Is self always prioritised? Attenuating the ownership self-reference effect in memory.

The current study demonstrates the abolishment of the Ownership Self Reference Effect (OSRE) when elaborate details of a distant other-referent are provided. In a 2 (High versus Low information) × 2 (Self versus Other) experimental design, we tested the capacity for the SRE to be modulated with social saliency. Using a well-established ownership paradigm (Collard et al., 2020; Cunningham et al., 2008; Sparks et al., 2016), when the other was made socially salient (i.e. details and characteristics about the other were provided to the participant prior to encoding), no SRE emerged, such that self-owned and other-owned items were recalled with comparable accuracy. In contrast, when the other was not salient (i.e., no details about them were provided), participants accurately recalled a higher proportion of self-owned items, demonstrating a typical SRE in source memory. The degree of self- or other- referencing was not related to measured variables of closeness, similarity or shared traits with the other. Although the SRE is an established and robust effect, the findings of the current study illustrate critical circumstances in which the self is no longer prioritised above the other. In line with our predictions, we suggest that the self has automatic attributed social salience (e.g. through ownership) and that enhancing social salience by elaborating details of the other, prioritisation can expand to encapsulate an other beyond the self and influence incidental memory.

A controlled evaluation of the effect of social prescribing programs on loneliness for adults in Queensland, Australia (protocol).

BACKGROUND: In social prescribing, link workers support individuals whose persistent health problems are exacerbated by loneliness by connecting them to community-based social activities. This approach is well established in the UK and is gaining attention in Australia. However, a major limitation of research to date has been a lack of theoretically informed and rigorous evaluations of social prescribing. We will address these points in this study, applying a social identity framework to examine the effects of group-based social prescribing (SP) activity compared to primary care treatment as usual (TAU). METHODS: Ninety participants experiencing loneliness recruited from primary care services and community centres across five sites in Southeast Queensland will be assigned to one of two conditions (SP, TAU) and assessed at two timepoints (baseline, + 8 weeks). Individuals will be aged 18 years and over, have sufficient English language skills to provide consent, and at the time of recruitment they will not be experiencing acute symptoms or social issues that require urgent intervention. Primary outcomes are loneliness, mental well-being, and health service use (total number of GP, hospital, and allied health visits in the past 3 months). Secondary outcomes will assess social group processes, including number of important social groups, new group identification, multiple identity compatibility, and group-based support and emotion regulation. DISCUSSION: This study will provide comprehensive data about the extent to which, and how, social prescribing to community-based group activities may help people to feel less lonely, more socially integrated, and healthy over the first 8 weeks. If effective, this social identity-informed model of social prescribing can be disseminated in communities across Australia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTR, Registered 8 June 2022 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12622000801718.aspx.

A survey of sitting time among UK employees.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behaviour is a known risk factor for a wide range of chronic diseases. This major health risk is likely to increase given the increasingly sedentary nature of work. AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of sedentary behaviour in a sample of UK working-aged adults, across a range of employment sectors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey conducted with organizations throughout the UK in the education, government administration, retail, telecommunications and service industry sectors. The questionnaire examined employee and organizational information, self-reported domain-specific sitting time, sleep and physical activity. RESULTS: A total of 1141 employees completed the questionnaire, of which 504 completed all aspects of the Domain-Specific Sitting Time Questionnaire for work day sitting. Work time sitting accounted for more than half of the total daily sitting time on a work day (54%). Significantly more time was reported sitting on a work day than time reported sleeping (P < 0.001). Males spent more time sitting at work and using a personal computer at home compared with females. Workers in the telecommunications industry had the highest sitting times. There were significant positive associations between sitting time and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: There is a pressing need for future workplace health interventions to reduce employee sitting times.

Stress management standards: a warning indicator for employee health.

