Student loneliness through the pandemic: How, why and where?

Loneliness has emerged as a problem for individuals and society. A group whose loneliness has recently grown in severity and visibility is students in higher education. Complementing media reports and surveys of students' lockdown loneliness, this paper presents qualitative research findings on students loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the how, why and where of student loneliness through research co-produced with undergraduate and postgraduate students. Student-researchers investigated loneliness as a function of relationships and interactions through self-interviews and peer interviews (n = 46) and through objects, chosen by participants to represent their experiences of lockdown. This research led to three conclusions, each with a geographical focus. First, as the spaces in which students live and study were fragmented, interactions and relationships were disrupted. Second, students struggled to put down roots in their places of study. Without a sense of belonging-to the city and institution where they studied, and the neighbourhood and accommodation where they lived-they were more likely to experience loneliness. Third, many students were unable to progress through life transitions associated with late adolescence including leaving home, learning social skills, forming sexual relationships and emerging into adulthood. Those facing bigger changes such as bereavement struggled to process these events and spoke of feeling 'neither here nor there'-in limbo. But students displayed resilience, finding ways to cope with and mitigate their loneliness. Their coping strategies speak to the efforts of policymakers and practitioners-including those in universities, government, health and wellbeing services, and accommodation services-who are seeking ways to tackle students' (and other peoples') loneliness.

Reflective practice groups: Are they useful for liaison psychiatry nurses working within the Emergency Department?

BACKGROUND: Liaison psychiatry nurses in Emergency Departments assess and plan onward treatment for individuals, often following self-harm or suicide attempts. These nurses are at high risk of occupational stress. Reflective practice groups may be beneficial, but there is currently no research evaluating this. AIM: We explored nurses' experiences of attending psychology-led reflective practice groups. METHOD: Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 nurses was undertaken. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the data: (i) Sharing and learning; participants discussed how the group provided a platform to share common experiences, express emotions and learn from each other. (ii) Grounding and perspective; participants said the group encouraged reflection on the impact of their work, with a sense of valuing their skills and the difference they make. (iii) Space; participants spoke about the group being a protected, structured and safe space. (iv) Relationships; participants said the group allowed them to support each other and have conversations in a sensitive and non-threatening way. Discussions in the group increased some participants' confidence and self-esteem. DISCUSSION: Some nurses perceive a range of benefits from participating in reflective practice groups. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: For some mental health nurses reflective practice groups are an acceptable and valued intervention which may reduce burnout.

Conceptualizing and Treating Social Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Focus Group Study with Multidisciplinary Professionals.

BACKGROUND: Individuals who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) commonly experience social anxiety (SA). Disentangling SA symptoms from core ASD characteristics is complex, partly due to diagnostic overshadowing and co-occurring alexithymia. Causal and maintaining mechanisms for SA in ASD are underexplored, but it is feasible that there is an ASD specificity to the clinical presentation, with implications for the development of targeted treatments. METHODS: Five focus groups were conducted with multidisciplinary professionals to investigate their perspectives about, and approaches to, working with individuals with ASD and SA. Data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed two overarching themes: conceptualizing SA in ASD and service provision. Our results suggest that adaptations to service provision are pertinent, so as to accommodate inherent impairments that can mediate assessment and intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should establish how aspects of the care pathway can be improved for individuals with ASD and SA.

The relationship between manual coordination and mental health.

Motor coordination impairments frequently co-occur with other developmental disorders and mental health problems in clinically referred populations. But does this reflect a broader dimensional relationship within the general population? A clearer understanding of this relationship might inform improvements in mental health service provision. However, ascertainment and referral bias means that there is limited value in conducting further research with clinically referred samples. We, therefore, conducted a cross-sectional population-based study investigating children's manual coordination using an objective computerised test. These measures were related to teacher-completed responses on a behavioural screening questionnaire [the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)]. We sampled 298 children (4-11 years old; 136 males) recruited from the general population. Hierarchical (logistic and linear) regression modelling indicated significant categorical and continuous relationships between manual coordination and overall SDQ score (a dimensional measure of psychopathology). Even after controlling for gender and age, manual coordination explained 15 % of the variance in total SDQ score. This dropped to 9 % after exclusion of participants whose SDQ responses indicated potential mental health problems. These results: (1) indicate that there is a clear relationship between children's motor and mental health development in community-based samples; (2) demonstrate the relationship's dimensional nature; and (3) have implications for service provision.