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Background: The number of older adults living with companion animals (pets) is increasing worldwide. While evidence revealing positive relationships between companion animals and healthy aging is well established, there is a dearth of research regarding companion animal death and subsequent human grieving. Some emerging research suggests that grief over companion animal death is often discounted or even unrecognized (disenfranchised) by others. The extent and consequences of disenfranchised grief (DG) are poorly understood. This study deepens our understanding of older adults’ experiences of DG in relation to companion animal death., Methods: Participants from Alberta, Canada, were recruited through social media platforms to participate in an online questionnaire that collected demographic information and standardized measures of companion animal attachment, bereavement, and DG., Results: The majority of the 98 participants were between 60 and 70 years of age, female, and living alone. Following their companion animal’s death, 38.1% identified a decrease in physical activity, and 47% reported that their emotional health had declined. One-third identified that they needed to be careful about who they disclosed their grief, as they were not certain that they would be supported. This group had a significantly greater likelihood of perceived decrease in physical health, and they were more likely to score higher on the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire., Conclusions: This study adds weight to the emergent body of evidence highlighting companion animal bereavement as a legitimate and impactful health and well-being issue. The study found that DG is experienced by a sizable group of older adults following their companion animal’s death and that many participants perceived that socially legitimized recognition of loss and accompanying bereavement resources were lacking. These shortfalls contribute to health risks that negatively affect older adults’ ability to successfully age in the community.

Purpose: Chronic pain is a complex biopsychosocial experience, and rehabilitation helps people to manage pain, and restore valued life roles. Evidence suggests that more positive outcomes occur when clients perceive their rehabilitation to be meaningful. People with chronic pain describe rehabilitation as personally-meaningful when they develop a genuine connection with a credible therapist who they see as a guiding partner, and when rehabilitation holds personal value, is self-defined, and relevant to their sense of self-identity. This paper presents a qualitative study of therapists' experience using an e-learning package on patient-defined, personally-meaningful rehabilitation. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used to explore rehabilitation therapists' experience of a prototype evidence-informed, online resource developed on the basis of eLearning and web-design principles. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with a purposive sample of occupational therapists and physiotherapists, and inductive coding and thematic analysis of transcripts was completed. Findings: Twenty-four therapists (12 occupational therapists, 12 physiotherapists) participated, representing a mix of gender and experience (early career; experienced; and specialist). Four themes and 12 sub-themes emerged from the analysis. The resource delivered a positive user experience, which added (translational) value to enhance learning, and participants were highly positive about the future potential of the resource to translate chronic pain rehabilitation research for early career, experienced, and specialist rehabilitation therapists. Conclusion: Results suggest that the disparate learning needs of rehabilitation therapists from diverse professional backgrounds and experience, may be addressed through the one resource. Participant feedback provides evidence that the resource fits with current models of learning and behaviour change. This study demonstrates the importance of basing online resources on eLearning and web-design principles to translate complex biopsychosocial chronic pain rehabilitation research for rehabilitation therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain rehabilitation helps to reduce pain and restore valued life roles. Patients may have more positive outcomes when they perceive rehabilitation to be personally meaningful. This study examined associations between self-reported, personally meaningful rehabilitation and well-being. A pilot study was conducted using an online survey of people with chronic pain and experiences of rehabilitation. The PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form 8a and The Flourishing Scale were used to explore well-being. A modified self-report measure, the Meaningfulness in Rehabilitation Scale, was pilot-tested for construct validity and used in the survey. Of the 48 participants (81% female; 19% male), most attended a generalist therapy practice (62%) once per week (33%) or once per fortnight (29%). No statistically significant relationship was found between self-reported meaningfulness in rehabilitation and pain interference or other patient and therapy characteristics (duration of chronic pain category, type of therapy practice, resolution of rehabilitation category, and frequency of appointments). The nonparametric analysis identified a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between self-reported meaningfulness in rehabilitation and the flourishing aspect of well-being. This raises important questions and suggests that patients' perception of rehabilitation as meaningful warrants further research. This pilot study provides valuable guidance