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La inteligencia emocional es un factor importante para el éxito académico, laboral y por supuesto para la vida cotidiana en general. El objetivo general de este estudio fue determinar la inteligencia emocional y su relación con el rendimiento académico en estudiantes universitarios de enfermería, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Coronel Oviedo – Paraguay, año 2022. El diseño fue observacional, descriptivo, correlacional. La población conformada por 102 estudiantes matriculados. La muestra fue censal. Como instrumento se aplicó el cuestionario TMMS-24 que contiene tres dimensiones claves de la inteligencia emocional: atención emocional, claridad emocional y regulación emocional. En cuanto al rendimiento académico, se obtuvieron los promedios de las calificaciones obtenidas del total de asignaturas cursadas. El análisis se llevó a cabo a través del paquete estadístico STATA 12.0. Hallazgos más relevantes: respecto al nivel de inteligencia emocional 82,3% corresponde a nivel medio, 10,8% bajo y 6,9% alto; en cuanto al rendimiento académico 55,9% corresponde a rendimiento excelente, 36,3% muy bueno y 7,8% bueno. Al asociar la inteligencia emocional con el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes se evidenció una asociación estadísticamente significativa (p<0,05). Estos resultados pueden servir de base a la institución y a los docentes a fin de establecer intervenciones dirigidas a optimizar la inteligencia emocional y contribuir de esa forma a mejorar el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes. Cabe destacar, que el rendimiento académico puede estar influido además por otros factores, por lo que sería conveniente seguir realizando otras investigaciones a fin de identificarlos y entender el fenómeno con mayor profundidad.
ABSTRACT
Emotional intelligence is an important factor for academic and professional success, and of course for everyday life in general. The general objective of this study was to determine emotional intelligence and its relationship with academic performance in university nursing students, National University of Asunción, Coronel Oviedo – Paraguay, year 2022. The design was observational, descriptive, correlational. The population consists of 102 enrolled students. The sample was census. As an instrument, the TMMS-24 questionnaire was applied, which contains three key dimensions of emotional intelligence: emotional attention, emotional clarity and emotional regulation. Regarding academic performance, the averages of the grades obtained from the total number of subjects taken were obtained. The analysis was carried out using the STATA 12.0 statistical package. Most relevant findings: regarding the level of emotional intelligence, 82.3% correspond to a medium level, 10.8% low and 6.9% high; Regarding academic performance, 55.9% corresponds to excellent performance, 36.3% very good and 7.8% good. When associating emotional intelligence with the academic performance of students, a statistically significant association is evident (p<0.05). These results can serve as a basis for the institution and teachers to establish interventions aimed at optimizing emotional intelligence and thus contribute to improving the academic performance of students. It should be noted that academic performance may also be influenced by other factors, so it would be advisable to continue carrying out other research in order to identify them and understand the phenomenon in greater depth.
The long-awaited NHS England workforce plan
The first comprehensive workforce plan for the NHS, putting staffing on a sustainable footing and improving patient care. It focuses on retaining existing talent and making the best use of new technology alongside the biggest recruitment drive in health service history.
This is a laudable aim, but can this ambitious plan really deliver the actions needed to transform the long-term future of this critical workforce?
Workforce planning is crucial to the success of the National Health Service (NHS) and has been notable by its absence in recent decades. The publication of this plan could be seen as a step in the right direction. Workforce planning requires
Data analysis of the current workforce and...
