{"title":"Understanding the needs and challenges of unpaid carers caring for someone with drug and alcohol dependency: findings from a national qualitative evaluation.","authors":"Sarah Tickle, Sarah Greenhow","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2500395","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2500395","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The cost-of-living crisis witnessed in the UK, in addition to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, has exacerbated growing concerns about its disproportionate impact on caregivers. All caregivers face unprecedented challenges, but this is further intensified when caring for someone with drug and alcohol dependency which this paper argues are direct social harms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This paper presents findings from an external evaluation of three projects from a wider national programme funded by NHS England and Improvement [NHSE/I]. Identified by NHSE/I as a vulnerable community, interviews were conducted with eight caregivers who were caring for someone with drug and alcohol dependency, which this paper focuses on.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data, key themes emerged that emphasized a range of specific challenges faced by unpaid carers, including stigmatization and marginalization, a lack of understanding about drug and alcohol dependency, and caring for complex needs, which were particularly challenging in accessing appropriate support.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Caregivers overwhelmingly advocated for the urgent need to raise awareness around the role of being a \"carer,\" to see more individualized support provided, in addition to the recognition of treating mental health alongside drug and alcohol dependency in a supportive holistic approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2500395"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12077432/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144063216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The complexities of joy: a qualitative study of joy cultivation, loss of joy, and happiness in British adults.","authors":"Maria Roberts, Richard Appiah","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2508946","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2508946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Joy is a fundamental yet underexplored emotion that plays a critical role in well-being and happiness. Despite its significance, little research has examined how individuals cultivate, experience, and lose joy, particularly in relation to its interplay with other emotions and broader aspects of well-being. This study explored the subjective and contextual dimensions of joy among UK adults, including how it is cultivated, lost, and related to the broader aspects of well-being.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using an exploratory qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 adults aged 28-59 years. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in participants' experiences of joy, its influences, and impact on well-being.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four key themes were constructed: The Dynamics of Joy in Everyday Life, Determinants of Joy: Influences and Barriers, Impact of Joylessness: Coping Behaviours, and Strategies for Cultivating Joy. Joy was perceived as a distinct, profound emotion, often intertwined with gratitude and love. Barriers to joy included negative relationships, societal pressures, and emotional burdens, whereas fostering positive relationships, engaging with nature, and cultivating self-awareness were identified as key strategies for sustaining joy.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings highlight joy as a complex emotion, distinct from happiness and shaped by individual, relational, and cultural contexts. The study offers insight into joy's emotional and psychological impact, the challenges of its loss, and the enduring value of joyful memories. Participants also shared practical suggestions for cultivating joy, which may inform well-being initiatives in community, educational, or therapeutic settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2508946"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12107667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144136515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Malin Eriksson, Linda R Sundberg, Ailiana Santosa, Helena Lindgren, Nawi Ng, Kristina Lindvall
{"title":"Health behavioural change - the influence of social-ecological factors and health identity.","authors":"Malin Eriksson, Linda R Sundberg, Ailiana Santosa, Helena Lindgren, Nawi Ng, Kristina Lindvall","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2458309","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2458309","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Health behaviour is crucial for influencing health, making it a key component in health promotion. However, changing behaviours is complex, as many factors interact to determine health behaviours. Information, awareness, and knowledge are important but not enough. It is essential to move beyond focusing solely on individual psychological and cognitive factors to an understanding of the complex processes involved in health behaviour change. Social-ecological models account for these complex processes but risk being overly broad and all-encompassing. This qualitative grounded theory study explores how individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors interplay to influence health behaviour, and examines how social-ecological models in health promotion can be tailored to address different ecological needs. Participants were recruited from a community-based cardiovascular disease-prevention program in Northern Sweden. Data was collected through in-depth interviews about health and health behaviours throughout the life course among middle-aged men and women. The results illustrate how factors obstructing or enabling health behaviours vary in patterned ways for individuals with different health identities. Social-ecological interventions could be more effective if adapted to the specific needs of people with different health identities. In addition to screening for various risk factors, screening for health identities could be helpful in designing social-ecological health-promoting interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2458309"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11789218/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143069436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marloes de Brabandere, Ini Vanwesenbeeck, Liselot Hudders
