Men's Experiences of Self-Conscious Emotions Following Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Rates of detection and disclosure of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are believed to be lower in males due to gender socialization fears. The experience of CSA is thought to increase negative self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt, embarrassment, anger, and fear). Such self-conscious emotions have been associated with a range of mental and public health issues. As there has been no research to date that has explored the experience of shame and guilt within the wider context of self-conscious emotional states for males, this research aimed to explore men's experiences of self-conscious emotions following CSA. Nine semi-structured interviews with males were completed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis identified three themes: "Invisible In This World" captures participants' isolating circumstances surrounding their CSA, and how this impacted their perception of not being protected or able to speak out; "The Emotional Fallout" describes the overwhelming emotions experienced as a result of the CSA and how such emotions have impacted participants lives, and "Learning To Live With The Wound That May Never Heal" addresses how participants have spent their lives living with the abuse and how it's a process to learn how to adapt and live with the abuse. Findings suggest there is a clear need to recognize the role and power of self-conscious emotions in male CSA, especially for healthcare professionals and services supporting males with CSA. Without addressing such self-conscious emotions, males who have experienced CSA are at risk of enduring the emotional fallout throughout their lives.

Women's experiences of premature ovarian insufficiency: a thematic synthesis.

OBJECTIVE: Receiving a diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) can be an emotional and distressing experience for women. The aim of this meta-synthesis was to examine women's experiences of POI both before and after diagnosis to provide new understandings of those experiences. DESIGN: A systematic review of ten studies examining women's experiences of POI. RESULTS: Using thematic synthesis, three analytical themes were identified, demonstrating the complexity of experiences of women diagnosed with POI: 'What is happening to me?', 'Who am I?' and 'Who can help me?'. Women experience profound changes and losses associated with their identity that they must adjust to. Women also experience an incongruence between their identity as a young woman and that of a menopausal woman. Difficulty was also experienced accessing support pre-and post-diagnosis of POI, which could hinder coping with and adjustment to the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Women require adequate access to support following diagnosis of POI. Further training should be provided to health care professionals not only on POI but including the importance of psychological support for women with POI and the resources available to provide the much needed emotional and social support.

Palliative care nurses' experiences of stress, anxiety, and burnout: A thematic synthesis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic literature review aimed to critically appraise empirical evidence investigating palliative care (PC) nurses' experiences of stress, anxiety, and burnout. METHODS: Six databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science) covering literature within psychology, medicine and healthcare, and social sciences were searched from inception until December 2020. Studies were eligible if they included qualitative literature reporting on experiences of nurses working in a PC setting of stress, anxiety, or burnout, and were published in English. Eighteen studies satisfied the review's inclusion criteria and were considered relevant to the review aims. Critical appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist. RESULTS: Thematic synthesis identified three main themes: When work becomes personal, The burden on mind and body, and Finding meaning and connection. The findings suggested that stress, anxiety, and burnout are deeply personal feelings experienced by nurses both on an emotional and physical level. Additionally, PC nurses' experiences can differ in meaning and strength depending on their relationships with patients, patients' families, and colleagues. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESULTS: The synthesis highlighted that PC nurses' experiences are complex, encompassing clinical and organizational challenges, and the personal impact their work has on them. Having a greater understanding of the factors that contribute to PC nurses' experiences may help in PC nurses' core training and continuing professional education, as well as the provision of effective supervision and staff support.

Imagery rescripting and negative self-imagery in social anxiety disorder: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Imagery rescripting (IR) is an effective intervention for social anxiety disorder (SAD) that targets memories of distressing formative events linked to negative self-imagery (NSI). IR is thought to update unhelpful schema by addressing the needs of the younger self within the memory. An accumulating body of evidence indicates that by modifying NSI, IR can significantly affect distressing imagery, memory appraisal, and beliefs about the self. AIMS: This systematic review aims to critically evaluate and synthesise literature investigating the existing research on the effects IR has on NSI in SAD. METHOD: A systematic electronic search of Academic Search Complete, ProQuest, Medline, Scopus and PubMed was performed in February 2021 using pre-defined criteria. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected for review. RESULTS: Analysis of the reviewed articles' findings identified three main themes: Changes to negative self-images, Memories linked to images and Encapsulated beliefs. IR was associated with significant decreases in image distress, image vividness, memory vividness, memory distress, and encapsulated beliefs. Although reductions were found with image frequency, they were non-significant. Interpretation of results is limited by the small number of studies. CONCLUSIONS: IR appears to effectively alter images, memories and beliefs in SAD in as little as a single session. The findings indicate that IR could be utilised as a cost-effective intervention for SAD. However, additional studies and longer-term follow-ups are needed.

What are the experiences of clinical psychologists working with people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic?

BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities are a particularly vulnerable group, at an increased risk of mortality from COVID-19 and of poor mental health. Psychologists providing mental health support to people with intellectual disabilities report poorer mental wellbeing and higher occupational stress. Moreover, they raise concerns about the ability of people with intellectual disabilities to engage with digital technologies for mental health support in the context of reduced face-to-face psychological provision. AIMS: The study aimed to understand psychologists' experiences of working with people with intellectual disabilities during the pandemic. MATERIALS & METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 psychologists from community intellectual disabilities services. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Two superordinate themes emerged. Survive or Thrive highlighted the challenges and successes clinical psychologists experienced while working during the pandemic. 'Left to Their Own Devices' described psychologists' experiences of their clients as forgotten within society. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates psychologists' ability to adapt to extremely challenging circumstances, exposes the vulnerabilities of people with intellectual disabilities and highlights the gaps in service provision.