by Emily A. Simpson, Helen J. Stacey, Ross J. Langley, Joshua D. Jones
Bacterial resistance or tolerance to antibiotics is costly to patients and healthcare providers. With the impact of antibiotic resistance forecast to grow, alternative antimicrobial approaches are needed to help treat patients with antibiotic refractory infections and reduce reliance upon existing antibiotics. There is renewed interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy as a promising antimicrobial strategy. We therefore performed the first multi-specialty survey about phage therapy and the first such survey among clinicians in the United Kingdom. An anonymous 10-question survey of clinicians from medical and surgical specialties in two Scottish Health Boards was performed. The 90 respondents spanned 26 specialties and were predominantly consultants (73.3%). The respondents were concerned about antibiotic resistance in their clinical practice; 83 respondents estimated having seen 711 patients in the last 12 months whose infections were refractory to antibiotics (delaying or preventing resolution). Over half (58.8%) of the respondents had previously heard of phage therapy. Staphylococci, Pseudomonas and E. coli were identified as the highest cross-specialty priorities for the development of phage therapy. Together, 77 respondents estimated seeing 300 patients in the last 12 months for whom phage therapy may have been appropriate (an average of 3.9 patients per clinician). Most respondents (71.1%, n = 90) were already willing to consider using phage therapy in appropriate cases. Additional comments from the respondents affirmed the potential utility of phage therapy and highlighted a need for more information. The results of this survey demonstrate substantial demand for and willingness to use phage therapy in appropriate cases, both from individual clinicians and across specialties. Demand from a wide range of specialties illustrates the broad clinical utility of phage therapy and potential scope of impact. Widening access to phage therapy could deliver substantial clinical and financial benefits for patients and health authorities alike.Clinicians caring for adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in acute settings such as the emergency department (ED) have little evidence/guidance to base decisions on. Specific/detailed guidance for managing BPD in the ED is needed given the morbidity and mortality risks, high service utilisation, unique challenges and risk of iatrogenic interventions. The primary objective of this study is to use a consensus method to develop a guideline for managing adults with BPD in the ED. This protocol and the key questions for the guideline were developed with the advice of people with BPD and their family members/support persons.
We will perform a four-phase Delphi study of an expert panel of clinicians, researchers, adults with BPD and their family members/support persons. Various disciplines (psychiatry, psychology, emergency medicine, nursing, social work) and treatment approaches will be included in the expert panel. An online questionnaire will be developed from systematic reviews, qualitative assessments of pivotal literature, and opinions suggested by the panel (phase 1). The panel will rate their agreement on opinions for each key question covering areas of emergency care of adults with BPD using two rounds of this questionnaire (phases 2 and 3). Opinions meeting predefined thresholds for consensus will be brought to consensus meetings moderated by an independent chair (phase 4). The purpose of these meetings is to finalise the set and phrasing of the opinions for each area of emergency care. These final opinions will be the recommendations in the guideline. If there are significant differences of opinion, the guideline will present both recommendations alongside one another.
This study has received ethics approval by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The results of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences and national professional and patient/family/support associations.
To test an online training course for non-ophthalmic diabetic retinopathy (DR) graders for recognition of glaucomatous optic nerves in Vietnam.
This was an uncontrolled, experimental, before-and-after study in which 43 non-ophthalmic DR graders underwent baseline testing on a standard image set, completed a self-paced, online training course and were retested using the same photographs presented randomly. Twenty-nine local ophthalmologists completed the same test without the training course. DR graders then underwent additional one–to-one training by a glaucoma specialist and were retested. Test performance (% correct, compared with consensus grades from four fellowship-trained glaucoma experts), sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and area under the receiver operating (AUC) curve, were computed.
Mean age of DR graders (32.6±5.5 years) did not differ from ophthalmologists (32.3±7.3 years, p=0.13). Online training required a mean of 297.9 (SD 144.6) minutes. Graders’ mean baseline score (33.3%±14.3%) improved significantly after training (55.8%±12.6%, p
Non-ophthalmic DR graders can be trained to recognise glaucoma using a short online course in this setting, with no additional benefit from more expensive one–to-one training. After 5-hour online training in recognising glaucomatous optic nerve head, scores of non-ophthalmic DR graders doubled, and did not differ from local ophthalmologists. Intensive one-to-one training did not further improve performance
by Chiara Marraccini, Lucia Merolle, Davide Schiroli, Agnese Razzoli, Gaia Gavioli, Barbara Iotti, Roberto Baricchi, Marta Ottone, Pamela Mancuso, Paolo Giorgi Rossi
To investigate the association between biochemical and blood parameters collected before the pandemic in a large cohort of Italian blood donors with the risk of infection and severe disease. We also focused on the differences between the pre- and post-Omicron spread in Italy (i.e., pre- and post-January 01, 2022) on the observed associations. We conducted an observational cohort study on 13750 blood donors was conducted using data archived up to 5 years before the pandemic. A t-test or chi-squared test was used to compare differences between groups. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, age and epidemic phase of first infection (pre- and post-Omicron spread) were examined. We confirmed a protective effect of groups B and O, while groups A and AB had a higher likelihood of infection and severe disease. However, these associations were only significant in the pre-Omicron period. We found an opposite behavior after Omicron spread, with the O phenotype having a higher probability of infection. When stratified by variant, A antigen appeared to protect against Omicron infection, whereas it was associated with an increased risk of infection by earlier variants. We were able to stratify for the SARS CoV-2 dominant variant, which revealed a causal association between blood group and probability of infection, as evidenced by the strong effect modification observed between the pre- and post-Omicron spread. The mechanism by which group A acts on the probability of infection should consider this strong effect modification.The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of using SUpported Motivational InTerviewing (SUMIT) to increase physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
Randomised controlled trial.
