Forest bathing and hiking benefits for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mediterranean regions.

Forest bathing (FB) has evidenced positive effects on individuals' mental health and well-being, but its benefits have mainly been studied in Asian biomes. The present study aimed to evaluate whether its benefits are also generalisable to other forests and biomes of the world, such as the Mediterranean. Eighty-six healthy adults of the general population were assessed before and after a FB near Barcelona (Spain) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A control-hiking group of participants was also analysed to contrast the FB effects on anxiety, affect, mood states and mindfulness. Results show that the guided practice of FB in Mediterranean-Catalan forests increases mindfulness states and positive affect and reduces anxiety and negative affect, with effect sizes being large to very large. Hiking also induced significant changes in all variables tested, but FB showed higher effect sizes. An exploratory analysis also revealed a different profile of the FB participants compared to the hiking practitioners, being highly educated women living in urban areas and with lower basal levels of psychological well-being. Accordingly, it is concluded that both Mediterranean FB and hiking (to a lesser degree) might be cost-effective strategies to promote and restore psychological well-being after the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote sustainable tourism in Mediterranean biomes of the European forested and protected areas.

Improving pathways to primary health care among LGBTQ populations and health care providers: key findings from Nova Scotia, Canada.

BACKGROUND: This study explores the perceived barriers to primary health care as identified among a sample of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) identified individuals and health care providers in Nova Scotia, Canada. These findings, based on a province-wide anonymous online survey, suggest that additional efforts are needed to improve pathways to primary health among LGBTQ populations and in deepening our understanding of how to advance the unique primary health needs of these populations. METHODS: Data were collected from the LGBTQ community through an online, closed-ended anonymous survey. Inclusion criteria for participation were self-identifying as LGBTQ, offering primary health care to LGBTQ patients, being able to understand English, being 16 years of age or older, and having lived in Nova Scotia for at least one year. A total of 283 LGBTQ respondents completed the online survey which included sociodemographic questions, perceptions of respondents' health status, and their primary health care experiences. In addition, a total of 109 health care providers completed the survey based on their experiences providing care in Nova Scotia, and in particular, their experiences and perceptions regarding LGBTQ access to primary health care and physician-patient interactions. RESULTS: Our results indicate that, in several key areas, the primary health care needs of LGBTQ populations in Nova Scotia are not being met and this may in turn contribute to their poor health outcomes across the life course. CONCLUSION: A framework of intersectionality and health equity was used to interpret and analyze the survey data. The key findings indicate the need to continue improving pathways to primary health care among LGBTQ populations, specifically in relation to additional training and related supports for health care providers who work with these populations.

Retención proactiva y adherencia terapéutica en programas formativos para hombres maltratadores de la pareja / Proactive retention and therapeutic adherence in programs for male perpetrators of intimate partner violence

En la aplicación de programas de intervención con hombres maltratadores de pareja el problema de la adherencia terapéutica adquiere una gran relevancia ya que, junto con la poca eficacia general de los mismos, pone en duda su utilidad para la prevención de la violencia contra la pareja. A pesar de las controversias derivadas de los diferentes estudios realizados sobre esta temática, existe unanimidad en destacar la motivación de los participantes como un factor determinante para la adherencia terapéutica y la finalización del programa de tratamiento. Entre las técnicas que garantizan la motivación de los participantes en los programas de intervención destacan las de retención proactiva y apoyo. En nuestro estudio se analizó el efecto de las técnicas de retención proactiva llevadas a cabo por la Policía autonómica de Cataluña al inicio y durante las primeras sesiones del tratamiento en un programa de intervención para hombres maltratadores de pareja. Los resultados indican que las técnicas de retención proactiva y apoyo inciden en la adherencia al tratamiento (AU)

Adherence to treatment in intervention programs for male perpetrators of intimate partner violence is one of the most relevant factors of the effectiveness of prevention of intimate partner violence. Despite controversies arising from different studies on this subject, there is unanimity in highlighting the key role that participants' motivation plays in adherence to treatment and program completion. Techniques ensuring participants' motivation in therapeutic programs include proactive retention techniques. In this paper we analyze the effect of proactive retention techniques at the beginning and throughout the treatment sessions in an intervention program for male perpetrators of intimate partner violence. The results indicate that both proactive retention techniques and support influence adherence to treatment (AU)