BACKGROUND: Psychological stress is a major cause of lost working days in the UK. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has developed management standards (MS) to help organizations to assess work-related stress. AIMS: To investigate the relationships between the MS indicator tool and employee health, job attitudes, work performance and environmental outcomes. METHODS: The first phase involved a survey employing the MS indicator tool, General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), job attitudes, work performance and environmental measures in a call centre from a large utility company. The second phase comprised six focus groups to investigate what employees believed contributed to their perceived stress. RESULTS: Three hundred and four call centre employees responded with a response rate of 85%. Significant negative correlations were found between GHQ-12 and two MS dimensions; demands (Rho = -0.211, P < 0.001) and relationships (Rho= -0.134, P < 0.05). Other dimensions showed no significant relationship with GHQ-12. Higher levels of stress were associated with reduced job performance, job motivation and increased intention to quit but low stress levels were associated with reduced job satisfaction. Lack of management support, recognition and development opportunities were identified as sources of stress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the utility of the MS as a measure of employee attitudes and performance.

Google Calendar: a new memory aid to compensate for prospective memory deficits following acquired brain injury.

Prospective memory impairment is common following acquired brain injury (ABI) and intervention has proved challenging. The current treatment of choice involves using external memory aids as a method of compensation, with those incorporating active reminders proving most successful. In this paper we report findings of an investigation into the effectiveness of a novel external memory aid, Google Calendar. This aid incorporates active reminders and overcomes some of the limitations associated with existing aids. Twelve participants with ABI took part in the study incorporating a randomised control crossover within-subjects design, consisting of a 5-week baseline phase, followed by two 5-week intervention phases where either Google Calendar or a standard diary were used. Participants identified activities to target during the study and a family member monitored their success. Google Calendar was more effective than the diary in enhancing prospective memory performance. It also proved more popular, on account of its active reminders which helped trigger the retrieval of intentions, whilst reducing the need for monitoring. While further research is required to substantiate these initial findings, it is recommended that clinicians familiarise themselves with using Google Calendar, as it appears to offer additional potential in the management of prospective memory deficits following ABI.

The role of communication and support in return to work following cancer-related absence.

OBJECTIVE: Many cancer survivors experience difficulties returning to work. However, there have been relatively few attempts to understand why problems with employer support and work adjustment occur. This paper aims to extend previous work in two ways: first, through exploring the way in which communication and support at work effect cancer survivors on their return to work and during the post-return period; and second, by drawing on a research sample working in the United Kingdom. METHODS: In all, 26 cancer survivors took part in a semi-structured telephone interview. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis revealed three key findings. First, the central role of communication and support from (and between) occupational health, line managers, and colleagues was highlighted. Second, two discrete processes or periods of return to work were identified: the experience of return to work during the initial period of return and the experiences of post-return to work. Third, during the post-return period, the importance of the delayed impact of cancer on the ability to work, the lack of follow-up and monitoring, and the wear-off effect of empathy and support were highlighted as contributing to return-to-work difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative study highlights the importance of communication within the workplace with regard to the return-to-work process and the need to provide better support and guidance to cancer survivors, line managers and colleagues. Research is required in delineating how employers without occupational health or human resources support manage the return-to-work process.

Perceptions of occupational injury and illness costs by size of organization.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how organizations perceive and monitor occupational injury and illness costs. AIMS: To explore perceptions of injury and illness costs, the extent to which organizations monitor their impact, attitudes towards this practice and views on using cost information in health and safety campaigns. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 212 representatives from 49 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and 80 large organizations from a range of industry sectors. RESULTS: Health and safety investments were driven by a range of factors, of which cost reduction was only one. Human costs were also considered important. Injuries were perceived to represent a substantial business cost by 10% of respondents from SMEs and 56% of those from large organizations. Most were uncertain about the financial impact of work-related illness. No organizations had attempted to monitor occupational illness costs. Injury costs had been assessed within 3 SMEs and 30 large organizations. Only 12% of SME representatives recognized the benefits of costing health and safety failures and around half were unreceptive to the use of cost information in health and safety promotions. Two-thirds of those from large organizations recognized some benefit in measuring costs, and over three-quarters welcomed the provision of industry-specific information. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of information that focuses solely on the economic implications of occupational injury and illness may be of limited value and agencies involved in the promotion of health and safety should incorporate a range of information, taking into account the needs and concerns of different sectors.