We recruited people who had completed Good Life with osteoArthritis Denmark (GLA:D) from private, public and community settings in Victoria, Australia.
Participants were randomised participants to receive SUMIT or usual care. SUMIT comprised five motivational interviewing sessions targeting physical activity over 10 weeks, and access to a multimedia web-based platform.
Thirty-two participants were recruited (17 SUMIT, 15 control) including 22 females (69%).
Feasibility outcomes included recruitment rate, adherence to motivational interviewing, ActivPAL wear and drop-out rate. Effect sizes (ESs) were calculated for daily steps, stepping time, time with cadence >100 steps per minute, time in bouts >1 min; 6 min walk distance, Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales (pain, symptoms, function, sport and recreation, and quality of life (QoL)), Euroqual, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, 30 s chair stand test and walking speed during 40 m walk test.
All feasibility criteria were achieved, with 32/63 eligible participants recruited over seven months; with all participants adhering to all motivational interviewing calls and achieving sufficient ActivPAL wear time, and only two drop-outs (6%).
12/15 outcome measures showed at least a small effect (ES>0.2) favouring the SUMIT group, including daily time with cadence >100 steps per minute (ES=0.43). Two outcomes, walking speed (ES= 0.97) and KOOS QoL (ES=0.81), showed a large effect (ES>0.8).
SUMIT is feasible in people with knee osteoarthritis. Potential benefits included more time spent walking at moderate intensity, faster walking speeds and better QoL.
ACTRN12621000267853.
To apply videoconferencing as a new verification method prior to enrollment for an online survey-based study.
A prospective-observational, mixed methods, three group, repeated measures study involved recruiting a population-based sample of breastfeeding mothers and infants (N = 81). Twenty-seven mothers were recruited for each group: mothers returning to work outside of the home, mothers returning to work from home and mothers staying home with their infants full-time.
Data were collected at four time points, infant age 4, 12, 20 and 24 weeks, via online survey. Participating mothers received a $10 gift card for completing each survey. Social media, word of mouth and brochures promoted United States-based recruitment nationwide. A publicly available direct link to the survey was initially provided to interested mothers. After the suspicion of online fraud, videoconferencing was instituted for self-referrals and phone calls for professional referrals.
The survey was invaded by response fraud 3 weeks after the initial survey deployment. Out of 109 respondents who visited the survey site during that timeframe, only eight mothers (10%) were eligible (22 June 2022 to 14 July 2022). After recruitment modification, 313 individuals emailed the study team with 65 self-referred mothers (80%) enrolled in the study via videoconferencing while eight mothers (10%) had a professional referral and enrolled via phone call (23 August 2022 to 30 March 2023).
Providing a direct survey link, even with CAPTCHA-protection, evoked fraudulent responses. Videoconferencing is an emerging verification method that can be readily applied to the enrollment of breastfeeding dyads for an online study.
