Introduction: The purpose of this Canadian social work research was to explore the healthcare experiences of men and women with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic condition of unknown ...origin.
Methods: This study had a total sample of 35 Southwestern Ontarians who participated in two separate qualitative methods of data collection. Ten participants completed in-depth interviews, while 25 participants engaged in body mapping, an arts-based research method, within a series of focus group sessions. The latter method for data collection is the focus of this article. This material provides social work researchers with a methodological road map by outlining the design and implementation of the body mapping process, sharing the lessons learned in data collection and addressing practical and ethical considerations for future studies.
Findings: This research found that: (a) participants experienced structural barriers to accessing healthcare services and unsupportive attitudes from healthcare providers; (b) participants' healthcare experiences were affected by their gender, age, class and race; and (c) participants used self-management strategies to cope with healthcare barriers. The study also found that the body mapping process had therapeutic value.
Conclusion: This research contributes information for the transformation of healthcare policies, programmes and clinical practices for the FM population. As a form of applied research, the body mapping process has also helped to empower a marginalised population while promoting innovative forms of social work research.
Men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations are at increased risk of developing breast cancer and may have an indication for breast cancer screening using mammography. Since breast cancer is often viewed ...as a woman’s disease, visibilizing and understanding men’s experience of having a BRCA mutation and specifically, of screening for breast cancer through mammography, were the objectives of this research study.
The theoretical framework of interpretive phenomenology guided the process of data collection, coding, and analysis. Phenomenology is both a philosophy and research method which focuses on understanding the nature of experience from the perspectives of people experiencing a phenomenon, the essence of and commonalities among people’s experiences, and the ways in which people experience the world through their bodies. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 15 male participants recruited from the Male Oncology Research and Education (MORE) Program.
This article reports findings about participants’ use of gender-specific language to describe their breasts, awareness of the ways in which their bodies changed overtime, and experiences of undergoing mammograms.
This study is the first to describe men with BRCA’s perceptions of their breasts and experiences of mammography in a high-risk cancer screening clinic. This study sheds light on an under-researched area—breasts and masculinities—and could potentially lead to improved clinical understanding of men’s embodied experiences of BRCA, as well as suggestions for improving the delivery of male breast cancer screening services.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the major health and human rights issues of our time, affecting one in three women worldwide. Despite IPV's prevalence, limited research investigates the ...healing process for survivors or the efficacy of group art therapy (GAT). This study is grounded by a person-centred approach to art therapy and an interpretive method, highlighting the contextualised nature of reality and experience of social phenomena.
The aims of this community-based, qualitative study were to explore women IPV survivors' experiences of GAT and better understand what aspects of GAT contribute to healing.
During 2018-2019, six women were interviewed about their experiences of participating in a 12-week GAT program within a Canadian domestic violence prevention agency. The transcribed interviews were analyzed with the method of thematic analysis.
Four themes emerged from the analysis, and an overarching theme/pattern was identified through interpretation of these themes. The overarching theme was transformative healing, which women appeared to experience by creating connections in a safe space, using visual metaphors in their art-pieces, reclaiming an empowered self, and building resilience.
This study found that GAT was experienced as providing a relational component to healing and as fostering self-expression, inner and interpersonal growth, and confidence.
Art therapists and other mental health practitioners who support survivors may want to consider the unique contributions of art making when designing interventions. Future research should examine which arts-based interventions delivered in a group therapy context can promote IPV survivors' mental health and wellness.
This article shares information from a qualitative study about group art therapy (GAT) for women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV affects one in three women worldwide, including 6-8% of married/cohabiting women in Canada. Despite IPV's prevalence, limited research investigates the healing process for survivors or the benefits of GAT services and approaches. This study was conducted in partnership with a non-profit organisation serving women survivors in a small Southwestern Ontario municipality.
The aims of this study were to explore women IPV survivors' experiences of GAT within a domestic violence prevention agency, and better understand what aspects of the GAT process, if any, contribute to healing. The study involved interviews and an arts-based research component with six participants who completed the organisation's 12-week GAT program. Researchers utilised thematic analysis, a method of uncovering key themes across the interviews, to learn how participants experienced the GAT program. Through the process of thematic analysis, the study found that participants appeared to experience transformative healing by creating connections with the therapists, peers, and art media in a safe space; using visual metaphors in their art-pieces to symbolise their emotions and future possibilities; reclaiming an empowered self, which was creative, playful, and hopeful; and building strength and resilience through the group process.
This study found that art therapy in a group context was experienced as providing a relational component to healing and as fostering self-expression, inner and interpersonal growth, and increased confidence. Art therapists and other mental health practitioners who support survivors may, therefore, want to consider the unique contributions of art and art making when designing interventions. Future research should examine which specific arts-based interventions delivered in a formal group therapy context can promote mental health and wellness in individuals who have experienced IPV.
Simulation-based learning (SBL) is used as an educational tool within health professions education disciplines, including medicine and nursing. More recently, SBL has been applied within social work ...education as a growing body of research, demonstrating its efficacy in teaching social work competencies. SBL provides students with safe and practical opportunities to apply their skills within highly realistic settings. The growing body of literature on SBL within social work education informed the development of a new Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) course focused on communication and interviewing skills at Wilfrid Laurier University. The purpose of this editorial is to provide an example of a collaborative process for integrating simulation as a pedagogy within course design. This collaborative process involved four stages: designing the course, preparing, and revising the simulations, facilitating the simulations, and evaluating student learning and experience. This editorial may assist instructors by providing a pedagogical framework for incorporating SBL into both new and existing curricula.
Walk-in single session counselling is becoming a more widely used model for delivering mental health services across Ontario. This paper reports findings from the qualitative phase of a mixed method ...study, exploring the experiences of those attending walk-in counselling model compared to the traditional service delivery model employing a wait list. We used a comparative case study design for the qualitative phase. Findings reveal that participant outcomes of the walk-in counselling model are influenced by accessibility, how a participant makes sense of the service and the degree to which a participant is motivated and able to engage in counselling. Walk-in counselling supports the mental health system by reducing wait lists associated with traditional service delivery models and meeting the needs many people identify for immediate consultation. Other participants still perceive themselves as requiring ongoing counselling over time and involving in-depth exploration. This research supports health systems providing access to both models.
The GM2 gangliosidoses, Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases, are caused by mutations in the HEXA (alpha-subunit) and HEXB (beta-subunit) genes, respectively. Each gene encodes a subunit for the ...heterodimeric lysosomal enzyme, beta-hexosaminidase A (alpha beta), as well as for the homodimers beta-hexosaminidase B (beta beta) and S (alpha alpha). In this study, we have produced mice that have both Hexa and Hexb genes disrupted through interbreeding Tay-Sachs (Hexa-/-) and Sandhoff (Hexb-/-) disease model mice. Lacking both the alpha and beta-subunits these 'double knockout' mice displayed a total deficiency of all forms of lysosomal beta-hexosaminidase including the small amount of beta-hexosaminidase S present in the Sandhoff disease model mice. More surprisingly, these mice showed the phenotypic, pathologic and biochemical features of the mucopolysaccharidoses, lysosomal storage diseases caused by the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans. The mucopolysaccharidosis phenotype is not seen in the Tay-Sachs or Sandhoff disease model mice or in the corresponding human patients. This result demonstrates that glycosaminoglycans are crucial substrates for beta-hexosaminidase and that their lack of storage in Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases is due to functional redundancy in the beta-hexosaminidase enzyme system.
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