Developing occupational health services for active age management.

AIMS: To review current occupational health (OH) approaches aimed at maintaining the health and workability of older workers. METHODS: A literature review was undertaken to identify articles on OH interventions focused on maintaining the health of older workers (published since 2000). The inclusion criteria included studies that reported interventions aimed specifically at older workers. RESULTS: A limited number of interventions targeting older workers were identified. A second literature search was therefore conducted that identified types of workplace interventions that, if used with older workers, may benefit their health, well-being and workability. CONCLUSIONS: Very few OH interventions have addressed the health and workability of older workers and there is considerable scope for developing OH provision, which accounts for the needs of the older workforce.

A qualitative study exploring how city bus drivers manage sleepiness and fatigue.

Sleepiness is an important consideration for workplace safety, especially in relation to shift work. There is limited understanding of how practical applications of countermeasures are used to manage sleepiness in a professional setting. One under-researched group is city bus drivers. This qualitative study investigated the use of individual sleepiness countermeasures within a sample of city bus drivers. Nine semi-structured focus groups were convened to explore the broader experience and management of sleepiness (n = 62, largest proportion aged 45-54 y, mean bus driving experience 13.3 y). The conversations of the focus groups were audio-recorded (total: 682 min) and transcribed anonymously verbatim. Discussions specifically relating to personal countermeasure use were isolated from the original transcripts, creating nine new transcripts for a targeted analysis on the topic of individual countermeasure use. Thematic analysis identified two main themes: (1) strategies used to counteract sleepiness and (2) barriers to individual countermeasure use, each with several subthemes. A variety of countermeasures were used, including strategies with limited potential for counteracting sleepiness, such as opening a window, drinking water, talking, stretching, and consuming forms of sugar. Workplace restrictions, such as access to facilities, limitations of food/drink consumption, and tight schedules, were the strongest influences on countermeasure choice. It is important that bus drivers have access to, and are aware of the effectiveness of, countermeasures to manage sleepiness during shift work. It is vital that the actions of drivers and shift workers are better understood in the planning of organizational countermeasures.

Identifying barriers to help-seeking for sexual dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), however, under-reported. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify barriers faced by patients with MS and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in discussing SD. METHODS: This was a two-part prospective study carried out at a tertiary care centre. Patients with MS were surveyed using a 29-item questionnaire and SD was assessed using the MSISQ and ASEX questionnaires; depression screened with PHQ-2. HCPs were surveyed using a 23-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy four patients (mean age 42.4 ± 10.7, 54 females) and 98 HCPs (mean age 45.8 ± 8.9, 90 females) participated. SD was significant, with primary (36.4%), secondary (27%) and tertiary (29.8%) contributory factors. Commonest barriers reported by patients were dominance of neurological symptoms (N = 30, 40.5%), presence of family or friends (N = 28, 37.8%), and not being asked (N = 25, 33.8%), while HCPs reported presence of family or friends (N = 34, 34.7%), lack of knowledge about SD (N = 30, 30.6%), and inadequate time during the consultation (N = 27, 27.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to discussing SD are similar between patients and HCPs. The most common barriers are addressable through modifications in the clinic environment, raising awareness and providing training opportunities.

How people who self-harm negotiate the inpatient environment: the mental healthcare workers perspective.