The emergence of fraudulent respondents and internet bots threatens data quality. This study addressed the strategy of videoconferencing as a new verification method for recruitment and enrollment of breastfeeding dyads. This knowledge can be applied by researchers to secure sample validity and data integrity.
by Ana Rubio-Garcia, Aldert L. Zomer, Ruoshui Guo, John W. A. Rossen, Jan H. van Zeijl, Jaap A. Wagenaar, Roosmarijn E. C. Luiken
Animal rehabilitation centres provide a unique opportunity to study the microbiome of wild animals because subjects will be handled for their treatment and can therefore be sampled longitudinally. However, rehabilitation may have unintended consequences on the animals’ microbiome because of a less varied and suboptimal diet, possible medical treatment and exposure to a different environment and human handlers. Our study describes the gut microbiome of two large seal cohorts, 50 pups (0–30 days old at arrival) and 23 weaners (more than 60 days old at arrival) of stranded harbour seals admitted for rehabilitation at the Sealcentre Pieterburen in the Netherlands, and the effect of rehabilitation on it. Faecal samples were collected from all seals at arrival, two times during rehabilitation and before release. Only seals that did not receive antimicrobial treatment were included in the study. The average time in rehabilitation was 95 days for the pups and 63 days for the weaners. We observed that during rehabilitation, there was an increase in the relative abundance of some of the Campylobacterota spp and Actinobacteriota spp. The alpha diversity of the pups’ microbiome increased significantly during their rehabilitation (p-valueby Susan Nakireka, David Mukunya, Crescent Tumuhaise, Ronald Olum, Edith Namulema, Agnes Napyo, Quraish Serwanja, Prossie Merab Ingabire, Asad Muyinda, Felix Bongomin, Milton Musaba, Vivian Mutaki, Ritah Nantale, Phillip Akunguru, Rozen Ainembabazi, Derrick Nomujuni, William Olwit, Aisha Nakawunde, Specioza Nyiramugisha, Pamela Mwa Aol, Joseph Rujumba, Ian Munabi, Sarah Kiguli
BackgroundIn Uganda, approximately 170,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 3,630 deaths have been reported as of January 2023. At the start of the second COVID-19 wave, the Ugandan health system was overwhelmed with a sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 patients who needed care, and the Ministry of Health resorted to home-based isolation and care for patients with mild to moderate disease. Before its rollout, the COVID-19 home-based care strategy had neither been piloted nor tested in Uganda.
ObjectiveTo explore the experiences of COVID-19 patients managed at home in Uganda.
MethodsThis was a qualitative study that was conducted to explore the lived experiences of COVID-19 patients managed at home. The study was carried out among patients who presented to three hospitals that were designated for treating COVID-19 patients in Uganda. COVID-19 patients diagnosed at these hospitals and managed at home were followed up and contacted for in-depth telephone interviews. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis with the aid of NVIVO 12.0.0 (QRS International, Cambridge, MA).
ResultsParticipants experienced feelings of fear and anxiety: fear of death, fear of losing jobs, fear of infecting loved ones and fear of adverse events such as loss of libido. Participants also reported feelings of loneliness, hopelessness and depression on top of the debilitating and sometimes worsening symptoms. In addition to conventional medicines, participants took various kinds of home remedies and herbal concoctions to alleviate their symptoms. Furthermore, COVID-19 care resulted in a high economic burden, which persisted after the COVID-19 illness. Stigma was a major theme reported by participants. Participants recommended that COVID-19 care should include counselling before testing and during and after the illness to combat the fear and stigma associated with the diagnosis. Another recommendation was that health workers should carry out home visits to patients undergoing home-based care and that COVID-19 treatment should be free of charge.
ConclusionCOVID-19 home-based care was associated with fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, economic loss and stigma. Policymakers should consider various home-based follow-up strategies and strengthen counselling of COVID-19 patients at all stages of care.
