Biomedical subjects

Amy Johnston

Publications and source records attributed to Amy Johnston.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Solution focused teaching: a transformative approach to teaching nursing.

Nurses work in complex health care systems, which today are based not only on medical treatment and cure, but also on enabling individuals and strengthening communities. This paper describes a curriculum approach to teaching nursing in an Australian university which seeks to prepare students for this environment. Underpinned by transformative education principles, and termed Solution Focused Nursing, specific teaching and learning strategies are discussed. A goal is to cultivate critical thinkers and knowledge workers, that is, nurses who are not only able to work skillfully, strategically, and respectfully with clients, but who also demonstrate discernment, optimism, and vision about nursing and health care.

Australia↗

PubMed2006

Exploring the relationship between area characteristics and self-harm: Old and new approaches.

Self-harm is strongly associated with later suicide and it is a major public health problem in its own right in many countries. There is a lack of evidence for effective individual level interventions following self-harm. Ecological studies examining the relationship between area characteristics and self-harm have yielded some interesting descriptive data but have had a number of limitations. Methodological and statistical developments in other fields of research may assist in building on findings to date. For example: The concept of social capital potentially provides a structure for examining sociocultural aspects of area; the use of more specific measures of locality will assist in studying area influences more fully; multilevel modelling may help to resolve the ecological fallacy through specifying variance attributable to factors at multiple levels simultaneously; areas in transition may provide natural conditions in which to investigate the impact of changing social environment. The potential utility of these new approaches is discussed with examples. Further investigation of the relationship between self-harm and area characteristics in a wide variety of settings may help to develop area-based interventions. Such interventions may have the potential to effect significant reductions in suicidal behavior.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Parent perceptions of nutritional issues during their child's treatment for cancer.

To examine family mealtime interactions, parental concerns about nutrition, and body mass index (BMI) among children with cancer who did not have primary central nervous system involvement. Parents of 95 children receiving treatment for cancer and 95 comparisons completed the About Your Child's Eating-Revised (AYCE-R) measure. Anthropometric data for children with cancer were obtained from medical charts at diagnosis and again when the AYCE-R was administered. No differences in mealtime interactions were found between children with cancer and comparisons, but parents of children with cancer reported greater concern about their child's weight. Anthropometric measures for children with cancer were consistent with national norms. However, children with cancer were somewhat underweight at diagnosis and became heavier over time. Lower BMI was associated with mother and father report of greater resistance from the child at mealtime, father report of his own aversion to family meals, and more severe treatment. The impact of cancer on family mealtime interactions and BMI appeared minimal during treatment. However, further longitudinal research is needed given the risk for late effects, such as growth problems and obesity, among cancer survivors. Families also may benefit from ongoing education to optimize healthy lifestyles among survivors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Individual- and area-level predictors of self-harm repetition.

BACKGROUND: No ecological studies have examined the relationship between area characteristics, individual characteristics and self-harm repetition. AIMS: To investigate the association between area-level factors and incidence and repetition of self-harm, and to identify which area-level factors are independently associated with repetition after adjustment for individual factors. METHOD: Prospective cohort study using the Manchester Self-Harm database. Adults who were resident in Manchester and presented to an emergency department following self-harm between 1997 and 2002 were included (n = 4743). The main outcome measure was repeat self-harm within 6 months of the index episode. RESULTS: Four individual factors (previous self-harm, previous psychiatric treatment, employment status, marital status) and one area-based factor (proportion of individuals who were of White ethnicity) were independently associated with repetition. CONCLUSIONS: Repetition of self-harm may be more strongly related to individual factors than to area characteristics. We need to better understand the processes underlying ecological associations with suicidal behaviour before embarking on area-based interventions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

UK legislation on analgesic packs: before and after study of long term effect on poisonings.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long term effect of legislation limiting the size of packs of analgesics sold over the counter. DESIGN: Before and after study. SETTING: Suicides in England and Wales, data from six liver units in England and Scotland and five general hospitals in England, and UK data on sales of analgesics, between September 1993 and September 2002. DATA SOURCES: Office for National Statistics; six liver units in England and Scotland; monitoring systems in general hospitals in Oxford, Manchester, and Derby; and Intercontinental Medical Statistics Health UK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Deaths by suicidal overdose with paracetamol, salicylates, or ibuprofen; numbers of patients admitted to liver units, listed for liver transplant, and undergoing transplantations for paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity; non-fatal self poisonings with analgesics and numbers of tablets taken; and sales figures for analgesics. RESULTS: Suicidal deaths from paracetamol and salicylates were reduced by 22% (95% confidence interval 11% to 32%) in the year after the change in legislation on 16 September 1998, and this reduction persisted in the next two years. Liver unit admissions and liver transplants for paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity were reduced by around 30% in the four years after the legislation. Numbers of paracetamol and salicylate tablets in non-fatal overdoses were reduced in the three years after the legislation. Large overdoses were reduced by 20% (9% to 29%) for paracetamol and by 39% (14% to 57%) for salicylates in the second and third years after the legislation. Ibuprofen overdoses increased after the legislation, but with little or no effect on deaths. CONCLUSION: Legislation restricting pack sizes of analgesics in the United Kingdom has been beneficial. A further reduction in pack sizes could prevent more deaths.

Analgesics↗