Month: January 2025

Abstract

To mitigate barriers to care among youth (12–25 years), community-based organizations have increasingly integrated peer support as a complement to clinical mental health care; however, information regarding the integration process is lacking. To explore organizational perspectives regarding the contexts and mechanisms underlying integration of peer support for youth accessing mental health services from community-based, youth-serving organizations. Representatives from community-based youth-serving organizations completed a survey describing the contexts in which they are located and their experiences integrating peer support. Text responses were analyzed using directed content analysis. 21 organizations serving youth aged 11–29 years responded. Three generic categories were identified: 1) Context is key and safe environments, 2) Supportive organizations and valuing lived experience, 3) Benefits for peer support providers and receivers and purposeful integration into the organization. Peer support integration requires valuing of the lived experience of peers and creation of a safe organizational environment.

Abstract

Context

Agroforestry plays a crucial role in increasing tree-based food production for healthy and sustainable food systems. However, the potential of farm trees to contribute to farmers' dietary diversity along multiple paths remains under-researched.

Objectives

This study aimed to fill existing knowledge gaps by investigating the role of native trees (toddy palm, jujube, and thanakha) in increasing dietary diversity within dryland agroforestry systems.

Methods

We conducted face-to-face qualitative interviews with 47 farmers from the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar (i) to appraise the multiple roles of native tree species in agroforestry landscapes, (ii) to unravel their contributions to four dietary diversity paths, and (iii) to elucidate factors driving the stability of or changes in these pathways.

Results

We found that native trees provide food directly and through interaction with crop production and livestock farming, leading to dietary diversification. Agroforestry byproducts are used as fuel and manure, and income from trading agroforestry products provides access to additional food sources. Farmers emphasized the ease of tree management and the roles they play in providing passive income and enhancing resilience to climate stressors as stabilizing factors. However, social-cultural changes, lack of extension services, the unsustainable use of tree products, and market instability were identified as destabilizing factors.

Conclusions

This study advances knowledge about the holistic contribution of agroforestry landscapes to dietary diversity by presenting evidence from dryland agroforestry systems in Myanmar. Our findings suggest a need for enhanced understanding of social and ecological changes and cultural factors in agroforestry landscapes to maintain the role of native trees in strengthening dietary diversity.

Abstract

Background

Advance care planning can help to align the care provided with the values, goals and preferences of patients at the end of life. Therefore, readiness for advanced care planning is considered a prerequisite and predictor of the patient’s willingness to participate in the end of life conversation. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors affecting patients’ readiness for advance care planning (RACP).

Methods

This systematic review was searched in 4 databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of science, ProQuest using relevant keywords. No time limit was considered. The quality of the articles was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute tool for qualitative studies and the Appraisal Tool for cross-sectional Studies. The data was analyzed based on the directed content analysis approach guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Results

3227 primary article titles were identified. After removing duplicates, screening and final selection, 22 relevant articles remained for analysis. Factors affecting RACP were extracted based on the TPB. Attitude factors include “ACP training”, “perceived experiences of health status”, “Socio-demographic factors”, and “psycho-spiritual readiness”. Subjective norms include “social support and family participation” and “accessibility to health services”. The perceived behavioral control includes “dialogue about ACP”, “readiness actions”, and “determining a proxy decision maker.”

Conclusion

In this study, according to the theory of planning behavior, various factors have an effect on the RACP. Therefore, according to the collaborative and multifactorial nature of the factors affecting preparation for ACP, it is suggested that different effective dimensions should be considered according to the specific conditions of each patient and the stage of the disease. Therefore, health service providers should first measure the level of readiness of patients and families, and by understanding the factors affecting their readiness, they should conduct training or dialogue in the field of ACP.

Abstract

Amidst an urgent need for sustainability, novel approaches are required to address environmental challenges. In this context, biomimicry offers a promising logic for catalyzing nature’s wisdom to address this complexity. The purpose of this research is to (1) establish a biomimetic understanding and vocabulary for sustainability and (2) apply biomimicry to upframe service ecosystems as a foundation for sustainability. Our research question is: How can the principles of natural ecosystems inform and enhance the sustainability of service ecosystems? The findings highlight upframed service ecosystems as embodying a set of practices that (1) promote mutualistic interactions, (2) build on local biotic and abiotic components supporting emergence processes, (3) leverage (bio)diversity to build resilience, (4) foster resource sharing for regeneration, and (5) bridge individual roles to optimize the community rather than individual well-being. Our upframed definition of a service ecosystem is a system of resource-integrating biotic actors and abiotic resources functioning according to ecocentric principles for mutualistic and regenerative value creation. The discussion emphasizes the implications of this upframed definition for sustainability practices, advocating for a shift in understanding and interacting with service ecosystems. It emphasizes the potential for immediate mutualistic benefits and long-term regenerative impacts.

Abstract

The Australian science curriculum is intended to enable school students to develop an understanding and curiosity about the way that science can assist them in making sense of the physical and technological world. In addition to understanding and communicating scientific knowledge and using inquiry processes, students also need to develop the skills to make evidence-based decisions about socio-ecological challenges. Today’s school students will need to be able to use their scientific literacy to construct arguments and make decisions about multifaceted ill-structured scientific problems (called socioscientific issues (SSI)). The aim of this research was to examine whether Year 7 (aged 11–12 years) science students located in a rural region of Australia could improve their argumentation skills following instruction in the context of water-based SSI. An experienced science teacher and her two classes of Year 7 students (n = 39) participated in the research. Using an interpretive paradigm and a case study method, quantitative (pre- and post-instruction questionnaires) and qualitative (classroom observations, lesson plans, student work samples and teacher interview) data were collected. After two consecutive lessons on argumentation about water-based SSI, it was found that the complexity of students’ arguments improved significantly. Teacher strategies that contributed to the improvement included (1) creating a safe environment for students to take risks with their thinking; (2) providing multiple opportunities for students to learn and practice the language of argumentation; (3) constantly encouraging students to write down their arguments: (4) and differentiating instruction to cater for varying student abilities. It is concluded that, with extensive scaffolded teacher support, this group of students were able to understand the purpose and components of an argument and improve their written arguments.