by Delphine Rapp, Colleen Ross, Vanessa Cave, Paul Maclean, Ruy Jauregui, Gale Brightwell
Land-spreading of animal faecal wastes -such as animal beddings- can introduce zoonotic enteropathogens into the food system environment. The study evaluated the effectiveness of animal beddings naturally contaminated by calf manure to reduce E. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella enterica. The two pathogens were introduced separately as a four strains-cocktail and at high (>6.5 Log10 g-1) concentration into bedding materials, and their inactivation over a 10 weeks-period was monitored by using a Most Probable Number (MPN) enumeration method. Inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 was more effective in the bedding inoculated immediately after collection from calf pens than in the beddings inoculated after a 2 months-pre-storage period: E. coli O157:H7 levels were reduced by 6.6 Log10 g-1 in unstored bedding (0.5 Log10 g-1 recovered; 95%CI: 0.0–1.2), and by 4.9 Log10 g-1 in pre-stored bedding (2.2 Log10 g-1 recovered; 95%CI: 1.5–2.8) with a significant (pS. enterica was inactivated less effectively as counts were reduced by one order of magnitude, with no significant difference in inactivation between unstored and pre-stored beddings. Low levels of naturally occurring E. coli O157 and Salmonella spp. were detected in the non-inoculated beddings, as well as in the straw prior to use in the animal facility. To better understand the possible biological processes involved, the bacterial community present in the beddings was characterised by short-read 16S rRNA sequencing. Pre-storage of the bedding affected the composition but not the diversity of the bacterial community. Analyses of the key bacterial phyla suggested that the presence of a diverse and stable bacterial community might facilitate inactivation of the introduced pathogens, and a possible role of bacterial orders associated with lignocellulolytic resources. Overall, the study contributed to the understanding of the fate of zoonotic bacteria introduced in animal beddings during storage and identified bedding storage practices pre-and post-use in animal facilities that could be important to prevent the risk of zoonosis dissemination to the environment or to the dairy herds.Middle-aged multidomain risk reduction interventions targeting modifiable risk factors for dementia may delay or prevent a third of dementia cases in later life. We describe the protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT), HAPPI MIND (Holistic Approach in Primary care for PreventIng Memory Impairment aNd Dementia). HAPPI MIND will evaluate the efficacy of a multidomain, nurse-led, mHealth supported intervention for assessing dementia risk and reducing associated risk factors in middle-aged adults in the Australian primary care setting.
General practice clinics (n≥26) across Victoria and New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited and randomised. Practice nurses will be trained to implement the HAPPI MIND intervention or a brief intervention. Patients of participating practices aged 45–65 years with ≥2 potential dementia risk factors will be identified and recruited (approximately 15 patients/clinic). Brief intervention participants receive a personalised report outlining their risk factors for dementia based on Australian National University Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Index (ANU-ADRI) scores, education booklet and referral to their general practitioner as appropriate. HAPPI MIND participants receive the brief intervention as well as six individualised dementia risk reduction sessions with a nurse trained in motivational interviewing and principles of behaviour change, a personalised risk reduction action plan and access to the purpose-built HAPPI MIND smartphone app for risk factor self-management. Follow-up data collection will occur at 12, 24 and 36 months. Primary outcome is ANU-ADRI score change at 12 months from baseline. Secondary outcomes include change in cognition, quality of life and individual risk factors of dementia.
Project approved by Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: 28273). Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at healthcare conferences. If effective in reducing dementia risk, the HAPPI MIND intervention could be integrated into primary care, scaled up nationally and sustained over time.
ACTRN12621001168842.
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are on the frontline of combating COVID-19, hence are at elevated risk of contracting an infection with SARS-CoV-2. The present study aims to measure the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on HCWs in central sub-Saharan Africa.
A cross-sectional serological study was conducted at six urban and five rural hospitals during the first pandemic wave in the South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Serum specimens from 1029 HCWs employed during the first pandemic wave were collected between August and October 2020, and data on demographics and work-related factors were recorded during structured interviews.
The presence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was examined by ELISA. Positive specimens were further tested using a micro-neutralisation assay. Factors driving SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity were assessed by multivariable analysis.
Overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was high among HCWs (33.1%), and significantly higher in urban (41.5%) compared with rural (19.8%) hospitals. Having had presented with COVID-19-like symptoms before was a strong predictor of seropositivity (31.5%). Personal protective equipment (PPE, 88.1% and 11.9%) and alcohol-based hand sanitizer (71.1% and 28.9%) were more often available, and hand hygiene was more often reported after patient contact (63.0% and 37.0%) in urban compared with rural hospitals, respectively. This may suggest that higher exposure during non-work times in high incidence urban areas counteracts higher work protection levels of HCWs.
High SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity indicates widespread transmission of the virus in this region of DRC. Given the absence of publicly reported cases during the same time period at the rural sites, serological studies are very relevant in revealing infection dynamics especially in regions with low diagnostic capacities. This, and discrepancies in the application of PPE between urban and rural sites, should be considered in future pandemic response programmes.
To explore trauma patients’ experiences of the long-term recovery pathway during 18 months following hospital discharge.
Longitudinal qualitative study.
