Search

INTRODUCTION: An Australasian Airline's Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Program demonstrates abstinence rates that exceed those of general AOD programs. The reasons for this are unclear. The purpose of this research was to develop a theory as to why this program is successful. METHODS: A qualitative examination following grounded theory methodology was undertaken. AOD program patients and healthcare professionals were interviewed until content saturation was reached. Data analysis followed grounded theory to identify the key concepts associated with the program's success. RESULTS: The core theory that emerged highlighted the pivotal roles of a strong employee-company relationship, shared values, and a safety-focused culture in explicating the program's success. This moves beyond the "carrot and stick" model of motivation, where belonging to this organization and safety consciousness serve as powerful drivers for abstinence. Challenges and barriers highlighted some unique challenges to the program in managing the coronavirus pandemic and the difference in approach to substance use in community spaces versus safety-critical employment. DISCUSSION: This research expands the understanding of this AOD program's success in a safety-critical industry, emphasizing the elements of a working relationship that are beyond positive or negative reinforcement. Future research should work to quantify and test the generalizability of these findings. Nairn J, Bell E, Myers J, Higgins M, Johnston B, Newton-Howes G. A grounded theory exploration of addictions treatment within a commercial airline setting . Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(6):313-320.

As the culture of silence that once surrounded cancer has gradually given way to greater public awareness, normative visions of what cancer survivorship should entail have proliferated. These visions emphasise positivity and perseverance in pursuit of cure. While these visions provide comfort to many, for people with metastatic cancer, the emphasis on cure can undermine their sense of belonging to the broader collective of people living with cancer. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 38 Australian women living with metastatic breast cancer, we explore how incurable cancer inflects understandings of self and transforms interpersonal relationships. Extending ideas around biosociality and belonging, we explore the tenuousness of social bonds, revealing how (in)visibility, (in)authenticity and (in)validation circulate within the daily lives of women with metastatic breast cancer. We conceptualise accounts according to four social bonds: (1) threatened bonds where a relationship is strained by misunderstanding, (2) severed bonds where a relationship is ruptured due to misunderstanding, (3) attuned bonds whereby a relationship is based on shared identification and (4) flexible social bonds when a relationship is based on mutual understanding. More broadly, we illustrate the persistence of normative visions of cancer survivorship and their enduring effects on those whom such visions exclude., (© 2023 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.)

Aims: The use of mechanical restraint is a challenging area for psychiatry. Although mechanical restraint remains accepted as standard practice in some regions, there are ethical, legal and medical reasons to minimise or abolish its use. These concerns have intensified following the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Despite national policies to reduce use, the reporting of mechanical restraint has been poor, hampering a reasonable understanding of the epidemiology of restraint. This paper aims to develop a consistent measure of mechanical restraint and compare the measure within and across countries in the Pacific Rim., Methods: We used the publicly available data from four Pacific Rim countries (Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States) to compare and contrast the reported rates of mechanical restraint. Summary measures were computed so as to enable international comparisons. Variation within each jurisdiction was also analysed., Results: International rates of mechanical restraint in 2017 varied from 0.03 (New Zealand) to 98.9 (Japan) restraint events per million population per day, a variation greater than 3000-fold. Restraint in Australia (0.17 events per million) and the United States (0.37 events per million) fell between these two extremes. Variation as measured by restraint events per 1000 bed-days was less extreme but still substantial. Within all four countries there was also significant variation in restraint across districts. Variation across time did not show a steady reduction in restraint in any country during the period for which data were available (starting from 2003 at the earliest)., Conclusions: Policies to reduce or abolish mechanical restraint do not appear to be effecting change. It is improbable that the variation in restraint within the four examined Pacific Rim countries is accountable for by psychopathology. Greater efforts at reporting, monitoring and carrying out interventions to achieve the stated aim of reducing restraint are urgently needed.