The characteristics of high-quality health and social care for people on probation: Professional and lived experience perspectives.

We investigated the characteristics of high-quality health and social care for people on probation and how they might be measured. Online open-ended survey responses and focus group data were analysed using thematic analysis. Providing high-quality care involves an understanding of the population's needs; tailoring practice to accommodate and meet individuals' needs; inter-agency collaboration; and seeking and acting on lived experience input. High-quality care is evidence-based and accessible and produces positive outcomes for people on probation. Foundations for achieving these outcomes are supportive, trusting and consistent supervisory relationships (working alliances) with professional practice that is sufficiently resourced, compassionate and person-centred.

Testing and refining an approach to identifying health and social care needs in probation.

We piloted an approach to identifying the health and social care needs of people on probation using a survey consisting of validated screening tools and key additional questions. We share findings from our analysis of the sample data, showing that there is a high complexity of needs in this population, with 65.4% of participants reporting at least one unmet need. We also explore the acceptability of this approach to identifying needs being used in routine probation practice and make recommendations about how identification and recording of needs could be approached and further researched in the future.

Opportunistic smoking cessation interventions for people accessing financial support settings: A scoping review.

AIM: The aim of this work was to systematically scope the evidence on opportunistic tobacco smoking cessation interventions for people accessing financial support settings. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group specialized register to 21 March 2023. We duplicate screened 20% of titles/abstracts and all full texts. We included primary studies investigating smoking cessation interventions delivered opportunistically to people who smoked tobacco, within settings offering support for problems caused by financial hardship, for example homeless support services, social housing and food banks. Data were charted by one reviewer, checked by another and narratively synthesized. RESULTS: We included 25 studies conducted in a range of financial support settings using qualitative (e.g. interviews and focus groups) and quantitative (e.g. randomized controlled trials, surveys and single arm intervention studies) methodologies. Evidence on the acceptability and feasibility of opportunistic smoking cessation advice was investigated among both clients and providers. Approximately 90% of service providers supported such interventions; however, lack of resources, staff training and a belief that tobacco smoking reduced illicit substance use were perceived barriers. Clients welcomed being asked about smoking and offered assistance to quit and expressed interest in interventions including the provision of nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes and incentives to quit smoking. Six studies investigated the comparative effectiveness of opportunistic smoking cessation interventions on quitting success, with five comparing more to less intensive interventions, with mixed results. CONCLUSIONS: Most studies investigating opportunistic smoking cessation interventions in financial support settings have not measured their effectiveness. Where they have, settings, populations, interventions and findings have varied. There is more evidence investigating acceptability, with promising results.

Developing the future academic workforce: A descriptive cross-sectional study of the experiences of early career academics from registered health and social care professions.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare academics are generally recruited for their expertise as practitioners, however this may not always convert into expertise in higher education. OBJECTIVE: Investigate experiences of academics who transitioned from clinical roles by: DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: 122 survey responses; 103 females, 89.3 % UK participants, 65.6 % nurses. Average years as clinician was 14.49 (SD 8.44), average age at time of transition was 39.99 (SD 8.28), average length of time in academia was 4.36 years (SD 6.51) and most were currently employed as a senior lecturer (36.9 %) or lecturer (28.7 %). METHODS: An electronic survey using an amended version of the Career Transition Inventory (CTI), the HEXACO personality trait measure, and open questions for elaboration. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on statistical data and open questions were analysed thematically. RESULTS: 73 % of participants agreed they felt like a novice again and were overwhelmed in their first year of academia. Most felt they received support from their line manager and the transition was the right decision. Higher levels of extraversion were associated with a positive transition, and those open to new experiences were more likely to feel ready and confident in their career transition. The qualitative data identified four themes: the need to do something different, expectations not reflecting reality, levels of support, and it being a transformative experience. CONCLUSIONS: Reasons for transitioning from clinical to academic roles are multifaceted. There is a lack of prior understanding around the complexities of the role, and expectations rarely reflect reality. Academic roles require extensive support and development, and time to transition into the role effectively.

Identifying mental illness and monitoring mental health in probation service settings.

There is a need to improve a) identification and monitoring of people with mental illness on probation and b) understanding of the impact of interventions on mental health outcomes for the probation population. If data were routinely collected using validated screening tools and shared between agencies, this could inform practice and commissioning decisions, and ultimately it could improve health outcomes for people under supervision. The literature was reviewed to identify brief screening tools and outcome measures that have been used in prevalence and outcome studies conducted with adults on probation in Europe. This paper shares findings from the UK-based studies in which 20 brief screening tools and measures were identified. Recommendations are made based on this literature regarding suitable tools for use in probation to routinely identify a need for contact with mental health and/or substance misuse services and to measure change in mental health outcomes.

Emotional facial activation induced by unconsciously perceived dynamic facial expressions.

Do facial expressions of emotion influence us when not consciously perceived? Methods to investigate this question have typically relied on brief presentation of static images. In contrast, real facial expressions are dynamic and unfold over several seconds. Recent studies demonstrate that gaze contingent crowding (GCC) can block awareness of dynamic expressions while still inducing behavioural priming effects. The current experiment tested for the first time whether dynamic facial expressions presented using this method can induce unconscious facial activation. Videos of dynamic happy and angry expressions were presented outside participants' conscious awareness while EMG measurements captured activation of the zygomaticus major (active when smiling) and the corrugator supercilii (active when frowning). Forced-choice classification of expressions confirmed they were not consciously perceived, while EMG revealed significant differential activation of facial muscles consistent with the expressions presented. This successful demonstration opens new avenues for research examining the unconscious emotional influences of facial expressions.