Thirteen trauma patients with injuries associated with pain that had been interviewed 6 weeks after discharge from Oslo University Hospital in Norway, were followed up with an interview 18 months postdischarge.
The illness trajectory framework informed the data collection, with semistructured, in-depth interviews that were analysed thematically.
Compared with the subacute phase 6 weeks postdischarge, several participants reported exacerbated mental and physical health, including increased pain during 18 months following discharge. This, andalternating periods of deteriorated health status during recovery, made the pathway unpredictable. At 18 months post-discharge, participants were coping with experiences of reduced mental and physical health and socioeconomic losses. Three main themes were identified: (1) coping with persistent pain and reduced physical function, (2) experiencing mental distress without access to mental healthcare and (3) unmet needs for follow-up care. Moreover, at 18 months postdischarge, prescribed opioids were found to be easily accessible from GPs. In addition to relieving chronic pain, motivations to use opioids were to induce sleep, reduce withdrawal symptoms and relieve mental distress.
The patients’ experiences from this study establish knowledge of several challenges in the trauma population’s recovery trajectories, which may imply that subacute health status is a poor predictor of long-term outcomes. Throughout recovery, the participants struggled with physical and mental health needs without being met by the healthcare system. Therefore, it is necessary to provide long-term follow-up of trauma patients’ health status in the specialist health service based on individual needs. Additionally, to prevent long-term opioid use beyond the subacute phase, there is a need to systematically follow-up and reassess motivations and indications for continued use throughout the recovery pathway.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading infectious cause of death globally. It is the most common opportunistic infection in people living with HIV, and the most common cause of their morbidity and mortality. Following TB treatment, surviving individuals may be at risk for post-TB lung disease. The TB Sentinel Research Network (TB-SRN) provides a platform for coordinated observational TB research within the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium.
This prospective, observational cohort study will assess treatment and post-treatment outcomes of pulmonary TB (microbiologically confirmed or clinically diagnosed) among 2600 people aged ≥15 years, with and without HIV coinfection, consecutively enrolled at 16 sites in 11 countries, across 6 of IeDEA’s global regions. Data regarding clinical and sociodemographic factors, mental health, health-related quality of life, pulmonary function, and laboratory and radiographic findings will be collected using standardised questionnaires and data collection tools, beginning from the initiation of TB treatment and through 12 months after the end of treatment. Data will be aggregated for proposed analyses.
Ethics approval was obtained at all implementing study sites, including the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Human Research Protections Programme. Participants will provide informed consent; for minors, this includes both adolescent assent and the consent of their parent or primary caregiver. Protections for vulnerable groups are included, in alignment with local standards and considerations at sites. Procedures for requesting use and analysis of TB-SRN data are publicly available. Findings from TB-SRN analyses will be shared with national TB programmes to inform TB programming and policy, and disseminated at regional and global conferences and other venues.
Purrble, a socially assistive robot, was codesigned with children to support in situ emotion regulation. Preliminary evidence has found that LGBTQ+ youth are receptive to Purrble and find it to be an acceptable intervention to assist with emotion dysregulation and their experiences of self-harm. The present study is designed to evaluate the impact of access to Purrble among LGBTQ+ youth who have self-harmful thoughts, when compared with waitlist controls.
The study is a single-blind, randomised control trial comparing access to the Purrble robot with waitlist control. A total of 168 LGBTQ+ youth aged 16–25 years with current self-harmful ideation will be recruited, all based within the UK. The primary outcome is emotion dysregulation (Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale-8) measured weekly across a 13-week period, including three pre-deployment timepoints. Secondary outcomes include self-harm (Self-Harm Questionnaire), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). We will conduct analyses using linear mixed models to assess primary and secondary hypotheses. Intervention participants will have unlimited access to Purrble over the deployment period, which can be used as much or as little as they like. After all assessments, control participants will receive their Purrble, with all participants keeping the robot after the end of the study. After the study has ended, a subset of participants will be invited to participate in semistructured interviews to explore engagement and appropriation of Purrble, considering the young people’s own views of Purrble as an intervention device.
Ethical approval was received from King’s College London (RESCM-22/23-34570). Findings will be disseminated in peer review open access journals and at academic conferences.
FreshRSS 