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE SUBJECT?: Self-harm plays a function, commonly in the form of distress management. There has been little focussed exploration of how individuals who use self-harm to manage distress cope when prevented from self-harm in an inpatient environment and how staff respond to this issue. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE: This paper uses the experiences of mental health staff to add to the existing knowledge that self-harm has a functional role and supports the notion that interventions for self-harm should focus on the origins of distress. It describes the potential consequences that focussing on prevention of self-harm as opposed to actually managing distress may have on service-users, how staff attempt to manage these consequences and factors that may impact on staff interventions to prevent further distress/harm. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The findings suggest that mental healthcare staff should aim to understand the function of self-harm, use this understanding to develop an individualized care plan with the aim of managing distress and identify barriers to the effectiveness of the interventions so they can be worked around. ABSTRACT: Introduction Literature describes self-harm as functional and meaningful. This creates difficulties for service-users detained in an inpatient environment where self-harm is prevented. Aim Mental healthcare staff were interviewed to build on existing evidence of issues with the prevention approach and explore, from a staff perspective, how self-harm prevention impacts on service-users, how they manage distress and how this impacts on staff and their approach to care. Methods Qualitative methods were used to allow unexpected themes to arise. Ten semi-structured interviews were carried out with mental healthcare staff and thematically analysed. Findings and discussion The findings provide new evidence on the benefits and limitations of the inpatient environment for individuals who self-harm. Findings indicate that being unable to self-harm can lead to a continuation of distress and subsequent potentially harmful attempts to manage distress. Staff described experiencing a struggle for control in preventing self-harm, leading to increasingly harmful methods of self-harm. Alternatively some staff were able to support service-users with distress management. We discuss factors influencing which of these 'paths' service-users followed. Implications Considerations for care planning including understanding self-harm, using individualized care planning and attending to barriers are outlined with the ultimate aim of reducing distress and the impact of prevention of self-harm.

Anxiety and depression in the workplace: effects on the individual and organisation (a focus group investigation).

BACKGROUND: While the prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased, little is known of the impact on working life. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of anxiety and depression and the treatment for these conditions on performance and safety in the workplace. METHOD: Nine focus groups were conducted with employees who had suffered anxiety and depression. A further 3 groups comprised staff from human resources and occupational health. The sample comprised 74 individuals aged 18-60 years, from a range of occupations. Results were presented to a panel of experts to consider the clinical implications. RESULTS: Workers reported that the symptoms and medication impaired work performance, describing accidents which they attributed to their condition/medication. Respondents were largely unprepared for the fact that the medication might make them feel worse initially. Employees were reluctant to disclose their condition to colleagues due to the stigma attached to mental illness. LIMITATIONS: People who had experienced problems with managing their symptoms and medication at work are more likely to volunteer to participate in such a study than those who had a satisfactory experience. Also, the researchers had no background information on severity of mental health problems of participants. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety and depression were associated with impaired work performance and safety. The authors consider the implications for health care and the management of mental health problems at work.

Perceptions of the impact of depression and anxiety and the medication for these conditions on safety in the workplace.

BACKGROUND: The number of people taking prescribed medication for anxiety and depression has increased greatly, but little is known of how this medication impacts on safety at work. AIMS: To examine the relation between anxiety and depression, prescribed medication, performance, and safety in the workplace. METHODS: The research involved nine focus groups with sufferers of anxiety and depression to investigate experiences of mental health problems and the impact of psychotropic drugs. A further three focus groups were conducted with staff in human resources, personnel, occupational health, and health and safety departments, to explore organisational perspectives. The sample comprised 74 individuals drawn from a wide range of occupational sectors. Finally, the results were presented to a panel of experts from occupational medicine, general practice, psychology, health and safety, and psychiatry, to consider the implications for practice. RESULTS: Workers reported that both the symptoms and the medication impaired work performance. Participants described accidents which they attributed to their condition or to the medication. Workers with responsibilities for others, such as teachers, healthcare workers, and managers appeared to present a particular safety risk. Healthcare workers believed that they placed themselves and their patients at risk when carrying out medical procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents in this study felt that their symptoms of anxiety and depression and the medication they took to treat these conditions placed them at risk with respect to safety in the workplace. Drawing on the results, the authors outline areas for improvement in the management of mental health problems at work.

