inspired therapies, cognitive behavioural therapies, group therapies and body-oriented approach.