{"title":"Turning likes into lifts: Understanding how adolescents experience fitfluencer content and the opportunities it offers them.","authors":"Marloes de Brabandere, Ini Vanwesenbeeck, Liselot Hudders","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2467520","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2467520","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Current research on fitfluencers and fitspiration content is mostly quantitative and emphasizes its negative impact, overlooking its opportunities. Adolescents, who are undergoing an important and delicate developmental period, are largely understudied in research on fitfluencers and fitspiration. Combined with more than 80% of the world's adolescents not being sufficiently physically active, more research is needed on how fitfluencers may positively impact adolescents' mental and physical health. Through 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews with adolescents (aged 14-18), this study explores their lived experiences with fitfluencers and the role these play in their mental and physical health, and which opportunities fitfluencers offer to positively impact adolescents. Adolescents reported minimal negative consequences of fitfluencers and experience more motivation than demotivation. Four main opportunities-information, authenticity, actionable content, and entertainment-incited motivation to exercise and make fitfluencers' appearance and lifestyle more attainable and relatable. These results can guide future research on how fitfluencers can positively affect adolescents.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2467520"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11852233/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143484585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Children's experiences of living with their mental ill-health - a scoping review.","authors":"Eva-Karin Gotting, Laura Darcy, Åsa Israelsson-Skogsberg, Annelie J Sundler, Ewa Carlsson Lalloo","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2501682","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2501682","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to identify and summarize existing qualitative empirical research on children's experiences of living with their mental ill-health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review with a systematic search of the databases PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychINFO was conducted. The search generated 9,864 studies, which were screened by title, abstract, and full text.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forty articles were included comprising 826 children aged 8-19 years. The key findings were described in four themes: <i>Identifying oneself with mental ill-health, Managing suffering and daily challenges, Seeking supportive and caring relationships</i> and <i>Navigating a complex school environment</i>. Being identified with mental ill-health brought challenges for children's everyday struggles. Their own coping strategies as well as supportive relationships with friends and adults were important. However, the balance between support and stress was complex.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Children have a desire to manage and comprehend their complex everyday lives of living with mental ill-health and wish for supported yet independent decision-making. Attitudes of friends, adults and professionals are important in providing understanding and non-judgemental support, valuable for children's well-being. Open conversations about mental health and providing accessible, child-centred interventions based on the needs expressed by children are necessary. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the central role of children's voices in matters of mental ill-health.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2501682"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12064100/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144059709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"User and staff experiences of a revised process for coordinating support with shared decision making in the comorbidity field of practice: a qualitative interview study.","authors":"Amanda Jones","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2024.2447095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2447095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to explore user and staff experiences of a revised process for coordinated individual planning (CIP) that involves the user alongside staff from social services and healthcare and incorporates shared decision-making (SDM).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Eight staff members and five users participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Users and staff experienced that the revised CIP process facilitates emotional security through predictability. This predictability is attributed to the predetermined structure in the CIP process and the user involvement enabled through preparations, as well as the mutual trust that arises from following through on expectations and commitments. Furthermore, the importance of partnerships was highlighted. This refers to the intention of respecting users as contributors, the joint understanding achieved between staff and users, and the continuity of care ensured through staff collaboration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings show that incorporating SDM through the CIP process can enhance structure, user involvement, and a sense of emotional security through the process.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2447095"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142899248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jack Palmieri, Maria Emmelin, Pia Svensson, Anette Agardh
{"title":"Aware but confused: conflicted between individual and collective responsibility. A grounded theory study of norms and organisational structures relating to sexual harassment among university students in southern Sweden.","authors":"Jack Palmieri, Maria Emmelin, Pia Svensson, Anette Agardh","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2471667","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2471667","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Sexual harassment in contexts of higher education is a well-documented problem with far reaching consequences for individuals and organizations. Questions remain about how sexual harassment is conceptualized and what implications these conceptualizations have for designing programmes to prevent and respond to sexual harassment in university settings. This study aimed to understand how students conceptualize sexual harassment, focussing on the influence of perceived norms and organizational structures as explanatory mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This grounded theory study utilized seven focus group discussions to collect data from students at Lund University, Sweden.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis yielded one core category, \"Aware but confused: conflicted between individual and collective responsibility\", supported by four categories reflecting different elements of conceptualizing and responding to sexual harassment. Sub-categories captured properties and dimensions of these categories along the continuum of individual to collective responsibility. The findings reflected an awareness among students of the occurrence of sexual harassment but confusion over definitions and assignment of responsibility. This confusion could have serious consequences for willingness to report cases of sexual harassment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Building trust in the university system requires establishing common understandings of sexual harassment, clear and accountable pathways for reporting, and transparency of outcome when reports are made.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2471667"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11869334/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143517249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Josephien Leonie Jansen, Vera Verhage, Richard Bruggeman, Lydia Krabbendam, Janneke Koerts