The influence of cyproheptadine on immobilization and oestradiol benzoate induced anorexia in ovariectomized rats.

Repeated bodily immobilization significantly reduced the food intake of ovariectomized rats. Additionally, immobilization and oestradiol benzoate were found to produce additive effects in depressing feeding. To determine whether serotonergic mechanisms are involved in the stress- and oestrogen-induced anorexia, the 5-HT antagonist cyproheptadine was given to ovariectomized rats that were immobilized and treated with oestradiol benzoate. Cyproheptadine had no effect on the anorexia produced by oestradiol. The food intake of immobilized rats treated with cyproheptadine was similar to control values, suggesting 5-HT involvement in the stress-induced anorexia. However, cyproheptadine had no ameliorating effects on the changes in body weight following immobilization treatment. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to a possible neuroendocrine basis for anorexia.

Stage of change is associated with assessment of the health risks of maternal smoking among pregnant women.

This study explored pregnant women's assessment of the health risks associated with maternal smoking. The aim was to determine if stage of change relating to smoking is associated with risk assessment. A cross-sectional survey (employing a self-completion questionnaire) was conducted of all women who attended antenatal clinics at Leicester Royal Infirmary, National Health Service Trust, UK over a 2 week period. Questionnaires were completed by 254 respondents. Twenty seven percent of non-smokers agreed with more than 75% of a series of statements about the dangers of maternal smoking compared to 5% of smokers and 44% of women in social class I (highest social class) agreed with more than 75% of the statements compared with only 10% of women in social classes IV and V (lower social class groups). Married women were twice as likely to concur with more than 75% of the health risks compared to single or cohabiting women and 29% of women intending to breastfeed agreed with more than 75% of the statements compared with only 8.7% of women not intending to breastfeed. There was no significant effect of age, whether the pregnancy was planned, previous obstetric complications or whether the woman had a child with asthma or respiratory infections. A multiple regression analysis indicated that smokers were much less likely to agree with the health risks than their non-smoking counterparts (p = 0.034). Stage of change was related to both the number of health risks agreed with and the level of conviction. A woman's stage of change could be assessed at the start of antenatal care so that appropriate smoking cessation advice can be offered.

A comparison of dietary behaviour in Central England and a French Mediterranean region.

UNLABELLED: BJECTIVEe: The investigation involves comparison of dietary behaviour between UK and Mediterranean France by characterizing the pattern of the current French Mediterranean diet compared with the current British diet. DESIGN: The findings of two dietary surveys, one in the UK and one in France, are compared. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used in both countries. Questions on food frequency were used to assess dietary behaviour, which were regrouped in the French survey to correspond with UK groupings. Dietary indices were constructed to describe dietary behaviour in relation to cancer recommendations for intake of fat, fibre, meat, fruit and vegetables. SETTING: The UK study was conducted in Leicestershire, central England and the French study was carried out in Hérault, southern France. SUBJECTS: UK: n=418 subjects (57.9% female and 42.1% male; mean age=45.0 y); France: n=635 subjects (50.1% female and 40.9% male; mean age=49.8 y). Age range of both samples: 20-74 y. RESULTS: There were positive and negative trends in food consumption in each country. UK respondents reported eating more beans and pulses (P=0.000), less cheese (P=0. 000), red meat (P=0.001), and processed meats (P=0.000) than French respondents. However, on the negative side, they ate less fruit and vegetables (P=0.000), fish and poultry (P=0.000), cereals (P=0.000), and more sweets and chocolates (P=0.000), and cakes, pastries, biscuits and puddings (P=0.000). Women had healthier diets in both countries. CONCLUSIONS: Overall the southern French diet was healthier as French respondents scored significantly better for indices for fat, dietary fibre, fruit and vegetables (P=0.000 in all cases). However, the French sample scored poorer for the meat index (P=0.000). SPONSORSHIP: This study was supported by a grant from l'Association de la Recherche contre le Cancer (ARC) awarded to M Holdsworth.