to inform a larger investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020–2021, a qualitative study was undertaken using an interpretive description methodology to identify what triggers grief in the first 2 years following the death of a beloved family member, and to gain other helpful insights about grief triggers from bereaved Canadian adult volunteers. In that study, a purposive sampling method was used to select 10 bereaved Canadian adult volunteers for in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This paper reports on the humor findings, as revealed to be a particularly complex grief trigger for many participants, as well as a periodic way for most to manage or live with their grief. Participant quotes and an extended discussion are included to illustrate the importance of these humor findings in relation to grief, and to inform bereaved people, bereavement service providers, and the general public about both helpful aspects and some cautionary considerations about humor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) is a term used to describe a range of psychiatric difficulties which arise following exposure to a psychologically traumatic event. The impact of being diagnosed with multiple psychiatric conditions on the return-to-work (RTW) outcomes of individuals with PTSI has not been adequately researched. OBJECTIVE: The current study examined whether the presence of two or more psychiatric conditions occurring simultaneously is predictive of RTW outcomes in workers with PTSI. METHOD: A population-based cohort design was conducted using archival data from injured workers admitted to a PTSI rehabilitation program. Differences in RTW outcomes and demographic, administrative, and clinical variables were compared between individuals with single and multiple psychiatric diagnoses. A range of variables were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model predicting RTW. RESULTS: The final logistic regression model indicated workers had higher odds of RTW if they had a single psychiatric diagnosis (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 2.20), non-elevated scores on a measure of traumatic stress (AOR 1.85), and reported higher self-perceived readiness to RTW (AOR 1.24). CONCLUSION: Being diagnosed with multiple psychiatric conditions appears to be associated with more negative RTW outcomes following PTSI rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative study was undertaken to identify what triggers grief in the first two years following the death of a beloved family member, determine how often triggered grief occurs, and gain lived insight into what can be done (if anything) to manage triggers and also triggered grief. Four themes highlighting an uncertain process associated with grief triggers were identified: (a) my whole life was grief, (b) frequently hit by "hard-grief" triggers, (c) reaching a balance with grief and grief triggers to absorb the losses and reshape life, and (d) shifting to good and welcome memories, triggers that keep the person alive. These themes are described, with quotes illustrating their relevance for advising bereaved people about the grief triggers they may encounter. This evidence adds to a limited body of evidence on grief triggers and offers new insights for developments in grief theory and bereavement programs or services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Since there were no research data on the use of neuro service dogs (NSD) in 2018, a comparative case study research design was done. The cases comprised of a caregiver with a person with mild to moderate dementia, and either an NSD (n=5), a companion dog (n=28), or no dog (n=23). Monitor activity and online questionnaires were administrated. Interesting qualitative data on the roles of a NSD, advantages and inconvenients were fully described and published. Quantitative data could not confirm that NSD is benefit-cost, neither that it increases quality of sleep or level of exercise, compared to companion dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to disrupt the lives of families and may have implications for children with existing sleep problems. As such, we aimed to: (1) characterize sleep changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in children who had previously been identified as having sleep problems, (2) identify factors contributing to sleep changes due to COVID-19 safety measures, and (3) understand parents' and children's needs to support sleep during the pandemic.Methods: Eighty-five Canadian parents with children aged 4-14 years participated in this explanatory sequential, mixed-methods study using an online survey of children's and parents' sleep, with a subset of 16 parents, selected based on changes in their children's sleep, participating in semi-structured interviews. Families had previously participated in the Better Nights, Better Days (BNBD) randomized controlled trial.Results: While some parents perceived their child's sleep quality improved during the COVID-19 pandemic (14.1%, n = 12), many parents perceived their child's sleep had worsened (40.0%, n = 34). Parents attributed children's worsened sleep to increased screen time, anxiety, and decreased exercise. Findings from semi-structured interviews highlighted the effect of disrupted routines on sleep and stress, and that stress reciprocally influenced children's and parents' sleep.Conclusions: The sleep of many Canadian children was affected by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the disruption of routines influencing children's sleep. eHealth interventions, such as BNBD with modifications that address the COVID-19 context, could help families address these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]