{"title":"A penny for your thoughts: three perspectives on financial problems and their associated factors of people with psychotic disorders.","authors":"Josephien Leonie Jansen, Vera Verhage, Richard Bruggeman, Lydia Krabbendam, Janneke Koerts","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2479945","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2479945","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Financial problems are of influence on mental health, and vice versa. Indeed, finances are a key challenge for people with psychosis. To gain deeper insights into these challenges, a qualitative approach focusing on all perspectives within the therapeutic triad is needed. This study aims to investigate perspectives of people with psychosis, family members and mental healthcare professionals on people with psychosis' financial problems, and associated factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fourteen people with psychosis, 15 family members and 16 professionals were recruited using purposive sampling, and participated in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. Data was analysed using iterative thematic data-analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Interviews revealed five themes of financial problems: Covering expenses, Financial performance, Living conditions and housing, Personal conflicts and victimization, and Regulations and legislation. Five themes were identified as factors associated with financial problems: Psychotic symptoms, Indirect factors related to psychosis, Substance use and addiction, Financial upbringing and life events, and Societal contextual factors.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>People in the therapeutic triad largely mentioned similar, wide-ranging, and often co-occurring (factors associated with) financial problems of people with psychosis, risking vicious cycles. Fostering awareness and collaborative efforts among stakeholders is essential to breaking these cycles of financial problems for individuals with psychosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2479945"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11926900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143665349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexandra Säwén, Elzana Odzakovic, Martin Ulander, Jonas Lind, Anders Broström
{"title":"Primary healthcare nurses' experiences of symptoms and treatment needs of patients with RLS-associated symptoms at telephone nursing - an abductive analysis based on the Four Habits communication model.","authors":"Alexandra Säwén, Elzana Odzakovic, Martin Ulander, Jonas Lind, Anders Broström","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2478687","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2478687","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common, neurological disease. Primary healthcare (PHC) nurses are often the patient's first contact, but studies regarding their experience assessing RLS-associated symptoms and treatment needs in telephone nursing (TN) are lacking.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To describe how PHC nurses experience symptoms and treatment needs of patients with RLS-associated symptoms during TN.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive abductive design, including semi-structured interviews with 18 PHC nurses from six Swedish regions. Data was deductively analyzed using the Four Habits communication model. Facilitators and barriers were inductively identified.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Invest in the beginning included the use of professional competence, interpretation of influencing factors at the start of the conversation and initial understanding of the patient's RLS symptoms. Elicit the patient's perspective involved originate from the patient's perception of the symptoms and comprehending the symptoms' impact on the patient's life situation. Relate to the patient's situation and the importance of trust in the patient meeting described demonstrating empathy. Invest in the end involved triaging patients with RLS-associated symptoms, providing self-care advice to patients with RLS-associated symptoms and achieving consensus at the end of the conversation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Using the Four Habits communication model could enrich communication regarding RLS-associated symptoms and treatment needs during TN.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2478687"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11915747/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143651840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Onat Yetim, Lut Tamam, Rabia Maria Küçükdağ, İlham Sebea Alleil
{"title":"\"The wind does not go the way the ship wants!\": stress and social support in Syrian migrant adolescents.","authors":"Onat Yetim, Lut Tamam, Rabia Maria Küçükdağ, İlham Sebea Alleil","doi":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2467514","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17482631.2025.2467514","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Previous studies reveal the importance of proximal context and social environment in the adaptation and resilience of immigrant adolescents. Syrian immigrant youth in Turkey face stressors such as acculturation, discrimination, and economic problems. However, more qualitative research is needed to examine the unique stressors and coping processes of Syrian immigrant youth and the social networks that support them. This study aimed to uncover the relevant unique relationships.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study involved 24 Syrian migrant adolescents aged 12-18, with four focus group interviews conducted from April to May 2024. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The themes related to sources of stress were (a) life struggle, (b) peer relationships, (c) future anxiety, (d) social barriers, and the social support mechanisms in times of stress were discovered as (a) family (b) clergy and religious rituals (c) non-governmental organizations (d) school counselors. The results of our study shed light on the fact that Syrian migrant youth experience significant socioeconomic difficulties and are forced to leave formal education and work in unequal conditions. Our study also revealed that youths have difficulties in accessing education, health, and professional psychological support services due to perceived discrimination in public institutions such as schools and hospitals.</p>","PeriodicalId":51468,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being","volume":"20 1","pages":"2467514"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837916/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}