A targeted approach to reducing maternal smoking.

The Government White Paper, Smoking Kills, published in December 1998, set new and more ambitious targets for reducing maternal smoking. This is despite the fact that consecutive surveys have shown that the prevalence of maternal smoking has not changed since the 1992 targets (White Paper, The Health of the Nation). Based on current literature, including the author's own research on maternal smoking, this article argues that future research and community smoking cessation interventions should: encompass not just pregnant woman but also partners and close family members; pay particular attention to young, socially disadvantaged groups; and develop and evaluate stage-dependent antenatal smoking cessation materials (tailored to the user's level of intention to quit). By adopting these measures, researchers and primary health care professionals may finally reduce infant deaths and the numerous infant and child health problems related to maternal smoking and household tobacco exposure.

Living with epilepsy: a qualitative study investigating the experiences of young people attending outpatients clinics in Leicester.

Epilepsy is a disorder associated with significant psychosocial morbidity, and the effects of a stigmatizing condition upon the everyday life and adjustment of young people is not known. The study involved in-depth interviews with 24 young people (15 females, 9 males), aged between 13 and 25 years, all of whom suffered from epilepsy and attended outpatients clinics. The important issues raised included the finding that a large proportion of the sample (71%) reported having been the victims of prejudice, especially bullying and teasing while they were at secondary school. Additionally, many subjects were critical of the medical profession and support services for people with epilepsy, complaining that they were not meeting their needs appropriately. Most subjects reported feelings of apprehension about telling others about their epilepsy, especially members of the opposite sex, and potential employers. Most described supportive, positive relationships with their families and close friends, and parental overprotection was rarely reported by them as being a significant problem. In addition, an estimate of subjects' adjustment to epilepsy was obtained which appears to indicate that the majority were coping well with their condition, even though it may have been resented by some of them.

Preparing patients for total hip replacement: a randomized controlled trial of a preoperative educational intervention.

Previous research indicates that giving appropriate information to patients before surgery yields many benefits. This randomized controlled trial evaluated a pre admission and postadmission intervention comprising a video, booklet and plastic models for patients undergoing total hip replacement. Seventy-eight patients participated in the study and were randomized into control and intervention groups. The intervention was implemented one month before surgery. Over the operative period, patients completed questionnaires including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Nottingham Health Profile and Stress Arousal Checklist. Results showed no significant differences between control and intervention groups for the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Nottingham Health Profile and Stress Arousal Checklist. However, patients from the intervention group were more likely to know as much as they wanted to know before admission (p <.001) and felt less confronted by information on arrival for the hospital stay. In an era when patient satisfaction is of paramount importance, this preoperative intervention has applications in many settings.

Processes, barriers, and outcomes described by ergonomics consultants in preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Despite the importance of reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders, there appears to have been little evaluation of routine ergonomics consultancy interventions aimed at reducing risks leading to these conditions. In many instances, the effectiveness of advice depends on organisations accepting and implementing measures recommended, involving changes of both individual and collective behaviour. Behaviour change theory, developed elsewhere, suggests that if change is to take place, recipients need to hold positive attitudes and beliefs relating to the desirable behaviour. To investigate the extent to which this is accommodated by current ergonomics consultancy practices, 14 ergonomics consultants were interviewed to explore the consultancy process from which recommendations are developed, exploring the factors that are assessed by consultants, perceived barriers to promoting change, and the extent to which evaluation of outcomes takes place. Consultants' recommendations generally focused on physical aspects of the work environment and did not take explicit account of employees' knowledge or attitudes. Little evaluation of outcomes was conducted by the consultants interviewed. Implications of these findings for improving the efficacy of interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders within organisations are discussed.